CMA Articleship Duration, Period, Stipend, and Salary

This article covers the duration and period of the CMA articleship, the stipend, where you can train, the forms and the rules set by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI).

Duration Of The CMA Articleship

The CMA articleship duration is 15 months under ICMAI's New Practical Training Scheme 2020, which applies to every student who registered for the Intermediate course on or after 11 February 2020. Practical training is compulsory: without it and the Industry Oriented Training Programme, ICMAI does not let you appear for both groups or your remaining group of the Final exam (CMA Prospectus 2025), and the least it accepts at the exam stage is 10 months.

Older registrations follow older rules. Under ICMAI's circular of 12 September 2024, students who registered between 1 January 2008 and 10 February 2020 need 6 months of training, and training is not required at all for students who registered before 1 January 2008.

The 15 months are often confused with "3 years". Three years is the practical experience ICMAI requires for associate membership after you pass Final, and your training period counts towards it (see Completing the CMA Articleship). For how training fits into the whole course, see how long the CMA course takes.

Breakdown of the Articleship Period

ICMAI does not split the 15 months into phases of work; what matters are these milestones (CMA Prospectus 2025 and ICMAI circular, 12 September 2024):

1. Start: any time after you register for CMA Intermediate. Tell ICMAI within 30 days of joining (Form T-1 or T-4).
2. 10 months by the Final cut-off: at least 10 months must be completed and certified as on 28/29 February to sit the June Final exam, or 31 August to sit the December exam. Form T-5A, which certifies this, must be submitted by 5 April (June exam) or 5 October (December exam) so that you can fill in the exam form.
3. 15 months before the Final result: if you sat Final with between 10 and 15 months done, submit Form T-5B showing the full 15 months by 10 August (June exam) or 10 February (December exam). ICMAI releases your Final result only after that.

If you have already completed all 15 months by the cut-off date, you submit Form T-5 instead. One page of the CMA Prospectus 2025 still says 15 months must be done "before appearing" in Final; the 10-month rule comes from the prospectus's own Annexure VII and the September 2024 circular, so confirm your case with ICMAI's Training Directorate if it is close.

Flexibility In Work Hours

ICMAI fixes the working hours of a Cost & Management Trainee at 35 hours per week, and time spent at a conference, course or seminar organised by the Institute, a Regional Council or a Chapter counts as training. ICMAI's scheme documents do not describe a part-time version of the training.

Leave is limited (see Important Guidelines), and any leave taken beyond your entitlement must be made up by training for an equal extra period, which pushes back the date on which you complete 15 months.

Purpose And Importance

The articleship links what you study with practical work in cost and management accounting. ICMAI lists its objectives as developing the skills to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations, giving exposure to how organisations operate, providing on-the-job experience of current cost and management accounting practice, building employable professionals, and developing discipline and ethical values.

Key Benefits

• Practical knowledge: you apply cost accounting, taxation, audit and compliance concepts to real work.
• Skill development: you build the analytical and managerial skills the Final syllabus assumes.
• Professional networking: you work alongside practising cost accountants and finance teams.
• Counts towards membership: the training period is counted in the three years of experience needed to become an associate member (ICMAI Practical Training FAQ).

Stipend And Salary During CMA Articleship

A CMA trainee receives a stipend rather than a salary. ICMAI publishes stipend tables; for companies and organisations they are recommended minimums, and employers can pay more.

Stipend Details

Training with a company or organisation. ICMAI's circular of 19 July 2024 sets a "minimum recommended stipend" for trainees in corporates and organisations (other than practising cost accountants), applicable from 1 August 2024:

All amounts are per month. The circular classifies cities using Government of India notifications: the "X" cities are the urban areas of Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune; it lists the "Y" cities state by state, and every other city or town is "Z".

Training with a practising cost accountant (PCMA) or a firm of cost accountants. ICMAI's stipend table lists ₹2,000 for the first year, ₹3,000 for the second year and ₹4,000 for the third year (CMA Prospectus 2025, Annexure VII).

The tables run to a third year even though the required training is 15 months; ICMAI does not explain this, but training time also counts towards the three years of experience needed for membership.

Factors Affecting Salary

From ICMAI's tables, four things decide the minimum stipend you can expect:

• Type of employer: companies and organisations have a much higher recommended minimum than practising cost accountants and their firms.
• Location: X-category cities have the highest minimum, then Y, then Z.
• Your stage: the minimum rises once you are pursuing Final, and again once you have qualified Final.
• Year of training: each table rises from the first year to the third.

ICMAI does not publish what trainees are actually paid, so be wary of "average CMA articleship salary" figures that do not cite a source.

Organisations And Areas For Training

A Student Can Pursue His/Her CMA Articleship As A Cost Accountant In Any Of The Organizations Mentioned Below:

ICMAI's Appendix A to the scheme (CMA Prospectus 2025, Annexure VII) recognises training under:

• A practising cost accountant (PCMA) or a firm of cost accountants
• Central or State Government, semi-government bodies and public utilities
• Banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions
• Public sector undertakings
• Universities, management institutes and other recognised educational institutes
• Co-operative societies and NGOs
• A Chartered Accountants or Company Secretaries firm, but only if you work exclusively in its separate management consultancy division or you are the firm's contractual or permanent employee; under the new scheme the firm's turnover must be more than ₹25 lakh
• Any other organisation with a turnover of ₹25 lakh (service sector) or ₹50 lakh (other sectors)
• MSMEs and start-ups (listed in ICMAI's Practical Training FAQ)
• Any other organisation approved by ICMAI's Council

CA or CS articleship is not counted ("will not be set off") for CMA practical training. If you are pursuing CA or CS as well, see doing CA, CS and CMA together.

To find a place, ICMAI's Practical Training page has lists of organisations providing training, PCMAs registered for training and current training opportunities. According to ICMAI's FAQ, you can also train with an organisation of your choice that is not on its list, provided it meets the conditions above.

A Student Can Work In The Following Areas Or Department:

ICMAI's Appendix B recognises training in these areas:

• Management Accounting
• Cost Accounting
• Financial Accounting
• Financial Management
• Auditing
• Regulatory compliances
• Direct Taxation
• Indirect Taxation
• Corporate Laws, Industrial Laws, Commercial Laws
• Systems Analysis, Information Technology (including ERP systems)
• Project Management
• Banking Operations
• Insurance
• Insolvency and Valuation
• Financial Services
• Teaching in finance, accounts, costing, taxation and management
• Management Consultancy Services
• Engineering services in power production or manufacturing, project planning and management, quality assessment and supply chain management
• Any other area approved by the Council

Intimation – Procedure Of Informing The Institute

After joining a PCMA or an organisation, you must inform ICMAI within 30 days of joining:

• Form T-1 (with the PCMA's UDIN) if you train under a practising cost accountant or a firm of cost accountants.
• Form T-4 if you train with any other recognised organisation.

A practical training registration fee of ₹2,500 is paid when you submit Form T-1 or T-4 (CMA Prospectus 2025; ICMAI fees are subject to GST). Everything is done online on ICMAI's practical training portal; ICMAI does not accept offline forms or hard copies.

If you change your principal or employer, inform ICMAI within 30 days with a new Form T-1 or T-4 and an experience certificate from the previous principal or employer, and pay ₹1,000. Training with different employers adds up, but no more than three changes are allowed within the 15 months.

Exemption – Procedure For Being Exempted From Training

If you are working, or have worked, in a recognised organisation and area listed above, you can apply for exemption from practical training:

• Submit Form T-3 online with a fee of ₹4,500 (CMA Prospectus 2025, Annexure VII and the fee table in Annexure IX).
• You can apply immediately after joining the Intermediate course or at any time during your studies.
• Applications received and found eligible by 31 May count for the June exam, and by 30 November for the December exam.
• Practising Chartered Accountants and Company Secretaries are exempt, but must still apply and pay the exemption fee.

Documents to upload with Form T-3:

1. Experience certificate stating your designation, area of work and duration, signed by the competent authority of the organisation
2. Audited balance sheet of the employer or other proof of turnover, where required (a signed letter on the company's letterhead stating its turnover is accepted)
3. Current salary slip attested by the employer

ICMAI's FAQ says a balance sheet is not needed for educational institutions, MNCs, PSUs, government organisations, banks, insurance companies, MSMEs and start-ups.

Forms – CMA Articleship

All practical training forms are submitted online on ICMAI's portal:

Forms T-5A and T-5B were introduced from the December 2024 exam term by ICMAI's circular of 12 September 2024.

Important Guidelines for CMA Articleship

ICMAI's New Practical Training Scheme 2020 sets these rules (CMA Prospectus 2025, Annexure VII):

• Working hours are 35 hours per week.
• You get one day's leave with pay per month, excluding normal holidays.
• You get 60 days' leave without pay for appearing in ICMAI exams, over the whole training period.
• Leave beyond your entitlement must be made up with an equal period of extra training.
• A practising cost accountant who is an associate member can take up to 10 trainees; a fellow member up to 15.
• Stipends follow the tables in the stipend section above.

For the full scheme, forms and FAQs, see ICMAI's Practical Training page.

Rules and Regulations of CMA Articleship

Eligibility Requirements

You can start the CMA articleship as soon as you register for the CMA Intermediate course; you do not have to pass Intermediate first (CMA Prospectus 2025). The training is run by ICMAI's Directorate of Training. Graduates who join Intermediate directly can start training at the same time; for the entry routes, see CMA eligibility after 12th and direct entry. Registering the training costs ₹2,500; for ICMAI's other charges, see CMA course fees.

Roles and Responsibilities

Your work depends on the employer and the recognised area you train in. Typical work in those areas includes:

• Assisting with cost audits, internal audits and compliance work.
• Preparing cost statements, financial statements and reports.
• Helping with budgeting, cost control and financial planning.
• Working on direct and indirect tax compliance.

Code of Conduct

ICMAI checks that training is genuine. Its note on measures to ensure the quality and genuineness of practical training says:

• UDIN is mandatory on Form T-1 and Form T-5, at the start and at the completion of training.
• ICMAI cross-checks training with employers at random and scrutinises uploaded forms daily.
• Any deviation from or violation of the training rules is referred to the competent authority for action.
• Students should rely only on training information from the official "icmai" domain.

Beyond these rules, keep your employer's information confidential and treat the training as a professional commitment.

Completing the CMA Articleship

Evaluation and Certification

There is no separate ICMAI exam for the articleship. You complete it by having your training certified on the portal: Form T-5 once the full 15 months are done, or Form T-5A (at least 10 months) before the Final exam followed by Form T-5B (15 months) before the result. Your employer or principal certifies the form, and ICMAI requires a UDIN on Form T-5. ICMAI's FAQ notes that only one intimation (Form T-5) is needed for the exams once you have completed 15 months.

After passing Final, you can apply for associate membership of ICMAI once you have at least three years of practical experience in costing or industrial accounting in a responsible position. The experience can come before or after the Final exam, and your practical training period counts towards it (CMA Prospectus 2025; ICMAI Practical Training FAQ).

Career Prospects Post-Articleship

According to ICMAI's prospectus, CMA members work as cost auditors, internal auditors and advisers or consultants in practice, and in employment as financial controllers, chief financial officers, cost controllers and chief internal auditors. Under the Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014, cost audit can only be done by cost accountants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is articleship compulsory for CMA?

Yes, for students who registered with ICMAI on or after 1 January 2008. Those who registered on or after 11 February 2020 need 15 months of practical training; students already working in a recognised organisation and area can apply for exemption with Form T-3.

Has the CMA articleship duration changed?

Yes. Under the New Practical Training Scheme 2020, students who registered for Intermediate on or after 11 February 2020 need 15 months; those who registered between 1 January 2008 and 10 February 2020 need 6 months. Since the December 2024 term, you can sit Final with 10 months certified and finish the rest before the result.

What Is The Minimum Stipend During The CMA Articleship?

With a company or organisation, ICMAI's recommended minimum from 1 August 2024 is ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month while you are pursuing Intermediate, depending on the city and year. With a practising cost accountant, ICMAI's table lists ₹2,000 to ₹4,000.

Can I do CMA articleship in a CA firm?

Only if you work exclusively in the firm's separate management consultancy division or are its contractual or permanent employee, and the firm's turnover is more than ₹25 lakh. CA or CS articleship itself is not counted for CMA training.