"CA" means to Chartered Accountancy, a prestigious and globally recognized professional qualification in accounting. Here's an overview covering various aspects of CA:

Definition: Chartered Accountancy (CA) is a professional designation granted to individuals who have successfully completed the necessary requirements and examinations prescribed by the respective governing body of Chartered Accountants in their country.

Qualification Process: Becoming a Chartered Accountant typically involves completing a comprehensive course of study, gaining practical experience through articleship or training, and passing a series of rigorous examinations.

Skills Required: Chartered Accountants need to possess strong analytical skills, attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and a deep understanding of financial principles and regulations. Effective communication and decision-making skills are also crucial.

Roles and Responsibilities: Chartered Accountants play diverse roles in various sectors, including auditing, taxation, financial reporting, consultancy, and advisory services. They may work in public practice firms, corporations, government agencies, or as independent consultants.

Global Recognition: This provides students immense international opportunities the CA qualification is highly esteemed worldwide, providing professionals with opportunities for global mobility and career advancement. Many countries have their own Chartered Accountancy bodies, each offering a similar qualification with local variations.

Career Opportunities: Chartered Accountants have a wide range of career options available to them, including roles in accounting firms, financial institutions, multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. They can also pursue entrepreneurship or work as freelance consultants.

Continuous Professional Development: Continuous learning and development are integral to the CA profession. Chartered Accountants are required to stay updated with the latest developments in accounting standards, regulations, and industry trends through ongoing education and professional development programs.

Ethical Standards: Ethical conduct is paramount in the CA profession. Chartered Accountants are expected to adhere to strict ethical guidelines and professional standards, maintaining integrity, objectivity, and confidentiality in their work.

Impact and Contribution: Chartered Accountants play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and transparency of financial information, contributing to the efficient functioning of businesses and the stability of financial markets. They also provide valuable strategic advice and insights to organizations, helping them achieve their goals and objectives.

Challenges and Opportunities: The CA profession presents both challenges and opportunities, including the complexity of regulatory requirements, evolving technology, globalization, and changing business environments. However, with dedication, continuous learning, and adaptability, Chartered Accountants can thrive and make a significant impact in their careers.

CA Course - Overview

ICAI, which stands for ‘Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’, is the statutory body in India authorized to recognize Chartered Accountants. It also acts as a regulatory body in managing the CA profession in the country. An individual must complete the course designed by ICAI to become a member of ICAI.

The CA course has three levels:

CA Foundation, CA Intermediate, and CA Final

In addition to these exams, a student is required to complete 2 years of practical training, also known as ‘Articleship’.

CA Course Duration

The CA course typically lasts 42 months including articleship training. However, because of the direct entry program, students who enroll in the CA course have a shorter timeline after graduating.

If any student fails to clear any of the CA exams, an additional 6 months will be added to the overall duration. 

1. CA Course Duration Timeline: Total 42 Months
2. Study Period for CA Foundation: 4 Months
3. CA Foundation Result Waiting Period: 2 Months
4. Study Period for CA Intermediate: 8 Months
5. Exams and Results Period for CA Intermediate: 2 Months
6. Articleship Training: 2 Years (as per the new scheme)
7. CA Final Preparation: 6 months
8. Final CA Result: 2 Months

Let's understand the CA course duration with the help of an example. PRERNA plans to embark on her journey to become a Chartered Accountant in 2024. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of her path.

CA Foundation

Study Period: If PRERNA gets herself registered for the CA Foundation on or before 1st Feb 2024, she'll be eligible to appear in the June 2024 exams. She will need to dedicate herself to studying for the CA Foundation course for at least 4 months, from Feb to June 2024.

CA Foundation Exam: She will take the CA Foundation exam in June 2024.

Result Waiting Period: CA Foundation results are usually released about 2 months after the exam, so that she will get her result around August 2024.

CA Intermediate

Study Period: Having successfully cleared the CA Foundation exam, PRERNA will need to devote around 8 months of  studying for the CA Intermediate course.

Exams and Results Period: If PRERNA takes her CA Intermediate exams in May 2025. After the exams, she'll have to wait for the results, which are typically announced around 2 months later.

Articleship Training

Duration: With the Intermediate stage behind her, PRERNA can focus on her articleship training. This training lasts for 2 years as per the new scheme.

CA Final Exam

Study Period:  After completing her articleship, PRERNA will be ready to start preparing for the CA Final exams, which require 6 months of focused effort. 

Exam & Result Waiting Period:  Assuming PRERNA sits for her CA Final exams in May 2028, she will get her final CA results in the next 2 months. 

Therefore, by July 2028, PRERNA will be able to finish her CA journey and will likely receive her final CA qualification.

ICAI New Scheme

Several papers from each of the three levels have been consolidated, and others have been removed, in the CA syllabus 2024 update. Furthermore, the length of the CA articleship is reduced from three to two years under the redesigned structure.

The eligibility requirements, syllabus, subjects, paper pattern, etc. have all been modified for the Chartered Accountancy course. View the recent update to the ICAI New Scheme in the table below:

ICAI New Scheme of Education and Training 2024

Under the new CA scheme starting May 2024, students can become a Chartered Accountant in 42 months.

Chartered Accountancy Exam 

To become a CA, candidates have to appear for the Chartered Accountancy exams which are conducted at various levels. These include the foundation exam, intermediate exam, and final exam. All these three exams are conducted by the ICAI generally in May and November. 

Eligibility

Candidates can also see the direct route for the CA. For this entry, commerce graduates need to score a minimum of 55% aggregate and should have studied areas including Accounting, Corporate Law, Mercantile Law, Auditing, Economics, and other fields of commerce. Non-commerce graduates can also access this course via direct entry, but they should have a minimum of 60% aggregate scores from a recognized educational institute.

Students can get direct entry into the Chartered Accountancy final exam if they have passed the CS executive or CMA Intermediate exam. Students will need 3 years through this Direct entry Scheme to become a CA. Students will need to do 9 months of Articleship which is mandatory. 

CPT Route vs Direct Entry

CA Exam Dates

CS- COMPANY SECRETARY

Company Secretary (CS) is offered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), set up under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 to regulate the profession of company secretaries in India. The CS course consists of two stages - CS Executive followed by the CS Professional course.

To get admission into the CS executive programme (first level), candidates need to qualify in the national-level Company Secretary Executive Entrance test (CSEET). A direct admission route is also available to eligible candidates. They must clear all the stages of a CS course to be called a Company Secretary.

It must be noted that the Company Secretary course earlier had three levels but from June 2021, the CS foundation course which was the first level is to be discontinued. Candidates must complete the Company Secretary course to be eligible to practise as a company secretary.

Qualified company secretaries may become legal advisors, corporate policymakers, planners, etc. in notable firms across India and abroad. Candidates after completing the course can opt for various career options apart from a traditional Company Secretary they can become a Business Consultant, Operations Manager, and Investment Banker.

Company Secretary

Eligibility Criteria for CS Executive Programme

The eligibility criteria for a CS Executive include entrance examination and direct admission. Candidates wishing to pursue a CS Executive course must meet the eligibility requirements of the course. Mentioned below are the eligibility requirements for the CS Executive course in detail. 

Candidates must have completed their class 12th in any discipline to be eligible for the course.

They must clear the CSEET exam or have passed the CS Foundation exam.

Eligibility Criteria for CS Professional Programme

Candidates after completing the CS Executive course can apply for the CS Professional course. Students are advised to visit the official website of ICSI to check the eligibility requirements for a CS professional course. Mentioned below are the eligibility requirements for a CS Professional course.

Students will be admitted to the CS Professional course if they have registered themselves for the Professional Programme at least 9 months before the commencement of the CS Professional exam.

Scope of Company Secretary in India and Abroad

Company Secretary courses open up a wide range of prospects for students to pursue higher studies or directly venture into the corporate sector. CS qualified students can pursue a PhD in Commerce / Management / Law, etc. Prospects in India are immense in areas like Certification Services, Valuation, Insolvency & Bankruptcy, GST, Intellectual Property Rights, Representation Services and Mediation and Conciliation.

CS Foundation: Fee Structure 

Candidates pursuing the CS foundation program, need to give both the admission and tuition fees. The fees for both these are INR 1200, and INR 2400 respectively. The total course fee for this course is INR 3600. 

CS Foundation Syllabus

The CS Foundation syllabus is as follows:

CS Executive Course

The CS executive course involves various areas mainly regarding the law. This includes commercial law, company law, general law, tax law, accounts and audit practice, and securities law. Know the eligibility, course duration, course fee, syllabus, and entrance exams, for the executive program in the Company Secretary course.

CS Executive: Eligibility 

CS Executive Eligibility criteria must be met in order to sit for this examination. The CS Executive Eligibility criteria are mentioned below:

CSEET Exam is a mandatory qualifying test for all categories of students for registration to the Executive Programme except for a few exempted categories.

Candidates must have completed Class 12 to be eligible for CSEET.

Also, the age bar of the candidates should be above 17.

The following categories of students are exempted from qualifying for CSEET and can seek registration directly to the Executive Programme:

See Also:

CS Executive: Duration

Company Secretary course duration for the Executive program lasts for 9 months. ICSI CS Executive program registration is open throughout the year for the exam conducted in June and December. 

CS Executive: Fee Structure 

The fee structure for the CS executive program differs from the earlier one, and the total course fee is higher in this instance. The registration fee for the CS executive course is INR 1500, while there is another fee for the foundation examination exemption, which is INR 500. The tuition fee for this course is INR 5000, and the total course fee stands at INR 7000.     

CS Executive: Syllabus 

In the CS executive course syllabus, there will be two modules, namely I and II. In each module, there will be 4 papers. In module I, there will be the topics of Interpretation, Jurisprudence, and General laws, in paper I, company law in paper II, setting up of business entities, and closure and tax laws in the last two papers.

On the other hand, in module II, the paper I will consist of corporate and management accounting, and Paper II will consist of securities laws and capital markets. In the last two papers, there will be Business, Economics and Commercial Law, and financial and strategic management respectively.

CS Professional: Syllabus

In the CS Professional course, there will be three modules, and each module will consist of three papers. See Also: CS Professional Syllabus

Below is the comparison between the company secretary course and chartered accountancy course:

CS vs CMA

Find the course comparison between the CS course and the Certified Management Accountant Course, in the tabulation form, below:

Duty of a Company Secretary

The roles and responsibilities of a company secretary are as follows - 

1. Company secretaries are the compliance officers and give suggestions as in-house legal experts.
2. They also play their role as a chief advisor to the board of directors in corporate governance.
3. A company secretary is an expert in corporate laws, capital markets, and securities laws.
4. They are also responsible for the regulatory compliance of an organization.
5. They also play a significant role in corporate planning and as a strategic manager.

Company Secretary FAQs