Month: September 2013

13 Tips for cracking Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in CA-CPT Exam

Cracking MCQs in CA-CPT successfully is an art. Following should be kept in mind while attempting MCQs in CA-CPT Exam.

1. Try to attempt as many questions as you can.
2. Read every option, even if you are more than 100% sure about the 1st option.
3. If the first option is a correct one, look at the last option to make sure it is not an “all of the above” option.
4. The above trick also works for the questions where “none of the above” is included in the question.
5. Give good amount of time to the easiest question as many a times it may contain a tricky part.
6. In case there is confusion always apply exclusion method. Try to exclude those options which cannot be the answers.
7. If you do not know anything about the question or the options – never attempt that question.
8. After reading the question cover the answers with your hand and first try to solve the question without looking at the answers. Then match your answer with the given options.
9. Always try to imagine the topic (in your Assignments, notes or book). When you come up with some hint, look or picture of it, look for that in the given options.
10. Before marking the option ask yourself “reason to mark it right“, or “whether it makes any sense”.
11. Always give more weightage to that answer which according to your knowledge is correct. If while dealing with the question, your logic says something and your knowledge says something else, always follow your knowledge.
12. While you guess, do not change that answer which comes first to your mind. Many Researches indicate that your first answer is usually the correct one. However, don’t be afraid to change answers when you have quite a good reason for doing so.
13. Allow time at the end to check for carelessness and Silly mistakes.

The concepts learnt in the 11th and 12th Grades need to be crystal clear as CPT is the test of one’s sound understanding of the subject matter and the basic construct built in these two years.

One should devote at least 9 hours a day towards preparing for the CPT exam. The 12th Grade exams conclude by the second week of March and one should put in those long hours post that.

Students should be done with their preparations by the 31st of May. The exam date typically falls around the 18th or 19th of June. Students should focus on solving the mock papers after May 31st.

Every student differs in terms of his/her capacity and capability. However, one’s positive attitude defines one’s success. Even if you’ve scored 70% in your 10th Grade, you can easily clear the CPT exam. The CA course overall is difficult, but the trend of passing percentage is increasing year on year. The passing percentage at present stands at 40%.

As per my observation students undergoing regular tests and mock papers never have a problem completing the paper. Mathematics is a roadblock as students get confused with the questions in that section and tend to spend more time cracking it. One mark per minute is a fair evaluation.

One should take the chapter wise tests which feature at the end of each chapter before diving into the mock papers. Irrespective of the nature of the tests, analysis of the results is crucial as it helps to understand the ways to measure one’s performance and work on the areas to improve. For example at ideal classes we’ve got ‘ISET’ which is a self-evaluation test whereby there are small tests of 20 marks on each topic with the allotted time of 20 minutes. Students can take the test multiple times. Every time a new set of questions appear and one is given an opportunity to assess oneself in 20 minutes which is very important. One needs to know and mark the errors and mistakes and subsequently rectify them in the early stages, so that one is prepared comprehensively for the actual exam.

The module put out by the CA institute is easy to follow and self-explanatory. Students can grasp the basic concepts and can also visit the institute’s web site to access more study material and video lectures. Moreover the CA institute provides 30 mock papers for practice purposes. There are also many online and physical coaching classes which train students for this exam. Students just need to be familiarized with the trends of questions asked and their associated answers. The trick is to solve more papers to get the entire drift and increase one’s confidence levels.

The CPT exam is only concentrating on your strengths and letting your weaknesses go.
In case of paper 2 featuring Economics and Mathematics, students can heave a sigh of relief as they don’t feature in the further stages. It also means that one can gamble only in these exams and avoid certain topics which are difficult to comprehend. Students tend to worry a lot and lose focus from their strong areas. Many CPT takers fear the mathematics section and end up concentrating entirely on that. This contributes a great deal when it comes to clearing the cut-off. I think that they should be focusing on Accounts and Law as they will be holding a higher subject/knowledge value in the future levels.

Students consider maths to be the most difficult part in the CPT. How does one go about tackling the same?

It’s not 100% mathematics. Let’s split it into 3 parts: arithmetic, calculus and statistics. Arithmetic includes topics like ratio and proportion, calculation of interest etc which is usually covered in course curriculum leading up to the 12th Grade. Second part i.e. Statistics which is new for everybody and is easier to score. The third part is Calculus which is a little difficult with students with a non-math background in the 12th Grade. Topics like Derivatives and Integration which form a part of this section are complex in their own right. We suggest these students to focus heavily on Arithmetic and Statistics and leave Calculus for later attempts. This would ensure efficient time management and an attempt to cross the cut-off of 100 marks. There are also some theoretical questions which can be attempted in place of the practical ones.

Are graduates not required to give CPT to undergo the CA course?

The CA institute has passed a rule which says that a graduate does not have to give CPT; they can directly enroll for IPCC. The approval has been granted but it has not yet been applied. Therefore even a graduate has to give the CPT.