Inspiring Success Stories of CA Students By Palak Aggarwal

Failure is the highway to success. Tom Watson said, "If you want to succeed, double your failure rate." If you study history, you will find that all stories of success are also stories of great failures. But people don't see the failures. They only see one side of the picture and they say that person got lucky:"He must have been at the right place at the right time."

There is a general opinion that it is very difficult to pass Chartered Accountancy (C.A.) examination conducted by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Few students also discontinue the course after finding it very difficult to pass the examination. Failure is the stepping stone for success. Some may not realize that they are very near to the success but leaving the course.

If you take some good basic steps, then, you cannot be a failure in this Nobel course.

You need not to be a super genius to become a CA, even an average candidate with hard working can also be a CA.

It is touching to know about success stories of students who have passed CA examination after overcoming several obstacles. Let me share some inspiring stories of success of students in CA examination. These stories will inspire aspiring students to achieve similar success in the examination.

“Successful people don't do great things, they only do small things in a great way.”

India’s first Visually challenged CA

Rajni Gopal is India’s first visually impaired woman to become a Chartered Accountant. Currently working with India’s leading software companies, it has taken Rajani immense grit, perseverance and patience to reach where she stands.

Several students with normal health struggle to pass the examination despite the best of professional coaching and excellent support provided by their family. It is inspiring to know that Rajani Gopal, a visually challenged girl has cleared the exam during 2002 to become India’s first visually challenged woman to pass CA examination.

She was prescribed penicillin tablets for common cold by a doctor when she was nine years old. This was given without test dosage and this resulted in an allergic reaction which in medical terminology is known as “Steven Johnson Syndrome”. Her vision started deteriorating gradually and she lost her vision in right eye by the time she completed B.Com degree course.

She found it difficult to get a job due to her disability. She thought of pursuing CA course to improve her chances for getting a job. With lot of determination she joined CA course as there is not much need to attend regular classes like other courses. She started using the screen reading software and learnt how to use computers. She got all the materials converted to soft copy and started studying in a focussed manner. After facing lot of difficulties, she successfully passed the CA examination and is now well placed in a reputed firm.

Rajani Gopal has proved that it is possible to pass the CA examination if one prepares in a focussed manner in spite of any physical handicap. When a physically challenged person passes the tough course, no excuse can be accepted from a person enjoying normal health.

Office boy who became CA

Students also blame financial problems as an excuse for not passing the CA examination after several attempts. They claim that they are not able to afford specialised coaching provided by reputed coaching institutes.

Shailesh who worked as an office boy in a private firm has cleared CA examination though he lacked financial support. Shailesh, youngest son of housemaid Nirmala and textile loom worker Arun, studied in Sarvajanik High school in Marathi medium. He lived in a 12×25 room in a slum in Limbayat with a family of five.

Shailesh, youngest son of housemaid Nirmala and textile loom worker Arun, a migrant Maharashtrian family, studied in Sarvajanik High school in Marathi medium and did BCom from IGNOU. While doing BCom he came in touch with Jay Chhaira, his tutor and employer, running the Institute of Professional Studies in Athwalines. He joined the institute as a student-cum-office-boy so that he doesn't have to put any financial burden on his father and elder brother. He joined CA course and used to study in office during his spare time. He did lose heart in between and left studies completely for two years, only to return with more vigour and cleared every exam. Ultimately he passed CA examination successfully and started his own consultancy firm. In spite of his financial difficulties he has successfully cleared CA examination.

There is no need to worry about financial difficulties and the examination can be passed by overcoming such difficulties.

Cleared CA, ICWA, CS at 23 yrs

Many students struggle to pass the CA examination even though they study only CA course exclusively.

23-year-old Pallavi Sachdeva from Delhi, cracked three exams CA (Chartered Accountancy), CA (Cost & Works Accountancy) and CS (Company Secretary). It is really a great achievement as she has cleared all three professional exams simultaneously without any difficulty. Better understanding of basic concepts and proper planning has helped Pallavi to accomplish this achievement.

Daughter of Auto driver who scored first rank

Prema Jayakumar, the 24-year-old daughter of a migrant Tamilian Jayakumar Perumal, an autorickshaw driver has topped her chartered accountancy examination by scoring 607 out of 800 marks (75.8 per cent).She secured all India First rank in her first attempt.

Prema studied in Tamil medium till Class VIII from a Tamil medium municipal school. She switched over to English medium only during ninth standard. It is really a great achievement that she could score such high marks despite difficulties faced by her.

Her brother Dhanraj aged 22 years also appeared in the CA examination and passed it in his first attempt. Dhanraj worked in a call centre to support his studies.

CA after 32 attempts

Normally students lose interest after continuous failures and discontinue the course. They tend to join some other course or take up some employment. But untiring efforts has enabled Kailash Narayan Purohit of Jodhpur to pass CA after making 32 attempts spread over a period of 20 years. He was determined to pass the examination despite repeated failures.

Tea Stall owner’s Daughter cracks CA Final Nov 2012 Exams

The girl who didn’t have fees to pay CA course fees worked on her father’s tea stall and crackes CA Final Nov 2012 exams. She proves success quotation ‘ Where Determination is Great, Nothing is Great’. She had determined a goal to be a CA and she work hard to fulfil her dream even after toughest difficulties in her life.

Confined to Wheel chair, but passed CA

Neha Bansali was confined to the wheel chair when she hurt her spine. Neha Bansali shares her experiences in her own words.

“I was born in Delhi and grew up there. I belong to a middle class family. I have a younger brother and a younger sister. When I was playing with my friends my spine received a minor injury. But because of infection the entire spine got affected. As a result I could not sit up and got confined to the wheel chair. Except my right hand I could not move any part of my body. I had to depend on others to attend to the daily ablutions. I wanted to commit suicide. The support given by my father and mother, my sister and brother kept me up, I took the +2 exam. I scored 92% in the exams. This achievement gave me confidence and encouragement. I took the chartered accountant’s final exam and stood tenth in the national ranking.

This success made me live and I grew up from then on. I, who was confined always to the wheel chair with ability to move only one hand, developed a great urge to achieve something notable. I could secure a job as a chartered accountant in a firm and became the chief accountant.”

Born with cerebral palsy, but cleared CA

Ajit Shekhawat was born with cerebral palsy and underwent treatment for two years at a Mumbai hospital at the age of five. His treatment continued in Gandhinagar later on and Ajit continued his studies and completed his graduation in commerce from Gandhinagar. He then started preparing for his CA examination at home and cleared it.

Train blast victim who passed CA

Chirag Chauhan was an average student and it was only in the tenth standard final examination that he managed a first class.

Chirag Chauhanwas among the survivors of the serial train blasts on July 11, 2006 which claimed over 180 lives. That day he had left for home early when a bomb exploded in the suburban local at Khar Road station. His spinal cord was damaged due to the explosion and some particles are still embedded in his chest and close to the trachea.

Despite his debilitating injures, he pressed on with his course and completed it on July 12, 2008. He lost his father when he was 18 and was faced with the prospect of looking after his sisters and mother, something he can proudly do now.

Chirag Chauhan, now wheel chair-bound, is a full-fledged CA working as a senior manager.

These success stories prove that it is possible to achieve success in CA examination despite physical challenges and financial hardship.

Failures who become first Rankers

Yes, its true, if you failed in this exam then don’t worry you can get rank in next examination, if you prepare hard with confidence to crack exams with a rank. Here I have given examples of peoples who were failed in their first attempt but got rank in next exams.

1. Nitin Gupta – Failed in CA Final, May 10 – Got Rank 1 in CA Final Nov ’10
2. Sujoy K. N. – Failed in CA Final, Nov ’09 & May 10, Got Rank in CA Final Nov 10
3. Sonia Rakheja – Failed in CA Final, Nov 09 & May 10, Got Rank in CA Final Nov 10

Do you consider these people failures? They succeeded in spite of problems, not in the absence of them. But to the outside world, it appears as though they just got lucky.


All success stories are stories of great failures. The only difference is that every time they failed, they bounced back. This is called failing forward, rather than backward. You learn and move forward. Learn from your failure and keep moving.

Always Remember “SUCCESS DELAYED IS NOT SUCCESS DENIED.”