The CPA exam is made up of four sections, which take four hours each. Candidates must take three required core sections and one discipline section of their choice to showcase deeper knowledge in a specific area. Historically, national pass rates average around 50%. 

Guam law allows students to begin taking the exam within 18 months of their graduation date, giving them a head start in their career fields over graduates in most U.S. states. Now that she has passed the CPA exam and officially earned her bachelor’s degree, the next step for Pakingan to get full licensure is to gain work experience under the supervision of a licensed CPA.

“In achieving this milestone, Frances demonstrates academic excellence, leadership, and most importantly, effective time management,” said Dr. Doreen Crisostomo-Muña, professor of accounting. “We are very proud of her and look forward to her contributions to our community and the accounting profession.”

Positive Progress, Hard Work

Preparing to take the CPA exam is already a daunting task, but Pakingan had the added challenge of doing so while finishing up her last semester in the BBAA program and fulfilling her duties as an officer for both the Junior Accountants Society and the Blue Key Honor Society, two of UOG’s student organizations. She understood the risks of adding another commitment to her already busy schedule, but she turned to her faith in order to persevere.

“It was a constant loop of trusting that God would get me through it as my source of strength, showing up every day, being face-to-face with my failures, and trying to make positive progress,” Pakingan said.

She set up a stringent study schedule, created review materials, and maximized her learning of the topics taught in her accounting classes. Through it all, she gained a valuable perspective on time and how to use it wisely when working towards a goal.

“I learned that the clock never stops and that every minute counts,” Pakingan shared. “If I’m lazy, I can’t expect to reap something I didn’t work hard for.”

On to the Next

There is no slowing down for Pakingan, who jumped right into graduate studies after completing her bachelor’s. She is currently enrolled in UOG’s Master of Accountancy program with the financial support from the $15,000 award she earned as a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholar last August. At the same time, she is taking care of the remaining requirements needed for her to apply for the CPA license but is keeping an open mind to the possibilities of her future career path.

“There are a lot of ways to go about using an accounting degree, and I do want to explore those different paths early on. I also want to keep learning as I go,” Pakingan said.

As her journey continues, Pakingan expressed gratitude to all of her accounting professors for challenging her to be a better student. She also emphasized that the praise and credit for her success does not belong to her.

“I definitely don’t want to boast about my own abilities, but Jesus is the source of all my strength and perseverance. I just showed up when I needed to,” she said.