If you are anything like the author, you can type much faster than you write. If you are a young person, maybe you are EXCELLENT with your phone.
But the CA, CS and CMA exams are written ones. You need to write, and you need to write quickly, clearly and legibly.
You need to practice writing fast!
You can develop this skill just like any other. It takes practice but the effort is worth it! After all, any edge you can get helps in the CA, CS and CMA exams!
So, how does one go about increasing their writing speed? And at the same time not be terribly illegible?
How to Improve Writing Speed for the CA, CS and CMA exams
There are several tried and tested methods to improve writing speed. Here are our top 5 tips to enable you to write quickly and save time in your CA, CS or CMA exams!
Tip 1: Improve your handwriting technique
Technique is key. If you have good technique, you are halfway there already! Good handwriting technique involves you using your fingers as a guide rather than being “wristy”. Move the pen using your shoulder and forearm muscles. This way, your hand will not tire out or cramp. If, however, you continuously move your wrist while you write, and/or pick up your hand from the paper to move across it while writing, your writing will slow down and your hand will tend to cramp.
Tip 2: Sit up straight
To really improve your writing speed, it’s a good idea for you to improve your posture. What’s a good posture?
Sit on a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor. Your hips and lower back should be supported by the chair. Rest your forearms comfortably on the table/desk keeping your elbows slightly flexed. Don’t slouch over the paper while you write. Make sure that you adjust the height of your desk and chair properly to encourage good posture.
Tip 3: Pay attention to how you hold the pen
Now, the way in which you hold your pen doesn’t affect your writing speed – unless you hold it in an especially uncomfortable way. If you are facing this issue, use the tried and tested traditional tripod method of writing as shown in the picture below
Don’t grip the pen too tightly when you write. A firm grip should suffice – but don’t use a death grip!
Tip 4: Use a suitable writing instrument
Use a pen that is a best fit for your hand. You might want to experiment with many pens. The author finds that a simple ball point pen with a fairly thin tip is the best for his writing style. We can’t tell you what pen is best; you have to play around with it yourself. But note that a good quality pen can make a huge difference in the way you write and how fast you write!
Tip 5: Practice, practice, practice
We’ve now indicated all the means by which you can improve your writing speed. Now, it’s time to put all this theory into practice. You need to practice to improve! But practicing may cut into your study time, no? No! It enhances it!
After all, the best method of study is to not passively watch video lectures. You need to engage actively with the material by taking notes. And while taking notes, pay attention to good writing techniques. This way, these will become second nature to you, and you are not wasting any study time!
Also, do practice mock exams in an exam setting. See our post on details on how to tackle mock practice exams, and perhaps more importantly, why to take them!
We didn’t mention in that post that a side benefit of writing a lot of practice exams is also to help you write faster!
But now you know.
