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[JPIA NEWS] Becoming a CPA at the 5th Shot

 Becoming A CPA At the 5th Shot
By Rohaina Dansal

 

Photo by Mohammad Hassan Pantao

If achieving the CPA title is like playing archery, it will be a daunting task to hit the center dot at your first shot with a bow and arrow. If you are not lucky enough with your first shot, it will surely be a bitter pill that is hard to swallow. Failing it the second time around will make you question your fate. And failing it for the 3rd and 4th time around will make you think to give up.

This is the reality and inspiring story of Mr. Mohammad Hassan Pantao, an epitome of resilience and standing up to your failures until you achieve your dream. Deciding to take his 5th shot to try his luck and fate for the CPA title truly requires immeasurable resilience. But Mr. Pantao’s commendable resilience opened the doors of success for him as he finally became a Certified Public Accountant in his fifth take during the May 2022 CPA Licensure Examination.

As he stated, he belongs to the average or below-average group of students and his grades barely make it out of the foam. Given the difficulty of the accounting program, his trek for the much-coveted title was full of thorns and unending setbacks.

During his first attempt in October 2018, before his first failure, he realized that pressure was necessary but he should not hobnob on it. On his second take in May 2019, he felt confident when he took the exam, yet anxiety invaded him and became his worst nemesis coupled with the low national passing rate. He did not make it to the cut and this experience reminded him to take care of his health as he climbs to the peak. 

He took the exam for the third time in October 2019. But before the actual board, pressure exacerbated his anxiety and health condition which forced him to travel back to their province. He flew again to Manila despite his situation and the doctor’s advice. He bravely took the exam and almost got a conditional grade. But this time, the declining national passing rate comforted him to accept his third failure. 

On his fourth take in October 2021, he felt more calmed and relaxed about his failure. His past experiences became an advantage. The two-year deferment of the board exam due to the pandemic allowed him to heal. He made himself busier and decided to work which helped him recover. He became more objective, strategic, and mature in his approach. 

He finally made his last shot on May 2022 CPALE. The time when he decided that it was either he would make it or give up and move on. He leveled up his traction towards putting his trust in the Almighty. His past failures helped him to come back even stronger for his last shot. This time, Mr. Pantao finally passed the exam after numerous attempts.

On his advice to the aspirating CPAs, he said that passing the CPALE requires a lot of preparation emotionally, spiritually, and financially. As he stated: “It should be from the time you enter the accountancy program that you should be preparing already for the CPALE and not just for the sake of passing that specific subject or that semester.”

He accentuated that one should get rid of the reckless mindset where a student settles for the bare minimum and that students should start preparing while in undergraduate studies because how hard you hustle in the undergrad will be your advantage. This advice from him is also the same as his advice for aspiring CPAs.

“Sa mga aspiring CPAs naman na ang mindset is “saka na ako mag-aaral sa formal review. My advice is the same. Start preparing now! Saka mo lang mare-realize pagdating mo sa formal review na hindi enough ang 4 months. At the same time, doon marami ang ‘sana.’ “Sana undergrad pa lang binigay ko na lahat,” “na sana sa undergrad naghanda na ako for cpale,” “na sana natake two ko na lang tong subject na ‘to kasi wala pala akong alam sa subject na ‘to, at lahat ng klasing ‘sana.’ Because we all know, repentance comes later. Kaya ngayon pa lang sinasabi ko sainyo, magpakahirap na kayo para pagdating niyo doon hindi na kayo mahirapan. Same with the quotes, ‘work hard now enjoy later.”

For Mr. Pantao, once you have a dream, never close your door because it only becomes an absolute failure the moment you give up. He also said, “Life gives us the sourness of defeat to make success so palatable.”



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