With the rapid growth in economy, careers in finance and accounts have gained tremendous popularity and the most prestigious career option in this field is that of Chartered Accountant. Chartered Accountancy is a dynamic, challenging and rewarding profession. All the countries have their own Accountancy Association which regulates the quality and quantity of the professionals in this field. Chartered Accountancy Course is a professional course in Accounting introduced in our country in 1949, with the enactment of the Chartered Accountants Act. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) was formed the same year.

This Institute is both an examining and a licensing body. It is the responsibility of the institute to conduct the Chartered accountancy (CA) Course. The course involves a blend of theoretical education and practical training which run concurrently for a period of three years and equips a student with knowledge, ability, skills and other qualities required of a professional accountant.

Chartered accountant is one who is specialized in accounting, auditing and taxation. He also serves as a management and corporate caretaker. In recent times, accountancy has become popular as a profession. The service of a CA is required in money matters even in a small business. Moreover according to the Company Act only CA's in professional practice are allowed to be appointed as auditors of companies in India. A chartered accountant is a person who is accepted as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) after having passed the Final examination of the Chartered accountancy course conducted by the institute.

CA program is of two years apart from the training period. It has three sections, Competency Professional Test (CPT), Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC) and Final examination. The registration for CPT and IPCC is open throughout the year. A student may register at any time during the year. However, as the examination of CPT will be held twice a year in June and December and IPCC in May & November, it is necessary that a student must register at least two months before & IPCC ten months before, the examinations. After passing the IPCC candidates are eligible for registration as articled clerks/audit clerks for practical training. After successful completion of article ship student may appear for CA-Final exam.

Articled clerk is a trainee attached to a practicing chartered accountant under a Deed of Articles for the duration three years. During this period the articled clerk will also need to continue studies for the CA exam. An audit clerk is a person who has served as a salaried employee for a minimum period of one year under a practicing chartered accountant. During the training period, candidates would be required to work in different areas learning the basics of auditing and taxation. This training enables them to learn the technical details of the job as well as to get an idea of the working environment of the profession.

The scope for this lucrative career is bright in an economically developing nation like ours and as such the career can be termed as challenging and rewarding for competent professionals in the field. Nowadays, the profession of Chartered Accountancy or CA. has become an eminent and reputed profession in the spreading corporate culture. This is a profession that acts with integrity and is committed to supporting financial responsibility, transparency and accountability at all levels of society-from individuals, to business, to Governments.

Chartered Accountancy is a challenging profession that offers practice or job opportunities in the areas of accounting, auditing, corporate finance, project evaluation, and company and other business laws, taxation and corporate governance. The multi-faceted knowledge a chartered accountant enjoys through unique academic programme blended with practical training is what the business and industry need in the advent of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation of Indian economy.

Chartered Accountants are better equipped to discharge accounting and audit functions in a computerized business environment. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a premier professional accountancy body of the country, established in July, 1949 under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, enacted by the Parliament to regulate the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India. The Institute is governed by a Council in accordance with provisions of the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 as amended by the Chartered Accountants (Amendment) Act, 2006 (No.9 of 2006) and the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988. The Council consists of 40 members of whom 32 are elected from among the members of the Institute and 8 are nominated by the Government of India.

Under the existing chartered accountancy scheme of education, training and examination, the requirements for becoming a chartered accountant are as follows :

• Enrol with the Institute for Common Proficiency Test (CPT) after passing class 10th examination conducted by an examining body constituted by law in India or an examination recognized by the Central Government as equivalent thereto.
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• Appear in CPT after appearing in the senior secondary examination (10+2 examination) conducted by an examining body constituted by law in India or an examination recognized by the Central Government as equivalent thereto and after completion of specified period (60 days) from the date of registration for CPT with the Board of Studies as on the first day of the month in which examination is to be held, viz., students registered on or before 1st April/1st October will be eligible to appear in June/December examination, as the case may be. However, candidate should pass both CPT and 10+2 before registering for Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC). As per recent amendments to the curriculum, a student with minimum 60% in graduation is eligible for direct enrolment in the IPCC course along with articleship, without appearing for CPT.
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• Enrol for Group I or Group II or for both Group I and Group II of Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC) to become "Chartered Accountant".
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• Successfully complete 9 months of study course from the date of IPCC registration.
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• Successfully complete Orientation Course of one week spanning 35 hours and covering topics, such as personality development, communication skills, office procedure, business environment, general commercial knowledge, etc., before commencement of articled training
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• Successfully complete 100 hours Information Technology Training (ITT) before commencement of articled training.
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• Appear and pass Group I as well as Group II of Integrated Professional Competence Examination (IPCE). Group I is composed of four papers and Group II is composed of three papers.
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• Register as Articled Assistant for a period of 3 years, on passing either Group I or both the Groups of IPCE.
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• Register for CA Final Course and prepare for CA Final Examination.
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• Undergo General Management and Communication Skills (GMCS) (15 days) course while undergoing Final Course and serving the last 12 months of articled training.
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• Complete 3 years period of articled training.
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• Appear in the Final Examination on completion of the practical training or while serving last 6 months of articled training on or before the last day of the month preceding the month in which the examination is to be held.
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• Pass final examination and complete GMCS, if not completed earlier.
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• Enrol as a member of ICAI and designate as "Chartered Accountant". Chartered Accountancy Course For further details visit http://220.227.161.86/19323ca_atcourse260510.pdf or www.icai.org