Passing CA Finals: Why I studied without coaching

• Hi, I am CA Lekhanshu Bawne. I believe coaching institutes are not efficient enough to increase our knowledge.
• That’s why I took up the challenge of going in for self-study for the CA Final.
• Here is how I ended up scoring 82 marks in SFM (CA Final).

Back story

I began my academic career in Multai, District Betul, Madhya Pradesh, where I stayed until the tenth grade. I secured a place in district merit in class 10th.

On the basis of the above percentile, I got selected for the very first batch of the Super-50 scheme governed by the government of Madhya Pradesh in the stream of commerce.

Under this scheme, three merit holders from each district of Madhya Pradesh are offered the opportunity to join Subhash School for Excellence, located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

The scheme provides free education, accommodation, and food for 150 students, with 50 each in the Maths, Science, and Commerce streams. Its primary aim is to offer free education for competitive exams like IIT-JEE, AIPMT, and CA-CPT during 11th and 12th grades in collaboration with reputed coaching institutes.

It was the first time that I stayed in a big city like Bhopal. I was very nervous, shy, and fearful. For the first time, I met state merit holders in the Super 50.

I was a very average student among them, with 89%, while most of them had well over 93%. But that did not allow me to get demotivated.

“If They Can, So Can I,” I reasoned. So I doubled my efforts right from the start. After two years of hard work, dedication, and support, the time had come—it was the day of our 12th board result. With 94%, I was the Madhya Pradesh (MP) State Topper in the Commerce Stream.

I just want to say that nothing is impossible if we believe in ourselves.

My CA journey

I decided to become a CA in 11th grade. Following my 12th grade results, I passed my CA-CPT (June 2013) and IPCC (May 2014) exams on the first attempt.

I joined a renowned CA firm in Bhopal for my articles, where I spent most of my time on outstation audits within MP.

During my audit trips in MP, I had the chance to visit numerous famous tourist spots, such as Khajuraho, Gwalior Fort, Bhedaghat, Patalkot, Ujjain Mahakal, Amarkantak, Bandhavgarh, Bansagar Dam, Bavangaja, and many more captivating places. The experience was truly joyful, as traveling is something I deeply enjoy.

After the very first year of articles, many big clients were handed over to me as my seniors went on leave.

The reason why I chose to study CA by myself

• Articleship and attending classes would get difficult. I would have been under constant pressure to attend class. This gave me the liberty to travel for audits and explore different places.
• During IPCC, I experienced that the coaching institutes are not efficient enough to increase our knowledge; they only guide us from an exam point of view by sharing limited aspects.
• Also, we get so dependent on them. So I decided to drop coaching for IPCC three months before my exams. Some of the guidance was useful, but after that, I studied all the subjects again by myself from the ICAI’s materials. Only then did I get the confidence I needed for the exams. As previously stated, I passed the IPCC on the first try.
• I’m not blaming any coaching class, but we should not rely wholly on them to pass CA exams. I had made up my mind that it would be okay if I cleared the CA Final in 2–3 attempts, but I’d do it by myself.

Here’s how my CA Final exam went

• CA 1st Final Attempt: Failed In May of 2017, I only wrote Group 1. It was my first attempt at the CA Final and my first failure ever. As said, failure is not the end, but just an experience for success.
• CA Final second attempt: Passed group 1 with 82 points in SFM but failed group 2. I doubled my efforts in this attempt. How did I study SFM? For the concepts, I referred to ICAI study material and some reference books. For practice, I used ICAI study materials, the Practice Manual (PM), the Report on Test Progress (RTP), and at least six previous attempts at examination papers. It was all self-study.)
• CA Fourth and final attempt: Cleared

I recommend the following for those considering self-study:

• Start your CA Final preparation from the very first day after clearing the IPCC, unlike me.
• If I had started studying earlier, I would have passed my CA Final on the first try. That was the biggest mistake I made, but keeping that mistake in mind, I planned my future actions accordingly.
• Get the books to understand the concepts, and read a little here and there for an hour or so every day.
• While working, we always have our seniors who can guide us if we need to understand concepts.
• Mock Papers should be provided for practice. However, do not get demotivated by the results.
• CA is not an exam; it’s a destiny, so keep going.
• Start believing in yourself, and nothing will be impossible in front of your dreams, dedication, and hard work.