Writing skills- A lifesaver for CA students

How are writing skills important during CA exams?

CA is one of the most coveted professional commerce in this country and for good reason. Chartered Accountants are highly recognized and valued as they have signing authority. The professional also demands high levels of commitment, hard work and dedication. Developing effective writing skills is crucial if you want to clear the CA examination as it calls for an effective presentation from its aspirants. Along with studying the portions either in a classroom environment or through online classes you should also focus on attempting the assessments effectively. 

ICIA exams are based on two factors – which are accuracy and speed. The lengthy paper has to be completed in 3 hours, and in order to answer them well it is vital that the students build their writing skills so that they can write well under the exam condition. They have to train themselves like an athlete, they should constantly work on developing their writing skill and understand that there is always room for improvement. Having well-developed writing skills and an effective form of presentation will allow you to develop this skill as the CA exams approach. 

The CA exams are generally conducted twice a year. In order to qualify for the exam as mentioned earlier you need to develop good writing skills, these cannot be developed overnight, it will take time to build. Good writing skills can be developed through patience and through proper guidance from a reputed training institute like the Indian Institute of Commerce Lakshya. 

Importance of developing good writing skills

Writing skills involve writing ideas, knowledge, and experience in effective words by sticking to the already set guidelines of the exams. Apart from the numerical part of the courses, the exam also calls students to attempt theoretical questions during the examination. Both the practical and the theory subjects are equally important. One should know whether he is making correct working notes to the numerical. Similarly, they should also be able to comprehend that they cannot limit to short answers when the question demands an elaborate type of question. The method of writing will not be the same for discussing the type of question or for elaborate type questions, then students should be able to answer them by describing all the points. This is why it is advisable to focus on your writing skills. It will definitely pay when you are attempting the real examination, and it is advised to start working on the skill right from the beginning. 

Let us take an example of a student who is able to comprehend the question but unfortunately is not aware of the proper formatting or is not aware of how to write effectively, this would lead to unnecessary anxiety, which will waste time and eventually will lead to the loss of some marks. As you are well aware CA is one of the most competitive exams in the country and the loss of each mark will be the difference between passing or failing. 

The CA exams are set at different levels by the ICIA – namely Foundation, IPCC and the final exam. All three groups will require students to develop a good writing strategy and skill. Not having a proper writing format and not effectively practising their writing skills is one of the main reasons that students are unable to qualify for the CA exams.

Just like how you cannot pick up a bat to be brilliant in cricket, writing skills also require the same level of commitment and dedication. You need to constantly practice the skill, develop the habit of forming and structuring answers as you read the questions and then go on to practice it, this will eventually help you to build your speed, and accuracy and help avoid mistakes. 

Ways to develop writing skills

Without having the right writing skill even reaching the CA Inter level is going to be a tough task. The CA foundation exam consists of four papers out of which two of the papers are subjective in nature. A student will need to score a minimum of 40% marks on each paper subject to other conditions. The following tips will help to score well when it comes to subjective papers. 

1. Be as detailed as possible – try and answer in detail so that all the important points are covered. Understand the question properly, so you are very clear on the flow of your answer which will define your purpose in a better manner to the examiner. 
2. Proofread again and again – one of the worst mistakes you can make is having silly spelling or grammar mistakes on your paper, so ensure that you have proofread them before submitting.
3. Read the questions as many times as possible to that you get a good understanding of all the key points and data, this will help you to write in-depth answers. 
4. Work on developing good and clear handwriting so that the answers are clear, visible and neat. Write in a legible manner that it makes correcting your paper easier for the exam evaluator to understand. 
5. Presentation and formatting are also essential aspects of scoring and are considered one of the best practices for the CA exam. 
6. Use bullet points or underline keywords so that it is easy for the evaluator to grasp those points. 
7. Try and stick to a ball pen instead of a foundation pen this will ensure that you don’t have any ink spreads or spillages. 
8. Practice makes perfect – Try and answer practice exams, this will give you a chance to revise and recheck questions. 
9. Get your starting perfect. The introduction part should effectively communicate what you intend to say. 
10. Keep an eye for grammar and punctuation rules effectively.

Don’t for writing CA exams

1. We want the answers to be comprehensive but do not write more than the required length. Your point may be lost or the evaluator would not read all that much due to the limit of time. 
2. Write with enough space, do not leave the answer sheet congested. The answer sheet should look pleasing to the eye. 
3. Write as fast as you can and do not waste time unnecessarily. If you need time for an answer get back to it later after you have attempted other questions
4. Practice and prepare enough so that you do not feel confused during the exams
5. Try to avoid the use of slang, and abbreviations during the exams
6. Try and use simple language. Exams are not the place to show off your vocabulary, try and use clear and easy-to-understand sentences. 
7. Avoid the use of complex words if you are unsure of the meaning. This would have a completely negative impact on your answers and you may end up losing marks
8. Try and avoid repeating the same words, try and use synonyms instead
9. It is important to finish writing quickly, but ensure that this does not mess up your handwriting. 

Conclusions

Developing good writing skills will take some time. But it is important to understand that it is one of the most powerful a student can have as it will determine if you qualify for the exams or not. Having good knowledge of the subject is the foundation that will help you to have the right answers and have clarity in your answers. Indian Institute of Commerce Lakshya can help you have the skills and knowledge needed to help you clear your answers. You can call our career experts to inquire about our upcoming batch for CA foundation, Inter or final; or you can also reach out to them if you have any questions about the exams in general.