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Education pathways

You are somewhere. Here is what is open from there.

From Class 6 to a professional qualification, a degree taken part-time, or a university in another country. Nothing on this page is ranked, and no route here is a second-best version of another one.

What you have told us

You are here

Studying for a professional qualification

Usually whether a degree can run alongside the qualification. For most of these bodies it can, and a great many students are told otherwise.

Step 3 of 4

Which broad area are you interested in?

Nothing here commits you to a stream, and choosing one does not hide the others — it only moves them further down the page.

You can start these from where you are

Each one says why it is here, what it does not promise, and what only the institution can answer.

  • A degree through an open or distance university

    You can start this from where you are

    A full degree taken without attending a campus daily, from a university set up for it. The reason it belongs on the same page as everything else: it is a degree, awarded by a university, and it can be studied while working or while sitting a professional qualification.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, and this can be started from there.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    Three to four years
    Where it leads
    This is a degree
    Cost
    Government-funded places exist on this route, alongside private ones
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: The degree itself, and for many students a professional qualification running beside it.

    What has to be true first
    • A Senior Secondary certificate, from any recognised board
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • Whether the programme is on the list of ones the regulator permits in this mode
    • Where the examinations are held and how often they run
    • Whether the university is registered on the national credit store, if you may want to move later
    Can run at the same time as
    • Chartered Accountancy
    • Company Secretary
    • Cost and Management Accountancy
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    • Finishing school through open schooling
    Where this comes from (2)

    • The University Grants Commission publishes the regulations governing which universities may offer programmes in open and distance mode, and which programmes are permitted.

      University Grants Commission — Government or regulator, India

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    • Indira Gandhi National Open University is a central university offering degree programmes in this mode.

      Indira Gandhi National Open University — A single institution, about itself, India

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • Financial Risk Manager

    You can start this from where you are

    A risk-management qualification in two parts, awarded by a body based in the United States. Narrower than the accountancy qualifications and correspondingly shorter, and it is one of the few where the certification itself depends on work experience as well as examinations.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, and this can be started from there.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    One to two years
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: Register with the body and sit the first part.

    What has to be true first
    • Confirm the body’s current registration requirement for the first part before planning around it
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • What the body requires before you may register for the first part
    • What work experience the certification itself requires, and over what period it may be gathered
    • Where the examinations are sat in India and how often they run
    Can run at the same time as
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The Global Association of Risk Professionals awards this qualification and publishes its registration and certification requirements.

      Global Association of Risk Professionals — The body that awards the qualification, Worldwide

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • Two qualifications at the same time

    You can start this from where you are

    Running a degree and a professional qualification together, or two academic programmes together, is provided for rather than tolerated. A very large number of commerce students are told this is not allowed, and it is the single most useful correction on this page.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, and this can be started from there.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    Three to four years
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    Tuition is set by each institution and varies widely between them
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: Confirm with both institutions in writing before enrolling in the second one, because the rules that permit it also set conditions.

    What has to be true first
    • A place on the first programme, and eligibility for the second
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • Whether the two timetables and examination dates actually clash
    • What each institution requires you to declare, and in what form
    • Whether attendance requirements on either programme make the combination impossible in practice
    Can run at the same time as
    • Chartered Accountancy
    • Company Secretary
    • Cost and Management Accountancy
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The University Grants Commission publishes guidelines on pursuing two academic programmes simultaneously.

      University Grants Commission — Government or regulator, India

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • US CPA

    You can start this from where you are

    The United States accountancy licence, and the clearest example on this page of a qualification whose rules are not national. Each state board sets its own education and experience requirements, so "am I eligible" has a different answer depending on which one you apply to.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, and this can be started from there.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    One to two years
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    Whether this works depends on the institution you apply to. Ask them before you commit to it.

    Next step: Have your Indian qualifications evaluated against the requirements of a specific state board before anything else.

    What has to be true first
    • A degree, and a credit requirement that the state board you choose sets rather than a national rule
    Ask before you commit (4)
    • Which state board you would apply through, because the requirements differ between them
    • How your Indian degree will be evaluated, and by which evaluation service
    • Whether the licence itself requires experience supervised in a particular way
    • Where the examination can be sat, which has changed for candidates outside the United States before
    Can run at the same time as
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy publishes the state boards that license accountants in the United States and how candidates apply to them.

      National Association of State Boards of Accountancy — The body that awards the qualification, United States

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

These open later

Not closed to you — entered at a point you have not reached yet. Each card names that point, which is worth knowing years before it arrives.

  • CFA

    Opens at on an undergraduate degree

    An investment-management qualification in three levels, awarded by a body based in the United States and examined worldwide. It opens later than the accountancy qualifications on this page: the first level is entered from the closing years of a degree rather than from school.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, and this one is entered at on an undergraduate degree.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    Four years or more
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: Confirm you meet the entry requirement for the first level, then register with the body.

    What has to be true first
    • The body requires you to be near the end of a bachelor’s programme, to hold one, or to have relevant experience — confirm which applies to you
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • The current entry requirement for the first level, and how close to finishing a degree you must be
    • What the examinations cost, and where they are sat in India
    • What is required beyond the examinations before the designation itself is awarded
    Can run at the same time as
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • CFA Institute awards this qualification and publishes the entry requirements for each of its three levels.

      CFA Institute — The body that awards the qualification, Worldwide

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

Entered before the point you are at now

Listed rather than hidden, because knowing a route exists is useful even when its entry point has passed — and because several of them can still be entered by another door.

  • ACCA

    Entered before the point you are at now

    An accountancy qualification awarded by a body based in the United Kingdom, examined in India and in most other countries. It is studied from India by a large number of students and does not require leaving the country.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, which is past the point this one is entered.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    As long as it takes — the body sets no fixed length and students finish at different speeds
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: Register with the body, confirm which entry route your qualifications place you on, and take the first examinations.

    What has to be true first
    • The body publishes more than one entry route, including routes for students without Class 12
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • Which entry route your qualifications place you on
    • Which examinations you are exempt from, which the body decides and not a tuition provider
    • Where examinations are sat in India, and what the annual subscription costs
    Can run at the same time as
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants awards this qualification and publishes its entry routes, examinations and exemption policy.

      Association of Chartered Certified Accountants — The body that awards the qualification, Worldwide

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • Actuarial science

    Entered before the point you are at now

    Pricing risk — insurance, pensions, and anything else where somebody has to put a number on an uncertain future. A long series of examinations entered through an entrance test, taken by students who are strong at mathematics and statistics and often did not know the profession existed.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, which is past the point this one is entered.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    As long as it takes — the body sets no fixed length and students finish at different speeds
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: The entrance test, then the first of the professional examinations.

    What has to be true first
    • The body sets its own entry requirement through an entrance test; check which qualifications it accepts
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • The current entry requirement, which the body sets and has changed before
    • How many examinations there are, how often they run, and what each sitting costs
    • Which examinations a mathematics or statistics degree may exempt you from
    Can run at the same time as
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The Institute of Actuaries of India is the statutory body for the actuarial profession in India and publishes its entrance and examination requirements.

      Institute of Actuaries of India — The body that awards the qualification, India

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • Chartered Accountancy

    Entered before the point you are at now

    A statutory qualification in three stages, entered either after Class 12 or directly after a degree. It is not a degree and does not become one, and it is routinely taken with a degree running alongside it.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, which is past the point this one is entered.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    As long as it takes — the body sets no fixed length and students finish at different speeds
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: The entry-level examination after Class 12, or the direct-entry route if you already hold a degree.

    What has to be true first
    • Class 12, for the entry-level route; a degree, for the direct-entry route
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • The registration window for the stage you want, and how long a registration stays valid
    • Which papers a degree exempts you from, if any, on the direct-entry route
    • What the practical training period requires and when it must begin
    Can run at the same time as
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India is the statutory body that sets and examines this qualification, and publishes its entry routes and stages.

      Institute of Chartered Accountants of India — The body that awards the qualification, India

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • Company Secretary

    Entered before the point you are at now

    A statutory qualification in company law, governance and compliance, entered after Class 12 through an entrance test, or after a degree. The work is inside companies rather than in practice, which is the part most students discover late.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, which is past the point this one is entered.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    As long as it takes — the body sets no fixed length and students finish at different speeds
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: The entrance test, then the executive stage.

    What has to be true first
    • Class 12, for the entrance test route
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • Which entry route applies to you, and what it exempts you from
    • When the entrance test runs and how long registration remains valid
    • What the training requirement involves and when it can be served
    Can run at the same time as
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The Institute of Company Secretaries of India is the statutory body that sets and examines this qualification, and publishes its entry routes and stages.

      Institute of Company Secretaries of India — The body that awards the qualification, India

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • Cost and Management Accountancy

    Entered before the point you are at now

    A statutory qualification in costing, pricing and management accounting — what things cost to make and how a business is steered by that. Entered after Class 12 or after a degree, in three stages.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, which is past the point this one is entered.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    As long as it takes — the body sets no fixed length and students finish at different speeds
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree, and can be taken alongside one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    This route has a documented progression agreement. Meeting its conditions is still assessed by the institution.

    Next step: The foundation stage after Class 12, or entry at the next stage with a degree.

    What has to be true first
    • Class 12, for the foundation route; a degree, for entry at the next stage
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • Which stage your qualifications admit you to
    • The registration windows, and how they line up with the examination cycles
    • What the training requirement is and when it must be completed
    Can run at the same time as
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    • Two qualifications at the same time
    Where this comes from (1)

    • The Institute of Cost Accountants of India is the statutory body that sets and examines this qualification, and publishes its entry routes and stages.

      Institute of Cost Accountants of India — The body that awards the qualification, India

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

  • Technology certifications

    Entered before the point you are at now

    Certifications in cloud, networking, security and data, awarded by the companies and bodies whose systems they cover. They are not degrees and do not become degrees, and what a certificate is worth is decided by employers rather than by the body that issued it — which is the honest thing to know before paying for one.

    Why this is here

    • Because you told us you are at studying for a professional qualification, which is past the point this one is entered.
    • Because you said you want to take a professional qualification.
    How long
    Under a year
    Where it leads
    This is not a degree and does not become one
    Cost
    The body charges registration and examination fees; tuition is optional and separate
    Where you study
    Studied in India

    We can describe this route. We cannot point at a rule that governs it, so treat it as a question to ask rather than an answer.

    Next step: Pick one certification that an employer you can name actually asks for, rather than a sequence of them.

    What has to be true first
    • Most entry-level certifications set no formal academic requirement; the examination is the gate
    Ask before you commit (3)
    • Whether the employers you are aiming at actually ask for this certificate
    • How long the certification remains valid before it must be renewed
    • Whether the training you are being sold is from the body itself or from somebody reselling it
    Can run at the same time as
    • A degree through an open or distance university
    • A diploma after Class 10, then into the second year of a degree
    Where this comes from (3)

    • Amazon Web Services publishes its certification programme and its examinations.

      AWS Certification — The body that awards the qualification, Worldwide

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    • Microsoft publishes its credentials and the examinations behind them.

      Microsoft Credentials — The body that awards the qualification, Worldwide

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    • CompTIA publishes its certifications and their renewal requirements.

      CompTIA — The body that awards the qualification, Worldwide

      We have not checked this link yet. Nobody has yet compared this claim against the page behind it.

    See where this leads — the work this route ends up in, and the other ways into it.

    Nothing is open at Tutor right now in the subjects that lead into this route. You can ask about one-to-one teaching, which is answered by a person rather than by this page.

If a result did not go the way you wanted

There is a separate page that starts from one examination you did not clear and shows every other route to the same work — computed from the same catalogue, so it is a list of routes rather than a paragraph of reassurance.

Other ways in, after a result

What this page is not showing you

1 route is in our catalogue and not on this page, because we could not find a published rule behind it. Withholding a route we cannot evidence is the same decision as showing one we can.

1 of the routes above have an answer that differs between institutions. Each one lists what to ask; none of them can be answered by this page.

Nothing on this page is advice, and none of it is a promise that any institution will admit anybody. It is a map of routes that exist, with the body that runs each one linked so you can check it. Where a route depends on an institution, a government or an immigration authority, that decision is theirs and we do not model it.