First Education News

News

Career in Chartered Accountancy

Career in Chartered Accountancy
July 20
19:57 2019

Chartered accountancy is the essence of all business, large or small. The job of a chartered accountant includes auditing, taxation, accounting and financial planning etc. It can be a very demanding and rewarding task. Career opportunities after Chartered Accountancy are interesting. Chartered accountancy can be the first step towards other rewarding professions in finance, investment consultancy and fund management. The Chartered Accountancy course is conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, which has its headquarters in New Delhi, 5 regional offices (Calcutta, Kanpur, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi) and 81 branches under these regional centers.

Qualification Required for Chartered Accountancy

Over the years, the qualifications for becoming a CA have changed. one could believe of becoming a CA only after graduation, and a candidate had to undergo five years of articleship training.

The chartered accountancy’s distinctive feature is its curriculum, which is theoretical education with complementary practical training. A student would undergo theoretical education and practical training concurrently from the very beginning. This balanced approach helps the students to appreciate the underlying practical applications of the theoretical education scheme.

  • Common Proficiency Test (CPT)
    CPT is an entry level test of four subjects i.e. Accounting, Mercantile Laws, General Economics and Quantitative Aptitude.
  • Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC)
    This is the first phase of the CA curriculum in which only working knowledge of the core and related topics of the accounting profession is addressed. IPCC topics are categorized into two groups that a student can study and appear in group-wise examination or both groups together. IPCC is designed to improve knowledge of accountancy linked to accounting standards to build strong foundation for developing knowledge of financial reporting at the final stage. The students update their knowledge of business communication, business strategies, taxes, information technology and audit.
  • CA Final 
    CA Final covers advanced application knowledge of core subjects like financial reporting, strategic financial management, advanced management accounting, advanced auditing and professional ethics and information systems control and audit. In addition, principles of e-governance, corporate and allied laws, international taxation and VAT are important features of the updated subject contents.
  • Articleship  
    The students after passing Group I of IPCC will register for Articleship for a period of three years with experienced CAs. Certain rules do apply – CAs with 16 years of experience and above can take on about 8 articles, those with less experience can train fewer articles and these teachers or ‘Principals’ as they are called, can be changed during the course of training. An agreement of training needs to be executed before it begins. During the training time, articles learn the technical details of the work and as time passes, they are given larger assignments with less supervision. All articled clerks are paid a stipend depending on their city’s population.

Where To Start ?

In today’s competitive globe of cut throat, it is advisable for a student to start planning right after class 10. A student can register with the Board of Studies for chartered accountancy and prepare for the entry level exam while studying 10 + 2. It is better to take mathematics at this level. Students of commerce stream definitely have an advantage while pursuing this career. The latest scheme of CA is designed to encourage young talented students having aptitude for accounting education to make an early entry into the profession.

What would it Cost ?

Unlike other professional courses, the fee for becoming a CA is very less, which is inclusive of the cost of study material. For registering with IPPC you have to shell out Rs 9000 while the fee for CPT is Rs 6700.

Job Prospects

  • On completion of the training, the candidates need to gain membership to the ICAI before they can start practicing as a CA.

  • A member wishing to practice in India or abroad needs to obtain a Certificate of Practice from the ICAI, the yearly fee of which is Rs. 400. Once the membership is taken, the practicing member cannot work in any other business or occupation without taking permission from the council; they are only permitted to work in areas as specified in the CA regulations.

Jole Roles:

A Chartered Accountant’s work area has become so wide and involves so many activities that sometimes a CA is perceived as almost an enigma. A CA can start career with auditing activities, which is the basic work area of a CA. From here a more fulfilling career in finance can be pursed after getting enough exposure of intricacies of finance. As an investment consultant and as a fund manager a CA can play the role of a top decision maker. CAs also work in project management and consultancy services.

Salary for Chartered Accountant :

  • For CA Inter: Generally candidates holding CA inter-qualification are paid somewhere between Rs 7,500 and 15,000 depending on the type of firm.

  • Payments can be higher for candidates possessing other qualifications such as MCom or an MBA.

  • On the other hand starting salaries can be as little as Rs 4,500 to 5,000 in some small towns of the country. 

  • For CA Final (FCA): Starting salaries range between Rs 12,000 to 30,000 depending on the type of firm and nature of the economy.

  • A fully fledged CA can expect a salary between Rs 30,000 to 75,000 after serving a stint of more than 5 years at a top firm.

Related Articles

0 Comments

No Comments Yet!

There are no comments at the moment, do you want to add one?

Write a comment

Write a Comment

Pi code club ( coding for Kids )

CODING For Kids STEM based Curriculum Practical Sessions

Campus Broadcast Studio

Shri Gauranga Das

GK Gurukul School bags the ‘World Record India’- Annual Concert- Anubhuti 2022