Q&A with Andrew Cook, CFE

Andrew Cook of Pennsylvania recently became a CFE after attending the virtual CFE Exam Review Course. Cook feels that the CFE credential has expanded his knowledge base, skill set, and professional network. Networking with other CFEs has been a great benefit to his career as well. Read more about Cook’s journey to becoming a CFE below.

Coach: When did you receive your CFE credential?

Cook: I received my CFE credential in August 2021.

Coach: Please describe your experience of attending the virtual Review Course, and what did you like most about the course?

Cook: My experience with the Review Course was fantastic. John and Bret were great instructors and shared their knowledge and expertise to help the attendees put the finishing touches on their studying before taking the CFE Exam. My favorite part of the course had to be John and Bret sharing their real-world experiences working in this field. It provided clarity around some more challenging topics and allowed me to just focus on the real-world application of the subject matter without worrying if a certain piece of information was going to be important for the CFE Exam. To that end, I followed the advice of some CFE colleagues and completed the review questions and practice tests prior to attending the Review Course and allowed the course to act as a comprehensive review of the material prior to taking the exam each evening.

Coach: Did you review the CFE Exam Prep Course prior to attending the Review Course? If so, how often did you study?

Cook: I reviewed the Prep Course for about six weeks prior to attending the course. I studied around an hour each night with some longer studies on weekends. I know this seems like a lot, but I found it to be very helpful as it allowed me to retain a lot of the information far beyond my CFE Exam. In m y everyday work, I frequently find myself utilizing information that I studied. My advice is to break it all down and take advantage of the review questions and practice tests.

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

Cook: My role focuses on the detection, investigation, and prevention of business malfeasance and business identity theft, and the CFE credential has allowed me to expand my knowledge base and skill set while also expanding my professional network, so I can stay ahead of new fraud trends. Having a network of CFEs sharing fraud-fighting tips and tricks has already been a great help, and I’ve already seen those learnings pay off in my career.

Coach: Would you recommend the Review Course to your colleagues?

Cook: Absolutely. It was recommended to me by colleagues who have their CFE credential, and I think it’s a fantastic way to tie your CFE studying together. It provided context around the study material that will benefit you long after you take the CFE Exam.

Coach: How did you become passionate about fighting fraud?

Cook: I think that passion developed after a summer internship with what is now my current team. It was really the best of both worlds, it was an intersection of my finance and business background with my lifelong interest in law. I worked in a variety of other business areas in the following years, but I always wanted to return to that team. Fortunately, I was able to rejoin the team just over a year ago due to the hard work that has been put into expanding our firm’s fraud-fighting capabilities.

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?

Cook: I love exploring the local food scene and trying all of the new restaurants that keep popping up. I also spend a lot of time trying to create those recipes at home. As a balance to the food hobby, I’m an avid cyclist and try to spend a lot of time on the local trails. If I’m at home, I’m often reading, watching sports, or relaxing with friends.

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

Cook: My advice is to break it down, acknowledge the progress you’re making, and don’t worry about it. Seeing over one thousand practice questions and four practice exams can seem intimidating, but just keep chipping away at it knowing that if you take your time to do it right, you’ll do great on the CFE Exam and be able to put your new CFE skills to good use.