Introduction

With the rapid growth in economy, careers in finance and accounts have gained tremendous popularity and the most prestigious career option in this filed is that of Chartered Accountant. Chartered Accountancy is a dynamic, challenging and rewarding profession. All the countries have their own Accountancy Association which regulates the quality and quantity of the professionals in this field. Chartered Accountancy Course is a professional course in Accounting introduced in our country in 1949, with the enactment of the Chartered Accountants Act. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) was formed the same year . This Institute is both an examining and a licensing body. It is the responsibility of the institute to conduct the Chartered accountancy (CA) Course. The course involves a blend of theoretical education and practical training which run concurrently for a period of three years and equips a student with knowledge, ability, skills and other qualities required of a professional accountant.
A Chartered accountant is one who is specialised in accounting, auditing and taxation. He also serves as a management and corporate caretaker. In recent times, accountancy has become popular as a profession. The services of a CA is required in money matters even in a small business . Moreover according to the Company Act only CA's in professional practice are allowed to be appointed as auditors of companies in India. A chartered accountant is a person who is accepted as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) after having passed the Final examination of the Chartered accountancy course conducted by the institute. 

Many multinational companies have come forward in the Chartered Accountancy field. ICICI Prudential, Om Kotak Mahindra, Birla Sun-Life, Tata AIF Life, Reliance, HDFC Standard Life-Chartered Accountancy Co., Max New York Life, SBI Life Chartered Accountancy, ING Vysya Life etc. are the top companies in the private sector. In non-life Chartered Accountancy segment, major private players are ICICI Lombard, Royal Sundaram, Cholamandalam, IFFCO Tokyo, Tata AIG etc. All Chartered Accountancy companies come under the Chartered Accountancy Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) which is established to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of Life and General Chartered Accountancy industry in India. 

CA programme is of two years apart from the training period. It has three sections, Competency Professional Test (CPT) that was earlier known as Professional Education exam PE1, Professional Competency Examination (PCE) and Final examination. The registration for CPT and PCE is open throughout the year. A student may register at any time during the year. However, as the examinations will be held twice a year in May and November, it is necessary that a student must register at least ten months before the examinations. After passing the Professional Competency Examination (PCE) candidates are eligible for registration as articled clerks/audit clerks for practical training. Computer Training Programme, ie 100 hours Information Technology is compulsory for the candidates who wish to register themselves as auditor clerk. Students can undergo this programme while pursuing CPT or PCE.

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Articled clerk is a trainee attached to a practicing chartered accountant under a Deed of Articles for the duration three years. During this period the articled clerk will also need to continue studies for the CA exam. An audit clerk is a person who has served as a salaried employee for a minimum period of one year under a practicing chartered accountant. During the training period, candidates would be required to work in different areas learning the basics of auditing and taxation . This training enables them to learn the technical details of the job as well as to get an idea of the working environment of the profession.

The scope for this lucrative career is bright in an economically developing nation like ours and as such the career can be termed as challenging and rewarding for competent professionals in the field.

Eligibility

A Candidate who has passed the 10th examination can register for the Competency Professional Test (CPT) of the CA programme. But they can write the examination only after passing the Senior Secondary Examination (10+2) or waiting for the 10+2 exam results. There are no restrictions with regard to the age of the candidate or marks secured in Senior Secondary Examination.

Commerce graduates with 50% marks, non-commerce graduates with subjects other than Mathematics with an aggregate of 55% marks and non-commerce graduates with Maths with an aggregate of 60% marks are exempted from the Competency Professional Test (CPT) and are permitted to register for Professional Competency Course (PCC). 

Candidates who have passed the Final Examination conducted by the Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) or the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) can register for Professional Competency Course.

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After passing Professional Competency Course, the candidates can register as Articled clerks for practical training and for admission to the Final course of the Chartered Accountant. Every graduate above18 years of age is eligible to register as an articled clerk/Audit Clerks for Chartered Accountancy. Computer Training Programme is compulsory for the candidates who wish to register themselves as auditor clerk. They should under go 100 hours training in Information Technology along with PCE.

Candidates aspiring for this career should have a pleasing personality, practical approach and a natural instinct to deal with figures to do well in this profession.

Job Prospects & Career Options

The growing importance of trade and industry along with the rapid growth of capital and money markets in an economically developing nation like ours, has increased the importance of Chartered Accountants enormously. Moreover all the companies registered under the Companies Act, are required to get their accounts audited only by practicing Chartered Accountants. A qualified Chartered Accountant has the option of joining the Government Service, Public Sector undertakings or taking up a lucrative assignment in the private sector. The duty of Chartered accountant is to ensure that the financial transactions of an organisationare maintained according to the law, they also keep track of cost of management of the company and manage tax matters.

Chartered accountants work as Finance Managers, Financial Controllers, Financial Advisors or Directors (Finance) and watch over the finances in the day to day management of companies. Their main areas of work include Accountancy, Auditing, Cost accountancy, Taxation, Investigation and Consultancy.

The accounting department prepares, analyses financial reports and documents of an organisation. Auditing involves checking the accuracy of the financial statements, ensuring that the accounts presented are drawn up on correct accounting principles. Cost Accountancy involves maintaining cost auditing records, compiling cost information, installing cost control and performing cost audits. Taxation involves dealing with direct taxes, like income tax and wealth tax, assessment of taxes, filing returns and providing advice on indirect taxes. Investigation include expert examination of specific aspects of businesses for the information of interested parties on new issues of share capital, the purchase, sale or financing of a business and for reconstruction. The various areas of consulting include Management accounting and internal audit, corporate law advice, project planning and finance, business advise, systems design and information consultancy. Chartered Accountants also act as directors, arbitrators for settling disputes, handling work related to insolvency, bankruptcy etc. and also as executors under a will or trust in order to carry out the administration of an estate or settlements. They are also engaged in activities like markets research, budget planning, working capital management, inventory control, policy planning, securities consultancy, registrar of issues of securities etc.

Some of the opportunities available for Chartered Accountants are in capital markets, business houses and industry. They can also have their own consultancy or private practice which could be more lucrative and satisfying. With the country liberalizing its policies and approach, opportunities are expected to grow further.

They are also well placed in government sector as director finance, chief executive or the Head Of the Department of the accounts, information technology etc. They help the government for proper implementation of accounting system.

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Other career option: After passing the CA examination one could go for management Accountancy course; courses like Diploma in Insurance and Diploma in Information System Auditing.

Prospects Abroad : Institute of CA of India is well recognized by Institute of England, Wales and Australia. The members of ICAI can do practice or they can go for employment in these countries. ICAI is not approved by several countries like United Nations of America. Since ICAI is a member of the international Federation of Accountants committee and also international federation of Accounting Standard board, one can do their services in these countries. But for practicing they should undergo a particular examination conducting by the respective countries. The examination conducted by UNA is called CPA, Certified Public Accountant Examination.

Examination & Course Details

CA programme is of two years apart from the training period. It has three sections, Competency Professional Test (CPT), Professional Competency Course (PCC) and Professional Competency Examination, the Final examination.

The entrance Examination for the Charted accountants, Competency Professional Test, CPT that was earlier known as Professional Education exam PE1 is conducted by the institute once in a quarter. The four-hour examination paper of 400 marks consists of four subjects namely fundamentals of accounting, mercantile law, general economics and quantitative attitudes. Minus mark is also applicable in the examination.

Competency Professional Test (CPT)

Anyone who has a 10 + 2 can enroll for the Competency Professional Test (CPT). A student who have passed the 10th examination can also register with CPT but could write the exam only after the Plus Two examination. Duration of the course is 10months. Graduates who doesn't have the request percentage of marks have to do the Competency Professional Test . The registration for CPT is open throughout the year. A student may register at any time during the year. The exam will be held twice a year in May and November. Students have to ensure their registration at least 10 months before the examination. The application for regi stration should reach the office of the institute on or before 30th of June and for November Examination on or before 31st December of the preceding year.

A candidate is declared successful in Competency Professional Test (CPT), if he/she secures an aggregate of 50% of the total marks in all the papers subject to a minimum of 40% marks in each paper. 

Subjects for Professional course I

Paper 1- Fundamentals of Accounting
Paper 2 - Mathematics & Statistics
Paper 3 -  Economics
Paper 4 - Business Communication and Organization and Management

Registration for Competency Professional Test (CPT)

Eligible candidates have to forward their application for registration along with a crossed demand draft for the requisite amount (registration and tuition fee) drawn in favour of Secretary, The Institute of Chartered Accounts of India payable at the respective places where the Offices of the Institute are located.

Professional Competency Course (PCC)

The CA Programme is mainly divided into Professional Competency Course and Final course. After completing the CPT or graduation with required marks one can go for Professional Competency Course (PCC). The registration for PCC is open throughout the year. A student may register at any time during the year. The exam will be held twice a year in May and November, it is necessary that a student must register at least ten months before the examinations.

Subjects for Professional Competency Course (PCC)
The Professional Competency Examination has two groups that consists of three papers each (i.e total 6 papers) and each paper consist 100 marks each.

Group I
Paper 1 -  Accounting
Paper 2 - Auditing
Paper 3 - Business and Corporate  Laws

Group II
Paper 4 - Cost Accounting and Financial Management
Paper 5 - Income Tax & Central Sales Tax
Paper 6 - Information Technology

The student should get 40% mark minimum with an aggregate of 50% in a group. Along with PCE one has to under go 100 hours training in Information Technology, i.e the computer training programme as specified by the council. The candidate can register as an articled clerk with a firm of chartered accountants for undergoing practical training and simultaneously as a student with the Board of Studies for theoretical education. The candidate is a trainee for a period of three years. During this period he gets thorough knowledge of the various fields in which a Chartered Accountant can render services. During this period the articled clerk will also need to continue studies for the CA exam.

Final CourseThe candidate could register as a final student and write the final exam once they passed the PCE and the Information Technology training. The final examination also has similar type of papers of two groups, four papers each

Subjects for Final Course

Group I
Paper 1 - Advanced Accounting
Paper 2 - Management Accounting & Financial Analysis
Paper 3 - Advanced Auditing
Paper 4 - Corporate Laws & Secretarial Practice

Group II
Paper 5 - Cost Management
Paper 6 - Management Information and Control Systems
Paper 7 - Direct Taxes
Paper 8 - Indirect Taxes

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The person should get minimum of 40% mark with an aggregate of 50% in a group and once the final examination and article ship completed, the Charted accountant should under go a communication and management course that would help him for better communication. On successful completion of the Final examination one becomes the member of the Institute. Member of the Institute may either practice as a Chartered Accountant on his own or go for employment.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNO) has entered in an agreement with the Institute of Charted Accountants of India to conduct a B.Com course for CA student. Those who are enrolling as CA student, can go for B.Com course of IGNO, where they need not write all the papers, they will have certain exemption. They will get a guaranteed graduation along with they do the CA course.

Remuneration

Chartered Accountancy is a well-paid profession, be it Government Service, private firms or own consultancy. Most multi-national firms provide numerous perks besides the salary such as medical benefits,  house allowance and so on. Some of the average monthly earnings range between Pre Qualification Rs. 2,500 - Rs.3,000, Fresh CA's Rs. 5,000 - Rs. 6,500, Accounts Managers Rs. 6,500 - Rs.8,500, Financial Controllers Rs. 8,500 - Rs. 15,000, Directors Rs. 10,000 - Rs. 25,000 and an experienced CA's may get monthly earnings more than 

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Rs. 50,000 in India and 5,00000 in abroad, according to the company they work for or depending upon the cities they are working in.  This depends up on the involvement, commitment, hard work and dedication to the job.