#CareerBytes: Decoding the CA exam pattern changes made by ICAI
In India, Chartered Accountancy (CA) is one of the most sought-after and toughest professional courses. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) provides the three-level CA program, comprising Foundation, Intermediate, and Final courses. The ICAI has made some changes to the pattern of the upcoming CA exams this year. Here's all you need to know about the CA exam pattern changes and more.
Here are the recent pattern changes announced by ICAI
ICAI recently announced there would be some changes in the pattern of CA exams to be held from May. It listed some papers under the Intermediate (both New and IPC) and Final (New and Old) courses for which the pattern will change. These papers will now have Part-I comprising Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for 30 marks and Part-II with descriptive-type questions for 70 marks.
Exam pattern of these Intermediate level papers will change
Under the CA Intermediate (IPC) course, Paper-2 Business Laws, Ethics, and Communication, Paper-4 Taxation, Paper-6 Auditing and Assurance, and Paper-7 Information Technology and Strategic Management will see some pattern changes. Coming to the CA Intermediate (New) course, changes will be made to the pattern of Paper-2 Corporate and Other Laws, Paper-4 Taxation, Paper-6 Auditing and Assurance, and Paper-7 Enterprise Information Systems and Strategic Management.
What about CA Final level exam papers?
Under CA Final (Old), pattern changes will apply to Paper-4 Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics, Paper-4 Corporate and Allied Laws, Paper-6 Information Systems Control and Audit, Paper-7 Direct Tax Laws, and Paper-8 Indirect Tax Laws. Under Final (New), Paper-3 Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics, Paper-4 Corporate and Economic Laws, Paper-7 Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation, and Paper-8 Indirect Tax Laws will see changes.
Some general preparation tips for CA aspirants
CA is a very tough course and aspirants must ensure there are no flaws in their strategy. They must create a study plan to cover the entire syllabus. They should know how to manage and utilize their time properly. One must practice and revise as much as possible and solve previous papers, mock tests, ICAI's Revision Test Papers to analyze and improve their performance.
Online resources to help candidates prepare for various CA exams
Candidates can take the help of online resources to prepare for various CA exams. They can download useful mobile apps like CA Study, Youth4work's CA Prep, Suphalaam's CA Foundation, EduRev's CA CPT Preparation, Unacademy, and ICAI app. One can also get useful CA course-related material/notes from websites like CA Study Web, CA Notes, ICAI, and SuperProfs among others to prepare for their exams.
What is the pass percentage of the CA program?
Chartered Accountancy is considered one of the most difficult programs not only in the country but also the world. Clearing the various stages of CA and qualifying in the Final exam is very tough. The average pass percentage of the CA program is just 0.5%.
