The Decision That Changed Everything: Dishaan Shah's Journey Through CFA, ACCA, and Beyond

At 18, when many of his peers were still exploring options, he had already committed himself to a demanding path in finance.

For Dishaan, the destination was clear, but the path to it was not. There were no guarantees that he would clear every exam, no certainty about how things would unfold, and no roadmap that promised success in the domain he chose for himself.

But there was a decision: to start early, stay consistent, and keep moving forward.

Over the next few years, that decision would take him from ACCA to completing all three levels of the CFA Program, earning degrees through Oxford Brookes University and the University of London, interning at Boston Consulting Group, and eventually joining Alvarez & Marsal.

But the real story is not about the qualifications he collected at an early age. It is about turning a decision into years of disciplined execution.

What follows is his story, in his own words.

Finance was not an overnight decision for me.

During ACCA, I found myself drawn to subjects like financial management, derivatives, and foreign exchange markets. What started as an interest gradually became a conviction. I realized that finance was not just something I enjoyed studying as it was where I wanted to build my future.

Once that became clear, CFA felt like the natural next step. The breadth of the curriculum was exactly what I was looking for. More importantly, I never approached it level by level. From the start, I was committed to completing all three levels.

I did not know how quickly the journey would unfold, but I was clear about the destination. Instead of treating each level as a separate challenge, I viewed CFA as one continuous journey, which eventually helped me complete all three levels in approximately one and a half years.

At the same time, I was pursuing my master's degree and later interning at Boston Consulting Group. Balancing multiple commitments taught me the importance of prioritization. I learned that success is rarely about doing everything; it is about doing the right things first.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that achieving a different outcome often requires making different choices. I never stopped spending time with friends or enjoying life while on this journey, but I became more intentional about how I spent my time.

I knew that if I wanted to complete CFA by the age of 20, I could not follow the same path as everyone around me. The trade-off was not a sacrifice; it was moderation.

One thing I learned very early was that each CFA level demands something different from you.

When I started Level I, my focus was simple: build strong conceptual clarity. I knew that whatever I learned there would form the foundation for everything that followed. As I often tell people, my main aim was to ensure that “whatever I'm studying in Level I, I know it very well conceptually.”

By the time I reached Level II, the challenge had changed. The concepts were still important, but now I had to learn how to handle long case studies without losing focus. The exam tested not just knowledge, but also the ability to stay engaged and think clearly through large volumes of information.

Level III required another shift. “Just knowing the concept is not enough,” I realized. Success depended on being able to apply concepts, view situations through different lenses, and exercise judgment based on the context presented.

Looking back, I never approached all three levels in the same way. At every stage, I adapted my preparation to what the examination demanded. That flexibility helped me move through the program more effectively and taught me that success is not just about studying harder, it is about studying smarter.

No journey like this is completed alone, and I was fortunate to have a very supportive environment around me.

My parents played a huge role throughout my preparation. In fact, “10 days before the exam, my whole house would feel like it's the COVID lockdown phase.” Nobody would go out or make plans, and it often felt as though “me giving the exam was like the whole house giving the exam.” Their support allowed me to focus completely on preparation without worrying about anything else.

I also have a younger brother who is pursuing a completely different path through JEE and engineering. Watching him work towards a different goal reinforced something I strongly believe today: there is no single formula for success. Different ambitions demand different journeys, and each person has to find the path that works for them.

Looking back, one of the most difficult parts of the CFA journey was not the curriculum itself. It was the process of preparing for it.

Since I was studying through online lectures, most of my preparation happened alone. As I mentioned during the interview, “you don't know anybody else who's also going through the same journey.”

Day after day, it was just me showing up, putting in the effort, and continuing without knowing whether I would ultimately pass. Over time, that routine can become monotonous. “It gets pretty boring at a point in time,” but the work still has to be done.

Another challenging phase came between Level II and Level III, when I took a four-month break to pursue an internship at Boston Consulting Group. It was my first experience in a corporate environment and an incredibly valuable learning opportunity.

But by the time it ended, I had only two and a half months left to prepare for Level III. After working “14–15 hours every day,” I wasn't sure if I could switch gears and get back into exam mode. There were moments when I genuinely wondered if I could pull it off.

Looking back, those phases taught me that progress is not always about confidence. Sometimes, it is simply about continuing even when the outcome feels uncertain.

The right guidance played an important role throughout my CFA journey, and that is one of the reasons I chose Aswini Sir's lectures for both Level I and Level III.

What stood out to me was his ability to explain complex concepts in a simple and structured manner. Just as importantly, he understands the academic background that many Indian students come from, which makes his explanations highly relatable and easy to follow.

Beyond helping me understand the curriculum, his lectures gave me clarity on how to approach the examination itself. From building strong conceptual foundations to understanding what each level demands, that guidance helped me navigate the journey with greater confidence and direction.

1. • When the destination is clear, it becomes easier to stay committed even when the path ahead is uncertain.
   • Treating a goal as a complete journey rather than a series of separate decisions creates consistency and focus.
   • Success comes not from doing everything, but from identifying what deserves attention first.
   • Every stage demands a different approach. Growth comes from adjusting your strategy as the challenge evolves.
   • Some of the most important achievements come from continuing to move forward even when the outcome is unknown.