I know you must have heard this tag line somewhere; it’s a very famous commercial ad of Bloomberg UTV. You must be wondering what’s the similarity between this and the CA course. There has been queries in many of the friends mind as how shall we present the answers in the exams. I must say to you all to see this ad very carefully. It materializes that they are 2 ways of explaining a simple thing. Either to use complex language or to use simple and lucid language.
Please friends make a practice to write papers so that this situation under your control when you are writing your final exam. We must think that the paper checker is a layman, You must write answer in points so that your conceptual links from one point to another will make the best impression and if the situation demands, you can also quote an example. Write your answer’s as you are explaining them the meaning, practice diagrams so that if a question has a diagram, draw to make them understand it clearly.
Now examiner’s want students to explain theories as well as practical’s in simple and effective format. Let’s try to read the examiner’s mind and then perform your paper. This will definitely improve your results. I believe the following example will make this clear somewhat. Let me tell you how:-
You must have noticed that in paper’s like IDT,Audit and other’s also, where in they have started to ask many simple 2 marks,4marks questions and what is seen is that we are not comfortable with this type of questions and we fail to answer or we just give a rough answer. We are comfortable with lengthy questions because either they are from suggested or simple to write in para’s and para’s and on. Let’s assume that paper checker has less time and in that time he has to check all the answer sheet’s(his target). Now in this case, I believe he would be searching in your answer sheet as to in which page you attempted those simple questions(to get a rough idea about you). If you are accurate in that he would probably assume that you know the subject, though he will read the entire sheet but he’s mindset is clear to give you more marks than the average he would give(he would be impressed if you start with such easy questions and are blunt and sharp about whatever you are writing).It matters a lot.Your 1st 3 pages presentation is the impression of what you are. I hope you are getting me. Because those who failed to answer those tricky but important(not deliberately),they must have attempted those at the last(it's our tendency) but it’s an impression that you are not totally involved in the subject and that you carry half heartedly knowledge. Reading long answer’s may have different opinions and are also tedious but those questions that are small are one’s which has only 1 answer to it. Questions like what is a 3cd report or what is date of filing a particular return etc. you cannot have different answer to these specific answer's.
Please make a habit of writing what you know perfectly 1st rather than following strict questions pattern. It can affect your marks and also your career sometimes. And make sure that you are specific in attempting simple questions well and not to take those questions lethargically(Chalega type).
Just recall. Many students must be feeling that yar I made all efforts and I wrote exactly as given in big questions,but yar marks bahut kaam hai. And your friend whose conceptually not better than you(as you think),but uske marks ache hai. Lekin he would say muje lengthy answers nai aate the lekin jo 2-3 ya 4 marks ka tha wo perfect likhke aa gayaa hu. Aur aapne 2-3-4 marks mein shayad kuch questions jo nai aate the usme gaape mare(fluqe) and baki jo lengthy answer’s the who must and ekkam ditto to ditto as given in suggested,likhke aa gaye. Mein manta hu yei wajah hai results mein itna difference anna aapke aur aapke friends ke.
Sometimes we should also read examiner’s comments. You will laugh. I do because those questions in which I have commited locha(gadbad) is exactly what he must have pointed in his points also.
Try this also. In those papers in which you got highest amongst your friends and even from past attempts.Somewhere in your mind you know that, same paper was well attempted by you and some of your friends made silly mistakes in those questions.You were better of then them.Aur uss paper mein ache marks hoge bhi. In that case when you read examiner comments i am sure you will see that in those questions where general opinion is that all students performed drastically bad(i.e.about 90%), you must be among 10%,who did it exactly right answer. You would have been definitely rewarded in that paper.
So now getting blunt and sharp on our words is very important.This is possible only by attempting small questions well and to be sharp.It will not only fetch marks but also give big advantage.
There can be exceptions and different views on this. Please do share your views and opinions on this matter.
Thanking you,
Gourang Shah
(CA Final Student)
CAclubindia
