CA vs CS: Course Structure, Exams, Fees, Career & Salary Insights
Published on: April 2, 2025
The Chartered Accountancy (CA) and Company Secretary (CS) courses are among the leading professional courses of the country. Both are highly regarded in their respective domains, offering promising opportunities for growth, success, and recognition.
CA focuses on financial management, auditing, and taxation, while CS delves into corporate governance, legal compliance, and advisory roles. Each course has its unique challenges, scope, and professional rewards.
This blog will deal with the CA and CS professions, exploring their roles, responsibilities, and career prospects, course details, exams and salary of qualified professionals.
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WHAT IS CA?
Chartered Accountancy (CA) is a professional course offered by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). A CA specializes in accounting, auditing, taxation, financial management, and business laws. CAs are highly sought after in both the corporate sector and private practice. It is one of the toughest courses in India and gains global recognition and reputation.
WHAT IS CS?
Company Secretary (CS) is a professional course regulated by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). A CS specializes in corporate laws, governance, compliance, and company secretarial practices. They ensure that companies adhere to legal and regulatory requirements in their day-to-day functioning.
CA COURSE DURATION
The duration of the CA course can be summarized as below:
CS Course Duration
The duration of the CS course can be summarized as below:
CA SYLLABUS
The syllabus of the CA course can be found below :
CA FOUNDATION :
CA INTERMEDIATE :
SELF-PACED ONLINE MODULES
In the current dynamic economic scenario, the Institute must adopt a new approach to developing, updating, and delivering professional accountancy education and training. The process of developing a Chartered Accountant must centrally involve critical and interdisciplinary thinking, research, and innovation.
To address this need, four Self-Paced Online Modules (SPOM) [SETS A, B, C, and D], encompassing different fields, have been introduced for the first time in the Scheme of Education and Training. As the name suggests, students can learn and qualify for the modules at their own pace after qualifying for the Intermediate Level Examination.
SET A and SET B would comprise of mandatory online modules, namely, Corporate and Economic Laws and Strategic Cost & Performance Management, respectively. SET C and SET D would comprise of online modules, wherein a basket of options would be made available to a student. The following are the options available under Set C and Set D. The students are required to choose any one of the following from both Set C and Set D.
CA FINAL :
*Students must pass the papers individually as well as obtain 50% of the aggregate in order to clear each level.
*Students must also undergo a mandatory internship (known as articleship) for a period of 2 years after clearing both the groups of CA Intermediate to be able to appear for the CA Final exams, which can be done under a CA firm or an industry.
* While Foundation and Intermediate exams are conducted thrice a year (January, May, September), Final exams are conducted twice a year (May and November).
CS SYLLABUS
The syllabus of the CS course can be found below :
*Students must pass the papers individually as well as obtain 50% of the aggregate in order to clear each level.
*The CSEET exam is conducted four times a year in January, May, July, and November.
* The CS Executive and CS Professional exams are conducted twice a year – June & December.
CA COURSE FEE
Let us now conclude the course fees at a glance
Note : The above mentioned course fees is excluding the exam fees and the coaching fees of private institutes.
CS COURSE FEES
The following is a brief summary of CS course fees :
CA EXAMS
The Foundation and Intermediate exams are conducted thrice a year – May, September, and January while Final exams are conducted twice a year in May and November.
CS EXAMS
CSEET exams are held four times a year, namely in January, May, July, and November, while the CS Executive and CS Professional exams are held twice a year, in June and December.
CA JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- Big 4 Accounting Firms (PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG)
- Banks & Financial Institutions
- Tax Consultancies & Audit Firms
- Corporate Finance & Investment Banking
CS JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- Corporate Law Firms
- Listed Companies & MNCs
- Regulatory Bodies (SEBI, RBI, MCA)
- Legal & Compliance Departments
CA JOB ROLES
- Auditor
- Tax Consultant
- Financial Analyst
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
CS JOB ROLES
- Company Secretary
- Compliance Officer
- Legal Advisor
- Corporate Governance Expert
CA JOB SALARY
In India, a fresher CA can expect a salary ranging from ₹4.5 to ₹6 lakh per annum, while mid-level CAs (with 3-7 years of experience) earn ₹10 to ₹20 lakh per annum, and senior-level CAs (with 8+ years) can earn ₹20 lakh to ₹40 lakh or more. The salary offered is based on an individual's qualifications, area of expertise, and city of work.
CS JOB SALARY
In India, as a Company Secretary (CS), a fresher can expect a salary ranging from ₹3 to ₹6 lakhs per annum, while mid-level CS professionals with 1-5 years of experience can earn between ₹6 to ₹15 lakhs per annum. Senior-level CS professionals with extensive experience can earn ₹15 lakhs and above. A CS is salary also depends on varied factors such as knowledge level, area of work expertise and the city he chooses to work in.
