CA Course & Syllabus Details

By IIC Lakshya

19 Jul 2025

Chartered Accountancy (CA) is one of the most respected and rewarding professional courses in business. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) runs the CA course, which teaches students about accounting, auditing, taxes, financial reporting, and corporate law. People think highly of it because of its well-organized curriculum and tough training. The CA qualification offers doors all around the world, whether you want to work for a big MNC, establish your own business, or become a CFO. The new ICAI scheme, which started in 2023 and was modified in 2025, changed the course structure to make it more useful and relevant around the world.

Overview of the CA Course Structure

There are four primary parts to the Chartered Accountancy course, and you must finish them in order:

CA Foundation: Test for people who have just finished Class 12.
CA Intermediate: basic theoretical and practical subjects
Articleship Training: Two years of hands-on instruction with a CA
CA Final: Advanced knowledge and understanding of all subjects

The course is set up such that students learn both theory and practice, which makes them become skilled professionals.

CA Course & Syllabus Details

1. CA Foundation (Entry-Level Test)

Eligibility: Passed or appearing in Class 12.

Duration: 4 months of study (exam held in June and December)

Subjects (4 Papers):

Paper 1: Accounting (100 points)

The objective is to develop an understanding of the basic concepts of and principles of accounting, and apply the same in preparing financial statements and simple problem solving.

This paper introduces students to the core accounting framework that forms the backbone of the entire CA course. Students begin with understanding accounting standards, accounting concepts, and the accounting cycle. Topics include journal entries, ledger posting, trial balance preparation, and final account preparation.

Students also learn how to prepare financial statements for different types of businesses such as sole proprietorships and partnership firms. Advanced areas include depreciation accounting, bank reconciliation statements, inventory valuation methods, and rectification of errors.

This subject is heavily practical and requires numerical accuracy. It develops analytical ability and strengthens understanding of financial reporting.

Paper 2: Business Laws (100 points)

Students learn about fundamental legal principles governing business operations. Key areas include the Indian Contract Act, Sale of Goods Act, and basic partnership law provisions. The focus is on understanding legal enforceability, rights and obligations of parties, and business dispute resolution.

Students develop the ability to interpret legal language and apply legal concepts to real-life business situations.

Business Communication Section

This portion trains students in drafting professional emails, business letters, reports, and formal correspondence. It also improves comprehension and vocabulary skills, which are crucial for client communication and corporate documentation.

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude (Statistics, LR, Math) (100 points)

This paper develops analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills required in finance and auditing.

Business Mathematics

Students learn topics such as ratios, indices, linear equations, calculus basics, and time value of money. These concepts help in financial modelling and investment analysis later.

Logical Reasoning

This section builds critical thinking through puzzles, coding-decoding, and pattern recognition. It improves decision-making and analytical speed.

Statistics

Students study statistical techniques including probability, correlation, regression, and data interpretation. These tools help professionals analyse financial trends and risk patterns.

Paper 4: Business Economics (100 points)

All papers are now descriptive, and there is no more negative marking. To be eligible, you need at least 50% overall and 40% in each topic.

Business Economics

Students study demand and supply, market structures, production theories, and price determination. This helps in understanding how economic forces influence business performance.

Business and Commercial Knowledge

This section introduces students to business environments, industry structures, financial markets, and commercial terminology. It builds awareness of corporate operations and industry trends.

2. CA Intermediate (Middle Level)

Eligibility: You must have passed the CA Foundation or be eligible for direct enrollment (for example, B.Com graduates with 55% or higher).

Duration: 8 months of study with the Integrated Course on Information Technology and Soft Skills (ICITSS)

Subjects: Split into two groups, each with three papers

Group I:

Paper 1: Advanced Accounting

This subject focuses on complex accounting treatments used in corporate and partnership financial reporting. Students learn accounting for company accounts, insurance claims, branch accounting, amalgamation, and internal reconstruction.

The paper introduces accounting standards issued by ICAI and teaches their practical application in financial statement preparation. It strengthens understanding of financial disclosures and reporting accuracy.

Paper 2: Laws for Businesses and Others

This paper focuses on corporate governance and regulatory frameworks.

Students study the Companies Act, including company incorporation, share capital management, board responsibilities, and corporate meetings. The syllabus also includes other business laws such as LLP regulations and legal compliance requirements.

The subject develops interpretation skills required for corporate legal advisory roles

Paper 3: Taxes (Direct and Indirect)

This paper introduces students to Indian taxation systems and compliance procedures.

Direct Tax

Students learn Income Tax fundamentals including residential status, income computation under different heads, deductions, exemptions, and tax planning strategies.

Indirect Tax

This includes Goods and Services Tax (GST), covering supply classification, input tax credit, GST registration, and return filing procedures.

The paper trains students to interpret tax laws and apply tax planning strategies effectively.

Group II:

Paper 4: Cost and Management Accounting

This subject focuses on internal cost control and performance evaluation. Students learn cost sheet preparation, budgeting, standard costing, variance analysis, and marginal costing techniques. It helps organizations optimize production costs and improve profitability.

Paper 5: Ethics and Auditing

Students learn auditing principles, audit procedures, internal control systems, audit documentation, and ethical responsibilities of auditors. The paper also focuses on professional conduct and fraud detection techniques.

Paper 6: Management of finances and strategy

Financial Management

Students learn capital budgeting, working capital management, investment appraisal, cost of capital, and dividend decisions.

Strategic Management

This section teaches business strategy formulation, competitive analysis, and organizational performance evaluation.

Each paper is worth 100 points. To pass a group, you need to get at least 50% overall and 40% on each paper.

3. Articleship Training

Along with academic studies, CA students complete mandatory articleship training under practicing Chartered Accountants. During training, students gain real-life experience in auditing, taxation, financial reporting, and compliance work. This practical exposure is one of the strongest advantages of the CA course.

Eligibility: After passing both groups of the CA Intermediate

Duration: 2 years (3 years before, now 2 years in the new plan)

Students work under a working CA during their articleship and get hands-on experience in:

Auditing & Assurance
Planning and filing taxes
Reporting on finances
Advisory and internal control services

Students must also finish Advanced ICITSS (Information Technology + Management Communication) before taking the CA Final exam.

4. CA Final (Advanced Level)

Eligibility: After finishing CA Intermediate and 6 months of articleship

Subjects: Two groups of three papers each

Group I:

Paper 1: Financial Reporting

This is one of the most technical subjects in CA Final. Students study advanced accounting standards including Ind AS and IFRS-based reporting. Topics include consolidated financial statements, financial instruments, share-based payments, and corporate restructuring.

The subject prepares students for global financial reporting roles.

Paper 2: Advanced Management of Money

Students learn advanced investment strategies, derivatives, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, and international financial management.

This subject focuses heavily on analytical decision-making in corporate finance.

Paper 3: Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics

This paper covers advanced audit procedures, forensic auditing, corporate governance frameworks, and audit of specialized entities like banks and insurance companies. It also emphasizes ethical responsibilities of chartered accountants.

Group II:

Paper 4: Taxes on Income and Taxes on Business

Students study advanced income tax concepts including corporate taxation, transfer pricing, and international tax treaties. The paper builds expertise in global taxation and cross-border financial transactions.

Paper 5: Laws about indirect taxes

This paper focuses on advanced GST compliance, customs law, import-export taxation, and international trade regulations.

Paper 6: Multidisciplinary Case Study (test with open book)

This is a case-study-based paper that integrates accounting, auditing, taxation, finance, and law. Students analyse real-world business scenarios and provide strategic financial solutions.

The final papers are meant to see how well you can combine what you've learned with ethics and professionalism.

Key CA Exam Tips

Don't forget how important articleship is. A lot of students just think about their tests, however articleship is the most important part of your CA journey. Pick your firm carefully; working with a wide range of customers and genuine cases can give you a big professional edge.

There is no age limit for the CA course.
Language of the Test, English or Hindi
ICAI's self-study materials, online coaching, or in-person classes
All papers are now descriptive, and only some parts of the intermediate have MCQs.
Unlimited (although it's advisable to pass on the first or second try to keep your CV strong)

To become a member of ICAI and get the title of Chartered Accountant, you need to pass the CA Final, do two years of articleship, and take the GMCS course.

Is CA the right choice?

If you want a hard yet rewarding job in accounting, finance, or auditing, you should definitely go for CA. It takes a lot of work, consistency, and a practical attitude, but the results are amazing. The 2025 CA curriculum is more in line with worldwide trends, helps you understand more about your profession, and gets you ready for changing roles in the business world.

Did you know?

ICAI announced a new CA scheme in 2023 after more than 15 years. It shortened the articleship, updated the syllabus to match worldwide norms, and added open-book exams to CA Final. This was done to encourage real-world problem-solving and professional judgment.