The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will introduce the new curriculum for Chartered Accountancy this September. The Government has approved the draft scheme for the same, said Mr T.N. Manoharan, President, ICAI.

Under the new curriculum, the course can be completed in four years, against five years currently. This includes an articleship of three and a half years.

A quarterly entrance test called CPT (common proficiency test) will make qualifying students eligible to opt for the new CA course. The first CPT will be held on November 12, in two sessions. The objective type test will include questions covering accountancy, mercantile law, economics and quantitative techniques, said Mr Manoharan.

Those preparing for the PE-I (Proficiency Examination) exam under the old curriculum, can appear for the CPT and on passing, take up articleship, while those pursuing PE-II can directly do their articleship. Also those appearing for the final exam in May 2007, can appear for it in November.

ICAI has opened 16 news centres for the CPT, four each at Tirupur, Anand, Karnal and Sonipet. Besides nine new centres have been opened for other exams. Currently, there are 170 test centres in India and two abroad.