Student from Guwahati failed engineering entrance exams twice but cleared CA on the first attempt

• Hi, I am Kamal Mour, a practicing Chartered Accountant based in Guwahati, India.
• Being born in the small town of Rangia which is 50 km from Guwahati (the Capital of Assam), educational facilities were very average.
• I wanted to be an engineer but failed the entrance exams twice.  
• Fast forward, I went on to take the CA route and qualified in 2009 on the first attempt. Here is my journey.

Back Story

I studied in an Army School till grade 5 and post that in a private English medium school till grade 10.

My grades since childhood were always bright, with me topping the class from KG to Class X. Much of it was attributed to my parents who always inspired me to do well in my studies and in life.

After completing High School in Rangia, I came to Guwahati City and was admitted to Cotton College (the most sought-after College for Science stream). Getting admission to this college in those days was an achievement in itself.

Fast forward, I completed my Class 12 and appeared for All India Engineering Entrance Examinations. However, I did not score well! This was really painful and all my hopes were shattered.

I took a break for 1 year and decided to reappear for the exam. But as luck would have it, I could not score well the second time too, and finally decided to change from science to commerce!

It was a really difficult stage in my life. I was in the best college, studying with the best minds and suddenly I was in this situation that indicated – Failure.

Everyone around me started questioning my abilities and intellect.

My hopes were shattered. My parents are very simple. They were upset and sad but at the same time, they never made me feel like a failure. All they told me was to ho­pe for the best in the future and work hard once again with a positive frame of mind.

I was depressed and stopped getting out of the house. I started avoiding social gatherings for fear of facing people who had just one thing to ask me – What are your future plans?

Giving up engineering to pursue Chartered Accountancy

Now since engineering did not make sense, I enrolled in Guwahati Commerce College, an institution of repute to study B.COM(H), and decided to pursue CA along with it.

I had to reappear in Class XI and Class XII for some subjects. This was really painful as I had to sit with my juniors.

But as they say – Time heals everything and the same happened to me. Gradually I started getting used to the situation and tried to concentrate on my studies.

Coming back to my CA journey, I pursued my CA PE-I (1^st level CA exam now known as CPT) and cleared it on the 1^st attempt. This was the turning point for me.

When I appeared for my B.Com Final Exams, it was time for my CA PE-2 (2^nd level CA exam consisting of 2 groups, Group 1 and Group 2. This is now known as IPCC). Thankfully I secured First Class and stood 3rd in the entire University with the highest marks in Accountancy Paper.

Around the same time, I also cleared my CA PE-2 (though I appeared in one group at a time as I had B.Com studies as well) on my 1^st attempt. Clearing CA-PE-1 and PE-2 in my 1^st attempt was very encouraging!

After that, I started my Articleship at a mid-size firm with a generous Principal.

I decided to start teaching students owing to my deep interest in Mathematics.

This period was very difficult for me as I would get up early in the morning to teach CA students and B.Com students and then rush to my CA Firm for Articleship. I never compromised on my office hours and my Articleship period.

I always exposed myself to all types of opportunities that came my way during my articleship. There were not many Big CA Firms in Guwahati during those days (2005-2008) but the zeal to learn kept me occupied with our work during Articleship.

Personally I have a strong belief that it is not the Firm that matters but the individual who works matters the most.

Post that I gave my CA Final and cleared that as well smoothly. I was now a Chartered Accountant.

Opportunities in Guwahati for Chartered Accountants

Over a period of time, Guwahati has grown leaps and bounds in terms of the number of CA Firms it has.

With industrialization at its pace, the city has opened up a plethora of opportunities both for CA members and CA Students. Today a young practicing CA in Guwahati is well-equipped to earn a handsome livelihood.

Wrapping Up…

The experience of failure taught me – Patience and Empathy.

My CA Journey as a student was smooth. The reason for my smooth journey was also my disciplined approach toward academics and the zeal to work hard.

My only word of advice to all the budding Chartered Accountants is to have – Patience, Self-belief, and Faith in yourself.

It is okay to fail – Your Past Does Not Determine Your Future.

And remember the basic rule of life – The Shortest distance between two points is a STRAIGHT LINE.

Never compromise on your ethics and values to earn big in the short run.

Have patience and I am sure the dividends shall come in the long run.

You can reach him at kamalmour@gmail.com. He is also active on Linkedin.