How to Mark Your Own CPA Canada Cases: A Practical Guide for Core & CFE Students

Written By Ravneet Sachdeva

One of the most effective ways to improve your CPA Canada case‑writing skills is learning how to mark your own cases. Even if you receive external marking or feedback, self‑marking gives you immediate insight into your strengths, weaknesses, and technical gaps. It also helps you understand how CPA markers think — which is essential for Core modules, Electives, and the CFE.

This guide walks you through a simple, structured approach to marking your own cases the same way professional markers do.

Why Self‑Marking Matters

Self‑marking helps you:

  • Identify missed issues quickly

  • Understand what “Competent” actually looks like

  • Improve your technical depth

  • Strengthen your case structure

  • Build judgment and efficiency

  • Reduce dependency on external feedback

The faster you learn to evaluate your own work, the faster you improve.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these materials:

  • Your case response (Word + Excel)

  • The case itself

  • The official solution

  • The sample strong response (if available)

  • The feedback guide (your most important tool)

Feedback guides are included in PEP modules and Capstone 2.


Understanding Feedback Guides (Your Marking Blueprint)

Feedback guides break the case into Assessment Opportunities (AOs) — the issues you are expected to identify and analyze.

Each AO is graded using:

  • NA – Not Addressed

  • NC – Not Competent

  • RC – Reaching Competence

  • C – Competent

  • CD – Competent with Distinction

Your goal is consistent RCs and Cs.
CD does not give extra marks — so don’t waste time over‑writing.


Each AO includes Minimum Proficiency Indicators (MPIs) — the exact elements needed to achieve RC or C.
These MPIs tell you:

  • What to discuss

  • What depth is required

  • What calculations matter

  • What conclusions are needed

This is the closest tool we have to the real CPA Canada marking matrix.


How to Tell If Something Is “Discussed” vs. “Attempted”

This is where most students struggle.

Discussed (Depth)

  • You explain why

  • You use case facts

  • You apply the correct criteria

  • You conclude clearly

  • You support calculations

Attempted

  • Generic statements

  • Missing case facts

  • No conclusion

  • No explanation

  • Incomplete calculations

Understanding this difference is the key to moving from NC → RC → C.


Step‑by‑Step: How to Mark Your Own Case


Step 1: Check Whether You Addressed Each AO

Go through the feedback guide and compare it to your response.

If you missed an AO → NA
If you missed it, go back to the case and find the trigger so you don’t miss it again.


Step 2: Use a “Step‑Down” Approach to Assign a Grade

Start at C and work downward:

  • Did you meet all MPIs? → C

  • Missing depth or case facts? → RC

  • Missing major elements? → NC

  • Missed entirely? → NA

If unsure, always grade yourself one level lower — CPA markers do the same.


Step 3: Debrief Using the Solution

For every AO that is not a C:

  • What did you miss?

  • What did you write that was unnecessary?

  • Where were your technical gaps?

  • Did you use enough case facts?

  • Did you conclude properly?

  • Did you run out of time?

Write your notes in a different colour or using Track Changes.

This is where the real learning happens.


Step 4: Summarize Your Performance

Create a short summary:

  • What you did well

  • What you struggled with

  • What you will change next time

You can track this in:

  • A notebook

  • A spreadsheet

  • The bottom of your feedback guide

Patterns will emerge — for example:

  • Strong in MA

  • Weak in Tax

  • Missing conclusions

  • Not enough depth in FR

This helps you target your studying.


Why Students Struggle to Get “Competent”

Common reasons include:

  • Poor time management

  • Missing technical criteria

  • Weak conclusions

  • Not enough depth

  • Not using case facts

  • Incorrect or unsupported calculations

Once you know why you’re not getting C, you can fix it.


Final Thoughts

Self‑marking is one of the most powerful tools in your CPA Canada preparation. It helps you think like a marker, improve faster, and build the judgment needed to succeed in Core modules, Electives, and the CFE.

The more cases you mark, the more confident and consistent you become.

If you need help in your CPA Canada Coaching, please feel free to reach out:
RavGun CPA Academy
https://www.ravguncpaacademy.com/
+1 437 833 9540

Ravneet Sachdeva
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