Why did you choose CPA over other professional courses?
I came to know about US CPA from one of my seniors at work. I had always wanted to take up a professional degree and CPA seemed just the right option. I gathered more information on CPA from him and then decided to visit the Saket office and enrolled right away. Because of my schedule, I resorted to online classes. I really liked the storytelling way of Varun in the classes, it made things really easy. Classroom training provides a good forum for all the like-minded aspirants and professionals from different walks of life. CPA classroom training is indeed an enriching experience that no other course provider takes up with that level of intensity. If one has the bandwidth to take up classroom sessions, they should definitely go for it.
How did you plan your CPA journey?
I was in active consultation with my peers whom I met during classroom training. We started with Regulations and clearing it gave me a lot of confidence to go for BEC. Auditing was my 3rd exam and I think I lost a bit of my schedule there due to the COVID pandemic. With hard work and a bit of luck, I cleared Audit with exactly 75 marks. I was a little apprehensive about FAR as I had heard a lot about the difficulty level from my CPA peers. I think the role of Kiran and Swetha made all the difference. I can’t thank them enough for guiding me as a friend, a mentor and a strict teacher as and when the situation demanded. Kiran was always there, be it Bangalore or Guwahati or maybe mid-way, she is a fantastic instructor who always tries to understand the root of the problem and guide us accordingly.
Any word of advice for future CPA aspirants
- Set up a well-thought over study plan
- Be consistent with your preparation
- Listen to the lectures multiple times
- Practice OTBs as much as possible
Tell us about your future aspirations post CPA
The CPA designation definitely opens up a lot of areas in finance for me. I wish to get into managerial accounting, regulatory, and filing oriented profiles. And of course, look for a better paying job coupled with more accounting-based profiles.