CA is a professional course, and ICAI expects nothing less than that from you throughout the CA Journey. Yes, there is pressure to prepare for the exams, complete training, and much more going around you. But you cannot crumble under them and afford to make the silliest mistakes of your career and life.
These common mistakes create the difference between CA toppers, CA pass-outs, and CA repeaters. So you should learn how to avoid silly mistakes in CA exams and save yourself from regrets.
To help you CA students, we have shared some of the biggest mistakes CA Students make during their journey and tips on to avoid them.
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all by yourself.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Common Mistakes that CA Students make in their Journey
#1 Being Dependent on Others
A most common mistake of CA students is they follow other students blindly. Some even join the course because their friends are doing it or someone from their family has done it. Many times, students follow their friends in the articleship training and job placements. If you do this, it will limit your interactions with other people. Most students who join training with friends are not able to grow out of their comfort zone.
How can you avoid this mistake?
There is nothing wrong with taking motivation and guidance from your friends or family members, but you should be passionate about doing the Chartered Accountancy course. Don’t be dependent on anyone. If you are doing CA, it should be because you want to and with your calibre.
When you go for training or article ships, don’t join with friends. “I will do training from where he/she is doing” is not the right way. Joining separately will give you space and time to interact with other people, make new friends and connections.
#2 Underestimating ICAI Study Material
More than half of the students fail the CA exams because they do not prioritize ICAI study material. Ignoring ICAI study material, including the study modules, RTP, MTP, PM, and previous year’s papers, is the gravest mistake any CA student can make. The effect of this mistake is shown in the CA Inter results.
How can you avoid this mistake?
We have regularly emphasized the value of using the latest ICAI study material in CA Exam preparation. Rote learning or just skimming over important points; nothing will do you good. The study of ICAI material should be strategic and in-depth like we tell our students in our classes.
#3 Skipping Revisions
The syllabus of the CA course is very vast. If you complete one subject, then move on to another without doing revisions, you will fail to recollect more than half of the syllabus of the first subject. Imagine how much you will remember till the main exam day.
How can you avoid this mistake?
Revise all the topics for all subjects, and revise regularly. You can use the beneficial revision tips we have shared for students. Revisions are as important as learning new topics. Especially, you should dedicate the last few months before exams for revisions only. Before starting, you should make a complete revision strategy.
#4 Skipping Studies and Revisions During Articleship
Starting early and coming home after a tiring day will surely leave you exhausted. Due to this, you will feel the temptation to skip revisions and studies or reduce the time. Unfortunately, most students give into this situation and then blame things when they fail in the CA Intermediate remaining group/CA Final exams.
How can you avoid this mistake?
The three years of Articleship is a very important part of your journey. Find opportunities where you get to work and learn as much as possible. But balance the time well for your studies. Plan your entire day/week schedule. Remember, time management is the key. You know the number of hours you need to travel, take CA coaching classes, and work in the office. Besides these activities, how much time do you have? Plan it in detail. Don’t compromise on your minimum sleeping hours. Studying early in the morning is ideal because your brain is relaxed after a good night’s sleep, and you are not exhausted from work or traveling.
#5 Selecting Wrong Coaching Classes
Students often complain “the teachers were not good, wasted money for these CA classes,” and so on. The result—no clarity in subjects and below passing marks in exams.
How can you avoid this mistake?
Select coaching institutes that teach the latest ICAI study material. Ensure their classes have limited batch sizes and give attention to every student. Another thing you should see is if the CA coaching institute conducts regular mock tests.
#6 Leaving your Hobbies for CA Studies
To prepare for CA exams, you have to give time to studies and training. Everything can become monotonous and challenging if there is no excitement in your life. As a result, you can feel stressed and ultimately lose interest and focus on your studies.
How can you avoid this mistake?
Keep doing some regular sports or fun activities. If you want to save more time for your studies, then invest in your hobbies on weekends. Don’t let go of them completely. It will keep you going and away from stress or feeling demotivated.
Tips for CA Students on How to Avoid Silly Mistakes in Exams
You should learn from these mistakes when you have time, instead of regretting later when you score fewer marks in CA exams. We have shared
During CA Exam
Mistake 1
Wasting more than required time on a question.
Tip:
Don’t give any question more time than required. Instead, divide your time for each question.
Mistake 2
Not reading exam question instructions and attempting all questions when the choice was given.
Tip:
Read the instruction in the beginning and note the sections/questions where internal choice is provided.
Mistake 3
Not showing working notes and assumptions.
Tip:
Mention the working notes and assumptions clearly in the answer sheet. They have valuable marks. See the answers to ICAI mock tests and previous year’s papers for reference.
Mistake 4
Wasting time in deciding which question to attempt first and mismanagement of exam time.
Tip:
First, read all the questions, and divide them into easy, medium, and difficult categories. Go for the very easy win questions. Now attempt a few difficult questions, be mindful of the time. If you can’t solve them, it’s alright; move to the moderate questions. Your mind will be processing the difficult question in the background. Now come back to the difficult questions.
Mistake 5
Not keeping time for revising answers at the end.
Tip:
While planning your exam time, keep 15 minutes to go over your answers again.
Mistake 6
Mis-interpreting the question.
Tip:
Don’t just start writing an answer by reading only a few lines or keywords in the question. You may have to answer something completely different from what you have expected. So instead, read the complete question twice and clearly, read the command word in the question.
Mistake 7
Leaving the examination hall early.
Tip:
Utilize the remaining time to go through your answers. If you have not attempted any questions, try to attempt them again. If they are of subjective type, you can take the chance and write something.
Mistake 8
Improper answer presentation in exams.
Tips:
- Plan your answer, write an introduction, then paragraph/points, and finally a conclusion.
- The number of words should be proportional to the number of marks.
- Underline important points or keywords in your answer.
- Leave spaces between two answers.
- Always draw tables and diagrams with a pencil and ruler.
- Avoid short forms where not accepted in exams.
- Use the same link throughout the paper.
- Write proper units, like cm, rs, meter, etc.
- Start a new answer from the new page if it’s lengthy.
- Make sure the left margin of your paper, where you write the answer number, is visible.
During CA Examination Days
Mistake 1
Forgetting to take your admit card in exam.
Tip:
Request the ICAI representative to call someone from your family who can bring the admit card as soon as possible.
Mistake 2
Reaching the exam hall late and panicking after it.
Tip:
Even if you are late, don’t panic. Instead, utilize the time you have.
Mistake 3
Studying from new material a day or week before the exam.
Tip:
Avoid any new study material or notes. Instead, stick to your notes during the revision time.
Mistake 4
Compromising sleep hours to revise more.
Tip:
Ensure you get the minimum hours of sleep and rest well before the exam.
Mistake 5
Discussing and comparing answers with friends
Tip:
Never compare or discuss answers with friends. It can create panic in you and waste time. You have limited time to rest and revise for the next exam.
We hope you will take your lessons from all these common mistakes and avoid them in your CA journey. Use the tips on how to avoid silly mistakes in exams if you want to ensure you don’t lose marks unnecessarily. You don’t have to feel afraid; understand and take the necessary steps to avoid them. Let go of your fears, and your CA exams will be as easy as the class 12th board exams. All the best!!!