Chartered Accountants enjoy a statutory monopoly in audit of financial statements under the Companies Act, 2013, Income Tax Act, 1961 and various other statutes in India. Financial statements audited by a chartered accountant are presumed to have been prepared according to Generally Accepted Accounting Practices in India (otherwise the audit report should be qualified). Chartered Accountants also work in varied business services, and in commerce and industry. Their areas of expertise include Financial Reporting, Auditing and Assurance, Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, Financial Modeling, Equity Research. Fund Management, Credit Analysis, Capital Markets, Arbitration, Risk Management, Economics, Strategic/Management Consultancy, Management Accounting, Information Systems Audit, Corporate Law, Direct Tax, Indirect Tax and valuation of businesses. Apart from the field of professional practice, many CAs work in the industry and commerce in financial and general management positions such as CFO and CEO.
The first of the CA course is designed to combine theoretical study with practical training. The course is divided into three levels.
1. CA FOUNDATION COURSEThe first of the CA program, so far known as Common Proficiency Test [CPT] is replaced with “CA Foundation course” with effect from 1 July 2017. A student of class 12 is eligible to register and study CA Foundation course. After completing a specified period of study and qualifying the class 12 Board Examination he/she can take the CA Foundation Examination. Instead of MCQ based CPT exam CA Foundation exam will be partially subjective. Students shall register for CA Foundation exam 8 months prior to the exam which was only 6 months for CPT. The subjects of the CA Foundation Course are:
1. Principles and Practice of Accounting
2. Business Laws and Business Correspondence & Reporting
3. Business Mathematics and Logical Reasoning & Statistics
4. Business Economics and Business & Commercial Knowledge.
A candidate is declared to have passed the examination if he obtains at one sitting a minimum of 40% marks in each paper and a minimum of 50% marks in the aggregate.
2. CA INTERMEDIATE COURSEThe second level of the CA Course, so far known as Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC), has been changed as CA Intermediate Course. Candidates can register for this course through two routes:
1. After qualifying CA Foundation course,
2. Through Direct Entry Route.
Direct Entry Route is available for Graduates and Post-Graduates with prescribed percentage of marks (5% for Commerce stream and 60% for others) or has qualified Intermediate Level of The Institute of Cost Accountants of India/ The Institute of Company Secretaries of India. A person can take the IPCC Examination after passing CPT and nine months of study.
CA Intermediate Course consists of the following subjects in two groups:
Group I:
Paper 1 : Accounting
Paper 2 : Corporate and Other Laws,
Paper 3 : Cost and Management Accounting
Paper 4 : Taxation: (A) Income Tax Law, (B) Indirect Taxes
Group II:
Paper 5 : Advanced Accounting
Paper 6 : Auditing and Assurance
Paper 7 : Enterprise Information Systems and Strategic Management
Paper 8: Financial Management and Economics for Finance.
A pass grade in IPCC is awarded if the candidate obtains 40% marks in each subject (each subject is attributed 100 marks) and an aggregate of 50% in each group (or 50% of total marks in case of both groups). Benefit of set-off is also available if the candidate appears for both groups together and obtains 50% collectively in both groups.
3. CA FINAL EXAMINATIONThe CA Final Examination is the last and final level of Chartered Accountancy Examinations. Any person who has passed both the groups of IPCC, during the last six months of Article ship can take the Final Examination. This exam consists of two groups of four subjects each.
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 : One Paper to be chosen from:
(A) Risk Management,
(B) Financial Services and Capital Markets
(C) International Taxation
(D) Economic Laws
(E) Global Financial Reporting Standards
(F) Multi-Disciplinary Case Study.
Paper 7 : Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation
Paper 8 : Indirect Tax Laws.
The passing grade for this exam is the same as the second level as mentioned above.
ICAI conducts CA Foundation Intermediate and Final examinations in exams in May and November of every year. Examination Centers are available in major cities in India and other countries such as Abu Dhabi (U.A.E.), Dubai (U.A.E.), Muscat (Oman) and Kathmandu (Nepal). ICAI updates the content and format of examinations periodically keeping in view the technical progress and changes in practice of the profession.
The course is being pursued by over 11,75, 000 students, studying various levels of the Chartered Accountancy Course.
― Nelson Mandela