At 21, Divyang Bhandari is probably among the youngest chartered accountants in the country. What makes him stand out is that he came second in the final exam, scoring 600 out of 800, only next to Abhishek Gupta from Kolkata (608/800).
After passing out of PSBB Nungambakkam in 2008 with a 95 per cent aggregate, Divyang cleared the Common Proficiency Test (CPT, the first rung of the CA ladder) examination in a few months with an 80 per cent average, while also enrolling for B.Com in Indira Gandhi National Open University.
“I did my Articleship at PriceWaterhouse Coopers for eight months before I joined my grandfather’s firm S.H. Bhandari and Company,” says Divyang. He went on to secure All India Rank 30 in the Professional Competency Course (PCC) in May 2010.
How did he prepare for the toughest of examinations? “I prepared a structured plan during the four-and-a-half-month study holiday before the final. I relied on both coaching classes and self-study for about 10 hours a day,” he says.
No pressure at home
No extreme measures. No cutting down on movies or cricket. “I am a big movie buff and I watched the IPL. Life was normal. My dad and brother are chartered accountants as well. So they understood what it entailed and I didn’t face any pressure at home,” explains Divyang.
The biggest challenge he faced? “The syllabus is vast and expansive. If there were four subjects during CPT, there were six in PCC and eight for the final. So, there’s always fear of not being able to complete everything.”
Divyang plans to do a Masters in Financial Management or International Taxation.
For now, he’s celebrating the break. “My dad just organised a get-together for family and friends,” he smiles.
