First CA Intermediate Exam Experience

I reached my exam center on time for my exam. While I was walking to the exam center my mind was filled with thoughts about the upcoming exam. I have heard a lot about CA intermediate exam. This was the first time I was going to experience it first hand for which I was equally nervous and anxious at the same time.

By the time I reached the exam center, I saw a crowd of students looking at the roll no board checking where they should be seated, which room, and which floor. After I looked at mine,?I got back to studies for one last time before the exam.

?Like me, most of the?CA aspirants in the exam center were flipping page after page trying to revise the concepts and taking a final look at important topics. Soon we were allowed to get inside the exam rooms.

As all of the examinees were mentally preparing for taking the exam and reciting their last prayers to god. The invigilator started to read the instructions and soon the question papers were given.

Then the mad rush to finish the paper in the stipulated time began as and when the answer books were distributed. The eutrophic sound of calculators being pressed simultaneously and examinees writing down the answers as fast as possible. The pressure, determination, and will to complete the paper on time were clearly visible.

While everyone writes the exam let me discuss the significant events, experiences, and learning from the exam

• ????????If I want to say it in two words, Those two words will be “reality check” and“eyeopener”
• ?I realize that I was not up to the ICAI standards and need to do a lot of practice to reach there.
• ???????Overall, Exam didn’t go well but I managed to write both groups with enough preparation.
• ????????Theory papers were easier for me compared to numerical papers because of lack of practice.
• ????????Law and audit were my best papers. Just that I did a blunder in the audit paper of writing true or false instead of correct - incorrect.
• ???????Tax paper was hard and conceptual moreover lengthy even the fastest in our room couldn’t complete. MCQs were fighting with descriptive questions in terms of difficulty. But my dad decode the paper I understood it wasn’t that hard just that I panicked and couldn’t read the question properly and think logically by staying calm.
• ??? ?In EIS SM, I tried to do something different one day before the exam by watching a revision video strategy instead of reading imp points in the text which was my strength. The former strategy didn’t work, I forget all points instead. I need to correct it next time.
• ???????In Advance Accounts & Costing, I left out some chapters. I had to study new chapters for passing the exam.
• ?? I need a lot of practice in numerical papers like Accounting, Advance accounts, Costing,?Financial management.

?

Other points

• ??????A fellow examinee who wrote GST in section A and Income tax in section B only knew it at the end and couldn’t do anything. It messed up his whole paper.
• ?????Lost a lot of time in filling the answer booklet and many more points...

I calculated my marks, got a red signal in both groups by a good margin. So I am now resuming studies due to it, focusing on the left out chapters in costing and adv accounts.

As time ticks by pressure kick in … then the Final bell rings the exam gets over. Everyone gets out some feeling great with smiling face, some feeling frustrated about leaving that question, some feeling sad it didn’t go well. This went on for 8 papers

I talked to fellow Examinees in the exam center where I knew none except a relative. It was different since I was introverted. We didn’t discuss much just about the subjects and CA in general nothing else specific regarding question paper or something of that sort.

After ITSM last paper of the old syllabus, I saw my relative who had cleared the first group in multiple attempts being frustrated about exams not going well. I could relate to that experience from my EIS - SM paper. I saw him again after few days after the exam he was back to normal while I was still thinking about the exams.

I learned that I should forget the past and focus on what I can do in the future by learning what I did wrong in past and correcting my mistakes. I cannot change what happened to me in the past but I can change what will happen to me in future.

?By the time, papers got over all the Examinees were exhausted and relieved. I and my mutual friends who were writing the exam for the first time agreed that this was an experience to remember. We parted ways expecting that we meet again someday.