Demand for CA-CS Surges in Job Market, Outpacing MBAs and Engineers

While companies remain divided on hiring candidates with professional qualifications like engineering and MBA degrees, a larger number of organizations are planning to increase recruitment for Chartered Accountants (CAs) and Company Secretaries (CSs).

Demand for Chartered Accountants and Company Secretaries is rising rapidly in India’s campus job market. While companies are split regarding the recruitment of candidates with professional degrees like engineering and MBA, more organizations are planning to ramp up hiring for CA and CS roles. According to AON’s Campus Study Report 2026-27, 56 percent of companies are preparing to increase CA and CS recruitment. The report indicates that 33 percent of organizations will make no changes to their CA and CS hiring, while 11 percent plan to reduce recruitment for these professionals. Consequently, the net hiring intent for CA and CS roles stood at +45 percent—the highest among all talent groups covered in the report.

In contrast, company hiring plans for MBA and engineering candidates are not as positive. The net hiring intent for engineering talent stood at -4; while 36 percent of companies plan to increase engineering recruitment, 40 percent intend to reduce it. The outlook is even weaker for MBA candidates, with a net hiring intent of -10. According to the report, 34 percent of organizations aim to increase MBA hiring, while 44 percent plan to cut back. Opinions are also divided regarding lateral hiring; 40 percent of organizations plan to increase hiring in this category, while an equal number are preparing to reduce it.

Strong Internship Pathways for CA-CS

The demand for CAs and CSs is not limited to full-time employment alone. According to the report, 91 percent of organizations hire CA and CS interns. This figure stands at 94 percent for B.Tech/M.Tech candidates and around 93 percent for MBA graduates. For graduates with degrees such as BA, B.Com, B.Sc, MA, M.Com, and M.Sc, the figure is also 91 percent. Furthermore, there are significant post-internship job opportunities for CA and CS candidates; approximately 82 percent of companies extend pre-placement interviews or offers to CA and CS interns. This figure is 85 percent for MBA candidates, 83 percent for BA, B.Com, and B.Sc graduates, and 81 percent for B.Tech/M.Tech graduates.

Decline in the Number of CA Final Candidates

While companies aim to increase the recruitment of CA and CS professionals, the number of candidates appearing for the CA Final examination has declined over the past few years. According to ICAI data, there were 132,007 registrations for the CA Final exam in May 2017. By May 2025, this number had dropped to 99,466—a decrease of approximately 25 percent. Meanwhile, registrations for the September 2025 exam stood at 81,852, which is about 38 percent lower than the figure for May 2017.

Higher Number of Successful Candidates in 2024

The number of successful candidates in the CA Final exam has fluctuated across different sessions. In May 2024, 20,446 candidates passed, marking the highest number of successful candidates in a single exam session among the figures cited. In November 2024, 11,500 candidates succeeded. Combining both sessions, a total of 31,946 candidates cleared the CA Final exam in 2024. Meanwhile, a total of 25,713 candidates succeeded in the two examinations held in May and September 2025. This figure is approximately 20 percent lower than that of the two examinations held in 2024.

Increase in Women’s Participation in CA Final

Although the total number of registrations for the CA Final exam has declined, the participation of women has increased. In May 2015, women accounted for approximately 35 percent of total registrations; by May 2025, this figure had risen to around 41 percent. Similarly, in September 2025, women’s participation remained at approximately 41 percent.