CA Foundation Exam

CA Foundation Exam

Share
CA foundation course

Overview

CA Foundation Exam is a beginner’s gateway into the world of Chartered Accountancy. It is the first hurdle you need to cross in order to get your foot in the door with a career in CA. It might be the easiest one to crack out of all three CA exams, but it’s still a vital step in your CA journey and you’d want to make sure you don’t miss a beat. 

As they say, “Well prepared is half done”, and that’s what CA Foundation exam calls for — solid preparation. It all begins with getting a thorough understanding of the CA Foundation exam details such as the CA Foundation exam pattern, structure, time table, and so on. This guide will arm you with everything you would want to know about CA Foundation exams so you can get started on the right note! 

Exam Pattern

CA Foundation examination is a written test which is conducted offline and held thrice a year.  

There are four papers in the CA Foundation course. Out of them, Paper 1 and 2 are subjective papers, while Paper 3 and 4 are objective MCQ-based papers, which test your practical knowledge. 
The objective type of questions will have negative marking for wrong answers. 1/4th of the marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.

The table below shows the CA Foundation exam pattern with subjects and the subject-wise marks distribution. 

Papers Subject Sections Marks 
Paper 1 Accounting   100
Paper 2 Business Laws   100
Paper 3 Quantitative Aptitude
  • Business Mathematics (40 Marks)
  • Logical Reasoning (20 Marks)
  • Statistics (40 Marks)
100
Paper 4 Business Economics   100

 

Hindi or English?

A candidate can write the CA Foundation exams in either English or Hindi.

Click here to find the ICAI syllabus copy in both Hindi and English.

Pass Criteria

A candidate needs to secure at least 40% marks in each paper and 50% aggregate marks in all four papers combined to qualify in the CA foundation exams.

Exemption Rules

The ICAI permits  students with certain educational qualifications to skip the CA Foundation course and take a direct entry into the second level, which is the CA Intermediate Course. 

Following students can avail this special category exemption.

  • The following candidates are allowed to directly register for the CA Intermediate course:
    1. A Commerce graduate/ Post-Graduate (with minimum 55% marks) or Other Graduate/ Post-Graduate ( with minimum 60% marks)
    2. A candidate who has passed the Intermediate level exam conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India or the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

CA Foundation Exam Fee

CA Foundation Exam forms will be available on the official website (https://eservices.icai.org/ ). The candidates have to submit the Exam Form online before the last date.

Venue

Fee

All over India

INR 1500

Kathmandu (Nepal)

INR 2200

Overseas (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Muscat)

US$ 325

Late Fees

Late fee of INR 600 (Indian candidates)/ US$ 10 (Overseas candidates) is applicable if you submit your CA foundation application form after the last date.

CA Foundation Exam September 2024 Time Table

The ICAI has announced the CA Foundation exam time table for the 3rd cycle of the year. 

Paper Subject Date Time Duration
Paper 1 Accounting 13th Sep 2024 2 PM to 5 PM 3hrs
Paper 2 Business Laws 15th Sep 2024 2 PM to 5 PM 3hrs
Paper 3 Quantitative Aptitude 18th Sep 2024 2 PM to 4 PM 2hrs
Paper 4 Business Economics 20th Sep 2024 2 PM to 4 PM 2hrs

Except for Papers 3 & 4, there is an advance reading time of 15 minutes from 1.45 PM (IST) to 2 PM (IST).

Provisional Registration to CA Foundation Exams

According to ICAI’s amendments, class 10 passed candidates qualify for an admission to the CA Foundation Course via the provisional route. However, they are not eligible to appear for the CA Foundation Exams unless they clear their class 12th examinations. 

The option to provisionally register for the CA Foundation course gives you an early head start into the CA career and allows you to complete the course and become a CA six months in advance.

CA Foundation Exam Norms

Students writing the CA Foundation exams are required to follow certain best practices and guidelines set by ICAI pertaining to the use of stationary and other essentials. Here are some pointers:

  • Only black ink is to be used for writing the answers. Earlier both black and blue ink was allowed, but no more. 
  • You’re not supposed to use colorful markers, highlighters, sketch pens, or any other colored pen. 
  • You can use pencils for drawing graphs, charts, or diagrams, etc. But make sure not to use a pencil for writing answers. 
  • You are allowed to use any basic calculator with up to six functions, two memories, and 12 digits, but scientific calculators are not permitted. You can still do some tricky calculations, such as finding the nth/cube root of a number, on a simple calculator. Check out our video where we teach you this nifty trick.   

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a negative marking in the CA Foundation Exams?

Yes, but only in two objective papers (papers 3 & 4) where for every wrong answer ¼ or 0.25 marks will be deducted.

Can I darken more than one circle as answers for the MCQs in Paper 3 and 4?

No, please don’t! More than one darkened circle for a single question is considered a wrong answer. It will result in a negative marking of 0.25 for every question that’s answered in this manner.

How many attempts can you take to clear CA Foundation exams? 

There is no limit on the number of attempts you can take. However, you can only appear for CA Foundation Exams till your registration is valid. The validity period for registration in the Foundation Course is for 4 years from the first eligible attempt in the Foundation Examination. Revalidation is not permitted at the Foundation level.

The number of attempts you take might influence your career. We cover it in detail in one of our blog posts. Do give it a read.

Is the CA Foundation exam easy or not?

There’s no straightforward answer to this question. But it’s a fact that CA Foundation is the easiest of all three levels.

What should I do after the 10th or 12th to become a CA?

You can provisionally register for the CA Foundation course right after class 10, but you have to wait till you pass your class 12 exams to appear for the CA Foundation exams.


CIN: U74999TG2017PTC116012 | GSTIN: 36AAECI4332C1Z0 | PAN: AAECI4332C

2024 IndigoLearn.com All Rights Reserved