How to Become a CA in India? Complete Process, Eligibility, Course Guide
Becoming a Chartered Accountant in India is a journey that requires dedication and discipline. The professional course is regulated by ICAI. To become a CA in India, one has to start after 12th. Check here step-by-step process of how to become CA in India.
How to become CA in India?
Chartered Accountant or CA is popular career option among students who have interest in the field of Finance. The course is administered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The organization also regulates CA profession in India. Also known as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) or Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) in some countries, the Chartered Accountant profession is monetarily rewarding.
Explore popular CA colleges for you
Based on ,CA
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
However, the journey of a CA is not easy. It requires rigorous study and years of dedication. In this blog, we have shared the path to become a CA in India.
- How to Become CA in India?
- How to Become CA in India? (Foundation or Direct Entry)
- What After CA Foundation?
- CA Foundation Course Syllabus
- CA Intermediate Course Syllabus
- CA Job Profiles and Salary
How to Become CA in India?
To become a Chartered Accountant in India, one has to register with the ICAI. However, the preparation of CA career should start much earlier. Which means, if a student wishes to become a CA in future, he/she must opt for Commerce with Maths stream in Class 11 and 12. It isn’t that non-commerce students cannot crack this profession, but those who have studied accountancy, taxation, statistics, etc. already, will find CA course a relatively familiar field to play.
The CA course regulated by ICAI has three levels. To be certified as a professional, an individual has to clear all three levels of the CA Course:
How to Become CA in India? (Foundation or Direct Entry)
There are two routes to pursue the Chartered Accountancy course in India. One is after Class 12 and the another is after Graduation.
- Foundation Route
- Direct Entry Route
1. Foundation Route
To purse CA course through Foundation route, one has to register for CA Foundation course level after Class 12, and complete all three courses – one by one. One should have scored a minimum of 50% in class 12 to pursue CA.
After registering for CA Foundation, the candidate will get 4-months of study period to cover the course syllabus and prepare for the exam. Thereafter, the candidate can fill the CA Foundation exam form and appear for it. Minimum marks required to clear the Foundation level is 40 percent in all papers and 55 percent overall.
Explore more Accounting & Commerce exams with upcoming dates
20 Nov '25 - 22 Nov '25
20 Nov '25 - 22 Nov '25
20 Nov '25 - 22 Nov '25
1 Aug '25 - 30 Nov '25
1 Aug '25 - 30 Nov '25
30 Nov '25
30 Nov '25
30 Nov '25
13 Dec '25
1 Feb '26 - 30 Apr '26
Also Read: Detailed CA Eligibility Criteria
2. Direct Entry Route
The second option is Direct Entry route. Candidates who decide to pursue CA as a profession after completing graduation can opt for Direct Entry route. This course pathway allows candidates to start the course directly from CA Intermediate level. Eligibility criteria for direct entry route is:
- Bachelor’s degree in Commerce stream with minimum 55% aggregate
- Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Humanities/Science with minimum 60% aggregate
What After CA Foundation?
After clearing the CA Foundation exam, the candidate has to register for CA Intermediate course and follow the given steps. Those registering for the course through direct route will also have to follow the same steps.
- Crack Group 1 of CA Intermediate
- Register for the practical training.
- Crack both groups.
- Complete the CA Articleship Training (3 years)
- Enroll for the CA Final Course
- Crack CA Final Group 1 and Group 2
- Apply for the ICAI Membership
- Get certified as a CA to start professional practice
The passing marks for CA Final is minimum of 40 per cent aggregate in each individual subject and 50 per cent aggregate of all the subjects at one sitting in either both the groups or a single group. Candidates who do not score the minimum percentage, have to take the exam again in the next cycle.
Students can make as many attempts as they can because, to complete the Chartered Accountancy course, one needs to clear all the course levels with passing marks. The CA course is of a very high difficulty level and even the toppers manage to score not more than 70-75 per cent. A large number of students cannot clear a course level in one go. The pass percentage hovers around 25 to 30 percent.
There is no limit on the number of attempts and it is totally upto the individual as to how many attempts they will require. The CA Intermediate exam is tough and requires about 2-3 attempts on an average. The overall pass percentage of CA exam is usually low at 20-25%.
CA Intermediate course level comprises two groups, Group I and Group 2. To clear the course level, candidate has to clear both groups with minimum 50% marks in aggregate. CA Final too has two course groups and one has to clear both groups to be able to complete the course.
CA Foundation Course Syllabus
CA Foundation has 4 papers. The CA Foundation exam is conducted thrice in a year – January, May and September.
- CA Foundation Paper 1 Accounting
- CA Foundation Paper 2 Business Laws
- CA Foundation Paper 3 Quantitative Aptitude
- CA Foundation Paper 4 Business Economics
Also Read:
Usually, an individual takes about 3 to 5 attempts to clear the CA Final exam. The course level is too difficult to crack in the first attempt. The overall CA Final pass percentage of any session is usually between 20-25 percent only. It is mainly due to the fact that one needs to clear both groups of the CA Final course. The vastness of CA Final syllabus makes it difficult to crack it in the first attempt.
No, candidates do not need to create fresh login for every attempt of CA Foundation exam. Students can register for the CA Foundation exam with the login created for the first time. The same login ID remains valid for the entire course. Students must note that to apply for the exam, they have to create a login at SSP portal of the ICAI exam and not on the home website. The SSP Portal login is valid upto 3 years for Foundation. Candidates can revalidate their login upon expiry by paying INR 300.
It is not neccessary to have studied commerce in class 12 for clearing CA Foundation. Student from any stream can pursue CA course. Having studied Commerce with Maths in class 12, can be an advantage, as the student will have a strong base in several topics related to accounting, taxation, economy, etc.
CA Intermediate Course Syllabus
CA Intermediate has 6 papers (3 papers in each group). The CA Intermediate exam is conducted thrice in a year – January, May and September.
- CA Inter (Group 1) Paper - 1: Advanced Accounting
- CA Inter (Group 1) Paper - 2: Corporate and Other Laws
- CA Inter (Group 1) Paper - 3: Taxation
- CA Inter (Group 2) Paper - 4: Cost and Management Accounting
- CA Inter (Group 2) Paper - 5: Auditing and Ethics
- CA Inter (Group 2) Paper – 6: Financial Management & Ethics Management
Also Read:
CA Final Course Syllabus
CA Final has 6 papers (3 papers in each group). The CA Final exam is conducted thrice in a year – January, May and September. Check CA Final syllabus below:
- CA Final (Group 1) Paper-1: Financial Reporting
- CA Final (Group 1) Paper-2: Advanced Financial Management
- CA Final (Group 1) Paper-3: Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics
- CA Final (Group 2) Paper-4: Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation
- CA Final (Group 2) Paper-5: Indirect Tax Laws
- CA Final (Group 2) Paper-6: Integrated Business Solutions (Multidisciplinary Case Study with Strategic Management)
Also Read:
CA Job Profiles and Salary
After completing the CA course, one can start individual practice or join an auditing/finance firm. The Big Four firms in this field are Deloitte, PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), EY (Ernst & Young), and KPMG. Individual organisations also hire CAs in their Finance department to take care of taxes and reporting. Listed below are some of the popular CA job profiles and salaries.
| Chartered Accountancy Job Profile |
CA Salary in India |
|---|---|
| Chartered Accountants |
INR 10 LPA |
| Financial Controllers |
INR 15 LPA |
| Tax Accountants |
INR 8 LPA |
| Chief Financial Officers |
INR 6 LPA |
| Auditors |
INR 7 LPA |
Read More:
The minimum eligibility criteria for pursuing CA course is class 12 pass or equivalent from a recognised institute or university. Candidates who have completed graduation can directly take admission at CA Intermediate level. Check below:
CA Foundation Eligibility Criteria
Candidates who have:
CA Intermediate Eligibility Criteria
CA Final Eligibility Criteria