Every Attempt Builds You- Life of a CA Student

Smita Shetty

Chartered Accountant (CA);  FINANSYS

LinkedIn;Beyond Boardrooms by Smita Shetty

The recent CA results have brought a wave of emotions across the country, of joy, relief, disappointment, and sometimes heartbreak.

With the overall pass percentage hovering around 15%, many students are still waiting for their breakthrough.

Whether you’ve seen the word "PASS" on your screen or felt the sting of another attempt that didn’t go your way, I want to share a piece of my journey with you.

Back in 2012, when I cleared my exams, my facebook post simply read: "Finally a CA!"The joy, the relief, and the overwhelming sense of achievement are emotions I still feel deeply even today.

But here’s something most people don’t see. Before that moment, I too faced failures, times when I didn’t clear an exam despite giving it my all. I still remember the day I failed one of my PCC groups; it felt like my world had collapsed. I was ashamed! this was my first real failure.

Looking back, I now realize that failure wasn’t a roadblock. It was a stepping stone. It taught me that resilience, perseverance, and the ability to rise again are as important, if not more than technical knowledge.

This early lesson helped me accept failure and grow stronger, whereas I’ve seen some of the brightest minds -MBA gold medalists and toppers, struggle to bounce back after just one professional setback.

Throughout my professional journey, especially during my years in the Middle East, I rarely used the "CA" prefix in front of my name. But what I always carried forward was the confidence, discipline, and strategic thinking that this journey instilled in me.

ICAI didn’t just make me a professional; it gave me the tools to navigate life’s complexities with a calm certainty "Ho jayega."

History is full of people who failed before they succeeded:

• Amitabh Bachchan was rejected by All India Radio for his voice - today, he is the voice of an era.

• Steve Jobs was fired from his own company, Apple, before returning to build it into a tech giant.

• Walt Disney was told he lacked imagination, yet he created a world of magic.

• JK Rowling faced multiple rejections for Harry Potter, which is now a global phenomenon.

To all the students who have cleared the exams: celebrate, but remember this is just the beginning of an incredible professional journey. The real learning lies ahead, where your CA preparation will help you conquer challenges beyond books.

And to those who haven’t cleared this time: take a deep breath. This result does not define your potential, intelligence, or future. Every late-night study session, every failure you overcome, is building a version of you that is stronger and unstoppable.

Your "Finally a CA!" moment is waiting for you, and when it arrives, it will be worth every sleepless night, every doubt, and every single attempt.

So, don’t lose hope.

The CA journey isn’t meant to be easy—it’s meant to shape you into someone who can face the world with resilience, wisdom, and grit.

Trust the process. Your time is coming.