CA Classroom  ×  Vizdale  ·  Mar 2026

AI Foundations
for CA Professionals

A 10-hour beginner program — not about studying, but about becoming the kind of CA who works at a different level.

Duration 10 Hours
Modules 8
Level Beginner
Outcome Certificate
AI

From "I've heard of AI" to "I build with AI"

Every module is designed to produce something you can point to — a tool you built, a workflow you own, a skill a hiring manager will actually notice.

The CA who gets hired in 2026 isn't the one who read about AI. It's the one who used it, built with it, and can show the receipts.

What you'll walk away with

🧠

AI fluency

Understand how AI tools actually work — and when to trust or question them.

⚙️

Custom tools

Build no-code AI tools using Claude — calculators, trackers, client templates.

🔍

Research power

Use Perplexity for deep, cited research in minutes instead of hours.

🤖

Personal AI agent

Set up an AI that knows your work and handles routine tasks automatically.

📄

Resume signal

A verified certificate demonstrating real AI capability — not just awareness.

At a glance

# Module Core skill Duration
1The AI LandscapeUnderstanding which tool to use and when1 hr
2The Art of PromptingWriting prompts that actually work1.5 hr
3Research at 10× SpeedPerplexity for deep, cited CA research1 hr
4AI for CA WorkTax, audit, accounting — real applied prompts1.5 hr
5Build Your First AI ToolNo-code tool building with Claude Artifacts2 hr
6Automate Your WorkflowConnecting AI tools to do work automatically1 hr
7AI + Excel & DocumentsCopilot, AI formulas, document intelligence1 hr
8AI Ethics & Career EdgeProfessional responsibility + standing out1 hr

The 8 Modules

Each module follows: Concept → Live Demo → Hands-On Build → Real CA Scenario

01

The AI Landscape — What's Real, What Matters

Cut through the noise. Understand the actual tools, their strengths, and how they're already reshaping CA firms globally.

1 hour
Big idea: Most CAs know about AI but have never actually used it for real work. This module eliminates that gap in the first hour.
  • How generative AI actually works (no jargon)
  • ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini — what each is actually best for
  • Perplexity, NotebookLM, Gamma — the tools most people haven't heard of yet
  • How Big 4 firms are already deploying AI today
  • The "AI-native CA" vs the CA who's left behind
  • What free vs paid tiers give you — making smart tool choices
Tools introduced: ChatGPT Claude Perplexity Gemini NotebookLM
02

The Art of Prompting — Your Most Valuable Skill

The difference between a useless AI response and a 10× output is entirely in how you ask. This is the skill that compounds forever.

1.5 hours
Big idea: Prompting is a learnable professional skill — like Excel formulas. The person who masters it has leverage over everyone who doesn't.
  • Why identical questions get wildly different results
  • The R-C-T-F framework: Role, Context, Task, Format
  • Before vs after: watching the output quality jump in real time
  • Chain-of-thought prompting — making AI reason, not just respond
  • Iterative refinement: treating AI as a collaborator, not a vending machine
  • Building your personal prompt library (reusable, shareable)
  • CA-specific prompt templates: tax queries, audit observations, client memos
Tools used: Claude ChatGPT
03

Research at 10× Speed with Perplexity

A CA who can research faster and more accurately than a team of juniors has an enormous advantage. Perplexity is that unfair advantage.

1 hour
Big idea: Unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity cites its sources — making it reliable enough for professional research. This module makes you dangerous.
  • Why Perplexity is different from ChatGPT for research
  • Finding the latest SEBI, MCA, ICAI circulars and amendments instantly
  • Researching case laws, ITAT judgements, and tribunal orders
  • Competitive intelligence: understanding a client's industry in 10 minutes
  • Setting up "Spaces" — a persistent research hub for recurring topics
  • Combining Perplexity + Claude for research → analysis → output
Tools used: Perplexity Claude
04

AI for Real CA Work — Tax, Audit, Accounts

Where theory meets practice. Real applied prompts across the core CA domains — the ones that will show up in your interviews and on the job.

1.5 hours
Big idea: AI doesn't replace CA expertise — it makes your expertise dramatically faster and more powerful. Every live demo here takes a real 30-minute task to under 3 minutes.
  • Taxation: Income computation, old vs new regime comparison, amendment summaries
  • GST: ITC eligibility analysis, place-of-supply determination, reconciliation checks
  • Audit: Drafting CARO observations, SA-referencing, risk scenario analysis
  • Financial Reporting: Ind AS plain-language explanations with journal entries
  • Client Communication: Drafting advisory emails, engagement letters, tax memos
  • The verification mindset — why you never submit AI output without checking it
Tools used: Claude ChatGPT Perplexity
05

Build Your First AI Tool — No Coding Required

The headline module. You'll build a working, shareable AI-powered tool using Claude — with zero code. This is what goes on your resume.

2 hours
Big idea: Claude's Artifacts feature lets anyone build functional apps in plain English. By the end of this module, every student ships a real tool that solves a real CA problem.
  • What Claude Artifacts are — and why this is the most exciting thing in AI right now
  • Build #1: An income tax computation tool (inputs → instant computation)
  • Build #2: A GST ITC eligibility checker
  • Build #3: A client onboarding form generator
  • How to share your tool — with a link, with a client, on LinkedIn
  • Iterating and improving: how to describe what's wrong and get it fixed
  • What to do when it breaks — debugging in plain English
Tools used: Claude
06

Automate Your Workflow — Make AI Do the Repeating

Stop doing the same work twice. This module shows how to connect AI tools so your recurring tasks run themselves.

1 hour
Big idea: The most valuable AI skill isn't using AI once — it's setting it up to work for you every day without thinking about it.
  • What automation actually means for a CA (no coding, no server setup)
  • NotebookLM as your personal knowledge base — upload once, query forever
  • Setting up Zapier/Make for simple "if this, then that" AI workflows
  • Automating meeting notes, follow-up emails, and document summaries
  • Building a weekly regulatory update feed using AI
  • Your "AI stack" — the 3 tools that should run every single day
Tools used: NotebookLM Zapier / Make Claude
07

AI + Excel & Documents — The Office Stack

Excel is the CA's most-used tool. Combine it with AI and you become the person the whole team asks for help.

1 hour
Big idea: You don't need to memorise formulas anymore. You need to know how to describe what you want. That's a completely different (and faster) skill.
  • Generating Excel formulas with Claude — VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, nested IFs
  • Data cleaning and transformation using AI prompts
  • Microsoft Copilot in Excel — what it can and can't do
  • AI-powered presentation creation with Gamma — from notes to slides in 2 minutes
  • PDF and contract review with Claude — extract key clauses fast
  • Building a depreciation schedule / interest calculator using AI + Excel
Tools used: Claude Microsoft Copilot Gamma
08

AI Ethics, Data Privacy & Your Career Edge

The responsible use of AI is as important as the skilled use of it. Plus: exactly how to present this on your resume and in interviews.

1 hour
Big idea: A CA who uses AI carelessly is a liability. A CA who uses it responsibly and can articulate it is an asset. This module makes you the second kind.
  • Hallucinations, outdated data, and the verification mindset
  • Confidentiality rules — what you must never paste into public AI tools
  • ICAI's stance on AI use in professional practice
  • Data privacy: ChatGPT vs Claude vs enterprise versions — what's stored?
  • Academic integrity vs using AI to learn and produce better work
  • How to list this certificate on your resume (exact language provided)
  • Interview questions about AI — how to answer them confidently
Topics covered: ICAI guidelines Data privacy Career positioning

What makes this curriculum different