Lee Sae Rom (Business ’19): the youngest successful candidate to pass the 2021 CPA exam

(Business ’19 Lee Sae Rom)

A total of 152 students of Korea University have passed the CPA exam in 2021, making Korea University the most successful university for this exam. Since 2016, Korea University produced the highest number of successful candidates for six years. This year, the youngest successful candidate to pass the exam was a student enrolled in KUBS. KUBS interviewed Lee Sae Rom, the youngest student to pass the 56^th CPA exam.

Q. Congratulations on being the youngest successful CPA candidate of the 2021 exam! What were your motives to prepare for the CPA exam?

Thank you. It’s an honor to be interviewed. I chose the CPA exam because I thought I should become an expert in my major while pondering about my future career. If I could focus wholeheartedly on one field and be successful, I believed that this experience would help to overcome future obstacles. I started without much hesitation. At first, I started to prepare for the exam because I was interested in accounting and finance. While studying, I got to know what accountants do in detail, which made me even more eager to pass the exam.

Q. How was it when you heard you were the youngest to pass? How did those around you react to the news?

I received a call that informed me about the news two days before the results were announced. I was extremely nervous when receiving the call, and I was thankful about the fact that I have passed rather than being the youngest. My parents, grandparents and other family members were extremely happy and proud when they heard the news. I received a lot of congratulations from my friends and fellow schoolmates, which just amazed me, and I was filled with gratitude. Jungjincho, the press, and accounting firms also called to congratulate, which made me bewildered but happy at the same time.  

Q. How did you continue your studies while preparing for the exam?

I took courses at university until my first semester as a sophomore, then I took a leave of absence for two semesters. I started preparing for the exam during regular semesters, so I did not study much until summer break. I focused on preparing for the CPA exam since late August. Before that, I focused on regular courses during the semester during exam periods. Two of six courses that I took during my last semester were CPA related courses, which made it easier to prepare for the CPA exam. In my first year of preparing for the CPA, I took basic courses in the first semester, and I could take regular university courses. However, I had to cover various subjects and practice problem solving in the second semester, which makes it difficult to study while taking regular university courses.

I began studying a bit late in 2021, so it was my strategy to take all basic courses as quickly as possible, then I jumped in to take problem solving courses. If one finished all courses in November to December and got used to problem solving, I believe January and February is enough to increase the speed and accuracy of problem solving. So do not rush and try to study weak areas one at a time. It’s especially important to mark questions that one has got wrong. There is not enough time to solve all questions, so it helps to focus on questions I previously got wrong.

Q. How did KUBS lectures help in preparing for the CPA exam?

I took Financial Management and Intermediate Accounting. The professors taught the courses well so that students who are new to the subject can fully understand, practice, and become interested. These two subjects felt easy because I already got accustomed to them through lectures provided by the school. The professors repeatedly emphasized basic but core concepts of the subjects, which helped in understanding difficult concepts while studying for the CPA exam.

Q. Were there any difficulties caused by COVID-19 and how did you overcome them?

I usually studied at home and sometimes went to study cafes to give a change. I was sometimes lonely since I seldom met my friends while preparing for the exam, but my family encouraged me and helped me through this journey. The hardest part of this exam was when I felt unprepared to pass the exam. I fell down many times, but I always stood up and studied. In the days when I couldn’t study well, I took a break and studied harder the next day.

Q. How do you want to spend your remaining days at university? What lectures are you interested in?

I have a lot of courses I am interested in, so I want to focus on my studies during the semester and travel now and then. I think I will do a part-time job at an accounting firm during winter break. I’m interested in Business Analytics related courses among business lectures. I became interested in the BA track thanks to ‘Business for Society’ that I took in my first semester. I became interested in analyzing data with programming and statistics. I’m now an accountant that analyzes data so I believe the BA track will be even more important to me. I’m especially interested in Financial Analytics and Operations Analytics.

Q. Anything you want to tell fellow students who are preparing for the CPA exam?

It is difficult to focus on studying one thing for a long time. My respect and support to those who are studying for this exam! Don’t compare yourself with others, trust yourself and carry on. We all have different methods and speeds of studying. If you feel anxious, believe in yourself, and do your best to follow your daily schedules. These days will accumulate to prepare you for the exam. It is difficult to study for the exam and regular courses at the same time, but if you decided to pass the CPA exam, I recommend you study without delay.