Your complete guide to CA Foundation preparation.
CA Foundation is an entrance-level examination for the students who want to become a Chartered Accountant, offered by ICAI. Earlier this course was also known as Common Proficiency Test (CPT).
A candidate should register with the Board of Studies of ICAI to register for the CA course. One can do so after clearing the 10th Std examination. Any new candidate who wants to become a Chartered Accountant should note that the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has released a new scheme of education and training for CA which has become effective from July 1, 2023. The first exam under the new scheme will be conducted in June 2024. Interested aspirants should take note of the new syllabus of the CA Foundation exam and develop a preparation strategy accordingly.
CA Exams are widely recognized as among the most challenging exams in the world. The first step to becoming a Chartered Accountant is to clear the CA Foundation Exam.
Eligibility:
The learner must check the eligibility criteria before filling out the CA Foundation application form. The following are ICAI criteria:
Listed below are some of the key highlights of the CA Foundation Exam:
Exam Name |
CA Foundation |
Conducted by |
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) |
Exam Level |
National |
Eligibility |
High School Graduate |
Mode of Exam |
Offline |
Duration of Exam |
3 hrs (Subjective); 2 hrs (Objective) |
Frequency |
June and December |
CA Foundation Exam Syllabus And Marking Scheme
Knowing the CA Foundation Exam syllabus will help you prepare for your upcoming exam thoroughly. You can refer to the table below for a quick snapshot of what the exam entails:
Exam Name |
ICAI CA Foundation |
Exam Mode |
Offline |
Medium of Exam |
English or Hindi |
Maximum marks |
400 (100 per paper) |
Negative marking |
1/4th mark for every wrong answer to the Objective type questions in Papers 3 and 4 |
Type of questions |
Papers 1 and 2 - Subjective Papers 3 and 4 - Objective |
Passing criteria |
40% marks per paper 50% marks overall |
Listed below are the subjects that are covered in the CA Foundation course:
Papers |
CA Foundation Subjects |
Marks Distribution |
Paper 1 |
Accounting |
100 Marks |
Paper 2 |
Business Laws |
100 Marks |
Paper 3 |
Quantitative Aptitude - Business Mathematics - Logical reasoning - Statistics |
100 Marks |
Paper 4 |
Business Economics |
100 Marks |
You will have to study all of these subjects as every subject is compulsory for the CA Foundation Exam.
Now, let’s have a look at the individual subjects and topics that will be covered in the CA Foundation Exam (New Scheme of ICAI)
Paper 1: Accounting
The objective of the CA Foundation New Syllabus 2024 is to help students grasp the fundamentals of accounting. It teaches them how to use these concepts to make financial statements and solve basic accounting problems. Listed below are the topics that you need to cover for this paper:
Paper 2: Business Laws
In the CA Foundation New Syllabus 2024, the objective is to provide students with a broad understanding of legal aspects related to contracts and sales. It also covers different types of businesses and how they operate, helping students learn how to navigate the business environment and address basic, practical issues related to these topics. Listed below are the topics that are covered in Business Law:
Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude
The CA Foundation New Syllabus 2024 aims to help students grasp fundamental math and statistics tools and use them in business, finance, and economic scenarios. It also focuses on enhancing logical reasoning skills.
Part A- Business Mathematics (40 marks)
Part B- Logical Reasoning (20 marks)
Part C- Statistics (40 marks)
Paper 4: Business Economics (100 marks)
The CA Foundation New Syllabus 2024 intends to help students understand economic concepts and theories. It also helps them gain the skills needed to handle practical, real-world economic problems. Following are the topics that will be covered in this section:
Free Study Materials for CA Foundation Exam Preparation
It can be challenging to find appropriate content for your CA Foundation exam preparation as per the newly introduced New syllabus. You may come across numerous videos and materials on the Internet, and still be unsure where to begin. While study material is abundant on the Internet, there is no consistency between the content on various platforms and how you should start your CA Foundation preparation. With Unacademy, you can end the confusion and organize your preparation for CA Foundation Exams.
You can get access to various resources to assist you in passing the CA Foundation Exam.
Unacademy also provides you with a variety of free expert-level study materials. On the platform, you may watch free videos from some of the greatest CA professionals in the country. If you like the material, you can upgrade your account to enjoy unlimited access to some of the best Paid CA Foundation Exam preparation videos. Unacademy offers a variety of learning resources to guide you and let you put your knowledge to the test, so you can see where you stand in your CA Foundation preparation.
The following advice will help you get started on your CA Foundation exam preparation:
FAQs
CA Foundation consists of four primary courses that candidates must pass to advance to the second stage of the CA Exam i.e. the CA Intermediate Exam.
Yes, there is a negative marking in the CA Foundation Exam. One incorrect response deducts a quarter of a point from the overall score. As a result, it is advisable to only respond to questions that you are familiar with.
Preparing for the CA Foundation Exam takes a lot of effort, but nothing is impossible. Clearing the CA Foundation Exam requires Learners to only secure above a defined threshold of marks unlike with other competitive examinations. So, you may relax and focus exclusively on what you need to accomplish to pass this exam.
Signing up for the CA Foundation Exam is the first step. After signing up, your registration will be valid for three years. Candidates can apply for the CA Foundation Exam within this time range in May or November. During these three years, candidates may apply and appear for a maximum of six attempts.
The CA Foundation Exams do not have a minimum pass mark or percentage requirement. All you have to do is graduate your 10 + 2 exam to sit for it.
The New Scheme of Education and Training has been launched on CA Day, i.e. 1st July, 2023. Dec 23 will be the last attempt in the old syllabus. June 24 and onwards will be according to the New syllabus.
The New Scheme of Education and Training has three levels – Foundation, Intermediate, and Final including Self-Paced Online Modules.
Students need to register for Foundation/ Intermediate/ Final level under the New Scheme of Education and Training through Self Service Portal (SSP) at the link https://eservices.icai.org/.
You may write to the Board of Studies (Academic) at bos.nset@icai.in for further queries.
The fee for the Foundation Course is Rs.9,000/- which is to be paid at the time of registration. This fee is inclusive of the Prospectus for the CA Course and Study Material for the Foundation Course
After successful registration in the Foundation Course, the student will receive an e-mail bearing the login credentials for ordering the Study Material through the Centralized Distribution System (CDS) Portal. The prospectus for CA Course will be delivered to the student along with the Study Material, whenever ordered by the student
Revalidation is not permitted at the Foundation level.
The validity period for registration in the Foundation Course is for 4 years from the first eligible attempt in the Foundation Examination.