How to Become a Chartered Accountant After 12th or Graduatio

Who is a Chartered Accountant?

The Chartered Accountant designation comes with experience in the financial area and a certificate from any recognized chartered accountancy body, like the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales or similar institutes in other countries. The very prefix 'Chartered Accountant' speaks volumes about the high level of professionalism involved in accounting, auditing, taxation, financial management, and other areas of finance.



The Key Responsibilities and Roles of a Chartered Accountant include:


1. Financial Reporting: CAs report on and prepare financial statements for approval to ensure that the regulatory standards in financial reporting are complied with, together with the correct portraiture of an organization's financial position.


2. Auditing: Auditing of the financial statement done with sufficient accuracy finds fraud and determines whether the organization complies with the relevant laws and regulations. They could be external auditors working for different firms, or they may also be internal auditors in one organization only.


3. Taxation: The chartered accountants offer tax planning and advisory services for both individuals and companies. They assist their clients in reducing their liabilities to the barest minimum within the ambit of the law while advising them on compliance with the provisions of the tax laws.


4. Management Accounting: CAs advise and provide insight into financial planning, budgeting, and financial management strategies that enable a business to make informed decisions leading towards profitability and efficiency.


5. Advisory Services: Chartered accountants also undertake consulting assignments in business strategy issues, mergers and amalgamations, risk management, and corporate finance.


6. Forensic Accounting: CAs also practice as forensic accountants in finance-related disputes or fraud investigations through the analyses of illegal activities in financial data.


7. Corporate Governance and Compliance: They ensure the companies are practising standards of corporate governance and adhere to all legal and statutory requirements.


Qualification and Professional Training:



Before one qualifies to be a Chartered Accountant, serious professional training has to take place involving the following:


Educational Qualification: There are a few academic backgrounds in commerce that help, though it may be optional. After studies at the secondary level, students who intend to become CAs have to follow a course of action involving passing various examinations but with necessary practical training.



Professional Examination: The multi-tier examination at Foundation, Intermediate, and Final stages covers different subjects relating to accounting, law, taxation, and finance within the CA qualification. Articleship Training: A student intending to become a chartered accountant must undergo the mandatory practical training under the practising CA, called Articleship assistance. During this training period, one learns practically in most of the areas of accounting and finance.