Akram Jamal
All India Rank 2
CA final, June 2009
Age: 24
Studying four months (or even three-and-a-half months) before the exams is enough to crack the CA final. I got four months of study leave from my office to prepare for the tests. Prior to that, I attended coaching classes for accounts, costing, direct taxes and MICS (management information and control systems).
It's a good thing to study at a coaching institute, as straddling articleship and studies is a stupendous task. Coaching saves a lot of your time – which is at a premium and has to be managed meticulously. At the same time, however,articleship, which many dismiss as a waste of time, is not only imperative for professional development but helps you prepare for the exams too. You can understand numerous concepts of auditing, accounts and direct taxes while undergoing internship.
I gave 100 per cent to my preparation and was confident of clearing the exams, but rank two wasn’t expected. I believe if one devotes 100 per cent dedication, cracking CA final exam isn’t difficult.
Why do so many students fail to clear the CA exam?
The syllabi of CA final subjects is indeed mammoth and one requires dedication and regular revision to get through. Having finished the syllabi, it is even more challenging to revise all the topics in one single day during the exams.
What clicked in my case?
I used to study six subjects every day. This is not considered a good practice by many, but in my case it worked quite well.
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