CEBU CITY, Philippines — Real hard work, time management, prayer, and perseverance, with the power of manifestation on the side, was the perfect recipe for the success of Ron Niño Loon, Cebu’s lone topnotcher in the May 2022 Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE).
Before taking the CPALE, Loon, 23, from Bogo, Cebu, made it known to the universe that he wanted to top his licensure exam.
“When I first reviewed for May 2020 CPALE, I wrote a note that I want to top the board exam. It was my dream. I only had five months left during that time to review, so I gave my best,” he told CDN Digital.
However, the delays and postponements induced by the COVID-19 pandemic which happened thrice since 2020, somehow made him give up on that dream, he said.
“I felt exhausted during my next review and felt like I’m doing the same thing all over again. So, I gave up that dream. To pass is already enough for me,” he added.
God, however, had other plans for him.
Loon, a University of San Carlos Accountancy graduate, ranked 9th in the exam with a passing rate of 86.50 percent and was the lone Cebuano graduate who made it to the top 10 of the May 2022 CPALE conducted in various testing centers in the country, including Cebu, last May 22 to 24.
Read:
USC graduate among topnotchers of May 2022 CPA licensure exams
Despite being discouraged by postponements, Loon remained disciplined in his course of taking the CPALE.
Loon said time management is what greatly helped him keep on his track while juggling preparations for the licensure exam and having a job.
“The hardest part was probably balancing work and studies. I had a full-time job during my first five months of review. I worked from 7 am to 4 pm and then studied after. There were days when I just wanted to rest after work, but I had to get up and study,” he said.
Only when the CPALE was just one month away, he said, did he resign and totally focus on his review.
He said at the start of every week, he made sure to make his own study schedule, planning and listing what contents to read, how much time to allocate, and what review questions to answer. He also said he made sure that he covered everything and at the same time really understood what he read.
As for advice to future CPALE takers, Loon said it is important to focus on the concepts in accounting, to take notes and read, and to find a good reviewer to focus on.
“You don’t need to read all the books, Just focus on one, understand the theory behind it, and apply it in answering the problems. Always give your best in your review. Lastly, trust God. Nothing beats his plans for you,” he said.
He said he owed his success to his family, his alma mater, the USC, batch mates, his group of friends, professors, and the review center, whom, he said, were all instrumental to his latest achievement.
Loon graduated Magna cum Laude from USC in 2019. Before topping the May 2022 CPALE, he also passed the United States Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Exam in 2021 and was active in representing his official college organization, the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants in various quiz bowl competitions. /rcg
ALSO READ:
UC graduate is third placer in March 2021 Physician Licensure Exams
2 Cebu grads in Top 10 of physician licensure exam