CA Foundation May 2026 AIR 13: Shantanu Girish Mundhada's Success Story

CA Foundation May 2026 results brought moments of celebration for thousands of aspiring Chartered Accountants, and among the top performers was Shantanu Girish Mundhada, who secured an impressive All India Rank (AIR) 13. His remarkable achievement reflects months of disciplined preparation, smart revision, and a focused study strategy.

In an interview with Physics Wallah (PW) faculty, Shantanu shared his subject-wise marks, preparation journey, revision techniques, and valuable tips for future CA Foundation aspirants.

CA Foundation May 2026 AIR 13: Shantanu Girish Mundhada

Shantanu Girish Mundhada secured AIR 13 in the CA Foundation May 2026 Examination with an outstanding aggregate score of 349 marks.

His excellent performance across all four subjects showcases a balanced preparation strategy rather than relying on strength in just one paper.

Shantanu Girish Mundhada's Subject-wise Marks

How Shantanu Prepared for CA Foundation May 2026

Shantanu enrolled in the PW CA Foundation 2.0 Batch around October-November. However, because of his Class 12 board examinations, he could not attend many live classes.

Instead of giving up, he relied on recorded lectures and resumed his preparation after completing his board exams.

Once his Class 12 examinations concluded, he devoted his complete attention to the CA Foundation syllabus.

One Subject at a Time Strategy

Initially, Shantanu planned to study all four subjects simultaneously.

However, he soon realized that this approach was not working effectively.

He then switched to a one-subject-at-a-time strategy, completing subjects in the following order:

• Quantitative Aptitude

• Business Laws

• Accounting

• Business Economics

According to him, focusing on one subject at a time improved his concentration and allowed him to revise concepts more effectively.

Revision Was Key to AIR 13

Shantanu admitted that his original revision plan did not go exactly as expected.

Instead of repeatedly revising the entire syllabus, he focused on solving a large number of questions.

He attempted only a few complete mock papers but solved hundreds of practice questions from different chapters.

His preparation mainly included:

• Topic-wise practice

• Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

• Practice Modules

• Important Questions

• Concept Revision

How He Scored 97 Marks in Quantitative Aptitude

One of the highlights of Shantanu's performance was his 97 marks in Quantitative Aptitude.

Coming from a Mathematics background, he emphasized that understanding concepts was his first priority.

He also stressed the importance of theory.

According to him:

• Theory questions are comparatively easier to solve.

• High-weightage chapters should receive maximum practice.

• Previous-year questions help identify important patterns.

• Module-based practice is essential because similar questions often appear in the examination.

Preparation Strategy for Logical Reasoning

For Logical Reasoning, Shantanu prepared primarily through one-shot revision lectures, followed by dedicated practice sessions.

He said that after completing those sessions, the subject became much easier, allowing him to solve questions quickly during the examination.

Accounts Preparation: Trusting One Study Material

Shantanu revealed that he initially struggled to decide which faculty to follow for Accounting.

Eventually, he decided to stick with a single teacher and one study material instead of switching between multiple resources.

He relied almost entirely on his course material and avoided unnecessary reference books.

One of his most effective revision techniques was maintaining a separate record of mistakes.

Following his mentor's advice, he highlighted incorrect questions using different colours and revised only those mistakes on the final day before the examination.

According to him, this strategy significantly improved his confidence during the exam.

Advice for Future CA Foundation Aspirants

Based on his preparation experience, Shantanu shared a few important suggestions for future aspirants:

• Stay consistent with one study plan.

• Understand concepts instead of memorising answers.

• Solve plenty of practice questions.

• Focus on high-weightage chapters.

• Revise your mistakes before the examination.

• Avoid changing study material repeatedly.

• Trust the preparation process and remain disciplined.

Balancing Class 12 Boards and CA Foundation

One of the biggest challenges during Shantanu's preparation was managing both the Class 12 board examinations and CA Foundation.

Since he could not attend many live classes, he made effective use of recorded lectures and resumed full-fledged preparation immediately after his board exams.

His journey demonstrates that even students balancing multiple academic commitments can secure top ranks through disciplined planning and consistent effort.