What are the CA entry requirements, and who has to sit the QAT?
The short answer
There are three entry routes. Direct entry to PRC for intermediate (HSSC) candidates with marks at or above ICAP's direct-entry threshold, and for A Level candidates with the specified grades. Entry through the QAT for candidates whose intermediate marks fall in the band between the minimum and the threshold (in broad terms, from around 50 per cent up to just under the direct-entry mark), or whose A Level grades are below the specified grades: the Qualifying Assessment Test is an objective screening test of English, mathematics and reasoning, taken at ICAP centres, passed once, with no bearing on later papers. And graduate entry at PRC or CAF with exemptions for relevant degrees. In every case you then register with ICAP as a student and, in practice, with a registered tutor. The QAT is not difficult for a candidate who practises the three areas under time for a month; it eliminates candidates who arrive without having done a timed objective test since school.
Which route applies to you?
| Qualification | Result | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate (HSSC), any group | At or above the direct-entry threshold (ICAP has set this in the region of 60 per cent) | Direct registration for PRC. |
| Intermediate (HSSC), any group | Between the minimum (in the region of 50 per cent) and the threshold | Sit and pass the QAT, then register for PRC. |
| Intermediate (HSSC) | Below the minimum | Not eligible on this route; a degree route later, or improvement of the intermediate result. |
| A Levels | Specified grades in a specified number of subjects | Direct registration for PRC. |
| A Levels | Below the specified grades | Sit and pass the QAT, then register for PRC. |
| Bachelor's degree, relevant discipline, required marks | As specified | Registration at CAF with PRC exemption and possible CAF exemptions; see CA in Pakistan explained. |
| Bachelor's degree, other discipline | As specified | Registration at PRC or CAF with partial exemptions as the table provides. |
The percentages move
ICAP has revised the direct-entry threshold, the QAT band and the A Level grade requirements. The figures above describe the shape of the rule; the admission criteria published on ICAP's site for the current year are the rule. Check them, with your exact marks, before deciding whether you need the QAT.
What is the QAT, and what does it test?
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Purpose | A screening test of readiness for PRC. Passed once; the result does not count towards any paper. |
| Format | Objective questions on computer at ICAP examination centres, in sessions announced by ICAP. |
| Areas | English (grammar, vocabulary, comprehension), mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, basic geometry and data), and reasoning (logical, analytical and quantitative ability). |
| Level | Matric and intermediate school level, examined under time. |
| Pass | A pass mark set by ICAP; unlimited or limited attempts as the rules provide. |
| Cost | A fee per attempt, published by ICAP. |
- English at the level of the intermediate paper: tenses, agreement, prepositions, sentence correction, synonyms and antonyms, and short comprehension passages. Practise on English.
- Mathematics is the arithmetic and algebra a PRC Quantitative Methods student needs: percentages, ratios, averages, simple equations, basic geometry, reading a table or chart. Practise on Mathematics.
- Reasoning is technique: series, analogies, coding, syllogisms, seating and blood-relation puzzles, data sufficiency. Practise on Analytical Reasoning.
- The [QAT practice page](/exams/ca-qat) draws the three areas from one bank in the test's proportions, timed, with every answer explained.
How do you prepare for the QAT in four weeks?
Week one: a timed baseline and the weakest area
Sit a timed mock across all three areas. Spend the week on the lowest-scoring one from recall level, reading every explanation.
Weeks two and three: daily timed sets
Twenty minutes each on English, mathematics and reasoning, timed, every day. Reasoning improves fastest because each puzzle type has a method.
Week four: two full timed mocks
Under test conditions, marked by area. Correct the pattern, not the questions, and stop new material three days before the test.
The QAT is the rehearsal for PRC
PRC's Quantitative Methods and Business Writing papers examine the same mathematics and English at a higher level, on the same computer-based format. A candidate who prepared the QAT properly has already started PRC.
How do you register with ICAP?
Check eligibility against the current criteria
Your exact marks or grades against ICAP's published table, and whether the QAT applies.
Sit the QAT if required
Register for a session on ICAP's portal, pay the fee, sit at the centre, and receive the result.
Register as an ICAP student
Online on ICAP's portal with attested certificates, identity documents, photographs and the registration fee. Registration has deadlines before each examination session.
Register with a tutor
Most students join a registered accounting education tutor (RAET) for PRC and CAF classes. It is not compulsory for PRC at every stage of the scheme, but it is how most students prepare. Choose by pass rates and the quality of the PRC teaching, not by brand.
Enter for the PRC session
Papers are entered individually for each session. Most students sit two or three papers per session rather than all five at once.
What the five PRC papers examine, and how to pass them, is in PRC explained and how to pass PRC.