As students across
the country gear up to appear for their chartered accountancy examinations,
which begin on May 3, a few dollops of inspiration might just help them sail
smoothly. Memory whiz Nischal Narayanam, from Hyderabad, made national news
when he cracked the chartered accountancy examinations in 2015. The now
21-year-old was already a ‘Double Guinness World Record holder' in the category
of memory, when he accomplished the feat of being the youngest chartered
accountant (CA) in the country.
According to Nischal,
“Many students don't do internships because they think it's a waste, and prefer
to sit at home and study. What one studies from the books is just 10 per cent
of the deal, the rest comes from hands-on experience. My CA articleship at
Deloitte International audit firm played an important role in understanding the
system and how things work, as mugging is not everything.” He further adds,
“Spending time on project work like presentations and writing skills is not a
waste and one must learn to manage time purposefully. An evaluator is witty
enough to figure if a student is confused or focused, so there is a need to
impress them with presentations.” Preparing for an examination that can
probably define our future is often overhwhelming. The key is to keep calm. “My
mother was the one who created a positive atmosphere around me and recognised
my potential. The exam has an irregular structure, but honest effort and
sacrifice makes it worth it till the end,” says Nischal. Talking about his
schedule, he shares, “My schedule entailed revising at least six times before
the examination to keep myself updated. Self-studying is very important, and
the fact that one has to sit and study the same thing over and over again, but
continues to do so, is important. One must sleep for at least eight hours, and
eat healthy. The first attempt is the best attempt, as the concentration level
can't be replicated in other attempts. I was confident about passing the exam.
You can somehow know if you will clear it or not.” Not one to be flattered by
the adulation, Nischal continues to stay grounded and ensures his plans include
the lesser-privileged sections of society. “I will be getting myself enrolled
at Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). But I have an
educational site which I want to work on, it's called ‘Nischals - Joy of
Knowing'. It deals with innovative educational products and works on Maths and
Science for schools students. I want to make it much bigger than it is now and
help poor but talented students. The Maths problems we design are significantly
appreciated all over India. The Maharashtra State Board along with other boards
has taken our circular into consideration.” His advice for CA aspirants is
simple. “Hard work is enough to attain success. Students should not get
restless, but instead be patient and plan properly. Towards the final few
months, a student must have enough time for revision and solve mock papers.
Time management is very important, utilise the initial 15 minutes (the most
crucial time) for reading your question paper thoroughly before you begin to
write. Attempt the questions you are confident about first, and then go on with
the rest, keeping presentation in mind. All these points are simple but
important,” he says.
Source: DNA-3rd May,2017
