CA Uma Krishna
CA Uma Krishna is a milestone personality for those who are saying that education belongs to age. She had done her professional Charted Accountant degree at the age of 51. She was an English teacher but accidentally entered in CA course after the huge gap of 16 years as a student. She had done great efforts to get this degree along with doing all family works and growing two children’s. She was honored by Education Minister at a CA awareness program conducted by the ICAI and the State Government at Musiri. Hindu Newspaper published an article on her great achievement. She was being interviewed by All India Radio Madurai FM and India’s largest online learning platform Unacademy where she shared insights on struggles, grit and determination to crack CA at the age of 51. She got the appreciation from eminent faculty like CA MP Vijaya Kumar Sir and CA Amit Jain. She used to write articles on many topics. Her article on the movie English Vinglish was a huge hit. We are happy to share her inspirational journey on our free online knowledge sharing platform.
Q1. Please share your inspirational journey with us?
My entry into CA was by accident. I did my graduation in Chemistry back in Kerala where I was born and brought up and did my post-graduation in English Literature in Madurai. I started my career as a teacher in a high school where I worked for 14 years. Then we moved to Chennai when my husband got a transfer and worked as an online tutor and essay grader for US students. I taught English on a different platform. When we returned to Madurai in 2011, I had a lot of free time. It was around this time that my husband started his law studies. I like the law. So he suggested to me go for ACS executive. We paid the fee and went to the Madurai Chapter to get books. It was when I saw the huge books of Costing, Taxation etc. that I knew that ACS was a professional course related to the Commerce stream. Luckily there were classes for the first module (group) at the Chapter itself. Once I started attending Costing and tax classes, I realized that I loved these papers and was good at it even though I was a student after 16 years at the age of 45.
It was at this time that the ICAI threw option the option of joining CA Inter (IPCC) directly after graduation (without doing CPT/Foundation). I was interested and at the same time, I was scared too since my friends said that CA was much more difficult than ACS. However, after writing the CS executive first module, I registered for CA IPCC and then continued with my ACS second module (self-study). I cleared both modules in the first attempt with very good marks (above 60 in all the papers). I had started my CA Articleship as well.
When I started my CA inter preparation in July 2013, I learned Accounts from scratch and cleared both groups together in the first attempt in May 2014 attempt. I stood second in Madurai Chapter and got an award for scoring the highest marks in Advanced Accounting as well.
I started tutoring CA inter students whenever I had free time. So my final preparation was delayed a bit. However, once I started my preparation, I faced a few hurdles in life. My dad passed away and my mother took ill. My son and daughter needed my attention for their board exams. So I delayed my final preparation. I passed my CA Final group 1 in the Nov. 2018 attempt. I was determined to clear at least group 2 in the first attempt and did so in May 2019 attempt.
Q2. You had done CA at the age of 51. What motivated you to accomplish this professional degree?
As I mentioned earlier, my entry to this ACS was accidental. Perhaps if I had known that ACS was a professional course for Commerce students, I may not have joined it. But my passion for Costing and Taxation made me join CA as well.
I always had the regret that I did not work hard during my 10 plus 2 and hence I could not get into engineering or medical college. I was an above average student at school. But I was too playful during 10 plus 2 and wasted a lot of time.
This CA course gave me the chance to get a professional qualification and add the two letters CA to my name. So I was determined not to lose this chance. So I worked very hard. Studying for 10 to 12 hours was a regular thing for me.
Q3. What are your future plans as a professional CA?
I am a CA in practice. Along with practice, I am a CA faculty as well. I started mentoring and tutoring CA aspirants even as a CA Final student. I am a teacher at heart and I know that I can reach the students and make them understand the complex concepts of Accounts, Costing etc. I also want to mentor as many students as possible and guide them to become CAs at the earliest. I have started a CA Mentorship on Facebook and Telegram. I will be charging a nominal amount to guide them and mentor them daily. I have also answered a lot of CA studies related questions on Quora.
Q4. What are your hobbies?
My hobbies are reading books and watching English TV shows.
Q5. How to crack CA exams? Please suggest some ideas to students?
A exams are tough, no doubt. But with the proper strategy, determination and hard work, it is possible to clear the exams in the first attempt.
Here are some strategies that I followed and I would like the CA aspirants to follow:
1. Prepare a proper schedule and follow that.
2. Set aside at least 8 to 10 hours for daily study. Even students who are working can plan to study for 6 hours minimum.
3. Be accountable to someone, a person who is ready to follow up on your daily studies.
4. Write tests periodically. When you write tests, you can understand the level of your thoroughness in each topic.
5. Failures are common in this course. Don’t let failures make push you down. Get up and start working hard again.
All the best!
