Son of a Tailor, Rajasthan Student Tops Chartered Accountant Exams in First Try

The result of the CA (old syllabus) final exam was announced on Wednesday, 23rd January 2019, by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

Surpassing the rest of his peers, 22-year-old Shadab Hussain, a resident of Kota, Rajasthan clinched the All India Rank (AIR) 1. He scored 597 out of 800 marks (74.63 per cent).

This achievement is especially crucial for Hussain, as he comes from a very humble background. His father, Rafique, is a tailor, who, as per reports, studied till Class 10 and his mother, a homemaker, is a school dropout.

While they couldn't complete their education, the couple ensured that Hussain remained motivated enough to work hard and build a successful career.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Rafique said, “Since I could not get an education in my life, I decided to educate my son, and I am proud that he has clinched success in CA final,” adding that he earns enough to fund the education of Shadab and his four sisters.

Shadab, on his part, has been a dedicated student.

“I studied day-and-night to earn a job so that my parents do not have to bother about their old age,” the topper informed the Indian Express.

He added, “I thought of Chartered Accountancy (CA) to be a niche profession where one can learn throughout their life. After due consideration and research, I set my mind to become a CA.”

The work that Shadab put in shows that passing the CA exams is not an easy feat.

He would study for 13-14 hours every day. Sharing some tips on how these long hours did not drain him, he said that he took time off to introspect, calm down and relax.

“I used to take a break of 30-40 minutes after three hours of study. I also made sure to walk two-three kilometres every day. It de-stressed me. As the exams approached, I reduced the hours devoted to study to keep my mind alert.”

He also adds that “staying aloof from all kinds of distractions” like social media, and even temporarily giving up on family functions was what kept up the momentum.

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For CA aspirants and regular students, Shadab also explained his strategy. “I read the paper and find out three-four questions which [could] help me attain 40 marks and tried solving them in an hour. Thus, I spent the rest two hours scoring more marks and helped me increase my total score; it gave me an edge over others.”

Shadab’s study routine and consequent success show that hard work is the only route to success in tough competitive exams. While they demand one to make compromises and sacrifices, the result is often worth it.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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