CA Final Topper Interview 2019: Arpit Chittora (AIR 3) - Time management, hard work & confidence are critical
We all in this world aim to achieve the highest summits, but those are among the rarest who know how to deal with such heights. Being among the top achievers of a national level examination, when the world is chasing you to know the success mantra, one may get swayed away by the accomplishment, however, Arpit Chittora is not. The guy stays grounded, exhibiting utmost modesty in his approach to respond to the queries he receives. With AIR 3 in CA Final 2019 new syllabus, the humble lad from Jaipur believes that not giving in to all unnecessary distractions is the key to achieve what seems to be unachievable - cracking CA exams. Not only CA Final (new syllabus), but the champion carries a history of securing top rank (AIR 7) in both CA CPT and IPCC. The topper believes that a composed mind coupled with confidence and the right amount of hard work are the elements which are essential for succeeding in CA exams. In a conversation with Careers360, Arpit Chittora (CA Final topper 2019- May session new syllabus) shares his winning strategy.
Excerpts:
Q. How did you celebrate your success? Which all elements would you attribute your success to?
A. I celebrated my success with my family and friends. I attribute my success to hard work, persistence and the support of my family and friends.
Q. Kindly share about your childhood, family background, schooling and key inspirations in life. Share about your rank and score in CA Final 2019.
A. I was born and brought up in Jaipur, Rajasthan in a grounded middle class family. I did my schooling from Seedling Modern High School, Jaipur. I am a ranker at all three levels of CA examinations. I secured AIR 3 in CA FINAL examination held in May 2019. (IPCC AIR 7; CPT AIR 7).
Q. What were your feelings after attempting the exams? Were you sure of cracking it?
A. After giving the exams I was satisfied by my performance as I knew I had given my 100% effort. Barring Audit I was reasonably certain I would clear all other papers.
Q. Which Group and subject did you find easiest and which one the toughest and why?
A. I found the second group easier as the subjects were more practical based. I found FR and GFRS as the easiest subjects as I had pursued my articleship in Accounting Advisory.
Q. Would you like to share with us about planning, study hours, time table and daily efforts which you had put in during preparation for CA Final?
A. I used to study early in the morning as I feel very sleepy during late night studies. During the exam leaves I tried to study for 12 effective hours each day.
Q. While attempting the CA Final Exams, which all factors need to be considered and what strategy works best?
A. While attempting the exams one should make sure that you have enough writing practice beforehand so that you don’t face the trouble of pace or presentation in exams. One should try to stay calm and composed. Forget about the last exam while preparing for the next one. Revision should be done from the same books from which preparation was done.
Q. Since you have reached your dream destination, so in your opinion, how has life changed for you now? What was the thought behind choosing CA?
A. I don’t think I have reached my destination yet. This is just a milestone in my journey. Life hasn’t changed much apart from the fact that I don’t have to worry about books or classes anymore.
Q. What is more suitable according to you- Self Study or Coaching? What is the role of coaching under CA Foundation program?
A. I think coaching and self-study both have their own importance. Coaching helps with regularity and timely course completion while self-study will give you better conceptual clarity. So coaching followed up with appropriate and timely self-study is the best combination.
Q. What books did you refer for CA Final preparation?
A. I referred to the institute’s study material for all subjects along with the notes I had prepared in my classes and few question banks for brushing up my question-solving skills.
Q. Would you like to share some important learnings or focus areas for the sake of new aspirants and our readers from preparation point of view?
A. I suggest that you should have a fixed place for studying and try to cut out all unnecessary distractions.
Q. When did you appear and qualify the entry level course and the intermediate?
A. I qualified CPT in June 2015 and IPCC in May 2016.
Q. What is the difference between old and new syllabus?
A. I think the biggest difference between the two CA Final syllabus is the paper pattern. Both are equally difficult. The new syllabus is more up to date and relevant for the current scenario.
Q. Did official study material for CA Foundation provided at ICAI website play any relevance in your preparation?
A. Yes. Before I purchased the hard copy of the material, it was very convenient to refer the soft copy of the material hosted on the website for quick reference during CA Final classes.
Q. Did you ever refer to the mock tests, previous year questions or the summary of examiner’s comments?
A. I referred to CA Final mock test and previous year questions for 3 previous attempts.
Q. What kind of preparation strategy is needed for Foundation, Intermediate and Final stage? Do all the three stages need different preparation?
A. Thorough knowledge of all the subjects is required at all three stages. As all CA students know with each level you need to be more conceptually clear and work even harder to succeed.
Q. Any message for the future aspirants?
A. My message to all future aspirants is to stay calm, in peace and always be confident that if you put in the right amount of hard work you will succeed.
Q. How was your experience during articleship training? Did it bother your study regime?
A. I had a great experience in articleship with PwC India. It used to conflict with my study regime sometimes but overall it helped me achieve great conceptual clarity in various subjects.
Articles
Browse Finance Colleges by State
Explore Career Options (By Industry)
Budget Analyst
Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.
Data Analyst
The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.
Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.
Underwriter
An underwrite plays crucial roles in the finance and insurance industry and works for mortgage, loan, and insurance companies. He or she analyses applications for insurance policies and assess the risk capacity to decide whether to approve application or reject. He or she assesses and evaluates the risk of another party for a fee in the form of commision or premium.
Underwriters have strong analytical skills and they understand the insurance principle to evaluate the health of potential clients. They collaborate with agents, brokers, and to their clients to collect information and explain the insurance product details. They work on all kinds of insurance like mortgage, health insurance, life insurance, automobile, and several other kinds of insurance.
Finance Executive
Finance Executives manage money, overseeing a company's income, expenses, and investments. They monitor financial transactions, create and assess reports like cash flows, and strategies to enhance profit margins and reduce expenses. Their role is crucial for staying competitive and making wise market decisions in response to current dynamics.
Finance Executives establish strategic financial goals, objectives, and performance criteria. Strong accounting and analytical skills are fundamental to this role. While often working fixed hours, they may extend their work hours to meet deadlines. This career is well-suited for individuals with a keen understanding of finance, attention to detail, and the ability to navigate complex financial landscapes.
Product Manager
A product manager is a professional who determines what a product should do and how it should look like. A product manager analyses customer needs and combines them with company goals to develop a product that satisfies everyone. He or she works in coordination with different departments like engineers, salespersons, and product designers to ensure everyone works towards achieving the company's goals.
A product manager develops strategies and plans to help the employees work towards a common goal that is to develop a product that the customers demand. He or she plays the role of the first point of contact in the organisation for anyone who needs to know about the product. Concerning larger programmes, they work with Technical Program Managers to deliver results.
Operations Manager
Operations manager is tasked with supervising the financial and business experts involved in the production of goods and services. A career as operations manager needs to supervise many divisions and coordinate daily activities. The role of operations manager is to oversee and manage diverse activities which is part of a profession as an operations manager.
All levels of an organisation's operational activities are overseen by an operations manager. He or she is in charge of selecting candidates, imparting instruction, and managing quality control programmes. Operations managers also develop plans for process improvements to ensure that everyone finishes their work on schedule. He or she must regularly evaluate budgets, manage costs, and analyse data and statistics.
Stock Analyst
A stock analyst is an individual who analyses and evaluates various stocks and securities in the financial market. He or she in the stock analyst career forecasts stock market results, normally with an emphasis on the securities that a company or firm invests in. He or she also prepares scientific reports on financial forecasts, predictions, and recommendations based on a stock's expected profit.
Individuals who enjoy learning and data processing, are good problem solvers, and have a strong work ethic will excel in the stock market analyst sector. Students can pursue a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration), MBA (Master of Business Administration), M.Stat (Master of Statistics) to opt for a career in stock market analysis
Researcher
A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.
Welding Engineer
Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues.
QA Manager
A Quality Assurance (QA) Manager, synonymous with a Quality Assurance Manager, holds a pivotal role in ensuring products meet predefined standards. Responsible for planning, directing, and formulating control policies, the QA Manager safeguards company efficiency and profitability. By scrutinizing products for flaws and ensuring compliance with internal and external requirements, they uphold quality, validating the effectiveness of quality assurance teams in maintaining high standards before product release.
Quality Controller
A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product.
A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.
Production Manager
A Production Manager oversees manufacturing processes, ensuring timely and budgeted delivery of products. Responsible for safe, cost-effective production meeting quality standards, their role adapts to the production system. Also known as an Operations Manager, they manage human and material resources, contributing to efficient production and service delivery.
Product Manager
A product manager is a professional who determines what a product should do and how it should look like. A product manager analyses customer needs and combines them with company goals to develop a product that satisfies everyone. He or she works in coordination with different departments like engineers, salespersons, and product designers to ensure everyone works towards achieving the company's goals.
A product manager develops strategies and plans to help the employees work towards a common goal that is to develop a product that the customers demand. He or she plays the role of the first point of contact in the organisation for anyone who needs to know about the product. Concerning larger programmes, they work with Technical Program Managers to deliver results.
QA Lead
A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans.
Structural Engineer
A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software.
Process Development Engineer
The Process Development Engineers design, implement, manufacture, mine, and other production systems using technical knowledge and expertise in the industry. They use computer modeling software to test technologies and machinery. An individual who is opting career as Process Development Engineer is responsible for developing cost-effective and efficient processes. They also monitor the production process and ensure it functions smoothly and efficiently.