Time Management or Self-management?

A general complaint

Many of the students taking up the examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) are found complaining that examinations are difficult to pass or I have taken up examinations for three / four times but ICAP don’t like me to pass, so on and so forth.

ICAP – Pass or not to pass?

In accordance with the annual report of ICAP for the year 2003, there are 3,036 members of the Institute out of which 585 reside outside Pakistan. This makes only 2,551 members available in Pakistan. Imagine for a while, out of 140 million population of Pakistan only 2,551 members. What does that mean? ICAP wants to fail students? Certainly not. Every professional body likes people to come up and take up its membership. How can ICAP think of not passing the students? We have got two choices: Either keep on blaming ICAP or look into our attitudes towards exams and evaluate our mistakes and faults. After all, every year students manage to pass the exams. Remember: ‘If you cannot change the direction of wind, adjust the sails'. You are master of your own ship. You can choose to keep on moving in the same direction as you are doing right now or alternatively, you may elect to change the direction of your ship towards a destiny ‘Pass’.

Techniques from a pro

What should one be doing to pass? I would like to narrate what my senior colleague told me when I was entering into the profession. He remarked: “Remember, you have burnt all the ships. You have no choice except to pass these exams in first attempt. Believe that you can pass and you will.”

He further narrated following things which he did to pass his exams. Before I proceed to his remarks, I would like to add that the time when he passed his exams, there were four exams in article ship. Earlier i.e. before modular system, there was no concept of Foundation examination. Students entered into the profession directly after taking up their B-Com examinations and then, they had to take up four parts in four year article ship. He narrated me following:

1.