Written by [email protected]• January 8, 2018• 2:42 am• Chartered Accountancy

CA FAQs

HomeChartered AccountancyCA FAQs

Should I skip going to an under-graduate program (Eg – Bcom, Econ etc.) to directly pursue CA after the 12th Standard?

While the ICAI allows candidates to directly pursue the CA curriculum without needing an under-graduate degree, one should weigh the pros and cons of the decision carefully. The strongest pro of deciding to skip college is saving ~3-4 years of time that one would spend in college before starting the program (since the 3 year articleship cannot be done alongside a regular college due to clash in office timing regulations laid out by ICAI). However, cons of skipping college include no downside protection in case of difficulty in clearing exams at a later stage of the program, not having any classroom learning experience and not having a college experience and network that one would typically build during college. Some of the mitigants to avoid spending an extra 2-3 years of time include enrolling in a long-distance under-grad program like IGNOU or enrolling in a morning college which does not clash with the guidelines laid out by ICAI.

Should I spend 3-4 years after a strong under-graduate program (For e.g. – Top DU colleges like SRCC and LSR) to pursue the CA program?

Decision to pursue CA after an under-graduate program should be weighed against one’s long term career aspirations. If one aspires to have a career in a field that requires a practice license or subject matter expertise like audit, accounting advisory or tax advisory, then it is only logical to purse the program. However, if one is open to other long term career choices like general management, strategy consulting, investment banking etc., one needs to weigh the decision to do CA against other education paths like pursuing an MBA from top business schools in India albeit at a high financial cost but arguably also at a higher compensation outcome in the short term.

A good test to gauge one’s interest in core accounting and taxation areas would be to undertake the intermediate examination of the CA program alongside your undergraduate program. Studying some subjects like financial management as part of the intermediate exam as well as going through course material of the CFA program can help you gauge your interest in a career in finance as well.

IB Analyst and Associates at top firms (Post-MBA)
Consultants at strategy firms (Post-MBA)
Current Analyst / Associates at other buy side funds who are on Track roles
MBAs with Pre-MBA PE experience in India

Since each of the above pools are mature in size, the number of qualified applicants are very high as compared to the demand for new roles

Given the low pass percentage for CA Exams, how do I decide if I can complete CA program successfully?

The CA Program is one of the most rigorous courses with exams becoming progressively difficult at each level. However, lower pass percentages should not be your criteria when deciding whether to pursue the program. One should try to corelate it with one’s interest in the overall program and subjects offered. An early indicator for your success in the Final exams is your performance in the Intermediate Examinations. If you are struggling to clear both the groups of the Inter level repeatedly (2-3 attempts) despite spending adequate time and reasonable effort, chances are it will be difficult to clear the Finals as well since the CA Final exams are a significantly advanced version of the Inter examinations.

One’s ability to clear the Inter examination is not necessarily a test of one’s capability or intelligence as it is of one’s interest. It is important to assess that as early as possible before you decide to invest the next 3-4 years of your life by beginning your articleship journey and preparation for CA Finals.