Sachin (24) and Nandini (22) Agrawal, although two years apart, were in the same class after Nandini skipped two grades.
Hailing from Morena, Madhya Pradesh, both wanted to become Chartered Accountants and worked together to achieve this goal.
In 2021, both siblings secured ranks in the CA Final, with Nandini setting a Guinness World Record as the youngest female chartered accountant, achieving AIR 1.
The duo prepared for the CA Inter exam through online lectures and cleared it on their first attempt in May 2018.
For their three-year articleship, a practical training at a CA firm, the siblings moved to Delhi.
Even during their CA Final preparations, they chose online coaching, which allowed them to attend lectures before and after work.
“Work consumed most of our time, from 10 am to 6-7 pm daily. With online lectures, we had flexibility to complete a lecture every day, starting our mornings at 6 am and finishing it after work,” Sachin adds.
They began their studies with practical subjects like Financial Reporting (FR), Strategic Financial Management (SFM), and Advanced Management Accounting, which require significant time and conceptual understanding.
They devoted their weekends to watch lectures and self-study. For their CA Final attempt in May 2021, the siblings started intense preparations in December when their study leave began.
1. Start full-blown preparation six to seven months before the exam.
2. Complete your lectures as soon as possible to focus on self-study.
3. Utilise ICAI modules, past question papers, and revision test papers.
4. Apply the 80:20 principle for revision planning, focusing on chapters that contribute to 80 percent of the paper.
5. Create a proper study plan and stick to it.
6. Be consistent and focused. Consider deleting social media apps; you can join study-related groups on Telegram.