Obtaining a rating of 89.33 percent, Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Batch 2020 Accountancy graduate and Summa Cum Laude Alvielle Izza Catcha ranked 4th on the October 2022 Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination (CPALE).

Catcha shared with Atenews that topping the CPALE never crossed her mind as she avoids putting pressure on herself. 

“I only wished for that CPA license so that I could finally close a chapter of my life and move on to the next. Having my mind set on that goal made all the sacrifices seem worth it.” 

The topnotcher further shared that she resigned from her work and chose to devote six months to review. Her one review semester, a part of the Accountancy curriculum, was cut short due to the pandemic, and three formal reviews, of which the first two did not push through because of postponed exams.

“Setting small goals each day really helped me in my preparation, and having my family around me boosted my motivation to pursue my dream,” Catcha said. 

However, the AdDU alumna experienced having a hard time getting the momentum going as she was easily distracted playing mobile games, reading books, lurking on her stan Twitter, etc. Her body was also not accustomed to studying again after having worked for at least a year in an auditing firm.

“Sometimes, I get frustrated when I cannot remember some basic concepts I’ve already learned during college. It made me doubt myself,” Catcha said.

Ironically, those distractions she mentioned prevented her from getting burned out, thus, keeping her motivated. 

Catcha advised CPALE takers to study all fundamental concepts and not be pressured by the overwhelming amount of coverage and review materials.

“During the review, your enemy is not the CPALE syllabus but the emotions that come with it. You will doubt yourself, and eventually, you will be unmotivated,” she said.

The topnotcher also encouraged CPALE takers to hold on to their dreams and seek His guidance, stating, “Knowing that the Lord has planned greater things for you will push those doubts out of your mind.”

Catcha, along with Dea Gabrielle Manunod who ranked 17th in the same licensure exam, became the second and third CPALE topnotchers of the university this year as Christian Dominic Amoncio recently ranked 7th on the May 2022 CPALE. Catcha revealed that the three of them are close friends who came from the same batch.

“Having achieved this small victory together with Batch 2020 despite the setbacks is truly one for the books,” she said.

AdDU scored 47.96 percent, having 47 passers out of 98 takers. The list of the 47 new CPAs from the university can be viewed here. 

Furthermore, the national passing rate is 25.84 percent, which is 1,722 out of 6,665 examinees, according to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). The PRC released the list of October 2022 CPALE passers and topnotchers last October 26.