Appear for one exam at a time

K Vamsi Krishna, 19, a student from Vijayawada, bagged All India 5th rank in ICWA Intermediate examination, All India 1st in ICWA final, All India 5th in CA and CPT entrance and All India 20th rank in CS Foundation examination Purnima Sriram When did you start getting trained for CA? After completing intermediate, I started my ICWA coaching from Modern Academy, Vijaywada.

What kind of material did you refer to? I used to revise whatever my teachers taught me in the class. Apart from that ICWA, CA textbooks and Scanner's books, which contain question papers of past 25 years are useful for any aspiring CA. What are the challenges you faced? My life so far was very smooth and organised. By God's grace, I got qualified with two years of effort. The subjects in CA are very tough and hard. The registration fees are reasonable but the coaching fees are quite high. Along with this, we are supposed to work under a CA to get qualified for the finals. Here getting CA's to work under becomes difficult.

How much time did you dedicate to studying? My father, who guided me while I was preparing for the exam, planned it in such a way that I appear for one examination at a time instead of attending many exams. I used to study for 8 to 10 hours a day. What according to you are your strengths? My biggest strength is my grasping power and determination. I never got deviated from academics. I never go out with my friends to movies and other places. I devoted most of my time in studying. My teachers were all amused by my concentration power. I can write the answers even if I had heard that class only once.

If you have to single out one factor that gave you the edge, what would that be? My determination towards studies and good teachers gave me an edge over others. They supported me in every aspect of my career. Who do you attribute your success to? I attribute my success to my parents and teachers. My father K Murli Krishna was a lecturer which was an advantage to me. He got many books for me to study. My father explained the syllabus to me, guided me and motivated me by introducing me to his passed out students. My mother K Raja Rajeswari Devi helped in other activities. She took proper care of my health. She was a source of moral support. My teachers trained me in such a way that I could qualify in my entrance with a coaching of only two years.

When exactly did you start believing that you can top in your examinations? I always scored well in my coaching centre. When I first appeared for the ICWA foundation entrance, I got the confidence that I can qualify in CA, CS and ICWA. When I got All India 5th rank in CPT, my confidence grew and I completely started to believe that I can reach my goal.

What do you think are the mistakes you have committed that you would not if you were to appear for exam again? I have no regrets. As far as I know, I haven't committed any such major mistake. I planned and organised my life well in advance which helped me. What do you do apart from preparing for competitive exams? I am pursuing my bachelors in commerce from Krishna University.

What do you aspire to be in life? My goal is to finish my CA and CPT and become an executive officer. I want see myself as an honest CA and also as a person who can nullify the corruptions in the companies. What is your advice to aspiring CA's? While appearing for these exams they must make sure that they don't appear for all of the competitive exams at a time. It will over load them and make them loose concentration. They should plan and appear for one exams every six months. They should first appear ICWA and later for CA and CS. It will make the other exams little easy and it also adds to encouragement.