Can You Study For The CA Exam With A Full-Time Job? Yes! With A Proper Study Plan And Self-discipline.

I have seen that many people have this one common question in mind “I want to pursue the Chartered Accountancy (CA) course with a full-time job, Can I do it?”

If this question is bothering you, you are not the only one.

Another question people may ask is, “CA is one of the toughest exams in India, and it takes a lot of hard work to crack it. How to study for the same?”

Let me tell you that many people passed their CA exams while working a full-time job. If they can, then you can too.

Read this article to learn about the Perfect Study Plan that will help you prepare for your CA exams along with a full-time job.

Here’s the Study Plan That You Should Follow

Deepti Sachdeva became a CA while working a full-time job at Genpact.

This is the schedule that she followed during her preparation, which helped her in passing the CA exams.

While she was preparing for the CA exams, her office hours used to be from 11 am to 8 pm.

• She used to wake up at around 6.00 am.
• From 6.30 am to 8.30 am, she used to study for the exams, and from 8.30 to 9.30 in the morning she used to prepare her breakfast and lunch.
• She would start getting ready for the office at around  9.30 am and leave her house by 10.30 am.
• She used to return from her office, at around 8.30 to 9 pm, and prepare her dinner.
• After dinner, she used to take a nap for 1 or 2 hours so that she can get some energy to study for her upcoming exams.
• The second study session started at around 11-11.30 pm. She would study for one and a half hours and take a break for half an hour. During that break she used to call her parents and chat with them, to reenergize herself.
• After that, she again used to study for 1-2 hours before going to sleep.

This was her schedule from Monday to Sunday.

She also mentioned that she never compromised with her sleep as that would’ve prevented her brain from retaining the stuff she had studied. Lack of sleep could’ve also impacted her work at the office, so she made sure to get proper sleep.

One thing I liked so much about her schedule is that she didn’t study at all on Friday nights. Every Friday night, she would treat herself by preparing something good for dinner or ordering food from outside and sometimes putting on a movie.

From Saturday 12 pm till Sunday evening, she would study rigorously.

That’s how she managed her studies with a full-time job and qualified as a CA eventually. It was possible because of self-discipline; she never compromised with other things in life.

Be Consistent

Try to be consistent with your studies. Many students think that “I get so tired after working a 9-5 job, I’ll study during weekends.” Don’t make such a mistake. While appearing for a tough exam like CA, consistency is a must.

If you are also planning to appear for CA exams while working in a job, then having a proper schedule is a must. Thinking that “I’ll study for my exams, as and when I get some free time,”  is not going to work for you.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”

You won’t get a lot of time for your studies and you’d be physically and mentally exhausted from doing your office work. Studying after coming from the office will be a big challenge for you.

So, first, make a proper plan and then stick to it, as CA Deepti Sachdeva did. Don’t overburden yourself, and don’t over-pressurize yourself.

Make sure to take a little break after returning from the office and energize yourself for your study session. You can study small topics on weekdays and time-consuming topics on weekends.

Kamlesh Lalwani grew up in a very poor family with his mother struggling to make ends meet. But qualifying as a Chartered Accountant transformed his life for the better.

As you know for CAs, 3 years of articles are mandatory. Kamlesh was doing his articles, studying for his exams, as well as working at an office.

“Late in the evening, I would also work as an Accountant at another place. I had to do this to support my family financially. It was very tough, but I knew this was only for a few years until I qualified as a Chartered Accountant.” he said.

CA Degree is Waiting for You

There’ll be instances during this rigorous journey when you’d feel like giving up. “I’ll appear for the next attempt, I don’t have enough time to read all the study materials”’ – thoughts like this may come up in your mind but do not let this affect your preparation.

While making a study plan make sure to include some physical activities such as stretching or a walk on your schedule.

Since you are spending a maximum portion of the day sitting in front of your laptop and working, some physical activities would keep you healthy.

I hope reading this article helped you understand that it is definitely possible to pass CA exams along with a full-time job if he or she is self-disciplined.

Give your best while studying, and take deep breaths, the CA Degree is waiting for you.