On July 1st, 1949, an act of Parliament gave birth to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Founded a year before the Constitution of the country was formalized, the ICAI counts itself among the oldest professional institutions in the country. It is the second largest professional accounting and finance body in the world in terms of members, with a current roster of about 2.5 lakhs members.
Write flawless answers in CA CS CMA Subjective Papers
Scoring good marks in subjective papers of CA, CS and CMA is not just about knowledge, but also how you go about writing your answers. The way you present your answers on paper plays a big role in your final score. ICAI, ICSI & ICMAI expect you to write answers that not only read great but look great too.
RULE OF THUMB Thorough studies fetch you marks in the range of 40-45, but good presentation takes you to 60+ marks OR EXEMPTION in your papers.
In this article I will teach you how to write knowledgeable and eye pleasing answers in your upcoming exams of CA, CS and CMA. Note that these techniques are equally relevant for OLD & NEW syllabus of ICSI, ICAI & ICMAI.
OK. Lets start.
The techniques discussed here can be divided into three sections, which I will discuss one by one:
Theoretical Questions
Practical Questions
Case Study based Questions
8 Tips To Write Perfect answers for theoretical questions
Tip 1
First step is to mandatorily leave and draw margins on both sides of paper.
Tip 2
Answers should be written in point format with maximum 2 to 3 sentences in one point. Avoid long paragraphs and sentences.
Tip 3
Leave sufficient space between two points or paragraphs. Inculcate the habit of writing one answer in one page, even if the answer is over in half page. If your answer is broken/divided in two pages then it gives the impression of half answer to the paper checker. Your job is to make paper reading and checking easy for checker.
Tip 4
Every answer/point/paragraph has some important words or legal jargons. Underline them wherever possible. This makes paper checker’s work easier. Underlining the words or jargons shows your confidence and can lead you to fetch more marks.
Tip 5
Quote the Case Laws, whenever possible. I believe in simple funda,
WHEN YOU KNOW IT, FLAUNT IT
Make sure that you quote correct Case Laws. Giving reference of wrong Case Laws may lead to loosing marks.
Tip 6
Quote the Act with the year. Always remember that you quote the correct and relevant Act along with correct year or else you will end up loosing marks.
Tip 7
Emphasize more on Quality rather than Quantity. Remember ICAI, ICSI & ICMAI are Professional Bodies and they expect quality and to the point answers from you.
Tip 8
Quote the Sections, Clauses, Standards (Auditing/Accounting/Secretarial) only when you are confident about them. IF you are not sure then DON’T QUOTE IT AT ALL.
4 Tips To Write Precise answers for Practical Questions
Tip 1
As suggested earlier, leave and draw margins on both sides of paper, even if it is practical subject.
Tip 2
Have clear understanding of the various measurements/units/currencies asked in the questions. Many students get confused in this and while writing answers interchange the same. Do not leave to the imagination of paper checker for what the numbers represent in your working notes and final answer. For example, if the entire question is calculated on the basis of percentages then make sure to mention percentages everywhere. Also double underline your final answer.
Tip 3
Always write the Formulas clearly if the question demands so and preferably box the formula.
Tip 4
Always try to attempt the full paper as it increases your chances of making the average. Even if you are not fully confident about the answer, try to attempt the question as much as possible. As the saying goes, “Something is better than nothing”. Same funda applies here. Never leave a question blank. Write something (obviously logical and related to the topic asked in the question) because provision of marks for step marking are there in professional papers.
Case Study based Questions
FACTS
Find all the possible data and facts related to the case study and write it down in point-wise manner.
ANALYSIS
Use the facts and figures gathered in previous step to analyze the case from logical point of view. Make sure that you are not making any unwanted assumptions
CONCLUSION
Always end your answer with a Conclusion, where you explain the outcome of your analysis to the examiner. This leaves a good impression on your paper checker.
For an in-depth approach on HOW TO ATTEMPT CASE STUDY BASED QUESTIONS, click on the link at the end of this article. The link will take you to an amazing article written by CS Midhas Purohit on attempting case study based questions.
Final Words
It may seem daunting at first to keep so many things in mind while writing answers. But, all of this will come to you naturally if you practice these techniques on a daily basis. Initially you will make mistakes for sure. So just keep trying to learn from your mistakes and always read your answers twice after writing them. Highlight your shortcoming and rework on them. And a day will come when you will observe that your answers are almost PERFECT.
If you like this article then share it with your friends. If you have any doubt then leave a comment and I will try to answer them as soon as possible.
Happy learning 😊
CS Aditi Pant
P.S. The video version of this article is now available on YouTube. Watch the video below.
ABOUT AUTHOR: CS ADITI PANT
Students call her "The Ocean of Knowledge" and she is a Serial Degree Grabber. As of now, she is a Practicing CS, LL.B, M.A.Eco (Gold Medal), M.Com, B.Com, M.A. English, M.A.Political Science and various diplomas from Wesleyan University, Duke University, Western Reserve University, University of Toronto & University of Melbourne. With 10+ years of teaching experience under her belt, she is among the best teachers across India for:
Chartered Accountancy
Foundation: Business Economics | Business & Commercial Knowledge
Inter: Economics for Finance | Auditing & Assurance
Final: Advanced Auditing & Professional Ethics
Company Secretary
Executive: Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws | Securities Laws and Capital Market
Professional: Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances | Resolution of Corporate Disputes, Non-Compliance & Remedies | Corporate Funding & Listings in Stock Exchanges
Cost Management Accountancy
Foundation: Fundamentals of Economics & Management
Inter: Laws & Ethics | Company Accounts & Audit
Final: Corporate Laws & Compliances
Learn the best practices for writing answers for case study questions in CS Executive
The Ultimate Guide to Write CS Executive Company Law Case Study Questions
Business Maths could be your key to clear aggregate in CA and CMA Foundation exams
A CA or CMA Foundation Student often comes across a notion that Business Maths is out of his/her capability. So, they should just memorize question for exams. This idea is so deeply planted in their thoughts that they actually start doubting their mathematical abilities.
“BUSINESS MATHS IS TOUGH FOR CA CMA STUDENTS” IS NOT TRUE
Teachers and Parents keep telling commerce students this lie. Coaching Institutes preach them to just memorize the questions and their answers.
This tragic reality hit me when I first taught business maths to CMA Foundation and CA Foundation students. When I told them that Basic Business Maths is a very simple and interesting subject, guess what their reaction was… NONE OF THEM BELIEVED ME and thought that I am some crazy person. However, as the the batches progressed I was able to reach the root of this problem.
The Problem of Low Confidence in Business Maths faced by majority of commerce students.
I always believed that we all can learn anything, at least the basics. No matter what IQ level one has, there is always a possibility for everyone to understand the fundamentals of whatever he/she wishes to learn. The problem arises when we start to doubt ourselves.
World will always tell you that “You Can’t Do It.”
The fear of Maths that you all face as commerce students, is not because you are not capable, it is because you have not given this subject a good amount of time to read, understand and practice. After all, basic business maths is all about addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. If you know these four operations, then congratulations
You can master the basic business maths
Love this subject, Learn this subject. This is the only subject where you can score 100% marks with 100% surety, if you have prepared well. No other subject offers you this kind of luxury. Just think like this:
Business Maths can help you to clear in Aggregate of your foundations exams
This is all for today. Stay tuned for more interesting articles on this subject. See You.
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