CA FOUNDATION
The CA course structure is prepared by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and is divided into three levels - CA Foundation, CA Intermediate and CA Final. Candidates have to clear the three levels one by one to be certified as a Chartered Accountant.
All the three levels of the ICAI CA course have different exam patterns and difficulty levels. Due to the high difficulty level of CA papers, the pass percentage of all three levels is quite low which is why candidates make multiple attempts to clear each CA course level. The ICAI CA exams are conducted bi-annually in May-June and November-December. The exams are conducted in computer-based mode for four days (1 paper per day) in every session.
CA Eligibility:
Under the Scheme of Education and Training, a candidate can pursue a CA course through the Foundation Course Route or the Direct Entry Route. If candidates want to pursue the CA course right after completing Class 12, they must follow the foundational route. However, if a candidate is applying for the CA course after graduation or postgraduation, they can bypass the Foundation exam and directly apply for the Intermediate exam. In short, the foundation course is the entry point into the CA course after Class 12, and the Direct Entry route is for those who have completed Graduation.
The basic CA Foundation Eligibility requires aspiring candidates to have scored at least 50% in class 12 from a recognised school.
The top entrance exam for the CA course is the CA Foundation Exam, which the ICAI conducts. It consists of four papers and is held twice a year, in May and November. The CA Intermediate comes after the CA Foundation exam, followed by the Articleship and the CA Final Exam.
CA Foundation Exam Pattern:
The CA Foundation question papers are available in both English and Hindi for all course levels except the CA question papers of Accounting, Taxation and Advanced Accounting. The question papers of these three papers are available in English but can be answered in Hindi. Candidates can choose the medium of exam in the CA Foundation exam application form.
There is no change in the CA Foundation exam pattern for 2024 exams:
| CA Foundation Exam Features | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Chartered Accountancy (CA) exam |
| Exam Conducting body | ICAI |
| Exam Levels | CA Foundation |
| Mode of Exams | Pen and Paper and Computer Based Mode |
| Exam Frequency | Twice in a year June September December |
| Total Marks per Paper | 100 |
| Passing Marks | 40 per cent in all papers |
| Number of Attempts | Multiple times |
| CA Foundation Marking Scheme | Every question carries 1 mark. There is negative marking of 0.25 in subjective type papers (1 and 2) There is no negative marking in objective type papers (3 and 4) |
