How to Become a Chartered Accountant in Ghana in Under 2 Years
ICAG · Fast-Track · 2026
Most ICAG students expect three to four years. A handful finish the examinations in under two. This guide documents exactly how: the six-sitting plan, the progression rules that govern your speed, the preparation standard required, and the honest distinction between completing your papers and achieving full CA membership.
Most ICAG students expect the qualification to take three to four years. Some take five or more. Only a handful complete it in under two.
It is possible, and it has been done. The founder of MSL Business School, Michael Siaw Larbi, completed all his ICAG papers, 16 under the previous syllabus, in under two years as a full-time university student, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at age 21. That personal record shaped the institution MSL became: disciplined preparation, examiner focus, and measurable performance.
Under the current 2024-2029 ICAG syllabus, the qualification is 14 papers across three levels. With three exam sittings a year (March, July and November), a student who sits papers strategically across every available window can complete all 14 examinations in as few as six sittings, roughly 20 months from the first sitting to the last, comfortably under two years. This guide documents the sitting plan, the rules that govern progression, the preparation standard required, and the honest distinction between completing your papers and achieving full membership. Nothing is oversimplified.
The fast-track in brief
- Qualification
- 14 ICAG papers across three levels (4 at Level 1, 6 at Level 2, 4 at Level 3).
- Sittings available
- Three a year: March, July and November.
- Minimum to complete the papers
- As few as six sittings, about 20 months, under two years.
- Papers vs membership
- Papers can be done in under two years; full CA membership also needs three years of approved practical experience, run concurrently.
- Source
- ICAG Professional Qualification Syllabus 2024-2029 and ICAG progression rules.
The honest distinction: papers vs membership
Before anything else, one clarification that is often glossed over. Completing all 14 ICAG examination papers in under two years is achievable with the right strategy and preparation. Becoming a Full Member of ICAG, and earning the right to call yourself a Chartered Accountant, requires both passing all papers and completing a minimum of three years of relevant practical experience in an approved training environment.
Papers and membership run in parallel, not in sequence
The practical experience requirement does not begin after you finish your papers; it runs concurrently with your studies and continues after your final examination. A student who begins working in an approved accounting environment at the same time they begin studying can complete both the examinations and the experience requirement within a similar timeframe.
What ‘under two years’ refers to in this guide is the completion of all examination papers, the academically demanding part of the qualification and the component over which a student has the most direct control. The three years of practical experience must be completed in an approved training environment: an accounting or auditing firm, a public or private organisation under a qualified accountant, or an accredited academic institution. Candidates who begin working in accounting roles when they start studying are often already accumulating eligible experience before they sit their first paper.
The mathematics: why under two years is achievable
The ICAG Professional Qualifying Examination is held three times a year: March, July and November. With 14 papers across three levels, the theoretical minimum number of sittings, using the Award Hunter approach of sitting all papers at a level at once, is three: all 4 Level 1 papers in one sitting, all 6 Level 2 papers in one sitting, and all 4 Level 3 papers in one sitting. Realistically, most students who complete in under two years use a slightly more distributed approach, typically four to six sittings, which balances speed with preparation quality. The approach that has proven most reliable at MSL is the six-sitting plan in Section 4.
| Approach | Sittings | Approx. duration | Risk level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum speed: all papers per level in one sitting | 3 sittings | 8 to 12 months | Very high: requires exceptional preparation capacity |
| Fast: the MSL recommended six-sitting plan | 6 sittings | About 20 months | Manageable: the approach most MSL fast-track students use |
| Standard: 2 papers per sitting at L1/L2, all L3 in one | 8 sittings | 24 to 30 months | Lower risk: suits candidates balancing work and study |
| Extended: 1 to 2 papers per sitting throughout | 12+ sittings | 3 to 5 years | Lowest risk: common but significantly longer |
The ICAG progression rules
Before mapping a sitting plan, the rules that govern which papers you can sit together must be understood. These are ICAG’s own regulations, not MSL’s, and they determine the sequencing of your journey.
ICAG progression rules (2024-2029 syllabus)
- Rule 1: You must complete Level 1 before you can sit Level 3. A Level 3 paper cannot be written if any Level 1 paper is still outstanding.
- Rule 2: You cannot sit a Level 3 paper if you have more than one Level 2 paper remaining. The only exception: a Level 2 student with exactly one paper left may sit it alongside any number of Level 3 papers.
- Rule 3: A Level 1 student with only one paper remaining may add up to four Level 2 papers in the same sitting.
- Rule 4: There is no restriction on how many papers you sit at Level 1 or Level 2, subject to the above. You may sit all 4 Level 1 or all 6 Level 2 papers in a single sitting.
- Rule 5: All 4 Level 3 papers can be sat in a single sitting once Level 1 is complete and no more than one Level 2 paper remains.
The fastest legal progression is therefore to complete all Level 1 papers, then at least five of six Level 2 papers, then sit the remaining Level 2 paper alongside all Level 3 papers. In practice, MSL recommends completing all Level 2 papers before moving to Level 3 in a subsequent sitting.
The roadmap: six sittings to qualification
The following plan is the recommended fast-track route through all 14 papers across six consecutive sittings. It is not the theoretical minimum; it is the most reliable fast-track path, balancing speed with sufficient preparation time, respecting the progression rules, and following the subject combination logic that produces the best results.
| Sitting | Month | Level | Papers | What you complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March, Y1 | Level 1 | 1.1 + 1.4 | Numbers Foundation: Financial Accounting and Cost and Management Accounting |
| 2 | July, Y1 | Level 1 | 1.2 + 1.3 | Theory Context: BMIS and Business and Corporate Law. Level 1 complete. |
| 3 | November, Y1 | Level 2 | 2.1 + 2.2 + 2.4 | Core Corporate Stream: Financial Reporting, Management Accounting, Financial Management |
| 4 | March, Y2 | Level 2 | 2.3 + 2.5 + 2.6 | Specialist Stream: Audit and Assurance, Public Sector, Taxation. Level 2 complete. |
| 5 | July, Y2 | Level 3 | 3.1 + 3.2 | Reporting and Assurance pair: Corporate Reporting and Advanced Audit and Assurance |
| 6 | November, Y2 | Level 3 | 3.3 + 3.4 | Specialist and Capstone: Advanced Taxation and the Strategic Case Study. All 14 papers complete. |
This plan begins in March of Year 1 and ends in November of Year 2, a total of 20 months. Starting in July gives completion by March of Year 2; starting in November gives completion by July of Year 2. Every entry point delivers under-two-year completion with this six-sitting structure.
Why this plan works
Each sitting is logically grouped: Numbers papers together, Theory papers together, Core Corporate together, Specialist together, and the two natural Level 3 pairs. Each group shares study techniques and reinforces the others, so preparation is focused, not fragmented. The full rationale is in MSL’s ICAG subject combination strategy guide.
For degree holders: the accelerated route
If you hold an accounting degree, or are a Level 300 student at an MOU university, your journey is shorter. Exemptions remove papers from your path entirely, meaning fewer sittings, less cost, and faster completion.
| Starting point | Papers to write | Min. sittings | Fastest timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| No prior degree (WASSCE/SSSCE) | 14 papers | 6 sittings | About 20 months (starting March) |
| HND Accountancy | 9 papers | 4 sittings | 12 to 14 months |
| Bachelor’s degree (Accounting) / MOU Level 300 | 8 papers | 3 to 4 sittings | 8 to 14 months |
| Master’s degree (Accounting) | 5 papers | 2 to 3 sittings | 4 to 8 months |
A Master’s degree holder who needs only five papers, one Level 2 paper (Public Sector Accounting and Finance) and all four Level 3 papers, can complete all examinations across two sittings. That is under six months from first exam to last, making full CA membership achievable in as little as three years and six months for someone already in the workforce, where the three-year experience requirement becomes the limiting factor rather than the papers.
What ‘fast’ actually requires
Speed and quality are not in conflict, but they do demand a specific approach. The candidates who complete ICAG in under two years are not doing less work than those who take four years. They are doing the same work, more deliberately, in a more compressed timeframe.
Examiner alignment, not just syllabus coverage
The ICAG examination does not reward knowledge alone; it rewards structured, mark-earning responses delivered under time pressure. A candidate who knows every topic but cannot organise it into a well-structured written answer under three-hour conditions will still fail. Every MSL session is built around examiner alignment: understanding the marking scheme, learning how answers are structured to earn marks, and practising under exam-standard time conditions. This is the approach that produced Ghana’s National Overall Best Graduating Student at every ICAG sitting in 2024.
Consistent performance across every paper in a sitting
Consistent performance across all papers in a sitting matters more than an exceptional result in one and a poor result in another. A candidate sitting three papers who passes two and fails one has not saved time; they have added at least one sitting to their journey. Fast qualification depends on passing every paper, every time.
No gaps between levels
The most common delay in ICAG qualification is the gap between levels: finishing Level 1 in one sitting and not registering for Level 2 until the following year. Every gap of one sitting adds about four months. The six-sitting plan above is built on consecutive attendance with no gaps; every available sitting is used.
The Strategic Case Study needs dedicated preparation
Paper 3.4, the Strategic Case Study, is unlike any other ICAG paper. It is a simulation of professional practice: a pre-seen business scenario released two weeks before the examination, followed by an in-hall examination requiring integrated strategic, financial and professional recommendations. The fast-track candidate treats it as the culmination of the journey, bringing everything from all 13 prior papers to bear on a single realistic business problem. MSL has produced many national award winners in the Strategic Case Study, including Abigail Cudjoe, who was also Ghana’s National Overall Best Graduating Chartered Accountant at the same sitting.
It has been done: the MSL record
Speed is not theoretical at MSL. The institution’s national award record demonstrates what focused, structured preparation delivers in real examination conditions.
The 2024 clean sweep
In 2024, ICAG held three sittings: March, July and November. MSL Business School produced the National Overall Best Graduating Chartered Accountant at all three: three different students, three different sittings, all from the same institution.
Three sittings, three national best graduates
- Abigail Cudjoe (March 2024): National Overall Best Graduating Student, Overall Best Female, and Overall Best Student in the Strategic Case Study.
- Godson Nkunu (July 2024): National Overall Best Graduating Student, Overall Best Student in Advanced Taxation, and Overall Best Student in Advanced Audit and Assurance.
- Jesse Blessing Nyarkoh (November 2024): National Overall Best Graduating Student and Overall Best Student in Advanced Taxation.
None of these students spread their Level 3 papers across multiple sittings. Each sat the full Level 3 in a single sitting, and each dominated it. That is the Award Hunter strategy executed at the highest level.
The founder’s record
Michael Siaw Larbi, Founder of MSL Business School, completed all his ICAG papers, 16 under the previous syllabus, in under two years as a full-time university student, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at age 21. He was also the National Overall Best Student for all three levels of the ICAG exam, and graduated in his sitting (May 2015) as the National Overall Best Graduating Student. He simultaneously holds the CITG Chartered Tax Practitioner designation and the CGMA from CIMA. That personal record shaped the approach MSL takes with every student: disciplined preparation, examiner focus, measurable performance targets, and the conviction that qualification speed is constrained not by the difficulty of the examination, but by the quality of preparation going into it.
Five things that determine how fast you qualify
Five things that determine how fast you qualify
- How many sittings you skip. Every skipped sitting adds about four months. The fastest qualifiers sit in every available window without gaps; the July sitting is not optional if you want to keep the pace.
- Your first-attempt pass rate. A single re-sit adds at least one sitting, about four months; two re-sits at Level 2 can add eight. Preparation quality controls this, not luck or the examiner.
- Whether you use exemptions intelligently. Exemptions save papers but not always time or money. A Master’s holder exempting nine papers pays about GHS 8,539 in exemption fees, which must be weighed against simply writing them. For the straightforward Level 1 MCQ papers in particular, writing is often faster and cheaper than exempting.
- When you start building practical experience. Students who begin working in an accounting role before their first paper accumulate eligible experience from day one, and may have 18 to 24 months behind them by the time they finish their examinations.
- The quality of your tuition provider. Examiner-aligned preparation, understanding how ICAG marks answers and not just what the syllabus covers, is the single biggest variable in first-attempt pass rates.
Start now: every sitting counts
Whether you are starting fresh or already part-way through, perhaps with Level 1 complete or some Level 2 papers passed, the plan adapts to your position. The question is the same: how many consecutive sittings can you commit to, and are you preparing at the standard required to pass every paper you sit?
MSL Business School is Ghana’s most-awarded ICAG, CITG and CIMA tuition provider and an ICAG-Approved Partner in Learning, with 46 national awards and Ghana’s National Overall Best Graduating Student at every ICAG sitting in 2024. It is built on the personal record of a founder who completed the qualification in under two years and was himself the National Overall Best Graduating Student.
As Ghana’s clear technology leader in professional education and the first and only provider with multimodal AI for professional exam students, MSL pairs examiner-aligned fast-track preparation with the technology that defines modern exam preparation. All tuition is delivered fully online via live sessions and the MSL Business School App.
Ready to plan your fastest route through ICAG? Talk to MSL about which papers you need and how to sequence your sittings.
Explore MSL ICAG TuitionTo discuss your specific situation, which papers you need, how to plan your sittings, and what MSL preparation involves, contact us on WhatsApp at 053 050 4026, or visit MSL ICAG Tuition.
The fast-track in seven points
- All 14 papers in under two years is achievable, in as few as six sittings across about 20 months.
- Papers are not the same as membership: full CA status also needs three years of approved practical experience, run concurrently.
- Three sittings a year (March, July, November); the fastest qualifiers use every available window without gaps.
- The six-sitting plan pairs 1.1/1.4, then 1.2/1.3, then 2.1/2.2/2.4, then 2.3/2.5/2.6, then 3.1/3.2, then 3.3/3.4.
- Degree holders go faster: HND about 9 papers, Bachelor’s or MOU Level 300 about 8, Master’s about 5.
- Exemptions cost money (about GHS 8,539 for nine papers), so writing the straightforward Level 1 papers is often faster and cheaper.
- First-attempt passes are everything: every re-sit adds about four months, so examiner-aligned preparation is the decisive variable.
Key terms
- Chartered Accountant (CA)
- A fully qualified member of ICAG, achieved by passing all 14 papers and completing the practical experience requirement.
- Full CA membership
- Membership of ICAG and the right to use the CA designation, requiring both all papers passed and three years of approved practical experience.
- Practical experience
- The minimum three years in an approved training environment required for membership, which can run concurrently with study.
- Award Hunter approach
- Sitting all papers at a level in a single sitting, the strategy associated with MSL’s national award winners.
- Progression rules
- ICAG’s regulations governing which papers can be combined in a sitting and the order levels must be completed.
- Exemption
- A waiver of specific papers for candidates with qualifying prior degrees, granted on payment of a per-paper exemption fee.
- Strategic Case Study
- Paper 3.4, an integrated simulation with a pre-seen scenario released two weeks before the exam.
- MOU university
- A university with a memorandum of understanding with ICAG, whose Level 300 accounting students qualify for exemptions.
Source: the qualification structure and progression rules referenced here follow the ICAG Professional Qualification Syllabus 2024-2029 and ICAG’s published examination regulations. Full CA membership additionally requires a minimum of three years of approved practical experience. Timelines are indicative and depend on first-attempt pass rates; always confirm current rules and fees with ICAG. Award records and the founder’s record are MSL’s own.
