How the UC Davis Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) Helped Me Pass the CPA Exams

After my summer internship at PwC, I had a difficult decision to make. I already had a full-time career offer, and I knew a lot of people in my position would go straight into working. At the same time, I had the opportunity to continue my academic journey and strengthen my accounting knowledge by enrolling in the UC Davis MPAc program.

I started my undergraduate academic path as an economics major, rather than the traditional accounting track, and I knew that I wanted to truly solidify my accounting knowledge to prepare myself as best as possible before joining PwC.

I chose the UC Davis MPAc because I wanted a stronger foundation before starting at a Big Four firm.

The Most Important Upfront Investment: Conceptualization

The extra year in the MPAc was much more than just additional coursework—it changed how I approached accounting entirely.

Early in the program, specifically in the financial accounting series, I realized that memorizing formulas wasn’t going to cut it. There were too many nuances and different scenarios, which required me to understand what was happening and why.

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From then on, I focused on conceptualizing rather than drilling hundreds of questions to the point where I just memorized the answers.

I treated lectures and studying like an upfront investment. If I spent more time really understanding each concept early on, I could save myself time in the long run when it came to midterms and finals. Even if it made the weeks feel slower, it relieved stress during exams as I could confidently recall and apply concepts without second-guessing my memorization of the answer.

Study Habits That Helped Me Succeed

This approach, along with staying organized, became a consistent habit for me. To keep track of assignments and deadlines, I relied heavily on Canvas and hand-written “to-do” lists. This allowed me to clearly lay out the week and stay focused on what needed to be done each day.

Alongside that, I made sure to use all MPAc and class resources available. I paid attention to discussion boards, asked questions when I needed to, and took advantage of time with professors to work through anything that didn’t make sense.

While these habits may have been tedious at the moment, they paid off in the long run. By the end of the program, I was honored to receive the Will Snyder Award for highest GPA, which reflected the consistency and approach I built throughout the year.

How MPAc Prepared Me for the CPA Exams

When I started preparing for the CPA exams, it didn’t feel like I was learning everything for the first time. The structure of the program had already introduced me to the types of questions and the level of difficulty I would see.

By the time I started studying for the CPA, I had already seen the format, difficulty and question style in my MPAc classes.

Because of this, studying felt more like reinforcing what I already knew rather than trying to learn everything from scratch. This helped build confidence in my ability to confidently recall and apply concepts when studying and taking the exams.

The Impact of a Cohort Community

One main aspect of the program was being in a cohort setting. When you are constantly surrounded by your peers, connection becomes an important factor in the success of one another, as you work through problems and learn concepts from different lenses.

Whenever I was stuck on a problem or didn’t understand a concept very clearly, talking to my classmates helped me approach the problem in a completely different way. Oftentimes, hearing someone explain a concept in their own words makes it click faster for the rest of us.

Working with classmates every day helped me understand concepts faster and approach problems from different angles.

That collaboration and sense of community made a difference, especially during more challenging parts of the program.

Passing All Four CPA Exams on the First Try

In retrospect, there wasn’t a single moment where everything suddenly clicked. Instead, it was a steady progression that helped me reach this milestone.

Each class, assignment, and conversation built upon itself to develop an even stronger foundation. By the time I was preparing for the CPA exams, I felt prepared and confident in my ability to approach the exams.

Now, as an audit associate at PwC San Francisco, I can see how much that preparation carried into my day-to-day work.

Is MPAc Worth It for the CPA and Big Four?

MPAc provided me with the foundation, habits, and environment I needed to succeed.

If you’re considering MPAc, and thinking about the CPA or a Big Four path, the extra year can make a big impact on your preparation for a career in accounting.

For me, it was the difference between figuring things out as I went and starting my accounting career prepared and ready to approach any challenges thrown my way.

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