Taxmann Cracker Combo - Papers 5 & 6 CRACKER Series SMCF and CRVI (Set of 2 Books) for CS Professional by N.S. Zad, Divya Bajpai

CRACKER COMBO for CS Professional – Group 2 (Papers 5 & 6) is a rigorously engineered, examination-intelligence–driven preparation set designed exclusively for the New ICSI Syllabus (2022) and applicable to the June & December 2026 CS Professional Examinations. This Combo integrates two subject-specific CRACKER manuals—Strategic Management & Corporate Finance (Paper 5) and Corporate Restructuring, Valuation & Insolvency (Paper 6)—each editorially constructed not as theory textbooks, but as exam-decoding tools derived directly from actual CS Professional examination behaviour. The core philosophy of the CRACKER COMBO is that Group 2 papers are not tested conceptually, but evaluatively. Success depends on understanding how the Institute frames questions, allocates marks, tests application depth, and rewards presentation structure. Accordingly, both books in this Combo reverse the traditional learning approach—preparation flows from past examination questions → examiner trends → marks distribution → answer structuring, rather than from abstract syllabus narration. This Combo is therefore not a study aid in the conventional sense; it is a marks-optimisation framework built on historical exam data, trend analytics, and examiner-aligned answer architecture.

The Present Publication is the 2026 Edition, authored by CS N.S. Zad & CS Divya Bajpai, with the following noteworthy features:

• [Complete Group 2 Coverage in a Single Exam-focused Set] Covers both Paper 5 (Strategic Management & Corporate Finance) and Paper 6 (Corporate Restructuring, Valuation & Insolvency), enabling unified, coordinated preparation for the entire CS Professional Group 2
• [Previous-Examinations-Driven Editorial Framework] The Combo is built entirely on a granular analysis of actual CS Professional examination questions up to December 2025, ensuring preparation reflects how ICSI tests the subjects, not merely how they are described in the syllabus
• [Exam-decoding & Marks-Optimisation Approach] Designed as a performance tool rather than a theory text, the Combo trains students to identify examinable issues, structure answers correctly, and write in examiner-aligned language to maximise marks
• [Topic-wise & Chapter-wise Reorganisation of Past Questions] All previous exam questions are rearranged by syllabus topics instead of exam sessions, enabling focused preparation, elimination of repetition, and efficient revision
• [Fully Updated, Examiner-oriented Solutions] Answers are updated with current statutory provisions, strategic frameworks, finance practices, valuation principles, and insolvency jurisprudence, strictly aligned with ICSI's marking and presentation expectations
• [Chapter-wise Marks Distribution & Trend Analytics] Integrated analytical tables highlight historical marks allocation, question recurrence, and examiner preference patterns, allowing data-driven prioritisation of high-scoring areas
• [Direct Mapping with ICSI Study Material (New Syllabus – 2022)] Each chapter in both books is precisely mapped to the corresponding ICSI Study Material chapters, ensuring syllabus traceability and eliminating the risk of under- or over-preparation.
• [Case-Study & Application-centric Coverage] Reflects the post-2023 examination shift towards integrated case studies, practical problems, and application-based questions across finance, restructuring, valuation, and insolvency
• [Uniform Exam-ready Answer Structure Across Both Papers] Ensures consistency in presentation style, depth, and answer format across Group 2 papers, improving speed, clarity, and scoring reliability in the examination
• [Ideal for Final-stage Revision & Repeat Attempt Strategy] Particularly effective for students aiming to convert conceptual knowledge into exam performance during the last phase of preparation or for improving scores in repeat attempts

Each volume in the CRACKER COMBO follows a systematic and student-friendly design:

• Paper 5 | Strategic Management & Corporate Finance
• Part I – Strategic Management
• Strategic management process and levels of strategy
• External and internal environment analysis
• Business policy and functional strategies
• Strategic analysis, planning, and choice
• Competitive positioning and generic strategies
• Managing multi-business firms and strategic advantage
• Coverage includes repeatedly tested short notes, long answers, and applied case scenarios
• Part II – Corporate Finance
• Sources of corporate funding
• Equity fundraising and public issue mechanisms
• REITs and InvITs
• Private funding and non-fund-based financing
• Debt financing and procedural compliance
• Foreign funding instruments and institutions
• IFSC listing and securities issuance
• Role of intermediaries
• Project evaluation and financial decision-making
• Strong focus on practical-cum-descriptive questions, structured for maximum scoring
• Paper 6 | Corporate Restructuring, Valuation & Insolvency
• Part I – Corporate Restructuring
• Types and modes of restructuring
• Mergers, amalgamations, acquisitions
• Documentation, accounting, taxation, and stamp duty
• Regulatory approvals and competition law
• Fast-track and cross-border mergers
• Part II – Valuation
• Valuation of business and assets (I & II)
• Clear segregation between theoretical valuation concepts and computation-based questions
• Part III – Insolvency, Liquidation & Winding-up
• Insolvency framework under IBC
• CIRP initiation and procedural mechanics
• Roles of IP/IRP/RP
• Resolution strategies and CoC functioning
• Resolution plans and pre-pack insolvency
• Cross-border insolvency
• Liquidation, voluntary liquidation
• SARFAESI and debt recovery
• Winding-up under the Companies Act, strike-off, and restoration
• Dedicated, exam-pattern-aligned case studies

Across both books, the structure follows a uniform, exam-centric architecture:

• Analytical Tools at the Chapter Level, including:
• Chapter-wise marks distribution
• Previous exams trend analysis
• Chapter-wise mapping with ICSI Study Material
• Consistent Chapter Flow
• Actual CS Professional examination questions (multiple attempts consolidated)
• Clearly demarcated alternatives ('OR' questions)
• Structured, point-wise, examiner-aligned answers
• Balanced treatment of theory, application, computation, and case analysis
• Language, Depth, & Presentation calibrated precisely to CS Professional answer-writing expectations