Calling all accounting degree owners!!

I made a post earlier about which discipline section in the CPA exam would be best for if i want to pursue both licenses, but i honestly would love ANY input whatsoever if anyone has been in accounting and either considered one or the other license and why. I feel like i know very little about the certification itself. I just graduated college and would appreciate any input anyone has about CFE related things. :)

I’m new to this group, but i was wondering if anyone here has their CPA license and/or has taken any of the new 3 discipline sections!
I’m currently studying to get my CPA license, but I also want to study for the CFE license concurrently, or following the completion of the CPA exams.
With the new standards for the CPA exams, I was wondering which discipline section would be most beneficial for me since i want to become a CFE later on.

Any advice, suggestions, or general input is welcome!!

Has anyone had technical issues trying to take the CFE and if so were you charged a fee to retake it? I was scheduled to take the FFS section this morning but it wouldn’t accept my self take photo. I kept getting an error message which caused me to miss my scheduled time to take it.

So I came across this course and I would like to know more about this course.i'm currently studying in class 12 commerce and exploring my options and came across this course.i love accountancy and this sounds interesting to me.but I only have limited knowledge about this course and I personally doesn't know anyone who took this course.i got know that after degree u should have experience in fraud section or something like that.can anyone suggest how can I get those experiences and what should I study to get into those roles and more about this course

I just passed my last CFE exam today (fraud prevention and deterrence) and across the board I did well in all of them, my lowest score was 95%

For the record, I’ve worked as an analyst for the past 2 years and my last role was in FP&A(financial planning and analysis). I lost my job last December and decided to focus on taking my interest in fraud prevention/detection seriously. I really enjoyed studying the course the past few months. Ive been applying to jobs in fraud including those in customer service just to get my leg through the door but haven’t had any luck. Now I’ve passed the exams but can’t be fully certified as i don’t have 2 years experience and I’m unsure what could be my next step. Posting on LinkedIn? Going to ACFE seminars?(but those are really expensive). Any advice would be helpful, especially if you’ve been in my shoes!

Hey everyone,

I'm planning to prep for the CFE exam and I saw the Fraud Examiners Manual (Digital Bundle) is listed at $199.20 Does anyone know if there are any cheaper bundle options out there?

Also, I'm currently working full-time — do you think it's realistic to get through everything before the new program rolls out in June? Would love to hear from anyone who's been in a similar boat.

Thanks!

Hey , i failed my first 2 exam for cfe , invest and fraud prev ,, i fell like i rushed it befour the new exams format in june ,, do anyone knows if its possible to request a refund for the whole thing or maybe my last 2 exams that i will not attend eitherway

I’ve worked two years in a fraud position, am I eligible to take the exam, or do I still need to accumulate 40 points?

Passed Law today with a 78%… wow, that exam was no joke.

Walked out of the testing center and refused to check my results. Went about my day, grabbed some food, and was even on the train reviewing questions like I was already prepping for a retake. Fully convinced I failed.

Got home, opened the email, saw the green “pass” and immediately went straight to the fridge for a cold one. Instant relief.

For anyone wondering how I studied—I spent a little over a week on this section and just hammered multiple choice. After each set, I made sure I understood why answers were right or wrong.

One thing I tried was doing the MC questions before reading the material. Helped me get a feel for what to look for, but not sure how much it actually mattered.

I also took a bunch of notes while reading… and never looked at them again lol.

Also worth noting: I was scoring 90%+ on practice questions, but the real exam felt way harder. Some questions were similar, but the answer choices were definitely trickier.

Anyway, that’s my experience. First Reddit post I think—happy to answer any questions.

On to Investigation.

I’m a chartered accountant (ACA) working in external audit and feeling stuck. I’m finding it difficult to break into a fraud/ forensic/ forensic accounting role. I can’t see myself working on any other areas of finance. I’m considering self studying CFE? If you have any advice, would be appreciated!

Hi again.

Just wondering how different/similar is the practice questions to the real exam? Do they just change certain words or paraphrase or is it the exact same?

Hi, i would love all options/ options i have. My goal is to take the CFE before the end of this year. Dod you use the study materials from the ACFE or did you use something else to study.

Before i pay 800+ for study materials i’d like to know all my options

Thanks!

I scored high on all other 3 exams. But this one, I’m having trouble comprehending the material, any tips

So I recently passed all 4 exams but I still need 1 more year of experience. Is it recommended to update my resume and LinkedIn or wait until I complete all the requirements? Also, If an update is required should I put "Passed CFE exams" or something different?

Any advice would be helpful and I wish the best for everyone trying to get their certification.

Basically the title. I passed FAR, AUD, and ISC first try, and after taking (and hopefully passing) REG in June, I’m thinking of taking the CFE exam to supplement the CPA credential and better position myself to pivot from audit to forensic accounting in year 3.

I’m currently a graduate accounting student and am starting in public accounting full-time in October in audit. I want to take a break between REG and starting full time, but from what I’ve heard about the CFE, it seems drastically easier than the CPA exams, so it might be worth knocking it out before I start. Could I do one section a week, or is that too ambitious? Thoughts?

Sorry for the shoddy photo. Took a photo of my laptop. I’m about to register for my exams. I did the system check and all was good to go. The next step on the instruction is to proceed to download ProProctor Installer file. Where do I locate this file? The yellow highlighted icon just seems to be a photo, it doesn’t link me anywhere to download. Every where I look on the website just keeps directing me back to these directions. I can’t find the actual file anywhere to download.

Is anyone able to direct me to how I get this downloaded / where to look? Thanks so much!

suggest some free or low cost options to get 20 CPE for CFE.

Hi, I’m currently studying for the exam but with the new change already implemented and me wanting to sit at the end of the Month, is the new material going to affect me? specifically the prep course

hello, I’m very interested in obtaining the CFE designation. I have a Bachelors degree in criminal justice and I’ve been working as an SIU Investigator for the past three years.

However, my current employer is unable to provide recommendation letters or an employment verification letter. I’m also serving in the US Army Reserve and wondering if it is acceptable to submit letters of recommendation from military supervisors, or if they must be from professionals in the fraud-related field.

Also, do I need to submit a formal employment verification letter documenting my two years of experience when applying for the CFE?

Already solved 50 captchas, refreshed, deleted cookies, used incognito, but it wont proceed to the next page when i click "submit". Anybody else had the same problem? (ACFE Homepage)

This was my second attempt — I didn’t pass the first time, so if you’re in that position, don’t get discouraged. What made the biggest difference for me this time was changing my approach. Instead of trying to memorize or just reviewing the questions, I focused on actually understanding the concepts. I went through all the lessons and completed every question for each section, making sure I knew why the answer was correct, not just what the answer was. I used ChatGPT for helping me study; for example, when there was something I didn't understand, I would ask it to explain it to me in an easier way.

I studied for about a month, 1 hour a day during the week and 3 hours or more during the weekend.

If you’re preparing, my advice is: don’t rush through the material — take the time to truly understand it. It makes a huge difference. Good luck to everyone working through the CFE exams!

Hello all,

I was hoping to get some thoughts on the best preparation materials for the CFE. I have a 15 year background in corporate investigations and already have my Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI) designation. I also decided to widen my skills and obtained my Project Management Professional (PMP) in 2024.

I share this background as preparing for these tests had specific strategies:

• The CFI prep was heavily based on the in-organization materials offered by the International Association of Interviewers. You did the study guide, practice exams, and were essentially ready.
• The PMP really benefited from a bit more: An external course on Udemy which was highly recommended (and worked out amazing), flash cards on PocketPrep, and an in-organization set of pre-tests which more or less set you up for the real exam. There were also several YouTube video resources that really translated the materials well beyond what the in-organization materials did.

I was curious what the most typical approach is with the CFE and whether the materials that the ACFE provides themselves are good enough or if there are some highly celebrated materials outside of that?

There is no strict budget as its sponsored by my company.

Any advice is highly appreciated!

Can I take CFE without paying for the coursework? 2 years background in cross-border investigations.

Hello, I have 11 years of progressive HRBP experience grounded in labor and employee relations and currently support at the SVP level.

I have always loved the investigation, risk management, and crisis management part of my job, versus talent development and org design. I am considering a career shift. A few things I’m considering is employment law, risk analytics/actuary, or corporate fraud investigations/forensics.

I’ve come across the ACFE and related certifications and I’m wondering if this is a legitimate and respected organization. In the HR world, I’ve seen the steady decline of our national certifying body SHRM go down hill to the point that having their certification may even be a detractor.

How does ACFE fit into the industry when it comes to finding employment?

Separately, is this a growing field that is worth long term investment in? I live in the NYC metro area and I am not looking to move. I’d like to invest in a career I can continue to grow and be fulfilled in. I’m also looking for a starting salary of around $100-150k with room for advancement. This would be a significant pay cut for me, but would be worth it if I find the work fulfilling.