The last one month before the CA exams is the most crucial phase of a CA student's entire preparation cycle. And it becomes all the more important then to make the maximum possible use of it in a judicious manner. In this post, let me tell you some key pointers on how to maximise the last one month of your exam prep.
Build Confidence
Whatever you have done in the last few months is all past, whatever you can do in the next 30 days will determine how your future will be. The main goal of these last 30 days of your exam prep should be build confidence and a strong momentum going into your first paper in November.
For me, this exercise had begun in September actually. I had chalked out a few focus areas where I felt I was not 100%, and stressed more on those particular areas. I had followed a rotational revision strategy for both Intermediate and Final - studying some portions of all the subjects daily. One advantage of this is that you are in touch with all the subjects daily, and you can maximize retention. The disadvantage of this strategy is that you are not sure if you can really cover the entire subject in 1 day, because you have been studying it bit by bit over a month.
In the hindsight, I do feel that the strategy could have been implemented better in CA Final, specially in the practical papers like SFM. But I stayed committed to this strategy till the very end, primarily because it gave me the confidence before the day of the exam to be well prepared.
I am not saying that you all should also follow my strategy only. But whatever plans you may have, please do not change them at the last moment. Please continue doing whatever has worked well over the past few months of your prep and try to build confidence.
Revision Strategy
The last one month is absolutely for Revision. You should keep the following pointers in mind here:
Please avoid distractions to the maximum extent possible. This is the most crucial stage of your prep, and being serious about it will only pay rich dividends later.
Stay on top of the syllabus and RTP. Make sure you have covered 100% of the syllabus.
Please do not introduce any new material or notes into your studies. This will only spoil your rhythm.
On weekends, make it a point to appear for Mock Tests in proper exam conditions. You can either refer to the Past Papers or the ICAI Mock Test Papers (both are freely available on the ICAI website)
Adapt your body to the timetable you would have during the exams. Keep any study seating for 3 hours 15 minutes at a stretch to get your body prepared for the long exam seating..
Make it a point to read Standards on Auditing daily. Half an hour, first thing in the morning would keep you in good stead.
Focus on the weak areas and spend more time on sharpening the rough edges.
Practice the already Star-marked or Important-marked questions in writing.
Keep all exam stationery ready and in proper working condition.
Plan the last 30 days in a way that you have at least 4 days to study for your first exam.
Lastly, stay healthy and safe in the present circumstances. Avoid venturing out unnnecessary, and apply all precautions.
As a word of caution, please do not introduce anything new in your study or schedule - no new book, no new notes and no new pens or calculators.
The idea should be to plan your day out and cover a target portion of the syllabus each day. A systematic revison methodology will only help to reduce stress and increase productivity.
I have already shared detailed daily Revision Plans for both Intermediate and Final. The same can be freely downloaded from the Downloads Section of the Blog.
In case of any queries or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me...
Thanks for reading...
All the best for your exams :)