Know all about ICSI CS 2022 Professional exam topper- Siddh Jain, AIR 10

ICSI CS 2022 exam topper- Siddh Jain shares his exam-taking and preparation strategy. Know his overall score, attempts and key tips that lead him to road of success. 

ICSI CS 2022 Exam Topper

ICSI CS 2022 results for the June session were announced on August 25. In this article meet one of the ICSI CS 2022 toppers of Professional Examination- Siddh Jain who scored All India Rank 10. Siddh believes regular preparation is the only key to success. Based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Siddh completed his graduation (in Commerce) in 2022. Despite a failed attempt in December 2021, Siddh never lost hope and his hard work paid off in June 2022.In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, Siddh shares his preparation & exam-taking strategy for ICS CS 2022 Professional examination.

Also Read:

• ICSI CS Professional & Executive Examination Toppers List 2022
• ICSI CS Result

Shiksha: Congratulations on scoring AIR 10 in the CS Professional Examination! How are you feeling?

Siddh Jain: I am thrilled. It came as a complete surprise to me and my family. I am really happy and it feels like all the hard work, efforts that I had put in, has finally paid off. The feeling of adding the "CS" prefix at the age of 20 is completely amazing. I just cannot express it in words!

Shiksha: Which module of CS Professional exam did you find most challenging while preparing?

Siddh Jain: Our Institute has drafted the subjects in such a way that every subject seems interesting and challenging.

Yes, one subject which I felt challenging was Advance Tax Laws due to the vast portion of Income Tax and Customs within it. My belief is that, with some effort, daily practice, and consistency, the subject becomes easier.

Shiksha: What was the difficulty level of CS professional exam?

Siddh Jain: As this is the final level of CS Exams, ICSI expects us to prepare each and every chapter in detail, have proper understanding of provisions and be well versed with the case studies.

The difficulty level is very high as we didn't get holidays in between the papers and the course is very long to revise in one day.  

Shiksha: What was your preparation strategy for CS Professional examination? Please elaborate.

Siddh Jain: One thing which is very significant is regular preparation. A better approach is to begin studying around 6 to 7 months before the exam. In addition, it is wise to sit regularly, instead of cramming for exams during the last 2 or 3 months. Make a note of everything you study in these months, so that we can easily review it during the examination. This is because we know that the examination is on consecutive days. Number of times, it happens that you might have read a particular subject and a particular topic earlier. It is possible, however, to miss that particular thing just because you did not have enough time to revise. Keeping a summary of these things is a good idea. As soon as I had completed my syllabus and revision, I searched for past year papers and ICSI guidelines, which helped boost my confidence.

Personally, I prefer to study early in the morning. I woke up at around 6 a.m and I think that is a pretty good time. There is a lot of calm around here. Therefore, that is a good time to study and learn the material.

Also Read:

• ICSI CS Syllabus
• ICSI CS Important Dates
• ICSI CS Exam Pattern

Shiksha: Share your subject-wise strategy.

Siddh Jain: For theory subjects, I used to refer to the ICSI Modules along with the bare act, which not only helped me to learn but also helped me to understand the provisions in LODR, 2015; Companies Act, 2013.

For Open Book subjects, understanding of case studies and provisions of law is important rather than just rote learning. I used to revise 5 cases-laws a day regularly.

For the Practical subject of Tax, I concentrated on GST, which carries 60 marks. Daily practice of questions helped me a lot. It wasn’t just the ICSI module that I practiced from. Since CA Final is a common subject, I practiced a lot of questions from that module.

Shiksha: Which are the best books for CS Professional exam preparation?

Siddh Jain: I totally rely and I totally recommend the ICSI modules, even though they are a bit lengthy and everything. Make a summary note of this which would be a lot more helpful than taking any other book which has a kind of summarized writing. So, that’s all what I would like to tell others.

Shiksha: According to you, what is the importance of CS mock tests/sample papers?

Siddh Jain: Practice of at least one sample paper of each subject is necessary before appearing for exams. You can actually solve the paper in 3 hours if you're in an exam-like situation. You may have experienced going blank while attempting the question paper. We must try to avoid this type of situation in the exam by solving papers before exam. Also, it is important to read the guidelines issued by the institute because they help us understand the level of questions and the answers it.

Shiksha: Did the pandemic affect your preparation? If yes, how did you manage stress?

Siddh Jain: Pandemic affected my preparation in a positive way as video lectures became my unconventional source of learning as opposed to traveling to local trains to attend lectures.I used to manage my stress by listening to some soft music. Music is great for calming your mind and de-stressing it.

Shiksha: What was your exam-taking strategy?

Siddh Jain: My exam-taking strategies were:-

• Try and hit the passing line in subjects you’re weak in and for the aggregate score good in your strong areas.
• Make small targets daily, weekly, and monthly. This way you can keep a check on your progress.
• Balance the “Studies vs. Articleship vs. social & personal life”
• Practice of making notes for theory subjects. Especially, for Governance, Audit subject. Learn and frequently revise all the technical words of these 2 subjects and use them in the exam. This will at least help you earn 5+ extra marks.
• Prepare mnemonics and charts/mind map to remember the content easily.

Shiksha: Would you like to recommend some specific focus areas and important tips for future CS aspirants

Siddh Jain: The key tips would be:

• Practice on your weakness daily at least an hour and make your strong subject stronger.
• At a Professional Level, one reading of module is must.
• Reviseconsistently
• Sleeping properly the night before the exams as well as eat well before the exam go a long way in making the mind stable.
• Always attempt your paper completely.
• Have some sought of motivation be it song/ Youtube videos, etc
• Avoid social media like Facebook and Instagram, as it going to benefit Zuckerberg and not you.

At last do not be scared of failure. Failure is, too, beautiful always. Even I have faced failure, the taste of success comes once you have failed.

Whatever happens, it happens for the best. In order to succeed in the CS course you must have faith in yourself, work hard, and work smart.

Shiksha: At last, which are the important skills that one must have while pursuing CS course?

Siddh Jain: This Professional course in CS is designed to test our patience. It is common for people to feel frustrated that they are not passing the exam, while their friends are having a great time. Just wait for the right moment. Commitment, hard work and determination really work. Be Confident, trust your instincts, and follow your heart. All these things pay off in the end.

Always know that there is someone out there who is watching everything. I’ll just say that don’t quit, don’t underestimate yourself. Always believe in yourself. 

Read More:

• CS Professional Topper Interview: Sarika Singh, AIR 4
• CS Professional Topper Interview- Anushree Dhiran, AIR 9