Successful Toppers-An Exclusive Interview with CA Topper Ms.Prema Jayakumar

An Exclusive Interview with CA Topper Ms.Prema Jayakumar

Surmounting all odds, Prema Jayakumar, daughter of a Mumbai-based autorickshaw driver, has topped the all India Chartered Accountancy (CA) examination.

Residing in a crammed one-room chawl in suburban Malad with her parents and brother, the 24-year-old told that she was ecstatic to have secured the first rank in the examination conducted in November 2012 by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, results of which were announced in January 2013

This is an exclusive Interview with her

Miss Prema Jayakumar, can you tell something about you?

 Ok, Myself Prema Jayaumar I born and bought up in Mumbai, I basically from Villupuram district Sangarapuram Taluk, I done my schooling in Malad municipal    Secondary school, done my college degree and also Navindha's convala college in Malad. After my graduation I started with CA in my career, today I completed successfully in chartered accountant.

Question:

 Tell us about a little bit about your family and how you got interested in doing Chartered Accountant?

Answer:

      Basically my mom and dad they don’t  have any idea about any studies in school also I had no idea about Chartered accountant in 12th std one of my prof who taught me Accounts, He is a Chartered Accountant from then I got the inspiration and I decided to do Chartered Account.

Question:

   When did you actually start to doing this?

Answer:

      I decided in 12th but I could not start after 12th. So, started after completion of my graduation.

Question:

     So that was in which year?

Answer:

       IN March 2008 I completed my graduation, in the same year I started CA.

Question:

      How was your studies, and how did you practice, how did you plan out become a successful candidate?

Answer:

             I took a leave for 5 months in 12 days first I completed first reading out for one subject.

            First reading I have completed all subjects, in 12 days then started with first revision of all subjects then after that I had written one marks test before of institute we stay are uploading on there, So the mark test before also helped me lot because it gives me a writing practice also in 3 hrs whether  we  are able to complete or not  it's also helped me lot  like that I got this.

Question:

 Did you have any guide for yourself  because your parents  you say  they were not formally educated or they didn't have complete education so that being the condition how did you manage to  come across this Chartered Accountancy and how much of support could you get from your family, we heard your brother also completed CA along with you? So how did you both manage?

Answer:

Family support is  also important they are  not so much educated  but, they supported us a lot the environment  the environment between equal separate preparing the examination, we separate in the home only we ahead not can't to any library and all. So myself and my brother  used to study home only, so we use to take up one topic and we use to solve the topic and it behide any doubt   we use to discuss with myself and arrive at the conclusion, so it help the lot and basically all the professors  whom  I got the coaching and they help me a lot like preparing the exam and how to manage so from them I got the great support from my family side they also encourage me they also support me and guide me like that I have completed.

Question:

 What is your father profession or occupation or what is your mother doing Did you have to any deal with house hold, what work basically do in your house? Did you have any responsibility there?

Answer:

My dad is a auto rickshaw driver and my mom is a house wife and when I got leave for complete study for 5 months my mom never use to keep any house hold work she is to manage everything and she has telling only thing you study you do your work I will manage everything and she use to take care of me every time and every 2 Hrs she use to give me some juice and all, so she is to  take care me a lot.

Question:

Did you have to spend for doing CA because you and your brother both of doing CA exams your father depending the income from the auto rickshaw? How could you manage exactly and what would you tell our listeners young listeners who appearing for CA?

Answer:

I started after my graduation as a side of hear in graduation I stood 2nd in Mumbai University so I got the scholarship from the University for 40 thousand rupees so in that we registered in the institute for the CA career in myself and my brother and coaching class and all I got a scholarship so there was no fees  pay for me the coaching classes and after starting with article ship I got sty fund  also form that we use to manage our expenses.

Question:

   You said that you have to go leave for 5 months to do the final, So where are working like?

Answer:

    Ya I was working in a CA form in Kishore shartern company Borivilli. have complete this article ship for 3 year from that we  use to get some amount that is sty fund from that we use to manage our expensive.

Question:

    So you have decided at became Chartered Accountant in very young age, may be after your complete your higher secondary. So what is your opinion like now that have  become your Chartered accountant finally what would you like to say our children or to the people who have no idea of what their doing or what they have to do?

Answer:

     Ya  there is no substitute for hard work, hard work is the main think we should keep in our mind and we are getting support from our teachers, professors from that apart from that we should do hard work and  one day come success will follow,  hard work is the main mantra for success.

Question:

So then what you propose to do now that became you have became CA both you and your brother, Are you planning to start out your own firm?

Answer:

No in the beginning we not plane to start with the form we are planning to join in any corporate for some years and then in future we may start without form.

Question:

    What rank your brother get you know like after the results where out and you knew you are the person who got the first rank so what were your reaction? What were your feelings? What did you feel exactly?

Answer:

ya I was very happy you know it was like a my life time achievement, so I was very happy and then they also tension in my mind what was about my brother's result because I came to know from the former president called me and he informed me you got the first rank in CA final examination after that I was happy and the same time I was worried about my brother's because I was not knowing about his result. After ten minutes I came to know my brother also cleared. It was the enjoyable movement.

Question:

So then later on you were recognized by our state of Tamil Nadu our chief minister had announced 10 lakh rupees for you and minister for shipping also announced 5 lakh and DMK also had some 1 lakh cheque for you or something, So Did you ever expect that you will get this  kind of reception?

Answer:

No actually I haven’t expected but I am feeling very happy that academic appreciation their giving so much awards and all appreciation so much popularity and all and I am feeling very happy and I am thankful them to all.

 

Question:

What would you know like our young person as the statistics is on the needs for more Chartered accountants is there in the field? so what would you propose to the people, because you know do you thing that more people should take for CA, because many   youngsters are really scare to take the exams because they think that take a long time and they have to complete or they have to  repeat or something like that. What is the exact position because you know people, students  would be eager to know  about it there is a fear whether they can tackle with the examination or they have to go around or many questions are there in their mind, So how to clear that doubts?

Answer:

It they have to focus on it and do hard work for that  there is no substitute for hard work  is they have  focused on one aim one goal they will surely get success. If they have half heartedly they will choose a career it won't help. If they focused on one career they do hard work for that and they will surely get the success.

Question:

So how many ours did you put of completing this CA every day, every day you must have tight schedule like because you had been working in a CA form and there complete the work and come home and then you have to prepare for this, so how did you exactly put in your efforts like how much Hrs.?

Answer:

During the 5 months leave when I got leave for final examination, Initially I started six hrs seven hrs studies later on I increase my schedule timings and all, so at the later stage I use to study Twelve to Fourteen hrs a day.

Question:

So that must be the lot of strain in your parts, so both of you did a group study you and your brother?

Answer:

:Ya we both did a group study.

Question:

So then now that you have been you know recognized and media has been you know like after became a sudden celebrity. Did you get any offer from people to work in their institution or whatever?

Answer:

Ya I got an offer they given call me, I haven't make them I will meet them in on Interview they have called me for on interview, so after that I complete final year.

Question:

 you already started you know like getting offers for employment that's great news, So how would you thing that you have repay  your family or they had really backed you up your mom and dad, so what you think how you  best you  can know like because  every student and every child who gets an accomplishment will want to do something in return so how do you do plane about it?

Answer:

First I have to ensure my dad should take complete rest now onwards and I have to now onwards they have to live a secured    life and they have to take rest of their life.

Question:

So you want to give them rest and you want to go and work so where do plane to settle Tamil Nadu or in Mumbai?

Answer:

I am planning to settle in Mumbai only.

Question:

 You know about economic condition in our country and you know the importance of economics and economic studies, everything is related to economy in our days so how do you think you know we will have to deal with this? people are going to opting for professional education like going for Medical studies or Engineering studies you know  less and less people apt for arts education  BA or B com, so in this condition the percentage of who are choosing economics or choosing  to do accountancy is not that much, So what you think, Is it good choice for the students adopt to this or you know would you suggest some other things for the upcoming students who are completing the education or graduation because they are in dilemma in whether to choose management or accountancy.?

Answer:

Its really depends upon the areas of interest whether if a student is interest in accountancy if he is taking that course he can very better in that course rather than taking up another course in which he is not that much interested so student takes of up a career in which he is more interested is to help him a lot and to do great success.

Question:

 So what are the most challenging subjects for you in which paper is easy or did you find in which paper is difficult for you?

Answer:

:

Accounts and FM is the easy paper for me  and it was my favourable subjects apart from that wrote the papers I found a Direct Tax  paper was little doubts,  and I could manage that and I scored 83 marks in Direct Tax

Question:

Finally, I don’t know about the total marks and all that, so you just tell me what percentage you got in the final exams?

Answer:

I got 607 marks out of 800.

Question:

 Has anybody done this record earlier?

Answer:

 In earlier first rank was I think in around 608 marks in first ranker.

Question:

How much did your brother get?

Answer:

 He got 460 out of 800.

Question:

What are the papers you had written? Do you remember like first year, second year and third year?

Answer:

First entrance for CPT after that after one year a Nine month course there was a inter exam which is known as IPCE so that was the second inter exam and final after three years the final exams was there, so it is the three parts examination.

Question:

So what are the subjects you have to take of?

Answer:

In final there are eight papers had to appear, Cost accounts was there, Financial Management, Audit everything.

Question:

 So in which papers did you get the maximum marks?

Answer:

In indirect taxes I got 91 marks.

Question:

What mark did you get in your favourite subjects?

Answer:

 90 marks, Account and FM I got 90 marks.

Question:

Are you happy now?  

                                                  Best of luck for your future.

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