Chartered Accountant - An Overview

Who is Chartered Accountant?

Any individual who is a member of the relevant professional accounting body of his/her nation is a Chartered Accountant. To be a member and designate himself/herself as a Chartered Accountant, he/she has to undergo membership qualification course offered by the relevant institute. In India this governing body or institute is called Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, often abbreviated as ICAI. Indian Chartered Accountancy course is the course offered by ICAI which includes a 4.5 years package of both theoretical and practical education. With this period one is required to sit three different levels of examination and undergo rigorous practical training (aka Articleship Training) for 3 years.

Why Chartered Accountancy?

Chartered accountancy is a prestigious profession which provides numerous opportunities to earn both name, fame and money. The Indian Chartered Accountancy course is designed in such a way that any individual undergoing this course and qualifying as a chartered accountant becomes expert in various fields such as accountancy, finance, audits, business laws and taxation related matters.

With this knowledge and experience various career paths open for a Chartered Accountant. One can go for practice and set up his/her own Chartered Accountants firm to provide various consultancy services, help in business formation, statutory compliances and provide auditing and assurance services to various organizations, firms and individual. Or if one chooses not to setup his/her own profession, then he/she can go for salaried positions in various departments such a finance, accounts, costs and/or audit committee, within an organization.

How to Get Started?

Indian Chartered Accountancy course is actually very easy to get started. You simply need to get yourself registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and then start preparing for entry level Common Proficiency Test (CPT) course. The good part is all materials will be provided by the Institute upon registering and these materials are so well built that going through them carefully is enough to get you good percentage in exams and you can prepare for the exam through self-study at your home alone. For more detailed information on Indian CA course structure see this article.