The first time proved the charm for Odette School of Business graduates who recently wrote the certification exams to become chartered professional accountants.

Nearly every graduate of the MBA-PAS program, short for Master of Business Administration – Professional Accounting Specialization, passed the Common Final Exam administered by Chartered Public Accountants (CPA), the profession’s regulatory body. While it often takes writers more than one attempt to pass the three-day exam, 22 of 24 UWindsor graduates passed on the first try.

“I am elated to have passed the CFE on my first attempt,” said UWindsor grad Summer Hedjazi.

“The MBA-PAS program truly prepared me to be successful on the CFE exam. In the span of one year, I was able to obtain my MBA, as well as develop the skills necessary to be successful in my journey as a CPA. The program allowed me to develop the enabling skills and competencies outlined by CPA such as problem-solving, managing self, and communication which were key in exam time.”

More than 5,900 candidates wrote the CFE, administered in September. The exam is a three-day evaluation designed to assess candidates’ knowledge, judgment, and ethics. Only those who complete the entire qualification program — consisting of education, experience, and the examination — are entitled to use the CPA designation.

“We are very proud of our MBA-PAS students,” said Mitch Fields, dean of the Odette School of Business.

“Their pass rate on the 2021 CFE combined with the results from previous classes places this program among the very best in all of Ontario, if not Canada,” Dr. Fields said. “This success is a credit not only to the hard work of our students, but to the entire Odette School of Business community, including the faculty and staff who contribute to and support this program.”

The MBA-PAS program was created five years ago. This year’s pass rate for first-time writers was 92 per cent.

“First and foremost, I would like to congratulate the successful writers and wish them all the best as they start their professional accounting careers,” said Peter Savoni, director of the MBA-PAS program “This is a milestone for the MBA-PAS program, as this represents the largest number of successful first-time writers since the program inception five years ago.  This is not just an MBA-PAS or an accounting area accomplishment, it is an Odette accomplishment, as the effort, support, and guidance across the entire Odette faculty and administration has been outstanding.”

—Sarah Sacheli