A First Class student throughout, Sneha recently completed B.Com at Lucknow University. Aiming to make a career in the banking sector, Sneha shares that she cracked the CS Finals in her first attempt using strategy and time management. Regular study is the key to success, maintains Sneha who practices Vipassana, a form of meditation, which helped her to focus.

FAST FACTS
Name: Sneha Singh   
Exam: CS Professional Programme (June 2011)
Rank: AIR third
Score: 479/800
Subjects if interest: Company Secretarial Practice; Financial Treasury & Forex Management
Date of Birth: September 8, 1987 
Father: R. P. Singh (Manager, in General Insurance Company); Mother: Poonam Singh (LLM)
Schooling: St. Fidelis College, Lucknow

Course review: How to become CS

Q. How was the news of your success broken to you?
A. By a friend on Facebook. Then I checked my result on ICSI website. I was content with passing all groups with decent marks. I wasn’t expecting a rank! It was one of my life’s greatest moments.

Q. When did you decide to take up CS? 
A.After completing graduation, alongside Chartered Accountancy course, I  decided to take up CS.

Q. Please tell us about life as a student…
A.I was an all rounder till Class 12. I participated in debates, quizzes, sports and various other competitions at both district and state level. I had a rich co-curricular exposure. After Class 12 I channelised all my energies into studies for CA and CS. Life has been a mixed bag of struggle and success as a student; I do what I love and love what I do.

Q. Please tell us about articleship and future career planning ?
A.I have done my CA. articleship and will apply for exemption from training after three years in job. Now, I will be joining Bank of Baroda as a  Manager (finance). I am looking forward to work with the bank in a corporate   Banking profile. I am moving to Mumbai for the same job. I was selected through campus placements.

Q. How important do you think training is to become a competent CS?
A.Training is extremely important; application of theoretical knowledge to practice gives an overall picture and a command over the subject.

Q. What was your strategy for the exam?
A.I stuck to the modules provided by ICSI on daily basis, and I also practiced with previous years papers. I marked the relevant portion in the books using the scanners (collection of previous years papers), and studied the weightage of chapters and worked accordingly. I gave special attention to how I presented the answers in both theory and practical papers.

Q. Did you take any guidance for preparation?
A.Yes, I took a lot of guidance from my immediate college seniors and teachers for the approach required for each subject, preparation time, organizing and planning.

Q. What is your perspective of coaching institutes?
A. Coaching institutes do provide an indepth knowledge on the subject under consideration. But please choose the coaching of renowned teachers, having expertise in core areas. Not the ones’ who are providing solution under one roof!

Q. What is the future of a CS in the country?
A. CS’ are the intelligent tools that corporates have to provide timely compliance with laws and cover grey areas. They have plethora of opportunities both in practice as well as job. With the onset of hundreds of acts, notifications and amendments, CS plays a serious role of a compliance officer. CS’ have a very bright future.

Q. How do you usually spend your time when not studying?
A.I hang out with my close friends and family, watch movies, listen to music, and practice Vipassana meditation.

Q. Your message to the future CS aspirants.
A. My serious request to all CS aspirants is please give all modules at one go. It is not as not as difficult as it seems. Organise your time. Plan and strategise. Ask solutions for problems, there is an answer for each one. Magnify your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

MAHIMA achieved success in her first attempt in the Company Secteray final exam, and shares that self-study is “more than sufficient for success in this exam”.  She also urges students to choose their faculty wisely in case they consider coaching. Mahima’s father Mohan Kapoor is a manager with a construction company and her mother Usha Kapoor is a teacher, and her hobbies include painting, reading books and watching films.   

FAST FACTS
Name: Mahima Kapoor
Exam: CS Professional Programme
Rank: All India First
Date of Birth: July 19, 1989
School: Christ Jyoti Hr. Secondary School, Satna (MP)
College: Shri Rama Krishna College, Satna (MP)
Course: BBA with specialisation in HR and marketing

Course review: How to become CS
 
Q. How did you feel when you got the good news?
A. I got the news in office where my colleagues were very excited to know my rank. They all stood up and clapped for me, and that was an overwhelming moment for me.

Q. When did you decide to take up CS? And in how many attempts did you crack it?
A.I decided to pursue CS as my career when I was Class 10 as it is a reputed profession. After completing my graduation I started with my CS course.I have cleared the Executive programme (AIR 13) as well as Professional exams in my first attempt

Q. Please tell us about your life as a student…
A.My life as a student started from my home - my mother is my first teacher. I started my schooling from my hometown (Satna) and chose the commerce stream in Class 11. In my entire school life I have never taken any coaching or private coaching classes. After my schooling I joined graduation in my hometown and did a BBA, after which I joined CS in 2009. . from I cleared the executive level in June 2010 and professional level in June 2011.

Q.Tell us abour your articleship…     
A.I have started my Articleship after my exams in June 2011, with Prestige Group of Companies  in Indore.

Q. Is training important so as to become a competent CS?
A.Besides being a compulsory, this 15 months training is very important because in the class we only get to know about relevant laws and their provisions but how to implement these laws practically, this is part of our training. To become a competent CS we must have practical knowledge of all the procedures n their compliances.

Q. How do you spend your time when not studying ?
I usually spend my time chatting and hanging out with friends, watching TV, movies and reading books.

Q.What would you like to do after CS – practice or higher studies?
A.I’ll go for a job in a company. But I would also like to do an LLB to support my career.

Q. Did you take any guidance for preparation?
A. I joined Nahata Professional Academy in Indore for CS coaching. I have not referred any other books other than the institute study material and the notes provided by my coaching Faculty.

Q.Your strategy at every level…
CS is a three level course - Foundation, Executive and Professional level. I skipped Foundation as I was already a graduate. My Strategy was to attend classes regularly and be attentive in classes. I gave myself one month’s time for self-study in the Executive and Professional level.
   
Q. How good are coaching institutes and what to be cautious of if you choose one?
A. As there are no colleges for CS students these coaching institutes are very helpful as CS is a law field, and to get complete knowledge and understanding of our syllabus it is important to have good mentor. The most important subject is Company Law and I’m lucky enough that I got a mentor like Mr. Tanay Kasera who has a good command in this subject. While choosing any coaching we must be cautious about its faculty and regular classes. It is very important that they are referring study material for preparing for exams.

Q. Your message to the future CS aspirants…
A. Good luck, be attentive in classes and grasp laws properly.