Kruti shah (21) hit the headlines in the Mumbai media by topping the All-India Chartered Accountancy (CA) final exams 2013, held in May. A commerce graduate of Narsee Monjee College, Kruti also top-scored in the first and second level CA exams — CPT (Common Proficiency Test) and IPCC (Intermediate Professional Competency Course). Over 27,556 aspirants wrote both groups of the CA finals, of whom a mere 2,764 passed.

This excellent performance is the outcome of a disciplined training regimen under the guidance of her father, Bhadresh Shah, a Mumbai-based chartered accountant. After she graduated from Narsee Monjee last year, she followed a gruelling schedule that belies the popular notion that contemporary youth are neither equipped nor prepared to work hard to attain career goals. “After leaving college, I joined early morning coaching classes and later attended office at S.G. Salecha & Co. where I interned as an articled clerk. This routine was followed for nine months. After completing my articles, with five months to go before the CA finals, I followed a strict timetable and used to study in the Gyan Vihar public library, Borivali, from 8 a.m to 11 p.m, taking small breaks in between. This way I managed to set aside enough time for two revisions, and it’s because I acquired a thorough grasp of concepts that I was able to top the CA finals,” Kruti recalls.

This brutal study regime has certainly paid off. In September, she was inducted as an associate of Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Mumbai, one of the four big audit and management consultancy firms globally. Looking back, she gives all the credit to her supportive family, especially her younger sister Vidhi, also an aspiring chartered accountant. “They supported me in every possible way, exempting me from household chores and duties. I couldn’t have done it without them,” she cheerfully acknowledges.

Kruti plans to sign up for a postgrad degree in law and intends to utilise her CA background to acquire deeper insights into taxation laws. To the youth she offers useful advice: “Nothing is impossible if you work hard. Regardless of how tough a paper may seem, never panic. Approach it calmly with confidence.”