Chartered Accountancy is one of the few professional routes in Pakistan where a student from an ordinary family can end up in a strong audit, finance or banking career. The problem is cost. Registration fees, exam fees and coaching fees add up quickly, and many capable students drop the idea before they start. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) runs its own support schemes to deal with exactly that, and they are more generous than most students realise.
This guide explains the ICAP CA Scholarship Pakistan in plain terms: the merit route, the need route, the interest-free loan, and how to choose between them. You can also see the full scholarship details on our scholarship page.
Three different kinds of help under one name
People talk about "the ICAP scholarship" as if it were one thing. It is not. There are two scholarship tiers and a separate loan facility, and each one has its own rules.
CAT-HA (High Achievers Scholarship) is merit-based and selected every year. It is the big one. It waives your ICAP registration fee, your examination and exemption fees (once per subject), and your tuition at partner institutes, all up to the CAF level, and it pays a monthly stipend on top.
CAT-SFS (Student Financial Support) is need-based. It works through Registered Accounting Education Tutors, known as RAETs. If you qualify, you get at least a 75% tuition discount at your RAET plus reduced ICAP fees.
The interest-free loan comes from a partnership between ICAP and Ihsan Trust (the MoU was signed on July 2, 2025). It can cover up to 70% of your ICAP dues for students who are academically strong and financially deserving.
This is a national scheme for CA students in Pakistan, so it is aimed squarely at Pakistani students studying with ICAP. It has nothing to do with studying abroad. If your plan is a foreign degree, browse all Pakistan scholarships or our wider guides instead.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) |
| Funding | CAT-HA covers fees and tuition up to CAF plus a stipend; CAT-SFS gives a 75%+ tuition discount and reduced fees; loan covers up to 70% of ICAP dues |
| Level | Undergraduate (Chartered Accountancy, up to CAF level for the scholarships) |
| Deadline | CAT-HA: February 2, 2026 for the 2026 cycle; window typically opens in January |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Official site | icap.org.pk |
What CAT-HA actually pays for, and where it stops
For a high achiever, CAT-HA removes almost every ICAP-related cost in the early stages. The list of waivers is:
- Full waiver of the ICAP registration fee
- Full waiver of examination and exemption fees, once per subject, up to CAF level
- Full tuition fee waiver at partner institutes up to CAF level, including hands-on courses
- A monthly stipend up to CAF level, with conditions attached
Two details matter here. First, "once per subject" means the waiver pays for one attempt. If you fail a paper and resit it, expect to pay for that resit yourself. Second, everything stops at CAF. The CA qualification has three stages: CAF (Certificate in Accounting and Finance), CFAP (Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business) and MSA (Multi-subject Assessment). After CAF you continue self-funded or through the interest-free loan. Plan for that from day one rather than being surprised by fees halfway through.
The stipend also comes with conditions. The exact amount and the conditions are not something to assume, so check them with ICAP when you apply.
What CAT-SFS gives a student from a lower-income family
CAT-SFS is smaller but still meaningful. It provides:
- A minimum 75% tuition discount through your RAET, up to CAF level
- A reduced ICAP registration fee of Rs. 2,000, with the rest deferred to the CFAP stage and paid in 3 instalments
- A reduced exam or exemption fee of Rs. 1,000, once per subject
Notice that the registration fee is deferred, not cancelled. You will owe the remainder later at CFAP. That is fine for most students, but you should know it is coming.
The HSSC marks you need for each route
CAT-HA thresholds depend on your HSSC group:
- Science group: 90% or above
- Non-Science group: 85% or above
- Commerce group: 80% or above
Students from underrepresented groups qualify at marks 5% lower than the standard threshold. This covers persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities, transgender persons, and students from designated geographic areas. If you fall into one of these groups, claim it. You will need a disability or minority certificate as proof.
You also have to be a student of the current session and sit the ICAP Aptitude Test. Good marks alone do not get you CAT-HA.
CAT-SFS has a single marks bar: at least 80% in HSSC or equivalent. On top of that:
- You must be attending tuitions at a registered RAET
- Your total family income must be below PKR 100,000 per month
- Your RAET must recommend you and approve the 75%+ tuition discount
- You must not be availing any other ICAP scholarship
For the interest-free loan, you must be enrolled with ICAP at any level, meet the academic criteria for your level, be financially deserving according to Ihsan Trust's own assessment, and not be receiving any other ICAP scholarship or financial assistance.
Why the RAET requirement trips people up
This is where most CAT-SFS applications go wrong. A RAET is a coaching institute or tuition provider officially registered with ICAP. Not every CA coaching centre is one. If your academy is not registered, you cannot get CAT-SFS through it, no matter how strong your marks or how low your family income.
So before you pay any coaching fee, check the institute's RAET status directly with ICAP. A list of RAETs is available on the ICAP website. Without your RAET's recommendation, the need-based scholarship cannot be processed at all, which means a good relationship with your institute is part of the application.
The ICAP Aptitude Test for CAT-HA
CAT-HA selection is purely merit-based, and the test is the deciding step. It is 100 MCQs on General Knowledge and Current Affairs. Note what it is not: it is not an accounting test. Students fresh from HSSC textbooks can walk in underprepared because they assume their marks will carry them.
A demo test is available on the ICAP exam portal. Use it. Then spend a few weeks reading the news properly, both Pakistani and international, and revising general knowledge. The test is held shortly after the application deadline, so you do not have much time once the window closes.
Paperwork for each route
The documents ICAP asks for are straightforward, but not all of them apply to everyone:
- ICAP scholarship application form, fully filled in
- HSSC or equivalent certificate with mark sheet
- Family income proof (for CAT-SFS and the loan facility)
- RAET recommendation letter (CAT-SFS only)
- ICAP enrollment proof
- Disability or minority certificate if you are claiming the underrepresented group concession
Income proof is the document that causes delays. Families with informal or irregular earnings should start gathering whatever evidence they have early. If you want a general sense of how to organise papers, our documents checklist is a useful reference, though it is written for international applications.
How applications move through ICAP
- For CAT-HA, apply online by the deadline and sit the ICAP Aptitude Test.
- For CAT-SFS, get your RAET's recommendation and submit through the designated SFS RAETs Portal with all required documents.
- For the interest-free loan, submit the filled application form with supporting documents through ICAP, which passes it to Ihsan Trust.
- CAT-HA results are decided on merit. CAT-SFS recommendations are reviewed and approved by ICAP. The loan is assessed by Ihsan Trust independently.
The scholarship is linked to enrollment, so you will also deal with the ICAP student enrollment portal for CA Foundation and CA Intermediate programmes.
Timing the CAT-HA cycle
The CAT-HA window typically opens in January each year. For the 2026 cycle the deadline was February 2, 2026. The aptitude test follows shortly after the deadline, and results are announced after the test is evaluated. Exact dates change each cycle, so confirm the current deadline on the official portal rather than relying on last year's.
The practical point: if you are in your final HSSC year, you need to be watching ICAP's site from January, even before your final results are out. Students who only start thinking about CA after results usually miss the window.
Which route suits you
If you have strong HSSC marks (or expect them), go for CAT-HA. It is worth far more than CAT-SFS because of the full tuition waiver and the stipend. Prepare for the aptitude test seriously.
If your marks are 80% or above but your family income is under PKR 100,000 a month, and you are studying at a RAET, CAT-SFS is realistic. Remember you cannot combine it with another ICAP scholarship, so you choose one.
If you are already past CAF, or did not get either scholarship, look at the Ihsan Trust loan. It is interest-free and covers up to 70% of ICAP dues, which is the main way to fund the CFAP and MSA stages if your family cannot.
The common mistakes are joining an unregistered academy and then trying to apply for CAT-SFS; preparing for an accounting test when the aptitude test is general knowledge; forgetting that the fee waivers cover one attempt per subject; and not planning for costs after CAF.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hold CAT-HA and CAT-SFS together?
No. CAT-SFS requires that you are not availing any other ICAP scholarship, so you have to pick one.
Does the scholarship cover the full CA qualification?
No. Both CAT-HA and CAT-SFS cover fees up to the CAF level. After that you continue self-funded or apply for the interest-free loan through Ihsan Trust.
What is on the ICAP Aptitude Test?
It is 100 MCQs on General Knowledge and Current Affairs. A demo test is available on the ICAP exam portal.
Is the loan really interest-free?
Yes. ICAP's partnership with Ihsan Trust offers interest-free loans of up to 70% of ICAP dues for financially deserving students. Ihsan Trust makes its own assessment of your finances.
I am from a minority community. Do I get any concession?
Yes, for CAT-HA. Ethnic and religious minorities, persons with disabilities, transgender persons and students from designated geographic areas qualify at marks 5% lower than the standard threshold. Bring the relevant certificate.
Who do I ask if I am unsure about my eligibility?
Contact ICAP's student services through the official website. They handle scholarship eligibility queries and enrollment guidance.
Check the current cycle and requirements on the ICAP official website, and keep our ICAP CA Scholarship Pakistan page handy for the full details.