How I scored 94/100 in Indirect Taxation and got a rank in CA Final

My CA Journey

“I decided to pursue Chartered Accountancy (CA) as I always had a knack for numbers be it Mathematics or Accounting. Also taking up challenges gives me a kick and there is no better course than CA as it is one of the toughest courses,” says CA Mohit Bhandari from Mumbai (India).

“I completed my CPT (1st level CA exam) and IPCC Group 1 (2nd level CA Exam consisting of 2 Groups, Group 1 and Group 2) from Rajasthan. Though I got 10th rank in CPT (no classes only self-study), I still did not have enough confidence and wanted to clear my IPCC group-wise.

I started my preparation only for IPCC Group 1 and cleared the same. As soon as I cleared my Group 1 I started with my articles in Mumbai.

My Articleship Journey

So basically I moved to Mumbai for my articles.

One difficulty which I faced when I moved to Mumbai was lack of confidence. I guess this happens with most of the students who come from small towns. In fact, I even tried to get into a couple of Big 4 firms for my articles but couldn’t due to confidence issues.

I finally did my articles from a mid-size firm, Todarwal & Todarwal. It was a good decision as it provided me a fairly decent exposure to various streams like  Statutory audit, Internal Audit, and Taxation, which in turn also helped me in my studies.

Also, I learned how to handle pressure and deadlines along with managing my time better. In the meantime, I cleared IPCC Group 2 as well. I took classes for IPCC Group 1 only.

Since CA IPCC Group 2 is mostly theory, I did not take classes for the same. I prepared for Group 2 from CA Institute’s study material. For CPT, since the course was mostly from class 11th and 12th, I did not attend any class.

My CA Final Journey

• I started preparing for my CA Final exams quite early, that is in the 2nd year of my articles. It is necessary to start early so that we don’t feel a lot of pressure during study leave.
• Though it is difficult to take out time during articleship period, keeping in mind the rigorous schedule, CA classes, long hours of articleship, I somehow ensured that I take out at least 1-2 hours for study each day.
• I was also continuously on outstation audits due to which I missed a lot of coaching class lectures. But then again I covered the topics I missed with the help of my friends and by self-studying. Moreover, I utilized the extra time I got on outstation audits for revisions and practicing my weak subjects.
• It is necessary to plan your schedule well so that you cover up everything and have enough time for revision. With all the efforts I Cleared CA Final getting an AIR 11.
• I scored 94 in Indirect Taxation thanks to the guidance of Durgesh Sir.

Life after qualifying as a CA Ranker

Post completion of my CA, I joined Pidilite as a Management Trainee.

Management trainee program is run by big companies wherein they prepare the fresher CAs for managerial positions. After successful completion of 1 year, the company confirms the candidate on the managerial level designation.

I joined Pidilite through the Institute’s campus placement program which is held for newly qualified CAs. I would advise all students to take this program very seriously and thoroughly prepare for the interviews because if they get a good start in one of the top companies, their career path will move in a very good direction. This was my first step in the corporate world.

Currently, I am working with Marico as a Business Finance Manager. It feels really good when you get an opportunity to add value to your organization by making make practical use of the things you learned during you CA studies and articles.

Getting a rank definitely gives an advantage at the start of the career.

Many organizations give preference to rank holders. Also, a lot of companies approach rank holders.

CA Final Exam Leave Preparation

• I took study leave of 4 months during which I used to study for 10-12 hours on an average.
• While preparing for CA finals, it is of utmost importance to make a realistic timetable. It is necessary to plan your schedule well so that you cover up everything and have enough time for revision.
• My strong subjects have always been practical subjects like Accounts/ Financial Management/ Costing etc. and I would require a lot of efforts when it came to the theory like Audit/ Law/ISCA.
• Therefore, I used to do 2 subjects a day so that one heavy subject would compliment a lighter one.
• Generally, I used to study theory subjects in the morning when the mind is fresh and keep the practical subjects for the afternoons when the efficiency goes down.
• Proper sleep is also very important.
• Eat well and sleep on time because falling ill is something you cannot afford.

CA Final Exam Days Tips

• During the exams, I used to study for 16-18 hours. I had made notes in the books of my weak points and topics which I should focus on in the last days. It is very critical because you cannot study the entire portion during exams.
• Also, there is no point Over-Stressing. The hard part is over.
• Keep your mind fresh so that you are able to recollect stuff that you have read months ago, think fast and methodically write answers

Tips  To Get a Rank in CA Final

• If you are aiming for rank, it is very important that you prepare exceptionally well for 1-2 subjects.
• I scored 94 marks in IDT and this helped me significantly in securing AIR 11. IDT was always a very interesting subject for me and I thought of leveraging my strengths in this particular subject.
• I prepared well for the case laws, practical problems, etc. Also, since IDT was the last paper, I made sure that I give more than my 100%.  I did not make any additional notes other than Durgesh Sir’s notes. The coverage of both the subjects – DT and IDT was very appropriate in his notes,” he concluded.