I would like to share my experiences in the form of suggestions for preparation of exams of ICWA/CA/CS and successfully coming out as a professional:
Preliminary:
1) There should be a tremendous interest, passion and desire towards the career chosen. It should not be out of pressure from the parents or well wishers;
2) With his / her own interest the candidate aspiring for the career in this line should make enquiries relating to eligibility, marks required to secure in each stream, timelines for registration, payment dates of examination fee, examination dates, dates for announcement of results, budget for coaching, books, registration and others; Apart from this, he / she should enquire about the opportunities in the profession / employment and nature of duties that have to be performed, its importance to organization etc. to set it as a motivating factor;
3) The candidate has to discuss with parents about his / her interest towards career in this line with the details of career opportunities, estimated time, the budget and may also intimate about time or cost overrun that likely to happen to avoid withdrawing their support in the event of failures or delay and to avoid motivating negatively by all the members of the family and well wishers;
4) Getting timely registration, choosing the right academy / oral coaching centre, right books and right principal to train in the articleship.
How to spend time during the time of preparation for exams?
Broadly I suggest only three things to do during this period:
1) Study well (coaching: 2 to 3 hours and preparation: 7 8 hours);
2) Take rest properly (minimum 6 to 7 hours);
3) Take proper diet.
° Plan properly to minimize time spending journeys, transportation etc.;
° Avoid watching movies, sports, television;
° May read sometime business daily, periodicals etc;
° Taking proper practical training is very much essential to fit into chosen employment after passing the professional degree. It would not be a difficult task to follow as all the professional courses at the beginning stage de-linked with the practical training;
° Leave all other things, tensions and relax by doing those three mentioned above.
While preparing for your studies remember the below points:
1) Have a little idea about the topic that is going to be discussed in the class room;
2) Attend the classes regularly;
Problems and solutions:
3) In case of problems and solutions, you should prepare well at least 4 to 5 times each type of exercise. During each of the time you do exercise, you have to put the solution in a neat presentation format. You should observe an improvement each time you do. This is required to follow, as the time given in the examination would not allow you think at length and do or present. So, you should thoroughly practice the problems and its presentation;
4) While solving the problems you imbibe the habit of presenting in three parts as
a. Solution at the beginning;
b. Assumptions to be given after solution; and
c. Working notes.
You should also practice estimating the length of each of the above part. Then only you will be very quick in solving the problems during the examination.
Theory
5) Selection of the notes is very important. Avoid studying from more than one source. However, you may keep the other books for reference.
6) The notes you have selected should read at least 3 to 4 times thoroughly. The first time when you read the notes give the meaning to the words you do not know. The meanings can be conveniently placed in the respective pages.
7) Even if you do not understand anything during the first round of reading do not disappoint. You establish the inter connection among the topics / subjects only after second or third reading;
8) At this stage itself you should practice to write relevant answers for the question that means for short answers the time permit you is very less so, you should be able to give crux of the topic. You should practice the quality and quantity required to be reproduced in the examination depending on the question and the quantity of marks it carries.
9) Lack of reproduction / presentation skills in the examination will trouble with superfluous / redundant inputs, which leads loss of time to us and attention to the examiner. This is an indication of poor preparation which includes poor presentation / reproduction skills. So, rigorously practice to present your knowledge in very appropriate manner;
Important topics
10) Though many suggest not bifurcate the topics into important and unimportant, it very much required to do this to save the time. Take the help of scanners, past question papers and suggested / guideline answers to analyse topics into important and others;
11) The topics you feel difficult or bored may be left under choice but it is risky. Instead take the help of faculty or seniors to get adequate clarification on them.
Pattern of question paper
12) Understand thoroughly the pattern of question paper. You may know this from past question papers, suggested / guideline answers or model papers in case of new syllabus. Check for the compulsory questions in each part. Be cautious during the examination, the Institute may change the pattern of compulsory questions.
During the examinations:
1) Reach the examination hall well in advance;
2) Know about the hall in which you are writing the exams;
3) Due to the anxiety many students do their last minute reference. According to your confidence levels, you may also do this. But according to experts, it does not make much of a difference. I feel no loss of giving a last minute reference.
4) In the examination hall, complete the formalities, write your roll number, examination particulars etc. required to be written before you receive the question paper;
5) Once, you receive the question paper, confirm the question paper is same as the pattern that you know;
6) Do not loose your confidence against the tough or new questions. Remember, you are not the only one do not know answer to such tough or new questions;
7) Making the choice is very important than your whole preparation;
8) Solving the problem is not very important, but rightly solving in short time with good presentation is very important;
9) Avoid chosing the problems with lengthy solutions even if you know the solution. It may consume your whole lot of time. For example transportation problem in operations research;
10) Never bluff or argue be professional;
11) Never plead the examiner;
12) Avoid striking offs, unwarranted page breaks, too much line spacing etc;
13) Read the common instructions of writing the answer sheet before hand i.e. much before the examination;
14) Do not come out of the examination hall before the scheduled time;
15) Do not discuss or argue about the problems that you solved or answers that you written after coming out of the examination hall until you complete your last exam. On finding your mistakes in the examination written, may motivate negatively on the next examinations, so avoid discussions or arguments.
RESUTS!!!
Howsoever you perform or whatsoever you write or whosoever examine and value or wherever you write, the result is the final measurement of your efforts and certifies you as a successful student.
° Do not disappoint much about the result;
° In case of negative result, make an unbiased / fair assessment to know the reasons for failure and take constructive steps to over come them;
° Never hide your failures before your parents, friends, faculty or other well wishers. This will categorize you as untrustworthy person and may loose moral support;
° Never give up;
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
M. Ram Pavan Kumar
You may reach me at: rampavankumar@yahoo.com
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