When I was a student there was not much guidance available online. All the inputs that I gathered about CA preparation were primarily from my teachers and well wishers including my mother. One of the most important learnings that I received was about the significance of the timetable. It helped me sail through the course throughout the five years successfully. Hence I shall be sharing what I learnt here for the benefit of students.
I About the timetable
The timetable is the one tool that every single student needs to clear the exams, and more so if you are seeking to clear them in the first attempt and with a rank. The tough part is that this needs to be built from scratch by the students on their own. Meaning there is no ready made timetable available. You need to prepare it by delving deep into the complete syllabus, and you need to keep it updated every other day to suit your position as regards preparation. You need to know your pluses and minuses in studies (for example some students are good in theory and weak in maths or accounts)
You need to have knowledge of which part of the day you are most efficient in (some students like to study late into the night while others are early risers and can't study at night). So while setting a timetable it is important to know yourself as well.
II General guidelines on timetable:General guidelines on timetable:
- A timetable essentially should be both a strategic as well as a tactical planner. It should lay out both the long term as well as short term goals of the student
- The timetable should be drafted on a big sheet of paper, the most ideal being a chart paper. It should be divided into various date and time slots much like a planner, with lots of space to fill in details under each date.
- The details that are required to be entered under each day are the time slots and topics to be covered.
-Each day at least 2 subjects shall be covered; more subjects can be covered if preferred. Do not study only 1 subject a day as it might get boring and you will lose focus.
- Leave 15 to 20 min buffer after every subject or topic to compensate for any delays that day as well as to get a small 5 minutes break before starting the next subject or topic.
III Strategic angle of a timetable:
The time table ideally needs to be set for 3 to 4 months at a time. This period needs to be divided into different levels of preparation. There needs to be an initial study period for detailed preparation and then a subsequent period for round 2 (revision round 1). After that there needs to be a round 3 (revision round 2) and if possible a final round 4 (revision round 3). At least 3 rounds of revision are advised excluding the initial round of preparation. The more the number of revisions, the better it is while not compromising on quality of study. Each round can range between 15 days to even a month.
An illustrative pattern has been given for reference:
- 30 days for round 1 - more time to be given to each topic
- 15 days for revision 1 - more topics to be covered within a single time slot
- 10 days for revision 2 - more topics to be covered within a single day
- 7 days for revision 3 - several topics to be covered within a single day
The above is just an example - please allocate time based on your individual requirements and capabilities
As you move on to the various roundof revision, it is advised to reduce the number of days per round gradually. Again these are general guidances and each student's requirement will be different within this guideline.
IV Tactical angle of a timetable
The planning of the timetable needs to be done differently for the different rounds, which have been explained below.
1. Round 1 guidelines
Ensure that the complete syllabus is covered in round 1 planner, with a little allowance for delays which can be covered up before round 2. I will post a separate article on how to study during the first round of preparation.
Start time and end time daily should be constant and slots can be based on 2 / 3/ 4 hr duration (for example, morning 5:00 am to 7:00 am could be the first slot daily, followed by a 15 min gap and then 7:15 am to 9:15 am; breakfast; 9.45 am to 11:45 pm; 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm; lunch; 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm; 4:45 pm to 6:45 pm; break with dinner; 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm and then winding up for the day). This example is for an early riser, you could alter this based on your preferences. Similarly, you could have 5:00 am to 8:00 am and 8:15 am to 11:15 am and so on.
Few min here and there can be compromised however too much deviation is not advisable, as then the very point of having a timetable is defeated. So please set the first round thoughtfully and leave adequate time for aspects such as detailed study, note taking etc
2. Round 2 or Revision round 1
As far as round 2 or revision round 1 is concerned, ensure that you plan to cover all the topics again during this round (covering the topics will take less time in this round). Allocate time for preparing fast track revision notes (refer separate article on how to prepare for revision 1 and tips for preparing fast track revision notes)
More subjects or topics can be covered in 1 day and focus should be on getting an overall view of the chapters learnt in round 1 and same time covering them well. Since you have already studied all the chapters in round 1, you will find them all familiar with few doubtful topics which can be completed in this round.
An important point to mention here is that extra time should be given in between the course of the day, each day to cover topics which you have not gained confidence or have kept pending from round 1. An important point to mention here is that extra time should be given in between the course of the day, each day to cover topics which you have not gained confidence or gave kept
3. Round 3 or Revision round 2
This is a very quick and effective recap of all the topics in a systematic manner. During this round you will need to go through the complete syllabus (ICAI study material, your fast track revision notes, RTP add well as past exam question papers). Hence the timetable has to be set keeping the above points in mind. Here again you need to allocate extra time to cover topics which have have been kept pending from round 1 or 2.
V. Few tips to be kept in mind
A timetable is the secret to the success of every CA student. How efficiently you set the timetable and how effectively you follow it equally define your success. You need to have consistency, discipline and sincerity while setting the timetable and following it. You do not need to prove anything to anyone, all you need to do is to be truthful to yourself now, in order to be successful in this journey.
Once you have drafted, edited and finalised the timetable, please ensure you display it in someplace where you will see it every minute of the day. Make sure you refer to the same while doing your preparation. As and when you complete each time slot, put a tick mark against the same in the planner. If there is any deviation in your progress from that prescribed in the timetable, mark the pending portion in the timetable and complete it in the subsequent days or rounds. Keep a tight tab on the progress in this manner and ensure that there are no loose ends anywhere. You should have complete control in your progress at all times. if you follow all the above-mentioned points, then you will surely score very high marks in your exams.
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