ACCA vs CFA & CA

Finance is supposed to be one of the fields of work on this planet with one of the highest job satisfaction. With a lot of new options emerging every year in the field of Chartered accountancy and related finance field, it is hard for young students to decide what they want to study. With courses like CFA, one can work with investments, financial markets (equity, derivatives, and debts) and portfolio management. ACCA, on the other hand, enables you to work in the field of accounting, auditing, financial management, taxation, etc.?

To clear up the confusion and make an informed decision, one has to look into the difference and the similarities in ACCA vs CFA?While they are both excellent courses - recognized internationally, they differ in the scope and work profiles. ACCA is like the internationally recognizable alternative to completing CA in India. Both ACCA and CFA have similar course lengths i. e. 24 to 36 months, and similar fresher salaries i. e. 4 to 6 lacs per annum.?

After completing an ACCA course in Mumbai, one can work in their future in sectors such as Risk Advisory, Accounting Advisory (IFRS), Valuations, Internal Audit, Mergers & Acquisitions, International Taxation, Transfer Pricing, Assurance, Forensic Auditing, Financial Reporting, etc. completing ACCA course means one learns about accounting, taxation, costing, auditing, and financial management. The majority of candidates take ACCA courses due to their flexibility in duration, the high exposure and value addition in India.

If one completes similar course of CFA, they are equipped to work in the finance sector at profiles such as financial portfolio management, investments, and equity, debts, wealth management, derivatives, etc. As a CFA, one can make a comfortable living for themselves as a Portfolio Manager, a Wealth Manager, a Trader or a Dealer in Derivatives, an Investment Banker (an MBA might be needed for this), an Equity Research Analyst, and through the currency Markets, etc.

Completing an ACCA course in Delhi?or Mumbai will get you a huge advantage over CA. After the inclusion of a very strong business paper, the students completing ACCA have a huge benefit. The great thing about this course is that you can join the course right after high school. You can start preparing for the papers right after the 11th standard. Even if you feel confused about which track you want to pursue, you can start with the ACCA during your bachelor’s, and after completing it, if you change your mind, you can start working on your CFA papers.

The companies such as the Big 4, namely KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, EY, and other MNCs such as Grant Thornton, BDO, etc., are all hiring workers with successful ACCA certificate holders. Most of these companies consider ACCA as equivalent to CA in terms of profile, salary, designation, work format, etc. Recognized worldwide and highly sought after, the CFA candidates are recruited by the time one completes the Level 1 examination. Big international companies such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and Indian firms such as Motilal Oswal, Anand Rathi, etc., hire CFAs at all profiles and all levels.