Business career
How to become a Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountancy is a professional qualification in accounting, audit, taxation and financial reporting, awarded by the ICAI. It is demanding, with low pass rates at each stage, but it remains one of the highest-return professional qualifications available to a Commerce student in India.
The path from class 12
- 1
Class 12 in Commerce
- 2
Register for CA Foundation after class 12
- 3
Clear CA Intermediate while pursuing B.Com in parallel
- 4
Complete the mandatory articleship
- 5
Clear CA Final and register as a practising member
Courses that lead here
Skills you will need
Salary context
Entry level
8 LPA
First role after qualifying
Mid-career
25 LPA
Roughly five to eight years in
Indicative only. Actual compensation varies substantially by city, employer, institution and individual performance. These figures are context for planning, not a projection of what you will earn.
Scope and outlook
Audit firms, corporate finance departments, taxation practice and independent practice. The qualification is portable and holds unusually strong long-term value, but it demands three to five years of consistent effort with a real risk of extended timelines.