3 min readAhmedabadUpdated: Mar 3, 2026 06:40 AM IST
Written by Aryan Mathew
Two candidates from Ahmedabad city secured positions in the top 50 All India Rank (AIR) list-Harsh Himanshubhai Sonara (21) secured AIR 9, while Namish Gautam Shah (22) secured AIR 27-at the CA Final examination-conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on January 2026.
Speaking about his preparation strategy, Harsh Sonara, a commerce graduate who is hoping to join a Multi-National Corporation, attributed his success to disciplined study hours and conceptual clarity. “My routine was simple. I had to leave around 6:30 in the morning for classes, which were for three hours. I’ve been doing it for the last two years. In the last six months, I was studying around 12 to 13 hours daily,” he said.
He added that during the one-day gap between examinations, he would study for nearly 17 hours. “My main focus was on understanding the concepts and improving my writing. I solved question papers, attended all the classes, and had constant guidance and motivation from my parents and friends,” said Soanara.
Namish Gautam Shah, who secured AIR 27, said his journey was driven by a desire to improve upon his earlier performance at the Intermediate level. “It all started from Intermediate where, without having much knowledge, I got a rank. It was a surprise to me. At that time, I decided that I want to upgrade this rank in the final,” he said.
Shah, who is undertaking the CA Articleship training program, shared that his preparation intensified a year before the examination. “I wanted to complete lectures of all subjects before taking leave for the exam. In the last six months, my goal was clear — I wanted to dedicate two-and-a-half to three months to study the concepts in detail,” he explained. Shah plans to pursue an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).
Detailing his daily schedule, Shah said he focused on early mornings. “I used to wake up at 5 or 6 and study till 10. Then again from 11 to 1, and from 2 to 5. After a short break in the evening, I would study from 7 to 10. Effectiveness reduces after 10 pm,” he said, underlining the importance of consistency.
Story continues below this ad
Advising future aspirants, both rank holders stressed the importance of conceptual understanding and revisions. “The main focus should be on conceptual clarity and not letting any negative thoughts distract you,” Sonara said.
Shah added, “The institute is testing conceptual clarity instead of asking repetitive questions. The remaining two to three months should be focused on revising as many times as possible.”
At the Ahmedabad centre, 635 students appeared for both groups of the exam, out of which 88 cleared the examination, resulting in a pass percentage of 13.86 per cent compared to the national average of 10.97 pass percentage. Out of 872 students in Group 1, 178 have passed and out of 406 students in Group 2, 18 have passed.
(Aryan Matthew is an intern at the Ahmedabad office of The Indian Express)
Source link
#Ahmedabad #students #shine #Final #Exam #secure #top #rankings
