Accounting Technician Course (ATC)

Accounting Technician Course

A student who has passed Common Proficiency Test (CPT) and Senior Secondary Examination (10+2 examination)  conducted by an examining body constituted by law in India or an examination recognized by the Central Government as  equivalent thereto and student who is Graduates/ Post Graduates in Commerce having secured in aggregate a minimum of  55% of the total or its equivalent by studying any three papers of 100 marks each out of Accounting, Auditing, Mercantile  Laws, Corporate Laws, Economics, Management (including Financial Management), Taxation (including Direct Tax  Laws and Indirect Tax Laws), Costing, Business Administration or Management Accounting or other than those  falling under Commerce stream having secured in aggregate a minimum of 60% of the total marks or its equivalent grade  in the examination conducted by any recognized University (including Open University) and Candidates who have passed  the Intermediate level examination conducted by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India or by The Institute of Company  Secretaries of India are exempted from qualifying Common Proficiency Test (CPT) vide Notification No. 1-CA(7)/145/2012  dated August 1, 2012 can register for Accounting Technician Course (ATC) either exclusively or with the option of  Intermediate (IPC) Course. A candidate who opts exclusively for Accounting Technician Course and register to the course, required to undergo a  study course of eight months, 35 hours Orientation Programme and 100 hours ITT before appearing in Accounting  Technician Examination (ATE). It is to be noted that Group I of Intermediate (IPC) Course is equivalent to ATC.  After passing Accounting Technician Examination (ATE), he will also be required to complete 12 months of work  experience, as per the guidelines of the Council and on production of a certificate to this effect; he will be issued  Accounting Technician Certificate. Registered students of erstwhile Intermediate/ Professional (Education – II) Course/ Intermediate (Professional Competence)  Course who does not wish to purse full fledge Chartered Accountancy Course can opt for the Accounting Technician  Course. Intermediate (IPC) Course students who do not wish to pursue complete Chartered Accountancy course also  can opt for the Accounting Technician Course and exit the course by becoming an ‘Accounting Technician’. Such students  required to pass Group I level examination of the Intermediate (IPC) Examination after undergoing 100 hours ITT and  complete 12 months work experience or complete prescribed period of practical training so as to become eligible to obtain  ‘Accounting Technician Certificate. The Institute, in order to provide honourable exit route to a student who has passed both groups of erstwhile  Intermediate/ Professional Education – II Examination/ Intermediate (Professional Competence) Examination/ Intermediate  (Integrated Professional Competence) Examination but does not wish to continue CA Final Course may exit the CA course  by obtaining ‘Accounting Technician Certificate’. Such student can also continue his CA Final course even after  obtaining Accounting Technician Certificate without any restriction and become a member of the Institute. it is clarified that students who have registered for Intermediate (IPC) Course alongwith ATC shall be required to complete  either 12 months work experience or prescribed period of articled training before applying for ‘Accounting  Technician Certificate’. Further, it is clarified that partial completion of articled training period cannot be treated as  completion of 12 months work experience nor based on that ‘Accounting Technician Certificate’ shall be issued. Accounting Technicians cater to the needs of mid-level accounting profession and support the requirement of CAs in  Industry & Service sectors. Those Accounting Technicians who get work experience in Industry under the  guidance of employee chartered accountants would subsequently be absorbed in Industries and those Accounting  Technicians who get work experience under a practicing chartered accountant would get exposure in the tax matter and  subsequently become Tax Consultants.

Requirements to become a Accounting Technician:

How to become an Accounting Technician (Accounting Technician Course) Enrol for Common Proficiency Test (CPT), after passing Class 10 examination. Appear and pass in CPT after appearing in Senior Secondary (10+2) Examination.  However one should pass both CPT and 10+2 examination before registering for ATC.Students who are Graduates/  Post Graduates in Commerce having secured in aggregate a minimum of 55% ofthe total marks or other than those  falling under Commerce stream having secured in aggregate a minimum of60% of the total marks or its equivalent grade  in the examination conducted by any recognized University (including Open University) and candidates who have passed  the Intermediate level examination conducted by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India or by The Institute of Company  Secretaries of India are exempted from qualifying Common Proficiency Test can also      register for ATC. Enrol for Accounting Technician Course (ATC). Successfully complete 8 months of study course from the date of registration for the ATC. Successfully complete Orientation Course of one week spanning 35 hours and covering topics, such as, personality  development, communication skills, office procedures, business environment, general commercial knowledge etc. Successfully complete 100 hours Information Technology Training (ITT). Pass ATE (Group I of Intermediate (Integrated Professional Competence) Examination). Group I is composed of four papers. Successfully complete one year work experience under chartered accountant in practice or in industry. Get Accounting Technician Certificate. Designate as “Accounting Technician”.

How to become a CA, even after becoming Accounting Technician Enrol in Group II of Intermediate (Integrated Professional Competence) Course. Register as Articled Assistant for a period of 3 years. Undergo GMCS I (15 days) during the 1st year of practical training. Pass Group II of Intermediate (IPC) Examination. Undergo GMCS II (15 days) after completion of 18 months of articled training but before completion of practical  training. Appear in CA Final Examination during last 6 months of 3 years of practical training. Complete Advanced Course on Information Technology Training during the third year of practical training but before  appearing in the Final Examination. Pass both the Groups of CA Final examination. Complete 3 years period of practical training. Enrol as a member of ICAI and designate as “Chartered Accountant”. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT FOR REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATION/ REQUIREMENT TO ENROL FOR ATC : A candidate is eligible for enrolment to Accounting Technician Course (ATC) on passing the Common Proficiency  Test and Senior Secondary Examination (10+2 examination) conducted by an examining body constituted by law in  India or an examination recognized by the Central Government as equivalent thereto. A candidate who has already passed Entrance Examination or Foundation Examination or Professional Education (Examination-I) shall be eligible for enrolment to Accounting Technician Course subject to complying with relevant conditions. A candidate who was already registered for erstwhile Intermediate/ Professional Education (Course-II)/ Intermediate (Professional Competence) Course shall be eligible for enrolment to Accounting Technician Course subject to complying  with relevant conditions. Students who have registered for the Intermediate (IPC) course without the option of  ATC can also opt Accounting Technician Course subsequently. Students who are Graduates/ Post Graduates in Commerce having secured in aggregate a minimum of 55% of the total marks or other than those falling under Commerce stream having secured in aggregate a minimum of  60% of the total marks or its equivalent grade in the examination conducted by any recognized University (including Open University) and candidates who have passed the Intermediate level examination conducted by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India or by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India are exempted from qualifying Common Proficiency Test can also register for ATC. REGISTRATION PROCEDURE A student should submit filled-in registration forms for Accounting Technician Course supplied along with Prospectus  available at sales counter of decentralized offices, the cost of Prospectus is Rs. 100/- or can downloaded the from  Institute's website www.icai.org to the concerned Regional Office in consonance with the address. On receipt  of filled-in form and requisite fee, the appropriate decentralized office will issue study materials for ATC and  subsequently issue registration letter. Students on successful completion of 12 months work experience required to submit prescribed Application Form  (link: http://220.227.161.86/14835ATC.pdf ) to the concerned Regional Office so as process and forward the  same to Examination Division for issue of “Accounting Technician Certificate”. Subjects for study Four subjects of study in ATE/Group I of IPCE are – ATE / Group I Paper 1: Accounting (100 marks) Paper 2: Law, Ethics and Communication Part I: Law (60 marks) Business Laws (30 marks) Company Law (30 marks) Part II: Business Ethics (20 marks) Part III: Business Communication (20 marks) Paper 3:Cost Accounting and Financial Management Part I: Cost Accounting (50 marks) Part II: Financial Management (50 marks) Paper 4:Taxation Part I: Income-tax (50 marks) Part II: Service Tax (25 marks) and  VAT (25 marks) The level of knowledge expected of students in the above subjects is ‘working knowledge’.