CA Foundation Exam

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! 

A candidate can write the CA Foundation exams in either English or Hindi. The sole exception to this is Section B of Paper 2 (Business Correspondence And Reporting). This paper mainly tests the student’s English Language skills to conduct formal communication in a professional setting, hence it can be taken in English only.   

Negative marking is applicable to objective papers. Any wrong answer will result in deduction of one-fourth mark in the paper

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.

• B.Com graduate with 55% or more
• Postgraduate in commerce with 55% or more 
• Graduate in any other stream with 60% or more 
• Postgraduate in any other stream with 60% or more  
• Those who have qualified CS Executive level from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)
• Those who have qualified the CMA Intermediate level from the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI)

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.

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.

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. Because CA Foundation registration is valid up to 3 years, you can take 6 tries for a single registration period before having to re-register. 

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.