Does the number of attempts matter in the CA exams?

.Yes, apparently, they do, till a certain period of time, after which experience matters. I can divide the answer to this question in 3 time frames-

At the time of applying for Articleship- This case involves the number of attempts taken to pass the Intermediate examinations. The pass percentage of these exams is approximately 20 % (give or take). So, we can assume, a number of students don’t clear in first attempt. The Big Fours, they sort the CVs of the candidates based on this criteria. Therefore, most of the rank holders get their articleship there. Moving on to Top 20 firms, they also want to hire the best, so they look for candidates who have cleared the exams in the first attempt. On the extremes, they may go for 3 attempts. Sometimes, if your CVs are forwarded due to any source or recommendation. Then, it can be said that your performance at the interview matters more than anything.

Fresh CAs- This case arises when you have just become a cleared the CA Final exams and have become a Chartered Accountant. The CAs who clear the exam in one attempt get higher packages than those who do not. It’s not that a CA who has cleared the exam in a number of attempts does not get a job with a decent package. But, their salary is much less as compared to the former. At campus recruitment, a CA in first attempt would get a package of 10-15 lakhs whereas others would be offered 4-8 lakhs. Moreover, if you’re planning to open your own firm, then it is obvious that you won’t be earning well in starting, though the attempts don’t matter. It would be like starting a new business and everybody knows, for a business to prosper, it takes time and and a lot of energy. It’s the start of the career and you’ll have to settle for this, eventually it gets better.

After gaining experience - In this case, number of attempts does not matter, what matters is what you have learned from the day you started your first job till now. i.e., the experience you’ve gained over time. Your area of expertise becomes the key factor. The letter of recommendation from the previous employer, your work there, bonuses, types of clients you used to handle, etc. play a major role in the making of your resume. Thus, how many attempts you’ve taken to become a CA becomes less important and lies far behind the things mentioned.

In a nutshell, it requires patience. Patience is something that will help you a long way in this profession. You have to be patient from the day you start preparing for CA till the day you start earning well enough.