As the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) settles into its new education & training scheme, students and parents are asking a plain question: how much does the Chartered Accountancy course cost in 2025? A review of official ICAI documents and market sources shows that the base statutory charges remain modest compared with private coaching and living costs — but add up quickly across levels and mandatory training. Here’s a detailed, sourced breakdown and what it means for students.
Quick lede — headline figures
- Foundation registration (ICAI): ₹9,000 (Indian students).
- Intermediate registration (both groups): ₹18,000 (ICAI).
- Final registration (both groups): ₹22,000 (ICAI).
- ICAI exam form (per attempt): Foundation / Inter / Final — India single group ₹1,500; both groups ₹2,700 (with late-fee slabs shown in ICAI fee chart).
- ICITSS / Advanced ICITSS (mandatory short residential/online training): fees vary by module — IT and Orientation components quoted around ₹6,500–7,000 and Advanced modules in similar range depending on sub-component. I
(Each of the above figures is drawn from ICAI official guidance/fee charts and ICAI FAQs — full citations below.)
What the ICAI charges (official, mandatory components)
1. Course registration (one-time at each level)
These are the formal registration fees charged by ICAI at admission to each course level: Foundation ₹9,000; Intermediate ₹18,000 (both groups); Final ₹22,000 (both groups). These amounts appear in ICAI’s published FAQ/Scheme documents for the New Scheme of Education & Training. These registration fees are the baseline administrative cost before exam forms, training fees and other add-ons.
2. Exam form fees (per attempt / centre-wise)
ICAI publishes an exam fee chart for each exam window. For September 2025 (example), the exam-form charges in India are ₹1,500 for a single group and ₹2,700 for both groups; overseas centres carry USD equivalents. Late-fee slabs apply if you file after the normal window. (See ICAI fee chart PDF.)
3. ICITSS / Advanced ICITSS (practical training modules)
Before/during articleship and before the Final exam, students must complete short integrated training modules (ICITSS and Advanced ICITSS). Published ICAI guidance shows the IT / Orientation components are charged in the ₹6,500–7,000 range and Advanced components similar — these are mandatory and usually paid via ICAI/POU registration. (Exact split depends on module and POU batch.)
4. Student Activity / Prospectus / Journal
Small one-time charges such as Student Activity Fee (~₹2,000) and prospectus/journal charges (nominal, e.g., ₹200) are also recorded in ICAI guidance and typical fee tables. These are relatively minor but commonly included in “total” cost calculators.
Articleship stipend (what you receive, not pay)
One element often overlooked by cost calculators is that articled assistants are paid a minimum stipend — an offset to living cost. ICAI’s guidance sets minimum monthly stipends by city-size and by training scheme. Recent ICAI FAQs show revised minima (examples): for the new two-year scheme the recommended minimums are ₹5,000 / ₹6,000 (20-lakh+ cities — 1st and 2nd year), ₹4,000 / ₹5,000 (5–20 lakh cities), ₹3,000 / ₹4,000 (below 5 lakh). For older three-year trainees other minima (higher in some tiers) are also published. Industrial trainees have a separate minimum (₹15,000 from July 1, 2023). These are minimums — many firms pay more.
Private coaching, study materials and living costs — the real budget busters
ICAI’s statutory fees are only part of the picture. Most students buy private coaching (classroom or online), additional test series, and sometimes residential accommodation. Market surveys and coaching-directory listings in 2025 show wide ranges:
- Coaching fees per level (Foundation / Intermediate / Final) commonly range from ₹30,000 to ₹200,000 depending on city, institute brand, and mode (classroom vs hybrid vs fully online); premium, branded classrooms in metros can cost substantially more for full-syllabus residential packages.
- Study materials & test series (outside ICAI CDS dispatches) — expect ₹5,000–40,000 extra depending on provider and number of mock tests.
- Accommodation / travel / living for students relocating to metro coaching hubs can add ₹8,000–35,000/monthdepending on city and sharing choices.
Because coaching and living costs vary enormously, total outlay to prepare and appear for a level can double or triple the statutory ICAI costs.
Typical total cost estimates (typical scenarios)
Below are illustrative totals (rounded) for students planning a typical path in 2025. These are estimates that combine ICAI statutory components + typical coaching/study + minimal living costs — your mileage will vary.
- School-to-Foundation route (self-study, minimal coaching, local city)
ICAI registration + exam form + ICITSS etc.: ₹12k–20k (Foundation+first Interform fees spread)
Basic coaching & material (non-residential): ₹30k–60k
Estimated per-level cost (Foundation): ₹40k–80k (approx.)
- Metro coaching + structured classroom path (Foundation → Inter → Final)
ICAI statutory (all three registrations + exams + ICITSS etc.): ₹60k–80k (spread over course) — statutory only
Coaching (all levels): ₹200k–700k (depending on institutes and residential packages)
Living & misc: ₹200k+ over multi-year articleship and study period
Whole-course realistic budget (including coaching & living): ₹500k–1,200k+ (wide range) — many students spend much less, many premium paths cost more. Sources and market listings show a large dispersion.
What changed in 2023–25 and why you should care
- ICAI’s New Scheme (effective from 2023 onward) introduced Self-Paced Online Modules and revised training structure (ICITSS / Advanced ICITSS), which shifted some costs from long-term coaching to short mandatory ICAI training modules and self-paced modules. That changed timing of some payments and added new mandatory (but relatively modest) fees.
- ICAI’s public guidance and fee charts also reflect regional concessions (e.g., 75% concession for certain UTs & North-Eastern states) and updated stipend recommendations — worth checking if you qualify.
Practical advice for students & parents (actionable)
- Start with ICAI’s official pages: registration fees, exam fee PDF and ICITSS/AICITSS FAQs change by window — always confirm the current fee chart on ICAI’s site before payment. (ICAI posts a fee chart for each exam cycle.)
- Budget coaching separately: treat coaching & living as variable items — get written fee breakup from the institute (tuition, test series, study material, hostel, refundable deposits).
- Factor in multiple attempts: many candidates take more than one try at a group — budget at least one additional exam fee and test-series cost per group.
- Use articleship stipend to offset living costs — negotiate accommodation or partial reimbursement where possible; larger firms often pay above the minimum.
- Check concession schemes (UTs / NE states) and revalidation fees if registration validity lapses.
Sources (key official / market references)
- ICAI — “CA Courses” FAQ / Scheme of Education & Training (registration fees; ICITSS / AICITSS rules; stipend guidance).
- ICAI Fee Chart (Exam — Sept 2025 PDF) — exam form fees and late fee schedule (example exam window).
- ICITSS / AICITSS guidance / FAQs (ICAI Call Sahayata and related ICAI pages) — module fee ranges and registration guidance.
- Market directories / coaching lists (2025) — typical private coaching fee ranges and institute packages.
- Industry article aggregators and course-cost writeups summarising total cost estimates and student experience (useful for context).
Closing note
The statutory ICAI charges (registration + exam forms + ICITSS/AICITSS) are transparent and published, and together the mandatory ICAI outlays for each level remain in the low-tens of thousands of rupees per level. The biggest variable is how you prepare: private coaching, test-series, and living/relocation costs can multiply the total significantly. Students planning finances should therefore separate (A) mandatory ICAI charges — easily verifiable on ICAI PDFs — from (B)discretionary coaching & living expenses, and prepare both budgets.
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