CA articleship is the mandatory practical training period of the CA course, during which a student works under a practising Chartered Accountant or a CA firm after clearing CA Intermediate. It gives hands-on exposure to auditing, accounting, taxation, and compliance work, and helps you apply theory to real client assignments while preparing for CA Final.

The CA articleship duration is 3 years for students under the earlier scheme, starting after both groups of CA Intermediate are cleared. Under ICAI's New Scheme of Education and Training (effective July 2023), practical training is 2 years for students registered under it, so the answer depends on the scheme you are registered under.

You become eligible once you clear both groups of CA Intermediate, after which you can register for practical training with a practising CA or a firm. Prepare a one-page resume, then apply through ICAI's placement activities, firm websites, job portals, and LinkedIn, and ask seniors or mentors for referrals. Applying soon after your Inter results, when firms open vacancies in batches, improves your chances.

Openings are usually posted on ICAI's placement portal, Big 4 and mid-size firm career pages, LinkedIn, and job portals like Naukri and Indeed. Referrals from seniors, teachers, and CAs in your network often work faster than cold applications, and many firms hire in batches right after CA Intermediate results, so keep your resume ready around result cycles.

The Big 4 refers to the four largest global accounting and consulting firms — Deloitte, EY (Ernst & Young), KPMG, and PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers). Many CA students aim for articleship at these firms because of their structured training, exposure to large Indian and multinational clients, and strong brand value on a resume.

Beyond the ICAI requirement of clearing both groups of CA Intermediate, the Big 4 do not publish fixed cutoffs, but shortlisting generally depends on your Inter and Foundation scores, resume, communication skills, and interview performance. Vacancies also vary by office city and service line, so referrals and well-timed applications matter as much as marks.

Apply through the firms' career portals, campus and ICAI placement drives, and LinkedIn, and try to get an internal referral since most Big 4 shortlists move faster that way. Build a clean resume highlighting academics, relevant certifications, and any exposure to audit, tax, or Excel, revise accounting basics, and prepare for both HR and technical questions before the interview.

Big 4 articleship domains mainly include Audit and Assurance, Taxation (direct and indirect), and Advisory areas such as risk, deals, and consulting. Most article trainees are placed in Audit and Assurance or Tax depending on vacancies, so it helps to ask which service line you are being considered for during the interview itself.

On paper, most Big 4 offices follow a 9-to-6 style schedule, but actual hours depend on your service line, team, and clients. Audit trainees often work longer during year-end and busy season, while tax teams see peaks around filing and assessment deadlines, so plan your CA Final study schedule around these cycles.

ICAI prescribes a minimum articleship stipend based on the population of the city where you train, and it increases with each year of articleship. Most firms, especially in metro cities, pay above this minimum, and the actual amount varies widely with firm size, city, and your profile, so it is best to confirm the figure at the offer stage.

There is no single fixed figure — the stipend varies across the four firms, cities, and years of training, and is usually higher than what smaller firms offer. Many Big 4 offices also add benefits like cab or meal support during busy season, so check recent trainee experiences for the firm and city you are targeting before accepting an offer.

Know your resume thoroughly, revise core accounting concepts such as journal entries, adjusting entries, bank reconciliation, and depreciation, and read up on the firm and the service line you applied to. Practise clear, confident answers to questions like "tell me about yourself" and "why audit or tax," and go through common Big 4 articleship interview questions with a mock interview so you are not caught off guard on the day.

Industrial training is an optional route within CA practical training where, instead of a CA firm, you train in the finance, accounts, internal audit, or FP&A function of a company approved by ICAI. It is generally taken in the later stage of practical training, gives corporate exposure to ERP systems, budgeting, and reporting, and the period counts toward your training requirement.

First, confirm you are at the stage where ICAI permits industrial training, since it is typically done in the final phase of practical training. Shortlist companies approved by ICAI — their openings appear on company career pages, LinkedIn, and through referrals — apply with a focused resume, clear the interview, and then get the training arrangement registered with ICAI as per the prescribed process.

Your principal certifies completion through the CA articleship completion form (Form 108), which is submitted online on ICAI's Self Service Portal. Once your principal approves the submission and ICAI processes it, the completion certificate is generated on the same portal, from where you can download it for your CA Final and membership-related formalities.