An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant or Certified Public Accountant, or Registered Public Accountant. Such professionals are granted certain responsibilities by statute, such as the ability to certify an organization's financial statements, and may be held liable for professional misconduct. Non-qualified accountants may be employed by a qualified accountant, or may work independently without statutory privileges and obligations.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the national professional organization of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the United States, with more than 428,000 members in 130 countries. Founded in 1887 as the American Association of Public Accountants (AAPA), the organization sets ethical standards and U.S. auditing standards. It also develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination. AICPA is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, and maintains additional offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Ewing, New Jersey.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United States, the CPA is a license to provide accounting services to the public. It is awarded by each of the 50 states for practice in that state. Additionally, all states except Hawaii have passed mobility laws to allow CPAs from other states to practice in their state. State licensing requirements vary, but the minimum standard requirements include passing the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, 150 semester units of college education, and one year of accounting-related experience.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) is the world's first professional body of Chartered Accountants (CAs).
Chartered accountants were the first accountants to form a professional accounting body, initially established in Scotland in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants (1854), the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries (1854) and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants (1867) were each granted a royal charter almost from their inception. The title is an internationally recognised professional designation; the certified public accountant designation is generally equivalent to it. Women were able to become chartered accountants only following the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 after which, in 1920, Mary Harris Smith was recognised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and became the first woman chartered accountant in the world.
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is the global professional accounting body offering the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification (CCA). Founded in 1904, It is now the fourth-largest professional accounting body in the world, with 252,500 members and 526,000 student members. ACCA's headquarters are in London with principal administrative office in Glasgow. ACCA works through a network of over 110 offices and centres in 51 countries - with 346 Approved Learning Partners (ALP) and more than 7,600 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide employee development.
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), South Africa’s pre-eminent accountancy body, is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading accounting institutes. The institute provides a wide range of support services to more than 48,000 members and associates who are chartered accountants (CAs(SA)), as well as associate general accountants (AGAs(SA)) and accounting technicians (ATs(SA)).
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, abbreviated as ICAI, is India's largest professional accounting body under the administrative control of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. It was established on 1 July 1949 as a statutory body under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 enacted by the Parliament for promotion, development and regulation of the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India.
The Institute of Financial Analysts of India (IFAI) was established in 1984 as a non-profit educational society in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The institution has been offering education to students across India through its various programs in the field of higher education. The institution was founded by N. J. Yasaswy, Besant C. Raj and Dr. Prasanna Chandra, the Director of Centre for Financial Management.
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a standardized test in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to higher civil services in the Government of India, such as the All India Services and Central Civil Services.
The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI), which was previously known as The Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) is a professional accountancy body in India. It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs of the Government of India. It has as its prime responsibility to contribute to the cost and management accounting profession at the global level.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan is a professional accountancy body in Pakistan. It has over 10,096 members working locally and globally. It was established on July 1, 1961 to regulate the profession of accountancy and audit in Pakistan. It is an autonomous statutory body established under the Chartered Accountants Ordinance, 1961. However, with the significant growth in the profession, the CA Ordinance and By-Laws were revised in 1983.
The Association of International Accountants (AIA) is a professional accountancy body. It was founded in the UK in 1928 and since that date has promoted the concept of ‘international accounting’ to create a global network of accountants in over 85 countries worldwide.
The CPT or Common Proficiency Test was the first level of Chartered Accountancy examinations in India which has been changed to CA Foundation according to ICAI's revised scheme.
The Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka, is a professional body offering qualification in management accountancy in Sri Lanka.
The CA Foundation Course is the entrance level for the chartered accountancy course offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Earlier, it was known as the Common Proficiency Test. CA Foundation contains 5 series of papers. The CA Foundation exam replaced the CA-CPT exam and now is conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) thrice a year. After the CA Foundation exam, students need to complete the Intermediate and Final levels as well to become a chartered accountant
CA Intermediate is the second level exam, of a course in India, Chartered Accountancy. It has six subjects and over 7000 pages of study material that a student is expected to cover in the nine months study period allotted to them.
Cost And Management Accountant (India) aka CMA is a professional qualified certification issued by Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI). A Cost and Management Accountant (CMA) in India plays a pivotal role in the financial and operational management of organizations. CMAs are experts in cost accounting, financial planning, and strategic management, providing critical insights that help businesses optimize their resources, enhance profitability, and ensure sustainable growth. Regulated by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI), the profession requires rigorous education, clear three level of exams and practical training. CMAs are integral to various sectors, including manufacturing, services, and public enterprises, where they contribute to effective cost control, performance evaluation, and strategic decision-making. CMAs maintain and utilize accounting record to built plans, policies and strategies organizational goal for the optimum performance.
A Company Secretary in India is a qualified secretary of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). Prerequisites for membership are successful completions of the ISCI’s theory and practical training exams. Company Secretaries are required for every Indian Company listing on the stock exchange, public or private, with share capitals of Rs 10 crores or higher. As a qualified professional, a company secretary is required to perform the duties enumerated by the ICSI for organisations engaged in manufacturing or service for ensuring proper compliance with legal and taxation-related controls to be followed through the course of its operations. These policies clear any ambiguities for the organisations in the maintenance of their book of accounts. The ICSI has +70000 Company Secretaries. Their roles include facilitating meetings of the Board of Directors, providing guidance on formation, mergers and liquidations and representing the company in arbitration or the Company Law Board, among other tasks.
The CA Final is the final level exam in the chartered accountancy course offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). CA Final exam is divided into two groups and consists of 6 set of papers with 100 mark each. Before the CA Final exam, students must clear Foundation and Intermediate exams. The exam paper will be divided into objective and subjective questions with time duration of 3 hours.
