How to Pursue CA After Graduation? Eligibility, Fees and Career Prospects

Chartered Accountants are highly qualified professionals who handle a wide range of responsibilities within the accountancy spectrum. They are always in demand due to their skills including technical skills & competencies, veracity, and professional standards.

Every company requires CA professionals as they possess an incredible knowledge of financial laws and regulations and can handle monetary issues without worrying about the legal ramifications that might jeopardize the ongoing business.

Pursuing a CA course is a popular choice among students as it equips them with complete knowledge of Financial Management and Auditing, Fiscal Laws, Regulations, Strategic Financial Management, and Ethics, amongst others. 

Percentage Required	55% for commerce 60% for Arts/humanities/science
Duration	3-3.5 years
Eligibility	55% for Commerce students 60% for arts or science students Must have studied any 3 commerce-related subjects like Accounting, Auditing, Economics, Corporate Laws, Taxation, etc.
Fees	19,000-27,000 INR
Process	1. Directly appear for IPCC 2. After 9 months, complete the Articleship.
Syllabus	Business Ethics and Communication Courses, Costing, Taxation, Advanced Accounting Courses, Auditing, Insurance, Information Technology, Strategic Management, etc.

How to Become a CA?

There are two popular ways through which students can aim to obtain a CA qualification. You can pursue this qualification either after completing 12th or attaining a bachelor’s degree.

For those wanting to pursue CA after the 12th, the CPT route, i.e. the erstwhile CA Foundation can be taken. On the other hand, for those wanting to CA after graduation, the direct entry scheme allows them to have the CPT exemption by attaining a specific percentage in their graduate degree.

Here’s how you can pursue CA after 12th and CA After Graduation:

CA Course	CA After Class 12th	CA After Graduation
Minimum Duration	4.5 Years	3 Years
Level	CPT/CA Foundation	Direct Entry
Exception	None	No CPT
IPCC Eligibility	9 months after IPCC	9 months after Articleship
Articleship Eligibility	After Group I of IPCC	After Registration

Through CPT Route: Completing Class XIIth

Standard 12th appearing/pass-out students who are looking to undertake the CA course have to sit for the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) which has been renamed as CA Foundation. After successfully clearing it, the candidate needs to appear for both groups of the CA IPCC exam and then ultimately for the CA final exam.

Along with this, they will have to complete 9 months of practical training called articles as well. Take a look at the following table for the dates and deadlines for CA Foundation 2024:

CA Foundation 2024 Events	Important Dates
Registration Ends	February 2024
Expected Result Date	June 14 to June 20, 2024
Admit Card	April 2024

Why Pursue CA?

CA After Graduation

Here is what you need to know about CA after graduation:

The percentage required for CA after graduation is as follows:

• A minimum of 55% for commerce graduates or postgraduates
• A minimum of 60% for Arts/Humanities/Science graduates or postgraduates

The minimum duration to pursue CA after graduation is 3 years as you can directly take IPCC exams after 9 months from registering yourself after which you also need to complete 2.5-3 Years of Articleship to become a Chartered Accountant.

You can pursue CA after graduation by getting the CPT exemption if you have the specified percentage of marks required to get exempted from the CPT exam and then you can directly begin your articles and further take the IPCC exams.

Eligibility for CA after Graduation

Following are the eligibility requirements you need to fulfil in order to apply for CA after graduation or completing XIIth grade:

• Students must have secured at least 55% marks in their graduation/post-graduation if from a Commerce-related field. Those wanting to study CA after graduation need to have studied at least three commerce-related subjects such as Accounting, Auditing, Economics, Corporate Law, Taxation, and Costing amongst others. 
• On the other hand, if your graduation/post-graduation is from a non-commerce background, the minimum marks can climb up to 60%.
• You need to clear the Company Secretary (CS) intermediate exams conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India or the (CWA) intermediate exams conducted by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

CA Course Fees

The fees for pursuing a CA after graduation hover around 19,000-27,000 INR. This includes registration fees, article registration fees, orientation course fees and information technology fees. Visit the official ICAI website for more details.

CA After Graduation: Career Prospects

There are a variety of options available for a career in commerce stream. As the CA course structure and curriculum is highly rigorous and incorporate practical training and information technology training, it is highly regarded by companies and recruiters. Further, CAs can also choose to combine their knowledge with other qualifications like MBA, CFA course, FRM Exam, etc. Some of the common career options for CA after graduation have been outlined below.

Job Profile Expected Salary
Internal Auditor 3.3 Lakh
Cost Accountant 5 Lakh
Tax Specialist 6.8 Lakh
Investment Banker 4.4 Lakh
Asset Manager 9.2 Lakh
Finance Manager 13 Lakh
Tax Auditor 5 Lakh

CA Direct Entry Scheme after Graduation

A student can sign up for a course to pursue a CA after graduation as well and can appear for the CPT, while CA Foundation exam. This is one of the major reasons why graduate students look for the answers to How to Become a Chartered Accountant.

Candidates with a specific percentage of graduation can directly apply for articles and IPCC Exams. Further, the Direct Entry scheme for CA exempts students from the CPT exam and you can directly appear for the CA Intermediate level exam.

The steps constituting the Direct Entry Scheme of the CA course are mentioned below:

1. Enrol for IPCC both groups
2. 100 hours of Information Technology Training
3. Orientation Course
4. Complete 9 months of mandatory Practical Training (Articleship)
5. Appearing for both groups of the IPCC exam
6. CA Final exam
7. Awarding of the CA designation

Also Read: BAF Course

Duration

The duration for the two routes of the CA certification varies, i.e.

• For a student wanting to pursue the CA course after class XIIth, they are required to take the CPT route which spans across a minimum of 4.5 years.
• For a candidate aiming to become a CA after graduation, the Direct Entry route will encompass a minimum of 3 years.

Further, when it comes to the maximum duration, there is no specified period as the number of attempts as well as age limit has been removed by the ICAI.

CA Course Syllabus After Graduation

There are three levels of the exams for the CA course which you need to qualify to attain this sought-after designation. Let’s take a look at these three exam levels and what they entail:

1. Common Proficiency Test (CPT): The CPT or CA Foundation is a preliminary accounting exam. It carries 200 marks and tests an individual on the Fundamentals of Accounting, Mercantile Laws, General Economics and Quantitative Aptitude and other important topics that are a part of the CA Foundation Syllabus. 
   
2. Integrated Professional Competence (IPCC): Advanced Accounting concepts are specifically dealt with during the two-group IPCC exams. The vast syllabus of IPCC encompasses Business Ethics and Communication, Costing, Taxation, Advanced Accounting, Auditing, health insurance, Information Technology, Strategic Management etc. Students in their final year of graduation are also allowed to appear for this exam.
   
3. CA Final: The final stage of the CA course is the most difficult one to crack. It tests highly complex and advanced topics like Financial Reporting, Professional Ethics, Strategic Finance, Advanced Management, Accountancy, etc. Passing this level paves the way for you to head closer to acquiring the CA certification.

Also Read: Commerce Stream

FAQs

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We hope that this blog provides you with an insightful analysis of the CA course and the process of pursuing the CA after graduation.

If you are uncertain about where you should pursue a CA course or look forward to studying other accountant courses, then the AI-enabled algorithm at Leverage Edu can help you select an ideal program that can guide you in tackling the challenging path of a CA.