CA or Chartered Accountancy is a professional course that deals with the financial assessment, auditing, taxation, and accounting of companies. The course is conducted by the ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India). After the CA course completion, aspirants can work in a company's taxation and financial sector and start with titles such as consultants, auditors, financial managers, and more.
Degree | Bachelors |
Full Form | Chartered Accountancy |
Duration | Course Duration of CA (Chartered Accountancy) is 5 Years. |
Age | 17-25 |
Minimum Percentage | 50% |
Average Fees Incurred | INR 2 LPA |
Average Salary Offered | INR 7 LPA [Source: Payscale] |
Employment Roles | Accountant, Financial Manager, Banker, Taxation Consultant, Consultant and more |
CA Latest Updates:
CA full form is Chartered Accountancy. The ICAI was established under the Chartered Accountants Act 1949. The act was passed to ensure the regulation of the CA profession in India. The CA course duration is 5 years. Aspirants can pursue their career as CA with the help of various CA course details after class 12th. To pursue the course, the aspirants need to give the ICAI CA exam. There are three CA levels in the course:
The CA course details contain all the information a student requires to pursue the Chartered Accountant course. Essentially, there are 2 levels to the CA course:
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Students must be aware of the different CA course eligibility criteria for admission to the CA course. Students must obtain a 50% aggregate in their 10+2 from a recognized institute and board. In addition, students must give the required entrance exams for the course. There is no maximum age limit to apply for the course.
The following are the prerequisites for the CA Foundation course:
Candidates must complete the CA Foundations programme and pass the CA Foundations exam to be admitted to the CA Intermediate Course. Candidates also need a bachelor's or master's degree with a 50-60% overall score.
Candidates must pass the mid-course exams in both groups to be considered for the CA Final programme. A four-week advanced integration course in information technology and soft skills is also required of applicants. In addition, advanced information technology courses and administrative communication skills are among the options. Before the final exam, aspirants must complete these skills within the last two years of on-the-job training.
Students interested in pursuing a CA course must ensure that they do the research and know about the CA course's exact admission requirements and process. CA course admission can be a complicated process, and therefore, it is important to research it properly.
The CA is open to students who have completed class 12. Aspirants must know all the crucial details of the course before registering for CA. The following is a step-wise CA course detail after the 12th:
The application process is available both through online and offline means. The online means is by going to the official website of the institutes. Students must register themselves in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and then fill out the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) application form for admission to the course. For Offline registration, students must go to an official institute, submit all the required paperwork and documents and fill out the form.
Students must ensure that they pass all the chartered accountancy entrance exams for selection in the course. On passing the exams, they become eligible for the CA certificate.
There are three ways to access the CA. It depends on the university and students. The following are three types of approval procedures along with some of the details on the CA subjects.
Traditionally, the CPT was the first exam offered as a first-level CA exam. However, CA Foundation has replaced it due to a revised scheme by the ICAI.
Candidates who want to pursue the CA programme after 12th grade must first qualify for the CPT/ CA Foundation exam, held twice a year in June and December, with registration deadlines in April and October, respectively.
Candidates who are taking the CPT/ CA Foundation exam have multiple options. The following are some of them:
CA courses offer seats to candidates immediately following graduation, exempting them from the CPT. To do so, one must graduate with a high percentage of passing grades, allowing them to take the IPCC exam and begin their articleship.
To be eligible for Intermediate Final Exams, a direct entry candidate must complete nine months of mandatory articleship training.
To be eligible for direct graduation admission, you must meet the following requirements:
Candidates who have passed the ICSI or ICAI Intermediate Level exams are also eligible for the Direct Entry Scheme. When exempted from the CA Foundation / CPT, 55% of business graduates and graduate degrees and 60% of other subjects qualify for the IPCC.
After enrolling in the ICAI CA Midterm Exam, students must study for 8 months. Candidates can begin their position in articleship after passing mid-level exams of the Indian Business Secretariat Association (ICSI) or the Indian Cost Accountants Association (IIC). Articleship is a three-year degree. After that, candidates should follow these guidelines:
Below is a comparative table highlighting the differences between CPT Route and Direct Entry Scheme in CA Course:
Particulars | CPT Route | Direct Entry Scheme |
Eligibility | After XII | After Graduation or Passed CS Executive or Passed the CMA Intermediate Exam |
Exemptions | No Exemptions | CPT Exempted |
Minimum Duration | 4.5 years | 3 years |
Eligibility to start Articleship | After clearing Group I of IPCC | Immediately on joining without clearing the IPCC Group I |
Eligibility to appear for IPCC | After 9 months of study after CPT | After 9 months of Articleship |
The CA Graduate Course covers advanced financial reporting, management accounting, strategic financial management, professional ethics, information system management, and advanced auditing. The General Management and Communication Skill Course (GMCS), which began in 2003, is a 15-day mandatory training course. The following is a list of the course durations:
The CA programme is one of the most demanding, requiring dedication, determination, and enthusiasm for the subject and field of finance and taxation. Candidates interested in finance, taxation, and a desire to work in the corporate world as a CA, FCA, or ACA are encouraged to apply.
To become a CA, candidates must complete several steps, including meeting eligibility requirements and applying for and completing the required degree. Below are the points mentioned on how to be a chartered accountant.:
The CA exams are administered by ICAI, also known as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, whereby those who qualify would be certified as Chartered Accountants and awarded upon completing the three-level course program. The CA Foundation is the first basic exam, followed by the IPC and the final exam, which takes place twice a year, in May and November. In addition to this exam, a three-year practical training program called 'Articleship' is required to complete the degree.
There are three exams conducted during the qualifying examination for Chartered Accountancy:
After completing the CA IPCC course, students must take another course in this programme, the Chartered Accountant article. In this articleship course, the only challenge students face is determining the best location for the articleship. To be eligible for the CA Articleship programme, here are the following pointers:
Read More: CA Articleship
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is one of India's leading professional accounting bodies. The National Assembly of India has established it as a statutory body under the Chartered Accountancy Act 1949. The CPT, or Common Aptitude Test, is the program's entrance exam, given twice a year in June and December.
For applying to the CA course, students must complete their 10+2 from a recognized board. The primary aim of this entrance exam is to have a screening process for the CA course admission. Students are tested on accounting, mercantile laws, general economics, and quantitative aptitude as the main subjects in these exams. The entrance exams' eligibility and criteria change according to the level of CA course students are applying for.
There are certain exemptions in the entrance exams for the CA course:
Students must always ensure that they take the time to research the entrance examination for whatever course or certificate they wish to pursue. Knowing the exam pattern will help students ensure that they pass the exam with marks good enough to pursue a career path of their choice. The CA exam pattern depends on the level students are pursuing. Below is the general pattern for the different levels.
Candidates can only give CA Foundation exam in an offline mode. There are exam centres worldwide, making it possible for most students to participate in the exams. A student can attempt the exam, either in English or Hindi, twice a year. The first and the second paper have subjective questions, whereas the third and fourth exam papers have objective questions.
CA intermediate exam is an offline exam conducted twice a year. The exam can be conducted in both English and Hindi.
CA final exam is an offline exam conducted twice a year. The exam can be conducted in both English and Hindi.
Read More: ICAI Exam
The CA course tests certain skills and knowledge of the applicants essential for them to become successful Chartered Accountants. Below are the skill assessments for all 3 levels of the CA course:
The CA Foundation assessments are based on the comprehension and application skills of the candidates. Below is the marking schema of the CA Foundation course:
Paper | Level I: Comprehension and Knowledge | Level II: Application Skills |
Principles and Practice of Accounting | 5%-20% | 80%-95% |
Business Laws | 50%-65% | 35%-50% |
Business Correspondence and Reporting | 100% | - |
Business Mathematics & Logical Reasoning, Statistics | - | 100% |
Business Economics | 40%-50% | 50%-60% |
Business and Commercial Knowledge | 100% | - |
The CA Intermediate assessment is based on the candidates' comprehension and application skills. The marking scheme for the CA Foundation course is as follows:
Papers | Level I: Comprehension and Knowledge | Level II: Application Skills |
Accounting | 5%-15% | 85%-95% |
Paper 1. Company Law | 40%-55% | 45%-60% |
Paper 2. Other Laws | 35%-55% | 45%-65% |
Cost and Management Accounting | 20%-30% | 70%-80% |
Section A: Income Tax Law | 5%-20% | 80%-95% |
Section B: Indirect Tax Law | 20%-45% | 55%-80% |
Advance Accounting | 5%-15% | 85%-95% |
Auditing and Assurance | 30%-55% | 45%-70% |
Enterprise Information System | 40%-65% | 35%-60% |
Strategic Management | 50%-70% | 30%-50% |
Financial Management | 20%-30% | 80%-70% |
Economics For Finance | 60%-80% | 20%-40% |
The candidates' comprehension, analysis, application, evaluation, and synthesis skills are assessed in the CA Final. The following is the marking scheme for the CA Foundation course:
Papers | Level I: Comprehension and Knowledge | Level II: Analysis and Application Skills | Level II: Evaluation and Synthesis |
Financial Reporting | 5%-15% | 55%-85% | 15%-25% |
Strategic Financial Management | 0%-20% | 20%-40% | 50%-60 |
Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics | 15%-25% | 40%-70% | 20%-30% |
Paper 1. Corporate Law | 15%-25% | 40%-55% | 30%-35% |
Paper 2. Economic Law | 30%-50% | 50%-70% | |
Strategic Cost Management and Performance Evaluation | 0%-15% | 45%-55% | 35%-40% |
Direct Tax and International TaxationPart 1. Direct Tax Laws | 5%-10% | 55%-75% | 20%-35% |
Part 2. International Taxation | 40%-50% | 50%-60% | |
Indirect TaxPart 1. Goods & Service Tax | 10%-30% | 40%-70% | 20%-30% |
Part 2. Customer & FTP | 20%-40% | 40%-70% | 10%-20% |
In India, the ICAI or Institute of Chartered Accountants in India is the premier institute for Chartered Accountancy. However, given the scope of CA, many institutes offer quality CA programmes for aspiring professionals. Given below is the list of the best CA colleges in India.
Below is the list of the ten best institutes that provide CA education in the country:
S.No. | Name of the College |
1 | The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India |
2 | Academy of Commerce |
3 | Nahata Professional Academy |
4 | Vidya Sagar Career Institute Ltd |
5 | Chanakya Academy for Management and Professional Studies (CHAMPS) |
6 | Pearl CA College, Kochi |
7 | Northern India Regional Council of ICAI |
8 | Indian Institute of Finance and Accounts Pune |
9 | Navkar Institute |
10 | Vidya Sagar Institute |
Read More: Best CA Final Coaching Institutes in India
There are many options for studying CA abroad for aspirants. Many countries provide the certification of CA USA, UK, Australia and more are some of these countries. The CA fee structure can depend on the country that the students decide to study in. The programmes may differ from region to region, but completing a CA course from any of the below-mentioned institutions can open doors to a lucrative career as a Chartered Accountant.
Sl.No | Region | Institute |
1 | USA | United States Chartered Accountancy |
2 | UK | United Kingdom Accountancy |
3 | Australia | Australia Chartered Accountancy |
4 | Singapore | Singapore Chartered Accountancy |
5 | New Zealand | New Zealand Chartered Accountancy |
6 | Switzerland | Switzerland Chartered Accountancy |
The CA course fees, on average for institutes, are around INR 2 LPA. The total fees for CA course can depend on the reputation, location, competitiveness, and faculty of the institute. Additional costs that the students may have to incur include the CA exam fee, CA Applications fee and more.
The chartered accountancy syllabus and subjects for the CA differ according to the level of CA students are pursuing. To ace, the course students must invest in CA foundation books.
The institutes decide on the syllabus and subjects to ensure that the aspiring students can pass the exam and succeed in their career paths. Below are some of the core subjects taught by the institutes:
Below are the CA subjects for the 3 different levels in the course:
Common Proficiency Course Subjects
Below is the list of CA Foundation or Common Proficiency Course subjects:
Integrated Professional Competence Course Subjects
Below is the list of CA Intermediate or Integrated Professional Competence Course subjects:
Final Course Subjects
Below is the list of CA Final Course subjects:
Read More: CA Syllabus and Subjects
When deciding to pursue CA as a career path, students must ensure that the research understands CA. Chartered Accountants are professionals in India who work in the non-technical field. The course prepares students with business, taxation, and accounting information.
To understand the answer to the question, "Why choose CA?" we have compiled the following questions to get a better idea:
Students often wonder what CA course? This section will help students get a better understanding of the course. CA is a certification that can take up to five years to finish. To obtain Chartered Accountancy, students need to clear various exams.
Professionals of this course are needed in the business and corporate world to ensure tax dues are paid, help with investments, avoid bankruptcy, and more. After this degree, the different job titles include Analysts, Consultants, Investment Bankers, and more.
CA or Chartered Accountants are skilled professionals renowned for their work in the various sectors of financial services and the economy. Their role entails working for the government, individual, or company to assist them with different financial services. In addition, they have a variety of shared functions in their role as a lawyer; some of them are listed below:
Helping Organisations With Their Taxation: A CA is trained in all the important aspects of taxation and business taxing. A vital role of the graduates of this field is to help organisations manage their taxes and make sure they can pay the taxes in time.
Consulting Companies In Their Financial Services: The education that graduates receive in the course directly trains the students with all the important information relating to the finance sector of the economy. The graduates after completion of all the CA levels. Graduates can become consultants and help organisations make smarter and better financial decisions.
CA or Chartered Accountancy can provide aspiring graduates with a rewarding and successful career path. After completing the entire course, students are presented with many job opportunities in the finance department as an internal auditor, tax consultant, and more.
Demand: The role has a lot of demand in the job sector. The graduates are presented with an immense opportunity in the job market as their education helps them learn about the financial sector in depth. In addition, it provides them with the specialisation they need to excel in their career paths. Since it is not easy to become a CA due to the long and difficult process, the demand for the course is more than the number of graduates each year.
Read More: CA Job Opportunities and Scope
There are other courses that aspirants can pursue to become Chartered Accountants. However, slight differences make these courses distinct from the CA course. We have provided comparisons of the CA course with other accounting courses for your reference:
CA and ACCA degrees are similar in terms of functionality and opportunities. However, there are a few distinctions, which are listed below.
Full-Form | Chartered Accountant | Association of Chartered Certified Accountants |
Course Duration | 2 to 3 years | 3 – 4 years |
Eligibility | 10+2 with minimum 60% aggregate marks. | 10+2 with Accounting and Maths, with a minimum of 60% aggregate marks. |
Average Fees | INR 50,000 - 3LPA | INR 1.5 - 3LPA |
Entrance Exam | CAT | CUET, SAT |
Top Colleges | ICSI, ATM Global Business School | Christ University, Symbiosis International University |
CA and CPA degrees are similar in terms of functionality and opportunities. However, there are a few distinctions, which are listed below.
Full-Form | Chartered Accountant | Certified Public Accountant |
Course Duration | 2 to 3 years | 2 to 4 years |
Eligibility | 10+2 with minimum 60% aggregate marks. | Candidates must come through their 12th standards with commerce stream with economics, mathematics, and accounts as core subjects, and should hold a bachelor's degree. |
Average Fees | INR 50,000 - 3LPA | INR 3.75 LPA - 4LAP |
Entrance Exam | CAT | Uniform CPA Examination |
Top Colleges | ICSI, ATM Global Business School | Shri Ram College of Commerce, Hindu College |
Given below are the differences between the CA and CFA courses:
Parameter | Chartered Financial Analyst | Chartered Accountancy |
Course Duration | 1.5 - 4 years | 4-5 years |
Eligibility | Have a bachelor's (or equivalent) degree, or be in the final year of a bachelor's degree at the time of registration, or have 4 years of qualified, professional work experience or a combination of work/college experience that totals four years. | Students can apply for CA Foundation exams after clearing their 12th with minimum threshold marks (guided by ICAI) |
Average Fees | INR 1.9 - 5.86 LPA | INR 50,000-INR 3 LPA |
Entrance Exam | No entrance exam | CAT |
Top Colleges | Narayana School of Business, GCEC, International College of Finance Planning | Pear CA College, Symbiosis International, Academy of Commerce |
Read More: CFA vs CA
Students should always have a plan when pursuing a competitive course such as CA. When pursuing such a competitive course, students can ensure they ace the exams and create a rewarding career path by putting effort into preparing.
Reach Out to Alumni: Some of the key ways to do so are by reaching out to alumni of the institutes they plan to study in and understanding their experience with the course.
Go through Syllabus: They must also go through the syllabus and purchase some reference books to ensure that they can do time management according to their strengths and weaknesses.
According to Payscale, the average salary is INR 7 LPA for a CA in India. However, the salary varies according to different factors such as the experience that students gain, the job designation, the city, and more.
Read More: CA Salary in India
CA course is a very rewarding and promising career path for graduates. Chartered Accountancy India qualification helps students build a career path that will help them get a good job. There are CA jobs are available for graduates in both the public and the private sectors. Graduates can work in both the private and public sectors. Some of the industries students can work in are mentioned below:
Read More on What Next after Completing CA Final
CA is of the premier courses in India that offer its candidates premier jobs with lucrative salary packages. The job opportunities for the CA are a plethora. Many premier companies and multi-level conglomerates in India hire CA graduates for various top tier designations. Below is a list of a few companies that hire CA graduates:
Candidates who have completed the CA course seek employment with the most prestigious chartered accounting firms. Below is a list of the top 20 accounting firms suited for CA graduates.
Read More: Top CA Firms in India
CA graduates need soft and hard skills that help them build a successful career. These skills are necessary for students to pass the CA exams easily and help them in their career paths. The skills mentioned below are essential for helping working professionals get a sharper edge when compared to their coworkers. Some of these skills include:
What is the CA eligibility?
Students must obtain a 50% aggregate in their 10+2 from a recognized institute and board. In addition, students must ensure that the research about the specific eligibility of the level that the students are preparing for.
How to become a CA?
To become a CA, students must enrol in the foundation level of the course after clearing their 10+2. After which, candidates must enrol themselves for CA Intermediate courses. And eventually, students must give the final exams. After clearing CA Final exams, candidates must enrol themselves at ICAI to be designated as Chartered Accountants.
What is the CA course fee?
The CA course fees, on average for institutes, are around INR 2 LPA.
How many years does it take to complete the CA course?
On average it takes students up to five years to complete the CA course.
Are the 12th marks important for CA?
Students’ 12th marks don’t affect the CA course. It's just required for registering for the CA course.
How many subjects are in CA Final?
The last stage of becoming a Chartered Accountant course is the CA final which consists of 8 subjects divided into two groups.
What is the age limit for CA?
There is no age limit for appearing in the CA exam.
Is Math compulsory for CA?
According to the rules set by ICAI, students who have passed the 10+2 board examination (any stream) or any Graduation course (from a recognized University) are eligible to undergo CA training. There is no mention of mathematics as a compulsory subject.
Does the CA course have an entrance exam?
Common Proficiency Test is an entry level examination for admission to the Chartered Accountancy Course. A 10th Passed student can register for CPT Course by filling in the prescribed registration form along with the requisite fee.
What is the job of a CA?
A Chartered Accountant gives advice, audits accounts and provides trustworthy information about financial records. This might involve financial reporting, taxation, auditing, forensic accounting, corporate finance, business recovery and insolvency, or accounting systems and processes.
What is the salary of a CA?
The salary of a CA is around INR 5 - 7 LPA.