The Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license is widely recognized as the top, "gold standard" qualification in the United States for accounting, essential for public accounting, senior, and leadership roles. It signifies advanced expertise in auditing, taxation, and financial reporting.
1. Chartered Accountant (CA) Chartered Accountancy is one of the most prestigious accounting qualifications in India. It is administered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and covers various aspects of finance, auditing, taxation, and business laws.
ACCA is the most globally recognized, accepted in more than 180 countries. CPA is well-recognized in the U.S. and its subsidiaries, while CA holds recognition predominantly within India.
ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
ACCA is a widely recognised and respected accountancy qualification. Founded in 1904, ACCA has a long history of providing top-quality training and education to aspiring accountants across the globe.
CPA (Certified Public Accountant) has strong recognition in the US and countries with US business ties. CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is highly respected for management accounting roles internationally but has less universal recognition than ACCA.
All Big 4 accountancy firms – Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG – are active recruiters of ACCA-affiliated accountants. Choice often depends on your interest area: audit, consulting, tax, or advisory.
ACA is typically for a number of the larger practices and is a very technical qualification. Some say this is the hardest qualification out of CIMA, ACA, and ACCA.
Initial Salary Advantage:
CA professionals typically earn ₹6-8 lakhs annually at entry level, slightly ahead of ACCA holders at ₹5-7 lakhs. This reflects intensive articleship training and immediate applicability in India's regulatory environment.
- Is ACCA more difficult than CFA? No, the CFA qualification tends to be considered slightly more difficult than ACCA - but this is to some extent a subjective matter, differing from person to person. Many people don't make it through the three levels of CFA because of the time required to finish the course.
Apprenticeship overview
BPP's Level 7 Accounting Apprenticeships help you become technically qualified by passing professional exams, whilst developing the complementary skills and behaviours to succeed in your career.
Yes, a CFO (Chief Financial Officer) is a higher-level executive role than a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), as a CFO focuses on overall financial strategy and leadership, while a CPA is a licensed professional specializing in accounting, auditing, and compliance; many CFOs are CPAs, but they add business strategy and operations to their accounting expertise, making the CFO position a more senior, big-picture role.
A CPA is essential for specializing in accounting or tax roles, while an MBA opens doors to diverse management positions in finance, including investment banking and corporate leadership. Choose based on your career goals.
How hard is the FAR CPA exam? The FAR section of the CPA Exam is hard because it's the most comprehensive of the 4 exam sections, and it has a lot of math questions that are mentally taxing to get through. It has the lowest pass rate of all 4 exam sections and is considered the hardest CPA Exam section.
Fast-forward a few years, and Erica now runs an accounting practice making over $200,000 yearly—on less than 15 hours of work per week.
Is ACCA harder than CA? Generally, CA is considered tougher because of its very low pass rates and lengthy articleship requirement in India. ACCA has a more flexible exam structure, on-demand exam options for early levels, and modular progression.
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) plans to discontinue remote examinations from March 2026, reported the Financial Times. The move will mean most candidates must return to in-person exam centres, as the organisation responds to increasing instances of exam misconduct.