Past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India gives some tips to aspirants.
There is a general notion that Chartered Accountancy course is one of the toughest to pursue. While CA students feel it is somewhat tough, experts say it can be completed without any difficulty if a proper strategy is adopted from the start to the finish in terms of preparation.
A few ideas were given to the CA students at a special session organised in Madurai on October 22 by the Madurai Branch of the Southern India CA Students Association on the topic of ‘How to dare CA examination’.
T. N. Manoharan, past president, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, made a two-hour presentation on how the students must prepare for the CA examination so that they could come out with flying colours.
“Some method of planning and some style of execution are important for the CA students. There is no fixed pattern in the CA examinations because it is a professional course,” he advised. He offered some tips for the starters and for those who are appearing for the final group examination.
Strategy for success
Mr. Manoharan outlined the basic requisites to complete the CA course for those who are keen to join the financial accounting field. Three ‘I’s are important for success — Interest, Intelligence and Involvement. “When you decide to join CA course, you should have absolute interest without any dilution. There should be a burning desire and zeal,” he observed.
Speaking about intelligence, the expert said that there was a wrong notion that only the best of brains could become a chartered accountant. “It is not true and a student from rural area also can become all-India topper. Average intelligence is enough to succeed in CA examination.” About the third ‘I’, Mr. Manoharan said adequate involvement was essential. If these three ‘I’s were ensured, then a student could plan for preparation. The top priority for students must be that they should attend the office while doing articleship and must postpone social functions/get-togethers for a while.
Students were asked to go for three rounds of preparation before they actually took the examinations. The first step, he said, was a casual glancing of the subject from beginning to end. “By doing so, you can familiarise yourself with the topics and get acquainted with them,” he said.
The second stage involved in-depth preparation with concentrated study for at least one hour per day by solving problems/exercises. Mr. Manoharan stressed that the third and final round was the revision round during which a CA student was expected to conduct a mock examination either on his own or by joining with other friends who were also appearing for the examination. “One model exam is more effective than ten times of revision and you yourself can see a world of difference.”
He said the aspirants could overcome fear by thorough planning right from the moment they decided to join the course. Another vital ingredient needed was to demonstrate perseverance in abundance and it should be coupled with sincere hard work. “The study material given by the CA Institute is only a base material. So, look out for other sources and textbooks also,” he told the students.
Telling the students that a CA examination was not just about tallying of a company balance sheet, he said that three or four years of dedication and determination would take students places because “they can expect a salary of Rs.18 lakh per annum within few years of starting practice or joining employment.”
Mr. Manoharan ended the presentation with an informal chat with the students and gave them his e-mail ID for any queries: > tnmanoharan@gmail.com .
