Definition:
Chartered Accountant, or CA, is a professional designation used within the U.K., Ireland and (British) Commonwealth nations (such as Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa) that is the rough equivalent of the U.S. CPA in terms of training, prestige and job prospects. In several of these countries, there are variations on the CA, each designating different levels of training and expertise, and thus qualifying the holder for different categories of professional accounting careers.
Within the U.K., Ireland and (British) Commonwealth countries, accountancy is the usual term for what is called accounting in the U.S.
Alternate Spellings: CA
