How to become a CA? A Complete Guide 2024

If you are a commerce student who wants to pursue the profession of a chartered accountant in India and are seeking CA course details, then you have come to the right place. You can find detailed information about the CA course, eligibility requirements, subjects and syllabus, the process of admission, CA exams, and more. Here is a CA Exam Guide 2024 that will teach you all about it.

Table of Contents

1. Chartered Accountant – Overview
2. What is CA Course?
3. Chartered Accountant Course Duration
4. How to take admission in Chartered Accountant Course? 
5. CA Course Syllabus and Exam Pattern 
6. Mandatory Requirement for Chartered Accountant Course

Chartered Accountant – Overview

Chartered Accountant is one of the most popular professions in India. It is also one of the toughest. It demands a high level of study and preparation, but the rewards are also tremendous. Being a CA brings you a great deal of respect along with terrific job prospects and a great salary.

The reason why a CA receives a lot of respect is not for the designation or the salary but for the excessive amount of effort it takes to be one. It is truly one of the toughest professions in India and you can not proceed ahead without digesting this fact.

If you are a chartered accountant, your work would be to manage the finances of an organization or an individual and provide financial advice and money management. It includes budgeting, auditing, taxation, and making business strategies. The role pertains to a great deal of responsibility and management, after all, the finances of a company are in your hands.

What is CA Course? 

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is the official statuary body for regulating the profession of chartered accountants in India. 

Any student who wants to become a certified CA in India has to register and complete the course in adherence to the guidelines provided by ICAI. 

CA Course consists of three levels of examination:- 

1. CA Foundation
2. CA Intermediate
3. CA Final

Only after completion of all three exams, a student can apply for membership with ICAI and practice the profession of CA in India. Along with registering and sitting for examinations, there are certain other requirements such as articleship and skills training, which you will read about later in this blog. 

Chartered Accountant Course Duration

It takes around 5 years to complete the entire course which includes three years of articleship. As per the latest amendments proposed by ICAI, the articleship period is soon to be reduced to 2 years instead of 3. 

CA Course Duration

How to take admission in Chartered Accountant Course? 

After completion of the 12th standard, students can take admission in the chartered accountant course. All they have to do is register and pay the fee. 

Before we talk about the process of registration, let’s first discuss the official criteria to be eligible for it. 

CA Course Eligibility Criteria for CA Foundation

• Candidates must have passed the class 10th examination conducted by an examination body recognized by the central government. 
• Candidates must have passed the class 12th examination conducted by an examination body recognized by the central government.
• Candidates must complete a four-month study period from the date of registration to be eligible to appear in the examination.. 

CA Course Eligibility Criteria for CA Intermediate

• Candidates who have passed the foundation exam or the professional education (examination -I ) or Common Proficiency Test (CPT) can apply for CA Intermediate
• Candidates who are graduates or post-graduates in commerce and have scored a minimum of 55% marks can also apply
• Candidates who are graduates or post-graduates in any other stream and have scored a minimum of 60% marks can also apply

CA Course Eligibility Criteria for CA Final

• Candidates must have completed the the Foundation level as well as both groups of CA Intermediate. 
• Candidates must have completed four weeks of ICITSS before the commencement of practical training. 
• Candidates must register for CA practical training to apply for the final level and complete the training to appear in the examination.

Registration 

To take admission in this course, a candidate has to register by filling out an application form, providing the requested documents, and paying the registration fee.

Step to register

• Register on the official website of ICAI
• Login with the credentials sent to you
• Upload requested documents
• Pay the registration fee

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CA Course fee details:

CA Course Syllabus and Exam Pattern

Chartered Accountant course consists of three levels of examinations i.e. CA Foundation, CA Intermediate, and CA Final. The syllabus for all three is given below. 

CA Foundation

The syllabus for CA Foundation Course has been divided into four Papers. It is a partially subjective and partially objective test consisting of 400 marks. 

• Paper 1: Principles and Practice of Accounting 
• Paper 2: Laws and Business Correspondence and Reporting 
• Paper 3: Business Mathematics and Logical Reasoning & Statistics
• Paper 4: Business Economics and Business and Commercial Knowledge 

CA Intermediate

CA Intermediate consists of two groups; group 1 and group 2. Both of these groups contain 4 papers each which are given below:

GROUP – I

• Paper 1: Accounting 
• Paper 2: Corporate and Other Laws 
• Paper 3: Cost and Management Accounting
• Paper 4: Taxation 

GROUP – II

• Paper 5: Advanced Accounting 
• Paper 6: Auditing and Assurance
• Paper 7: Enterprise Information Systems & Strategic Management
• Paper 8: Financial Management & Economics for Finance 

CA Final

CA Final consists of two groups; group 1 and group 2. Both of these groups contain 4 papers each which are given below:

GROUP – I

• Paper 1: Financial Reporting
• Paper 2: Strategic Financial Management 
• Paper 3: Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics 
• Paper 4: Corporate and Economic Laws 

GROUP – II

• Paper 5: Strategic Cost Management and Performance Evaluation 
• Paper 6: Risk Management 
• Paper 7: Financial Services and Capital Markets 
• Paper 8: International Taxation 

For Online video lectures and classes for individual subjects or even combos, you can check out TopLad CA Online Classes. 

 CA Exam Pattern and Important Details

Mandatory Requirement for Chartered Accountant Course

Along with appearing for examinations, these three levels have some other mandatory requirements that students must fulfill. These are to be completed within the given time and according to strict guidelines provided by ICAI.

Integrated Course on Information Technology and Soft Skills (ICITSS)

After registering for CA Intermediate, candidates must complete four weeks of ICITSS before the commencement of practical training. ICITSS consists of the following courses:

• Course on Information Technology (15 days)
• Orientation Course (15 days )

CA Articleship: Practical Training

After completing the CA intermediate level, candidates must register and start their 3 years of mandatory CA articleship a.k.a., practical training according to the guidelines provided by ICAI. Every candidate pursuing the course of Chartered Accountancy is required to complete their practical training to complete the said course and be deemed a certified CA. 

Start Your Career in CA with TopLad

TopLad is India’s leading online learning platform for CA, CS & CMA. With the best teaching faculties in India, online classes, authentic study material, mock test papers, practice manuals, and much more, we have helped thousands of students reach their dream of becoming a CA.

CA course, no doubt, is challenging, and it can take multiple attempts to clear all exams, but with the right coaching, strategy, and approach, we help our student’s clear exams in a single attempt and become successful in their career.

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What TopLad Offers:

• Online Classes taught by the top faculties in India (English & Hindi)
• CA Foundation, Intermediate, and Final (Individual subjects or combos)
• Study Material – Books, Notes, practice manuals, video lectures (pen drive or google drive)
• Mock Test Papers
• Previous year question papers with solutions
• Test series strictly as per exam pattern of Institute of chartered accountants of India
• Doubt sessions and revision classes
• Job Portal – With our job portal you can easily find job opportunities from the best organizations in India. Whether you have qualified for your course, still pursuing it, or looking for an organization for your articleship, you can find a job with TopLad.
• Quality learning and a faculty that you can trust

How Many Years To Complete CA?

We hope you now have all information regarding the CA course and how to become a CA in India. If you still have any queries you can mail us at [email protected] or call us on our toll-free number 18003091245 and talk to our experts for free.