What is Accounting Technician Course?

It is like clear your 1st group of IPCC and articleship ( period i dn't knw exactly - i guess its 1 or 1 and half year ) .......

You will b just recognised as regular accountant ......

Not that much respect as in CA .......

A candidate may opt for Accounting Technician Course. Such a candidate has to undergo a study course of nine months, 35 hours Orientation Programme and 100 hours Information Technology Training before appearing in Accounting Technician Examination (ATE). It is to be noted that Group I of IPCC is equivalent to ATC. After passing ATE, he will also be required to complete 12 months of work experience and on production of a certificate to this effect he will be issued Accounting Technician Certificate. A candidate who does not wish to complete erstwhile Intermediate/PE-II/PCC/IPCC can opt for ATC.

Subjects for study
Four subjects of study in ATE/Group I of IPCE are –
ATE / Group I
Paper 1:Accounting (100 marks)
Paper 2:Law, Ethics and Communication
Part I: Law (60 marks)
Business Laws (30 marks)
Company Law (30 marks)
Part II: Business Ethics (20 marks)
Part III: Business Communication (20 marks)
Paper 3:Cost Accounting and Financial Management
Part I: Cost Accounting (50 marks)
Part II: Financial Management (50 marks)
Paper 4:Taxation
Part I: Income-tax (50 marks)
Part II: Service Tax (25 marks) and
VAT (25 marks)
The level of knowledge expected of students in the above subjects is ‘working knowledge’.

If a person has cleard PE II then what? Will she get ATC certificate? Market does not recognise such certifications as to my knowledge.