CPA Exam in India - Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Centres, Salary

CPA Exam in India - Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Centres, Salary

Edited By Sumeet Sudarshan | Updated on Apr 22, 2024 04:30 PM IST

The CPA in India is available since 2021 and candidates can appear for the exam from India without travelling to the Middle East or USA. The CPA in India is an accounting qualification license granted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to practice accountancy in the USA. CPA’s are certified accounting professionals who are hired by a company or firm to handle their accounts department. Before applying for CPA exam, candidates must make sure they fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit the necessary documents to successfully register for CPA in India.

This Story also Contains
  1. CPA Course Duration and Exam in India
  2. CPA in India - Eligibility criteria
  3. CPA in India Application Process
  4. CPA Exam in India - Exam pattern
  5. CPA Syllabus in India
  6. CPA exam centres in India
  7. CPA Course benefits in India
  8. Cost of CPA Course in India
  9. Roles and Responsibilities of CPA
  10. CPA salary in India
CPA Exam in India - Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Centres, Salary
CPA Exam in India - Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Centres, Salary

CPA Course Duration and Exam in India

Within 18 months, candidates must pass the four subjects:

  • Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR),

  • Auditing and Attestation (AUD),

  • Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), and

  • One among Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR)/ Information Systems and Controls (ISC) / Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)


CPA in India - Eligibility criteria

AICPA, world’s largest accounting organization, administers the CPA exams. Candidates need to pass all four CPA examinations to get membership in the AICPA. The 55-state board of accountancy in the United States who are members of NASBA, on the other hand, awards a CPA license. Each state board has its own eligibility for CPA that an aspirant must have to receive a CPA designation.

The following are some guidelines candidates need to follow to get CPA certification in India:

  • A bachelor's degree

  • To appear for US CPA tests, an aspirant requires 120 credits.

  • To acquire a US CPA license the candidate should have at least 150 credits.

  • One year of university education in India is equivalent to 30 credits in the United States.

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CPA in India Application Process

To apply for CPA registration in India the candidate must apply online. The candidate first needs to register and upload the required documents for evaluation to NASBA after paying the international evaluation application fee. After successful evaluation by NASBA to determine the eligibility, the candidate can then register and pay the exam fee.

Application Process for CPA in India

  • Visit the official website- dashboard.nasba.org
  • Create an account with a registered email id.
  • Select CPA portal
  • Upload the necessary documents for evaluation
  • Complete the details for evaluation and determining eligibility
  • Confirmation of eligibility via email by NASBA after approximately 6 weeks
  • Login to the CPA portal again and pay the exam fee to complete the application

Documents Required for CPA in India Application Form

  • Copy of Passport or govt. issued ID card
  • Marksheet of each year/semester of the degree
  • Degree Certificate
  • Complete set of official English translations for marksheets and certificates for non-English documents
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CPA Exam in India - Exam pattern

The CPA exam syllabus requires the candidate to pass three core exam sections and one discipline exam section chosen by the candidate. The three Core exam sections, Auditing and Attestation (AUD), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) and Taxation and Regulation (REG). The three Discipline exam sections available are, Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR), Information Systems and Controls (ISC) and Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP). Each exam is four hour long.

CPA Exam structure

PaperCourseDurationNo. of multiple choice questionTask Based Simulations

Paper-1

Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR)

4 Hours

50 (50% weight)

7 (50% weight)

Paper-2

Auditing & Attestation (AUD)

4 Hours

78 (50% weight)

7 (50% weight)

Paper-3

Regulation (REG)

4 Hours

72 (50% weight)

8 (50% weight)

Paper-4

Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR)

4 Hours

50 (50% weight)

7 (50% weight)
Paper-5Information Systems and Controls (ISC)

4 Hours


82(60% weight)6 (40% weight)
Paper -6

Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)


4 Hours68 (50% weight)7 (50% weight)

CPA Syllabus in India

The syllabus of CPA in India is provided in the table below:

PaperSubjectTopics

Paper-1

Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR)

  • Financial Reporting (30-40%)

  • Select Balance Sheet Accounts (30-40%)

  • Select Transactions (25-35%)

Paper-2

Auditing & Attestation (AUD)

  • Ethics, Professional Responsibilities and General Principles (15-25%)

  • Assessing Risk and Developing a Planned Response (20-30%)

  • Performing Further Procedures and Obtaining Evidence (30-40%)

  • Forming Conclusions & Reporting (15-25%)

Paper-3

Regulation (REG)

  • Ethics, Professional Responsibilities and Federal Tax Procedures (10-20%)

  • Business Law (15-25%)

  • Federal Taxation of Property Transactions (5-15%)

  • Federal Taxation of Individuals (22-32%)

  • Federal Taxation of Entities (23-33%)

Paper-4

Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR)


  • Business Analysis (40-50%)

  • Technical Accounting and Reporting (35%-45%)

  • State and Local Governments (10-20%)

Paper 5Information Systems and Controls (ISC)
  • Information Systems and Data Management (35%-45%)
  • Security, Confidentiality and Privacy (35%-45%)
  • Considerations for System and Organization

    Controls (SOC) Engagements (15-25%)

Paper 6Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)
  • Tax Compliance and Planning for Individuals and Personal Financial Planning (30-40%)
  • Entity Tax Compliance (30-40%)
  • Entity Tax Planning (10-20%)
  • Property Transactions (disposition of assets) (10-20%)

CPA exam centres in India

AICPA & NASBA administers the CPA exam in India at eight test centers. The list of test centres is given below:

  • Hyderabad

  • Ahmedabad

  • Mumbai

  • Delhi

  • Bangalore

  • Chennai

  • Kolkata

  • Thiruvananthapuram

CPA Course benefits in India

A Certified Public Accountant is an respected professional in the world of accounting and finance. A CPA license can boost an accountants careers and also provide plenty of opportunity for upward mobility.

  • Increased Opportunity in the Short Term

  • Increased Opportunity in the Long Term

  • Higher Salary and Benefits Potential

  • Future Job Stability

  • It is a Well-Respected Credential

Job Opportunities after CPA Certification in India

Candidates after getting CPA certification in India can apply for the following job opportunities:

  • Internal Audit Director

  • Tax Manager

  • Vice President, Finance

  • Financial Controller

  • Chief Accountant

  • Finance Manager

  • Finance Director

  • Chief Financial Officer

  • Chief Executive Officer

  • Chief Audit Executive

  • Commercial Director

Cost of CPA Course in India

  • International Evaluation Fee: The international evaluation fee is USD 225

  • Examination Fee: The CPA examination fee for each section is approximately USD 193.45 .

  • Registration Fee: The fee is charged as per the state or depends upon the number of sections chosen by the candidates. One section at a time- USD 63, Two sections at a time- USD 81, Three sections at a time- USD 99 , Four sections at a time- $177 (approx. Rs. 12,900)

  • Ethics Fees for the CPA exam: To attain an ethics license, you should clear the ethics exam according to your state. The ethics fee ranges approximately USD 150 to USD 200.

  • CPA Licensing Fees: Upon completing the ethics exam, candidates are considered eligible to receive the CPA license. This fee needs to be paid every year and is approximately $ 50 to 500 per year and may vary from state to state.

  • Systematic Professional Education for CPA: These fees is approximately $ 800 and increases up to $5000.

Roles and Responsibilities of CPA

The primary roles and responsibilities of a CPA in India are:

  • CPA’s perform tasks such as book-keeping (Physical or technical), financial planning, advising, preparing government audits, recording of taxes, financial policies etc.

  • CPA’swork is to maintain the transaction history of the company.

  • They keep a check on the organization’s budget and financial management.

  • They suggest effective methods to save the capital of the firm.

  • To organize and audit transaction reports.

  • To implement monetary benefits.

  • CPA’s are also involved in the construction as well as nalysis of budgets

  • CPA’s are responsible for updating and applying with the firm new financial methods.

  • To update the management of tax consequences of business judgement.

  • CPA’s are involved in rectifying the errors, fluctuations caused by monetary activities and money and solving fraudulent activities.

  • They handle tax-related activities such as maintaining tax records, tax collection and on-time tax deposits.

  • CPA’s analyze ledgers and estimate the revenue

  • CPA’s also prepare the company balance sheet

  • They act as an advisory for asset safety, company benefits as well as compensations

CPA salary in India

With an increase in organizations, the requirement for CPAs has also increased. Since , their requirement has increased they are paid well. The minimum salary for a CPA is Rs 7.6 lakh per annum.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the eligibility criteria for India students to appear in CPA exam?

Indian graduates in any stream are eligible to apply for CPA.

2. What is the difference between CA and CPA exam?

CPA exam is conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), US. CPA is a single-level exam with 4 papers and is recognized in the US as well as globally. On the other hand, CA exams are conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and is a 3-level exam with 16 papers.

3. Is CPA recognized in India?

Yes, CPA certification is recognized not only in India but also globally.

4. What is the minimum salary of a CPA professional in India?

The minimum salary of CPA professional ranges between 7-8 lakh per annum

5. Is CPA exam difficult to pass?

The difficulty level of the CPA exam is moderate, as there is flexibility in attempting the exam within a period of 18 months. Candidates can prepare strategically by paying equal attention to each section.

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