Q & A with Donn LeVie, CFE

Donn LeVie of Texas became a CFE after attending the CFE Exam Review Course in Denver, CO. When Donn is not working, he enjoys traveling and having a nice dinner with friends. But this past August, he put some time aside to focus on accomplishing his goal of obtaining the CFE credential. Donn hopes the CFE credential and the training he received while preparing for the CFE Exam will enable him to extend his speaking engagements into professions related to assessing fraud risk and detecting fraud. He also feels the CFE credential provides him with a better understanding of the issues and challenges facing organizations in his target markets. 

Coach: When did you receive your CFE credential? 

LeVie: I was certified on August 10, 2017.

Coach: You attended the CFE Exam Review Course in Denver and following the course you sat for the CFE Exam on-site. Please describe how you prepared to take the exam immediately after.

LeVie: I started out by taking the online pre-assessment to determine which areas I should prioritize. The review sections and practice exams helped further define where I needed to focus. 

 If you show up for the CFE Exam Review Course without having gone through the Prep Course, it will be very difficult to pass all four sections just showing up for the class without doing the prep work.  I also decided to enroll in the CFE Exam Review Course based on recommendations from many who had gone through the course.

Coach: What did you like most about the CFE Exam Review Course? 

LeVie: Of all the strategies I used to prepare for the CFE Exam, the CFE Exam Review Course was the most effective. It’s one thing to read the material, but to hear it in a lecture format, interspersed with videos and real-world stories from the great instructors, helps cement the content even more. One thing to take note of: Stories help you remember facts, and the instructors make plenty of use of actual instances that provide that real-world application of the information. 

Coach: In what ways do you feel that your new CFE credential will be beneficial to you in your current profession? 

LeVie: I do write feature articles for Fraud Magazine, and I want to extend my speaking into professions related to assessing fraud risk and detecting fraud (investigations, accounting, finance, compliance and ethics, etc.). So, in April, I decided I would take the exam. I felt the CFE credential would provide me with a better understanding of issues and challenges facing organizations in my target markets. 

Coach: How did you prepare yourself to sit for the exam on-site? Did you spend any additional time studying after class each day? 

LeVie: I started by committing one hour a day to the online study tools and then switched to the hard copy manual for two hours a day (sometimes more), three to four weeks before attending the CFE Exam Review Course that was held in Denver in early August. I haven’t had to study this hard since grad school back in the early 1980s, so I dusted off my old study habits to see me through the upcoming weeks. 

Coach: To help focus my reading, I underlined every line that I read. It forced me to slow down and absorb the material, so I wasn’t just running my eyes over text and forgetting what I just read. 

LeVie: On the next pass, I used a highlighter over most of the content. I then took the online review for each of the individual subsections within one of the four major sections. It’s the equivalent of eating an elephant one bite at a time. I find that I retain more information by focusing on the small chunks rather than trying to bull my way through one of the four major sections all at once.

On the next pass through the course review guide, I used a checkmark or a five-pointed star to indicate that the particular content showed up in one of the review sections, making it likely I would see it again on the exam.

Coach:  Now that we know what you do professionally, what do you like to do for fun and what do you find enjoyable about it?

LeVie: Well, I like to do many things, but my top three are: (1) traveling to Europe (especially Spain) whenever we can; (2) enjoying great wine and food with friends; and (3) enjoying a great cigar or two on the weekends as a treat. Traveling exposes you to so many unique experiences, memories, and people. Great wine and food, when paired together properly, is a gastronomical pleasure that is a constant learning experience. Enjoying a great cigar—along with a fine liqueur—is a way for me to relax while reading or listening to music out on our deck. 

Coach: Do you have any study tips or suggestions for aspiring CFEs?

LeVie: Two other suggestions for taking the exam: (1) Pace yourself, don’t get stuck on one question. If the answer doesn’t immediately jump out at you, move on to the next question. (2) Consider using foam ear plugs to block out the ambient noise in the room. I used them for all four exams and they helped focus my concentration. 

Do the upfront work and take the CFE Exam Review Course, and you’ll likely pass all four sections of the exam the first time through. 

Q & A with Amanda Redfern, CFE

Amanda Redfern of North Carolina recently became a CFE after attending the CFE Exam Review Course in Atlanta, GA. When Amanda is not working, she enjoys EM mining. But this past May, she put some time aside to accomplish her goal of obtaining the CFE credential. As director of quality control, Amanda feels that her new CFE credential will make her more aware of internal fraud in her organization. 
 

Coach: When did you receive your CFE credential?

Redfern: I sat for the exam in May and received my certificate in June 2017. 
 
Coach: You attended the CFE Exam Review Course in Atlanta and following the course you sat for the CFE Exam on-site. Please describe your experience of participating in the four-day course and then sitting for the exam immediately after.

Redfern: The on-site course is extremely informative, and the instructors are able to cover the relevant material  in a short amount of time. I felt more confident taking each section of the exam at the end of each day since the covered materials were fresh in my brain.  

Coach: What did you like most about the CFE Exam Review Course?

Redfern: The presenters! John and Alton provided great insight and examples from their careers that made the material that much more relevant. 

Coach: In what ways do you feel that your new CFE credential will be beneficial to you in your current profession?

Redfern: My new credential will give me an acute awareness of fraud in my organization.

Coach: How did you prepare yourself to sit for the exam on-site? Did you spend any additional time studying after class each day?

Redfern: I completed the CFE Exam Prep Course questions online prior to arrival to check my knowledge base. I then reviewed the next day's section the night before to familiarize myself with the material. 

Coach: Would you recommend this course to your colleagues?

Redfern: Yes, I would recommend this course to my colleagues. 

Coach: How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?

Redfern: I became passionate about fighting fraud by investigating a huge fraud case with a previous employer—it was fascinating to uncover and untangle the snowball of deceit.

Coach: Now that we know what you do professionally, what do you like to do for fun and what do you find enjoyable about it?

Redfern: I really enjoy EM mining! It is exciting—like a treasure hunt.

Coach: Do you have any study tips or suggestions for aspiring CFEs?

Redfern: My main tip is to access your Prep Course and study the flashcard app if available! 

Q & A with Jean-Christophe Boitard, CFE

Jean-Christophe Boitard of Montreal, QC, recently became a CFE after attending the CFE Exam Review Course in Austin, TX. When Jean-Christophe is not working, he enjoys cooking for his friends and family. The relaxation he feels when preparing a meal helps to balance out his busy professional life. As part of that professional life, Jean-Christophe put some time aside this past November to accomplish his goal of obtaining the CFE credential. He has seen a positive difference since obtaining his credential and was even solicited by a headhunter who was specifically looking for a CFE. 

Coach:  When did you receive your CFE credential?

Boitard:  I was certified on November 18, 2016.

Coach:  You attended the CFE Exam Review Course in Austin, TX and following the course, you sat for the CFE Exam on-site. Please describe your experience of participating in the four-day course and then sitting for the exam immediately after.

Boitard: It was a very nice experience thanks to the organization of the ACFE, even if the days were very long and intensive. The written documentation that is distributed at the beginning of the course allows for taking notes and making keyword combinations easy to memorize at the time of the exam. The speakers have an extensive knowledge of the subjects, punctuated by real-life examples that facilitate understanding. Interaction with other students also helps a lot; in my case, knowledge of U.S. laws is purely theoretical and some mnemonic tips were welcome. The end-of-day examination requires a lot of concentration and good time management to answer all the questions before the time limit is up. Finally, receiving the exam results right after the end of the exam is very comforting before moving to the next day.

Coach: What did you like most about the CFE Exam Review Course?

Boitard: It is the whole package that makes the event work perfectly—the expertise of the speakers, the content of the course, the balance between the intensity of the course and the breaks, the quality of the organization, and above all the support and the kindness of the entire ACFE team.

Coach: In what ways do you feel that your new CFE credential will be beneficial to you in your current profession?

Boitard: I have already been able to measure the positive effects in two cases—the first one with the investigators of the prosecutor's office and the second one with the syndic of discipline of a professional association. I was surprised at the end of January to be solicited by a headhunter who was specifically looking for a CFE because CFEs are not common in South America even though the demand is strong in an environment conducive to corruption. She was specifically looking for a CFE with experience in detecting and preventing conflicts of interest within engineering companies.

Coach:  How did you prepare yourself to sit for the exam on-site? Did you spend any additional time studying after class each day?

Boitard: My preparation began before arriving in Austin. As failure was not an option, I studied the CFE Exam Prep Course for 90 days, for a total of about 150 hours, to improve my understanding and get familiar with the format of the exam questions before attending the CFE Exam Review Course. Then, I planned the trip to arrive in Austin on Saturday, review the quizzes for five hours on Sunday, and focus only on course delivery during the week without studying after class—you do not come to Austin only to stay locked in a hotel room every night!

Coach: How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?

Boitard: I became passionate about fighting fraud because of two separate events, about twenty years apart. The first was in secondary school when some students stole the answers to a difficult exam. Due to the lack of evidence to identify the students involved in the fraud, the professor decided to make the whole class retake the exam, which I felt was an injustice. The second time was when I was working for a bankruptcy trustee on a case involving a massive fraud that led many innocent employees to lose their job as part of a company’s restructuring. I felt these two events emotionally, although I carried out my audit work with a certain detachment between these two episodes. After the second event, I decided that I had to prevent and deter fraud to avoid its social consequences.

Coach:  Now that we know what you do professionally, what do you like to do for fun and what do you find enjoyable about it?

Boitard: I love cooking! Cooking is a project that only takes a few hours but provides great relaxation during the preparation and an immense satisfaction when my family or my friends enjoy the meal. Whether it is an elaborate, improvised meal or something very ordinary to accommodate the leftovers, cooking provides balance with my professional life, where an investigation can last several weeks with unpredictable results.

Coach:  Do you have any study tips or suggestions for aspiring CFEs?

Boitard: After twenty years of experience in audit and investigation, we sometimes take a few shortcuts and develop bad habits. The planning and discipline involved in studying the CFE Exam Prep Course allowed me to deepen themes that I do not regularly practice and to familiarize myself with the format of exam questions. It is essential to plan (and execute) at least one hour of study per day to scan all subjects without being saturated with information in the last week before attending the CFE Exam Review Course. My personal routine was wake up, 45 minutes of gym, one hour of Prep Course studying before going to the office, and then 30 to 45 minutes of review before bedtime. Following the guidance in the Prep Course is also necessary.

Q & A with Elisabeth Christensen, CFE

Elisabeth Christensen of Virginia recently became a CFE after attending the CFE Exam Review Course in Washington, D.C. When Elisabeth has time off, she enjoys engaging in outdoor activities such as gardening, hiking, traveling, and bird watching. This past fall, Elisabeth put some time aside to accomplish her goal of obtaining the CFE credential. Elisabeth feels that being a CFE rounds out her skill set as an investigative attorney and aligns well with her agency’s mission of preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse.

Coach: When did you receive your CFE credential?

Christensen: I was certified in October 2016
 
Coach: You attended the CFE Exam Review Course in Washington D.C. and, following the course you sat for the CFE Exam on-site. Please describe your experience of participating in the four-day course and then sitting for the exam immediately after.

Christensen: I found the course to be extremely informative. The instructors who presented each topic were knowledgeable, and the information offered was very useful. Even though participation in the course and sitting for the exam each day made for some long and challenging days, I would recommend this method to all who are seeking to get the CFE credential. 
 
Coach: What did you like most about the CFE Exam Review Course? 

Christensen: The course provides you with all the tools you need to succeed, both on the exam and as a new CFE. I found the in-person instruction to work well for my learning style. 
 
Coach: In what ways do you feel that your new CFE credential will be beneficial to you in your current profession? 

Christensen: Being a CFE rounds out my skill set as an investigative attorney. The ability to identify fraud and fraud risk dovetails well with my agency’s mission of preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse. The credential has also allowed me to meet and learn from other CFEs in similar fields. 
 
Coach: How did you prepare yourself to sit for the exam on-site? Did you spend any additional time studying after class each day? 

Christensen: As material was presented, I highlighted the text and made note of any new concepts. Before sitting for each section of the exam, I would review the information presented, paying particular attention to unfamiliar subjects. 
 
Coach: Would you recommend this course to your colleagues? 

Christensen: Absolutely. This was an efficient and streamlined way to study for and take the CFE Exam. 
 
Coach: How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?

Christensen: I believe strongly in making sure that precious taxpayer dollars are awarded and administered properly, especially in the area of scientific research and education.  
 
Coach: Now that we know what you do professionally, what do you like to do for fun and what do you find enjoyable about it?

Christensen: I enjoy being in the outdoors—gardening, hiking, traveling, and bird watching. I recently visited beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska, which I’d certainly recommend, but maybe not in January when I went!
 
Coach: Do you have any study tips or suggestions for aspiring CFEs?

Christensen: Focus on your strengths first. As an attorney, I worried more about the sections covering financial transactions and fraud schemes, but found that my retention of information was actually better for the newer material. 

Q & A with Taeva Romain

Taeva Romain of Georgia recently became a CFE after attending the CFE Exam Review Course in Austin, TX. When Taeva is not working, he enjoys traveling and being exposed to different cultures. This past November, however, he put some time aside to accomplish his goal of obtaining the CFE credential. Taeva believes the CFE certification will be helpful during his review of Bank Secrecy Act compliance at financial institutions.

Coach: When did you receive your CFE credential?
Romain: I received a letter after I’d passed the fourth module. The official notification came about two weeks later.

Coach: You attended the CFE Exam Review Course in Austin, TX and following the course you sat for the CFE Exam on-site. Please describe your experience of participating in the four-day course and then sitting for the exam immediately after.
Romain: Sitting through eight-hour lectures can be tedious, but I did find the course to be effective. Taking the examinations with the information fresh on my mind ensured success.

Coach: Was it helpful receiving Prep Course prior to attending to the CFE Exam Review Course?
Romain: I liked the review questions and the explanations of the correct answer.

Coach: In what ways do you feel that your new CFE credential will be beneficial to you in your current profession?
Romain: I feel that it will be helpful during my review of Bank Secrecy Act compliance at financial institutions.

Coach:  How did you prepare yourself to sit for the exam on-site? Did you spend any additional time studying after class each day?
Romain: I listened to each lecturer and highlighted key points each day. I did not study after class.

Coach: Would you recommend this course to your colleagues?
Romain: Yes, I would recommend this course to my colleagues.

Coach:  How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?
Romain: I became passionate about fighting fraud through my exposure to Bank Secrecy Act examinations.

Coach: Now that we know what you do professionally, what do you like to do for fun and what do you find enjoyable about it?
Romain: I like to travel for fun. What I find most enjoyable about traveling is the exposure to different cultures.

Coach: Do you have any study tips or suggestions for aspiring CFEs?
Romain: I suggest that people review all of the practice questions and take the mock examinations before attending the CFE Exam Review Course.