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CA V/s CS

Everyone is confused about which profession is best when choosing a career according to their qualifications. Before choosing any profession, you should know about factors like the duration, procedure, scope, and difficulty level of the course, and then you should decide which profession is best for you.

What is CA?

A Chartered Accountant is one of the best professions in India. CA is an exam conducted by The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The scope of CA is wide, as every firm needs financial management. Chartered accountants primarily deal with accounting, auditing, financial management, and taxation.

What is CS?

A Company Secretary is a highly qualified and well-respected expert, and plays a crucial role in managing and auditing the compliance of a company. CS is an exam conducted by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). CS is an expert in corporate law, security law, capital market, and corporate governance. 

 

CA vs. CS overview

Particulars

CA

CS

Course name

Chartered Accountant

Company Secretary

Organized body

ICAI (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India)

ICSI (The Institute of Company Secretaries of India)

Levels of course

1.   Foundation course

2.   Intermediate course

3.   Final course

1.CSEET (Company

Secretary Executive Entrance Test)

2.   Executive program

3.Professional program

Duration of the course

4 to 5 years

2 to 3 years

Article ship training

Minimum of 2 years

For the executive program :- 3 years

For the professional program :- 2 years

Entrance test

CA Foundation (mandatory for undergraduate students)

CSEET (mandatory for undergraduate students)

Subjects

  • Fundamentals of Accounting

  • Auditing and Assurance

  • Cost accounting and financial management

  • Direct taxes

  • Management accounting

  • Financial analysis

  • Basic Economics and Business Environment

  • General and commercial laws

  • Company law

  • Tax laws

  • Economic labour & Industrial laws

  • Banking and Insurance – Law and Practice

Exams

CA Foundation and Intermediate course exams are conducted thrice in a year, i.e. May/ June, September and January. CA Final exams are held twice in a year i.e. May and November.

CS Exams are held twice in a year, i.e. June and December.

Course oriented

The CA course is accounts oriented

The CS course is law oriented

Job profiles

  • Auditor

  • Government/ Public Accountant

  • Management Accountant

  • Investment Advisor

  • Financial Analyst

  • Corporate accountant

  • Tax advisor

  • Legal advisor

  • Company registrar

  • Corporate planner

  • Executive secretary to MD/ CEO

  • Principal secretary

  • Compliance officer

  • Board secretary

Salary structure

The average annual salary is 11.5 lakhs.

The average annual salary is 8.9 lakhs.

 

Career opportunities of CA

A CA can apply for accounting, auditing, financial reporting, taxation, and consultancy etc. after completing the CA course. There are many career opportunities available for the CAs in both the public and private sectors. Here are the following sectors in which CAs can work:-

1.   Government agencies

2.   Private companies

3.   Banks

4.   Law firms

5.   Businesses

6.   Civil services

7.   Wealth management firms

8.   Manufacturing industries

9.   Public undertakings

10.   Non-profit organizations

11.   Consulting firms

12.   Financial services

Career opportunities of CS

A CS can apply for the positions of legal experts, strategic managers, executive secretaries to CEOs, corporate planners, chief advisors to boards, etc. after completing the CS course. Here are the following Industries or firms in which CSs can work:-

1. Public listed companies

2.  Private companies

3. Non-profit organizations

4. Financial institutions

5. Government agencies

6. Financial services firms

7. Stock exchange

8. Multinational corporations

9. Accounting firms

10. Law firms

11. Regulatory bodies

12. Public sector undertakings (PSUs)

Differences and Future Scope of CA and CS

The future scope of both CA and CS is bright and secure. To be successful in both careers, a high level of concentration or expertise is required. Before choosing any one of the two professions you should know the differences between them.

There are the following differences between the CA and CS:-

1. Main focus: - A CAs main focus is on financial matters such as financial accounting, analysis, auditing, taxation etc. Whereas, CSs main focus is on legal matters such as corporate laws, corporate governance issues, legal issues etc.

2.   Education: - A CA course is go through ICAI and it takes 4-5 years to complete. The CS course is done by ICSI and it takes 2-3 years to complete.

3. Course oriented: - CA course is mainly quantitative approach and accounts oriented. On the other hand, the CS course is qualitative approach and law oriented.

4.  Responsibilities: - The main responsibility of the CA is to deal with financial reporting, audits, and taxation, whereas the responsibility of CS is to handle the compliance of the companies, corporate governance, and legal issues.

5. Versatility: - CAs have a wide range of opportunities in finance, while CSs have more opportunities in corporate governance and legal issues.

At the end, the future scope of both CA and CS has many opportunities. The scope of CA and CS has exceeded national boundaries in the connected global economy of today, and it’s more likely to be exceeded in future. So, the scope of CA and CS is very wide.

Which is better, CA or CS?

  • CA and CS Both are most demanding in India as well as abroad, and both are highly respected professions, so choosing one depends on your interests and career goals.
  •  If you want to make your career in finance and accounting, then CA is the best option for you, whereas if you are interested in managerial roles and legal management, then you can choose CS.

Bhagya Achievers test series provides the CA test series, CS test series, CMA test series, and mentoring plans, which help you check your performance level and solve your problems.

Also check

Scope of CS in India

Registration process of CS

Career opportunities for CA