CA Foundation - Notes

CA Foundation - Notes

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CA foundation course

Introduction

You’re most likely slogging hard for your CA Foundation exams. But have you been creating your own CA Foundation notes? If not, you’re missing out on honing a key skill that will not only help you ace your CA Foundation level but also sail you through the next two levels of your CA course with success. 

It’s a common pitfall among students to think that making your own notes is time-consuming and you’re saving precious time by studying pre-made notes. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Self-written notes are the most powerful weapon in your arsenal and will help you face your exam battles with more confidence. In this guide, we’ll tell you all about the benefits, tips, and tricks of creating CA Foundation study notes

Why Make Your Own CA Foundation Notes?

Research reveals that if important information is written down, we have a 34% chance of remembering it. We retain only 5% of the information that’s not taken down in the form of notes. Need any more reason to prepare CA Foundation study notes? Here you go:

 

  • Taking notes while studying promotes active learning.
  • Notes-taking can improve your focus and attention to detail.
  • Improves your skills in selecting key ideas and organizing them properly
  • Helps establish the connection between concepts, thus enhancing your understanding.
  • With notes in hand, you can cover more in less time while revising.

As you prepare CA Foundations notes, you not only attempt to understand each concept in-depth but memorize answers. Making your notes also sets you up for quick pre-examination revision leading to an accurate recall while answering questions.

How to Write Effective Notes?

What’s the secret to making the most effective notes for CA Foundation that can help you pass your exams with flying colors? Let’s take a look.

Hand-written notes. Putting pen to paper is the best way to create your notes as it stimulates your memory through the involvement of motor skills, visual cues, and time spent in writing the points. So, even if you are digitally savvy, pick up the pen and paper to make your notes. 

Rewrite in your own way. Whatever you read or hear, put them down to paper in your own language. The process of rephrasing will strengthen your understanding of concepts.

Practice running notes. Get into the habit of taking notes while attending classes, watching videos, or reading through a chapter. Identify the key bits of information and jot them down. These running notes will help you retain and recall the concepts later.

Stay focused. To take good notes, you need to pay attention to every line and statement that you may be reading or hearing. 

Personalize your notes. Add a personal touch to your notes with visual cues like underlines, capitalization, and highlights. Structure it into the main topic, subtopics, and points for a clearer understanding. Use graphs, tables, and diagrams for easier correlation. 

Create links to related topics with common concepts using page markers of sticky notes.

Some students also create summary or revision notes for last-minute study - you can do that too but these are not compulsory 

Mistakes to Avoid While Preparing Notes for CA Foundation

So far we have talked about what you should do to create effective notes. Now, let’s do a quick run-through of what you need to avoid while writing your CA Foundation study notes

Keep a safe distance from the so-called “last-minute notes”. Attempting to study third-party notes a few weeks to a month from your exams can interfere with your already established study patterns and hamper the hard work and progress you’ve made till that point.   

If you’ve followed our tips for effective note-taking and created your own handmade notes, it should be sufficient. But if you still wish to refer to third-party notes, only opt for high-quality reference materials from reputed institutes like IndigoLearn. Most importantly, make sure to do so in the early stages of your preparation. You can check out our free CA Foundation notes to get started.  

Our CA Foundation notes are prepared by Qualified CAs, CMAs, CSs , CA exam toppers, and seasoned Chartered Accountants, but we would still recommend you to treat them as guides, on the basis of which you can structure your self-written notes. As we keep emphasizing, there’s no alternative to self-written notes. 

Another word of caution concerning third-party notes. It is best to stick to just one set of reference material written by an experienced faculty as we have at IndigoLearn. Just like how too many cooks spoil the broth, referring to too many materials will mess up your preparation.

 

Here’s one more pitfall to avoid. Watching problem-solving tutorials is a good idea to understand tricks and techniques for your preparation. But, just watching them will not translate into your ability to solve the problem yourself. Put the technique you learnt into practice immediately, so it gets ingrained into your brain.

FAQS

  • How should I prepare notes?

As you turn the pages of your books, listen to lectures, or watch tutorials, make sure to note down what you learn, rephrase the key facts in your own words, review them for any doubts, and refer to these for revision. This is, in a nutshell, how you create your study notes for CA Foundation. We have covered the process in more detail above.  

  • Should I use my own notes or 3rd party notes?

Making your own notes is a great way to learn the concepts and get a crystal clear understanding of your syllabus. You can refer to high-quality notes prepared by 3rd party experts as an additional step but it shouldn’t replace your own notes.

  • Should I use my own notes for revision?

Certainly yes! Nothing compares to the memory retention and recall factor of handwritten notes. 

  • What are short notes / running notes? Which one is preferred?

What you quickly jot down while watching a video or listening to a lecture are called running notes. The longer notes that you make during your self-study are your primary notes. You can also make revisions or summary notes as per your requirement. You should go through Summary notes when you are closer to your exam. 

  • Where can we get flashcards?

While we do have free flashcards on some subjects on our website, making them on your own is worth your time and will help you in your preparation.