From FAE Exams to Senior Associate – Suvi Inkinen explains how she is navigating the post-exam transition from student to full member of Chartered Accountants Ireland

I started my three-and-half-year training contract with PwC in September 2020. I had exemptions from the CAP1 exams due to my qualifications from my college degree, leading me to complete my CAP2 exams in my first year and my FAEs in my second. 

I was over the moon when I passed my FAE exams in 2022. It’s an outstanding achievement to pass this set of exams, but it also meant I wouldn’t have to study again if I didn’t want to. It was such a fun and bizarre feeling – I hadn’t had a break from exams since pre-college. 

It’s a strange feeling to return to work after passing your FAEs. If you’re like me, you didn't think much about life post-exams once you joined your training organisation. Knowing you no longer have exams to complete, no more study leave to take, and no exam workshops and lectures to attend feels foreign. However, the lingering stress of an upcoming exam is also gone, and that feels amazing.

When I returned to work after passing my FAEs, I had been out of the office for around four months (three months of study leave and one month of annual leave), and, as an Associate 3, I received a lot more responsibility. 

For my first engagement post-exams, I was seconded to the finance department of a large technology company. The content I had studied for my FAEs – which I had spent hours learning, looking over and studying – was precisely what I needed to know for this posting. All the effort was immediately worth it.

Over a year after passing my FAEs, I am now a Senior Associate at PwC, which has been a considerable step up from being an Associate 3. I find it challenging but also more fulfilling. This is my first time being a senior on an engagement and delegating work to other associates. It can be pretty daunting, but I’m enjoying it, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my two years of lectures and training contract. 

Beyond the liberating gift of a little free time and peace of mind, conquering your exams and going through your training contract opens up opportunities to get involved with the Chartered Accountant Student Societies. 

In my case, my involvement in the Dublin and Ireland committees expanded after I passed my exams. I urge anyone, particularly those caught in the whirlwind of membership transition with some extra moments to spare, to dive into this community. It’s an experience that can enrich your professional journey.

I’m currently on the exciting path of becoming a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland. There are two crucial steps ahead: submitting my CA diary and completing my graduation. This journey has been very fulfilling, and I take immense pride in how far I’ve come, all while contributing my expertise to PwC.