Do you find common proficiency test (CPT) to gain admissions to chartered accountants course a tough nut to crack? Fret not. Meritorious commerce graduate students with 55% marks and non-commerce graduates with 60% marks will henceforth be exempted from answering CPT from December onwards. The central council of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has passed a resolution to bring these changes into effect.

The Union ministry of corporate affairs is expected to notify this change based on the resolution of ICAI, the apex body for accounting professionals in India, at the earliest. This will help meritorious students take up article-ship without having to undergo the hassles of answering the CPT, considered to be a tough proposition by most. At present, PUC students, graduates or post-graduates wanting to undertake CA study have to pass CPT.

Reflecting this trend of CPT being tough are results of the Mangalore branch of the Southern India Regional Council of the ICAI. Out of the 493 students who appeared for the CPT in June 2011, 112 passed for an overall pass percentage of 23. The national average of those who passed CPT in June is 30%, noted G Ramaswamy, president, ICAI. Overall, 30% is good result. Around 1.9-lakh students appeared for CPT, Ramaswamy told TOI.

Response of students wanting to appear for CPT after plus-two is good and nearly 40% of such candidates are girls, Ramaswamy said, adding this is also reflected in the results of the last final CA examination, where the top four ranks were secured by girls. For the remaining 70% who failed to make it past the CPT in June, they can try when the next examination window opens or post December, take up CA course minus CPT on their degree marks.