In the same way as Michael Phelps' talent is to swim or Usain Bolt is to run, 15-year-old James "Jimmy" Chilimigras believes his gift is that he learns much faster than others.
At age 12, he graduated from high school in Mississippi with the goal of applying for law school, and his father then suggested two options: He could either pick an easy major that would guarantee a good GPA for his application, or go for something challenging that would sharpen his skills for a legal career. After scrolling through online forums, Chilimigras came to the conclusion that accounting was one of the most difficult fields and enrolled at Western Governors University online for a bachelor's in accounting.
Upon diving into the field, however, Chilimigras came to develop a strong interest in accounting and worked with the university to complete 60 credits per semester online, so he could obtain his bachelor's degree in one year. At the same university, Chilimigras would later get his master's degree in accountancy at age 14 and, after six months of preparation with North Carolina CPA Bryan Kesler, he went on to break an eight-year record previously held by 17-year-old
"I wanted to see what I could do for accounting and if there was something more for me," said Chilimigras. "I was motivated to take the exam because if I did it at my pace, I would become the youngest CPA and that was something that was exciting for me. It was like a fun little personal goal."
On June 17, Chilimigras became the youngest candidate in history to pass the CPA exam, with impressive scores of 86 in Business Environment and Concept, 80 in Financial Accounting and Reporting, 86 in Regulations, and 75 in Auditing.
"He is a polite, curiosity-filled young adult with endless enthusiasm and desire to learn," said Ronald Cimo, Chilimigras' undergraduate academic advisor. "He absorbed material in every class with zest as he engaged with university instructors or other support staff to cement his understanding of the material. It was a joy working with Jimmy and I look forward to maintaining our relationship as he furthers his educational and professional goals."
On January 10, Chilimigras contacted Kesler through the
Chilimigras indicated spending around five hours a day studying for the exam, which was supported by a strong visual memory. His method focused on going through study materials before testing his knowledge on multiple-choice questions, but Kesler warns it's not a model that works for everyone. He said there are three types of CPA exam candidates: visual learners who prefer video lectures, knowledge diggers who look for flaws in their skills by focusing on questions, and avid readers who rely on notebooks. Chilimigras quickly turned out to be from the last group.
"I tried to connect him with the best textbooks available and then gave him access to our test bank, along with courses provided by his university and other study tools," said Kesler. "He has this incredible ability to read something and not only remember it but also to apply it to very complicated questions. I just think that's really, really cool."
Out of all four sections, Chilimigras enjoyed studying the AUD section the most, especially when it came to fraud and various methods people use to escape scrutiny from law enforcement. As he only took one auditing class in college, he explained that preparing for the AUD section and exploring a field he was unfamiliar with was like discovering a new side of accounting. It only took him two weeks to be ready, which was less time than for other sections, but still resulted in a perfect score.
The FAR section, on the other hand, was the only one that Chilimigras didn't pass on the first try, missing it by a small margin with a 73. In fact, it was the first time in his life that passage of a standardized test eluded him, as he always ranked himself in the 99th percentile, from the SAT at age 12 to the LSAT at age 14. Chilimigras said it was a very unsettling experience at first, but Kesler succeeded in pinpointing what went wrong and gave him confidence, a moment that was
"You'll see me go from shaken to completely calm in a matter of seconds," said Chilimigras. "In fact, I was so at peace, so confident, so sure that the miss only made me better, that I scheduled to retake it as soon as possible after that. This is the best support one could hope for in a mentor, to be there at the right time and place with the right advice when one needs it. That makes all the difference."
Kesler said it's common for CPA candidates, who often are overachievers, to mentally struggle if they don't pass on the first try, which happens for
To create a program that best fits a candidate's learning style, Kesler likes to interview his mentees to figure out the methodology that won't disturb their study habits but instead highlight their existing talents. Assisting students with other team members and one-on-one customization of study hours, Kesler recommends they take his course in conjunction with other programs so they don't get overwhelmed by the
According to Kesler, candidates shouldn't approach the CPA exam like college because it's about mastering a great deal of complex material crammed into a tight timeframe, with each section being difficult in its own way. When coaching Chilimigras, Kesler said he didn't want him to mindlessly scan the information, but to truly understand the context of the question and why each answer was right.
"Jimmy is incredibly intelligent and I love his focus, which is not something that you see in many teenagers," said Kesler. "He has a mission, and he's already shown me that he loves helping people. He understands that he has a superpower and he wants to use it for good, so I'm really excited to see that he's going into law school and, combining that with his CPA skills, he can honestly go on and do whatever he wants."
Chilimigras explained that the support of his family and faculty members played a great role in his success, along with spending time outdoors. While he said that putting in the work to consistently study for the exam was a "law" and a "real commitment," Chilimigras explained that many students get so focused on the exam that they forget to take breaks, which gives them writer's block.
Conversely, he said that enjoying life allowed him to absorb the material much faster, and he still regularly plays board games and Legos with his five younger siblings.
"It has been an incredible experience watching him work so hard to crush his goals and a privilege to be by his side, cheering him on," said his mother, Erin Chilimigras. "What I love the most about Jimmy is that even though he has achieved so much and has this incredible mind, he has always been good-natured and down to earth. He has a great sense of humor and adventure, is willing to help with whatever needs to be done, and always strives to do the right thing."
At the moment, Chilimigras is on his way to Loyola University Law School with a full scholarship and will start attending classes in August to eventually specialize in tax law. At the pace he's currently going, Chilimigras might become the second youngest lawyer in history, but that never was his main motivation.
"Everyone has to do taxes, so that's something that I can help anyone with if I'm good at tax law, such as my friends, my family or other people in my community," said Chilimigras. "I did volunteer tax preparation to help the elderly and disadvantaged people in my local area, and I really enjoyed that. I think it's all like a puzzle that can be fun to figure out."
For more details on Chilimigras and Kesler's journey, all coaching sessions and score release videos can be found at
