The CA Final results are out! A few thousands of you are still in a state of euphoria now that you have become CA. There are some of you who have cleared one group and feel that you have won a consolation prize at least. However, there are many of you who have not been able to clear any group and have not got the exemption that you were expecting in a certain paper.
You are overwhelmed by a sense of disappointment, the frustration, sadness, a sense of shame (totally unwarranted). It is you that this article focuses on. I do know that it is easy to say that failure is a stepping stone to success and other such clichés. However, only a person who has been in your position can understand what you are going through. Added to it are the queries from friends and relatives about the results. Sometimes your own parents do not understand your feelings and hurt you with their words of apathy. You are holed up in your room or house. Believe me, I have been where you are.
Sometimes, you start wondering if all this effort is worth it and whether you should quit CA. In fact, I would say that this is the course that has more number of drop outs rather than any other course. Is that the solution? Definitely no! You will keep wondering later in your life how it would have been if you had been persistent and had cleared it.
CA course, particularly the Final level with its single digit pass percentage is a nightmare to students who work hard and yet face failure. Yet, you can definitely clear the CA exams and become a CA. Here are a few strategies you could follow:
The first thing you have to do is this - Snap out of this woebegone mood that is overwhelming you and don’t wallow in self pity or self deprecation.
If anyone tries to tell you that you cannot do it or speak discouragingly, tell them off. Firmly tell them that it is your life and you will clear CA if that is the last thing you do. This may include your closest friends and family since they are the ones who sometimes discourage you, sometimes unintentionally.
Do get certified copies of the papers so that you can see where and why you lost marks. It will allow you to have an idea how the papers are valued. Analysis of your own paper will help in knowing how better you can present the answers.
Prepare a study schedule based on the number of hours you have every day. Based on that, decide whether you are going to write one or both the groups. Do not prepare a too rigid study schedule that does not give you time to relax or indulge in other activities.
Start studying immediately without any procrastination. Don’t keep saying, “I shall start tomorrow.” Tomorrow never comes.
There may be days you are not able to stick to the schedule. No sweating. Do take some time to rework on the schedule. I remember revising my study schedule so many times during my IPCC preparation. I used to rename the schedule as Final, Latest etc. then start renaming it based on the date I revise it lol.
Start smartly. Find out from friends who have been successful which books they followed etc. Basically, if you are thorough with all the practice manual sums and the RTPs and mock test papers for at least two years, it should be enough for the problem papers. For the theory papers, it is the same. It is not enough if you go through all the sums. Understand the concepts.
Make a note of all the amendments that are applicable for the attempt you are going to write. Focus more on these topics. It is most likely that more weightage is given to these topics in the question paper.
What matters more than the hours you spend studying is how you study. Make sure that you are thorough with one chapter and know all the concepts like the back of your hand (personally I don’t agree with this cliché because we hardly spend any time looking at the back of our hand lol). Prepare all the important concepts in each chapter in the form of hints so that you can go through them when you revise later.
Once you have studied all the papers or after preparation of each paper, write tests. There may be institutes in your locality that conduct tests alone. Or else, take out a past mock test paper and work it out in 3 hours. Exchange the papers with your friends and correct them.
Form a study group with likeminded friends who are also preparing for the same group/groups as you are. Discuss your doubts with them. Speak to them at least once a day to talk about how much you have studied so far. When you come to know that your friend is preparing well, it will prod you to work harder.
During the last few months of preparation, avoid outside food so that you do not get sick. This is very important. During my IPCC preparation, I suffered from food poisoning and was down for a week.
The days leading up to the exams are very important. By now, you have put in your best efforts and have prepared well. Be relaxed. Don’t get stressed.
The exams are in the morning. So it does throw a wrench on our earlier preparation methods. Don’t stay up too late the previous day of the exams. Go to bed by 10 to 10.30 pm. Wake up by 5 am and get ready to go to the exam hall in a relaxed way. Take public transport or a cab if the venue is too far away from your house. Riding your bike all the way there is also tiring.
Once you enter the exam hall, just give a few minutes to yourself to pray or meditate or relax. Once the question paper is in your hands, start writing with positive thoughts in your mind.
With positivity and hope as your companions, you can clear the exams easily and affix the elusive two words CA to your name. All the best!
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