Who is eligible for CA Foundation?

Candidates who have appeared or passed Class 12 (10+2) examination from any recognized board (CBSE, ICSE, State Boards) in any stream (Commerce, Science, or Arts) and registered with ICAI Board of Studies for at least 4 months.

What is the passing criteria for CA Foundation under the New Scheme?

A candidate must score a minimum of 40% in each individual paper (40 out of 100) and at least 50% in aggregate across all 4 papers (200 out of 400) in a single attempt.

Is there negative marking in CA Foundation?

There is NO negative marking in Paper 1 (Accounting) and Paper 2 (Business Laws). However, there is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer in Paper 3 (Quantitative Aptitude) and Paper 4 (Business Economics).

How many times is CA Foundation conducted in a year?

Under the New Scheme of Education & Training, ICAI conducts the CA Foundation examination 3 times a year: in January, May/June, and September.

CA Foundation Preparation 2026 - Free Online Mock Tests, Syllabus & Pattern

High-Yield Preparation Tools

Interactive CA Foundation Tool Suite

Designed specifically around ICAI New Scheme regulations to maximize your conceptual accuracy, calculation speed, and aggregate score.

Passing Criteria & Aggregate Calculator

Input your expected scores in Papers 1 to 4. Automatically tests the dual criteria (40% individual minimum and 50% aggregate cutoff) and calculates distinction status.

Launch Calculator

100-Question Digital OMR Simulator

Practice bubbling for Paper 3 (Quantitative Aptitude) and Paper 4 (Business Economics) with official 2-hour timer, 0.25 negative marks deduction, and printable A4 sheets.

Practice Bubbling

Time Value of Money (TVM) Vault

Master the single highest-scoring topic of Paper 3 (12-16 marks). Quick access formulas and an interactive live calculator for Simple & Compound Interest, Annuity, and Perpetuity.

Open Formula Vault

Dual Criteria Checker

ICAI Passing Marks & Aggregate Calculator

According to ICAI New Scheme regulations, an aspirant must score minimum 40% in EACH individual paper AND minimum 50% in AGGREGATE across all 4 papers.

Paper 1: Accounting 65 / 100

Paper 2: Business Laws 58 / 100

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude 52 / 100

Paper 4: Business Economics 70 / 100

Tap quick presets like "40 (Pass)" or "75 (Dist.)" to instantly test pass/fail boundary scenarios.

PASSED

Congratulations! You Pass

You have satisfied both the 40% individual paper requirement and the 50% aggregate requirement.

245 / 400

Total Aggregate

61.2%

Percentage

P1: ACC

PASS

P2: LAW

PASS

P3: MATH

PASS

P4: ECO

PASS

Practice Official Mock Test

ICAI Official Blueprint

CA Foundation Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme

Comprehensive breakdown of all 4 papers under the ICAI New Scheme of Education & Training.

Paper No. & Subject	Exam Mode	Duration	Total Marks	Negative Marking	Passing Cutoff
Paper 1: Accounting Principles, Final Accounts, NPO, Partnership & Companies	Subjective (Descriptive)	3 Hours (180 mins)	100 Marks	None	Min. 40 Marks
Paper 2: Business Laws Indian Contract, Sale of Goods, Partnership, LLP, Companies Act	Subjective (Descriptive)	3 Hours (180 mins)	100 Marks	None	Min. 40 Marks
Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude Part A: Math (40M) \| Part B: LR (20M) \| Part C: Stats (40M)	Objective (100 MCQs - OMR)	2 Hours (120 mins)	100 Marks	-0.25 Mark	Min. 40 Marks
Paper 4: Business Economics Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Public Finance & Indian Economy	Objective (100 MCQs - OMR)	2 Hours (120 mins)	100 Marks	-0.25 Mark	Min. 40 Marks

Paper 1: Accounting

Descriptive (3 Hrs)

Financial Statements, Partnership, Company Accounts & NPO

Marks: 100 Marks

Negative: No Negative

Cutoff: Min. 40% (40 M)

Reading: 15 Mins

Paper 2: Business Laws

Descriptive (3 Hrs)

Contract Act, Sale of Goods, Partnership, LLP, Companies Act

Marks: 100 Marks

Negative: No Negative

Cutoff: Min. 40% (40 M)

Reading: 15 Mins

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude

100 MCQs OMR (2 Hrs)

Business Math (40M) + Logical Reasoning (20M) + Stats (40M)

Marks: 100 Marks

Negative: -0.25 Mark

Cutoff: Min. 40% (40 M)

Calculator: Allowed

Paper 4: Business Economics

100 MCQs OMR (2 Hrs)

Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Public Finance & Indian Economy

Marks: 100 Marks

Negative: -0.25 Mark

Cutoff: Min. 40% (40 M)

Calculator: Allowed

Calculators Permitted

Battery-operated portable calculators with up to 6 functions, 12 digits, and memory keys are permitted in all 4 papers. Scientific calculators are barred.

Reading Time (15 Mins)

15 minutes advance reading time (1:45 PM to 2:00 PM) is provided for Paper 1 and Paper 2 only. No advance reading time for Papers 3 & 4.

Distinction Benchmark

Candidates securing 70% or more (280+ marks) in aggregate across all 4 papers in a single attempt receive the prestigious "Passed with Distinction" certificate.

Complete Curriculum

Official 4-Paper Syllabus & Chapter Weightages

Explore every module, legal section, mathematical theorem, and economic concept tested in ICAI CA Foundation.

Paper 1: Accounting (100 Marks)

Duration: 3 Hours | Mode: Subjective / Descriptive | Answer Booklets

100% Core Accounting

1. Theoretical Framework 5-10%

Meaning & scope of accounting, concepts, principles & conventions, capital vs revenue expenditures/receipts, contingent liabilities & assets, accounting policies.

2. Accounting Process & BRS 10-15%

Journals, ledger accounts, cash book, trial balance preparation, rectification of errors before/after trial balance, and Bank Reconciliation Statement (BRS).

3. Inventories & Depreciation 10-15%

Cost of inventories, FIFO, Weighted Average, Net Realisable Value (NRV). Straight Line Method, Written Down Value (WDV), change in method & disposal of assets.

4. Bills of Exchange & Sole Proprietor 10-15%

Bills of exchange, promissory notes, discounting, endorsement, accommodation bills. Manufacturing account, trading account, profit & loss, and balance sheet.

5. NPO & Incomplete Records 10-15%

Financial statements of Not-for-Profit Organisations (Receipts & Payments, Income & Expenditure). Accounts from Incomplete Records (Single Entry System).

6. Partnership, LLP & Company Accounts 25-30%

Admission, retirement, death, and dissolution of partnership firms. Issue, forfeiture & reissue of shares, redemption of preference shares, debentures, bonus & rights issues.

Paper 2: Business Laws (100 Marks)

Duration: 3 Hours | Mode: Subjective / Descriptive | Case Laws & Bare Act Provisions

100 Marks Standalone Law

1. Indian Regulatory Framework 5-10%

Overview of the Indian legal system, law-making process, hierarchy of courts in India, role of regulatory bodies (MCA, SEBI, RBI).

2. The Indian Contract Act, 1872 20-25%

Nature of contract, offer & acceptance, consideration, capacity to contract, free consent, void agreements, performance of contracts, discharge and breach of contracts.

3. The Sale of Goods Act, 1930 15-20%

Formation of contract of sale, conditions and warranties, transfer of property in goods, performance of contract, rights of an unpaid seller against goods & buyer.

4. The Indian Partnership Act, 1932 15-20%

General nature of partnership, rights & duties of partners, relations to third parties, incoming & outgoing partners, registration and dissolution of firms.

5. The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 10-15%

Salient features of LLP, difference with partnership and company, designated partners, incorporation document, conversion into LLP, winding up.

6. The Companies Act, 2013 & Negotiable Instruments 15-20%

Essential features, corporate veil, public/private/OPC companies, MOA & AOA, doctrine of indoor management. Promissory notes, bills, cheques, dishonour & Sec 138.

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude (100 Marks)

Duration: 2 Hours | Mode: 100 MCQs (OMR) | Negative Marking: 0.25 Mark

Math 40M + LR 20M + Stats 40M

Part A: Time Value of Money (TVM) 12-16 Marks!

Simple Interest, Compound Interest, Effective Rate, Annuity Regular, Annuity Due, Perpetuity, Net Present Value (NPV), Sinking Funds, CAGR.

Part A: Business Mathematics Core 24-28 Marks

Ratio, Proportion, Indices, Logarithms, Linear & Quadratic Equations, Linear Inequalities, Permutations & Combinations, Arithmetic & Geometric Progressions (AP/GP), Calculus.

Part B: Logical Reasoning 20 Marks Flat

Number series, coding-decoding, odd man out, direction tests, linear & circular seating arrangements, and blood relations.

Part C: Statistical Representation & Central Tendency 15-20 Marks

Frequency distribution, graphical representation (histograms, ogives). Mean, Median, Mode, Standard Deviation, Quartile Deviation, Variance, Coefficient of Variation.

Part C: Probability & Theoretical Distributions 10-12 Marks

Independent events, conditional probability, Bayes' Theorem. Binomial Distribution, Poisson Distribution, and Normal Distribution curves.

Part C: Correlation, Regression & Index Numbers 10-12 Marks

Karl Pearson's coefficient, Spearman's rank correlation, regression lines. Laspeyres, Paasche, Fisher's Ideal Index, and Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Paper 4: Business Economics (100 Marks)

Duration: 2 Hours | Mode: 100 MCQs (OMR) | Negative Marking: 0.25 Mark

Micro + Macro + Indian Economy

1. Demand, Supply & Consumer Behaviour 15-20%

Law of Demand, price/income/cross elasticity of demand, demand forecasting, consumer equilibrium via marginal utility and indifference curve analysis.

2. Production, Cost & Market Forms 20-25%

Short-run and long-run production functions, law of variable proportions, returns to scale. Price determination under Perfect Competition, Monopoly, Monopolistic & Oligopoly.

3. Determination of National Income 15-20%

Concepts of GDP, GNP, NNP, personal disposable income, circular flow of income, Keynesian aggregate demand & aggregate supply, investment multiplier.

4. Public Finance & Fiscal Policy 10-15%

Role of government in an economy, fiscal policy instruments, government budget, direct vs indirect taxes, fiscal deficit, revenue deficit, and public debt.

5. Money Market & Monetary Policy 10-15%

Concept of money, credit creation by commercial banks, monetary policy tools of RBI (Repo rate, Reverse Repo, CRR, SLR), inflation and deflation control.

6. International Trade & Indian Economy 15-20%

Theories of international trade, tariffs, exchange rates, Balance of Payments (BOP). Evolution of Indian Economy, agriculture, industry, services, post-1991 reforms, NITI Aayog.

Highest-Yield Topic (Paper 3)

Time Value of Money (TVM) Formula Vault

Carries 12 to 16 marks alone in Quantitative Aptitude. Memorize these key formulas and test them in our instant calculator.

Simple Interest (SI)

SI = (P × r × t) / 100

Where P is Principal, r is annual interest rate %, and t is time period in years. Amount $A = P + SI$.

Compound Interest (CI)

A = P(1 + i)ⁿ | CI = A - P

Where $i = r / (100 imes m)$ (compounding periods/yr) and $n = t imes m$. For half-yearly $m=2$, quarterly $m=4$.

Effective Rate of Interest

E = (1 + i)ᵐ - 1

The actual annual rate of interest gained after considering compound interest compounding frequencies.

Future Value of Regular Annuity

FVA = A × [((1 + i)ⁿ - 1) / i]

Where equal cash flows $A$ are paid at the END of each period. Used for recurring deposits and retirement corpora.

Present Value of Regular Annuity

PVA = A × [(1 - (1 + i)⁻ⁿ) / i]

The lump-sum present worth of a stream of future annuity payments. Foundation for EMI and loan calculations.

Perpetuity & Growing Perpetuity

PV = A / i | PV = A / (i - g)

An infinite stream of equal periodic cash flows. When growing at constant rate $g$, discount rate must exceed $g$.

Live TVM Practice Calculator

Calculation Type

Principal (P) / Payment (A)

Annual Interest Rate (r %)

Time Period (Years)

Calculated Result: Total Amount = ₹13,310.00 | Total Interest = ₹3,310.00

Annual Compounding

Objective Papers (Paper 3 & 4)

100-Question Digital OMR Bubble Simulator

Practice bubbling under real exam conditions with timed 120-minute countdown and automatic calculation of -0.25 negative penalties.

120:00

Attempted: 0 / 100

Remaining: 100

Score: 0.00 / 100

Tap any bubble (A, B, C, D) to mark. Tap the same bubble again to unmark.

-0.25 Negative Marking Active

Daily 10-Min Workout

CA Foundation Daily Speed Blitz Quiz

Test your speed on 5 handpicked high-yield questions across Quantitative Aptitude and Business Economics with instant solutions.

Question 1 of 5 Quantitative Aptitude: TVM

If an amount doubles itself in 5 years at simple interest, what is the annual rate of interest?

Blitz Score: 0 / 5

Official Board of Studies CDN

ICAI CA Foundation Solved PYQs Vault

Download authentic question papers and suggested answers directly from ICAI Board of Studies under the New Scheme of Education & Training.

September 2026 Examination Latest Attempt

Full question papers for all 4 papers conducted under the official New Scheme.

Paper 1: Accounting (Sep 2026) PDF Paper 2: Business Laws (Sep 2026) PDF Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude (Sep 2026) PDF Paper 4: Business Economics (Sep 2026) PDF

May 2026 Examination QP + Suggested Answers

Complete papers with official ICAI Suggested Answers and step-by-step solutions.

Paper 1: Accounting (May 2026) PDF Paper 2: Business Laws (May 2026) PDF Paper 1: Suggested Solutions Solution Paper 2: Suggested Solutions Solution

January 2026 Examination QP + Suggested Answers

Official January 2026 question papers with examiner comments and solutions.

Paper 1: Accounting (Jan 2026) PDF Paper 2: Business Laws (Jan 2026) PDF Paper 1: Suggested Solutions Solution Paper 2: Suggested Solutions Solution

New Scheme Inception Papers June & Sep 2024

The landmark papers from the very first examinations of the ICAI New Scheme.

Paper 1: Accounting (Sep 2025) PDF Paper 1: Accounting (June 2024) PDF Paper 2: Business Laws (June 2024) PDF

Career Journey

The Complete CA Designation Roadmap

How clearing CA Foundation unlocks entry into India's most prestigious financial qualification.

1

CA Foundation

4 Papers (400 Marks). Entry exam after Class 12. Conducted 3 times a year. Min 40% per paper & 50% aggregate required.

2

CA Intermediate

6 Papers across 2 Groups. 8 months mandatory study period. Covers Advanced Accounting, Corporate Laws, Taxation & Costing.

3

2-Year Articleship

Practical training under a practicing Chartered Accountant after clearing both groups of CA Intermediate + ICITSS certification.

4

CA Final

6 Papers across 2 Groups + Self-Paced Online Modules (SPOM). Passing unlocks the coveted CA title and ICAI Fellowship.

Clear Doubts

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Everything you need to know about ICAI CA Foundation registration, validity, passing rules, and calculators.

Under the ICAI New Scheme of Education & Training, a candidate must satisfy two conditions simultaneously in a single sitting: (1) Score a minimum of 40% marks in each individual paper (minimum 40 out of 100 in Papers 1, 2, 3, and 4), AND (2) Score a minimum of 50% in aggregate across all four papers combined (minimum 200 out of 400).

Paper 1 (Accounting) and Paper 2 (Business Laws) are descriptive/subjective papers with NO negative marking. However, Paper 3 (Quantitative Aptitude) and Paper 4 (Business Economics) are objective (MCQ) papers where 0.25 marks are deducted for every incorrect bubble marked on the OMR sheet.

Yes! Candidates are permitted to use battery-operated portable electronic calculators with up to 6 functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentage, square root), up to 12 digits, and memory keys (M+, M-, MR, MC). Scientific calculators and calculators with printout functions or alphanumeric storage are strictly prohibited.

Under the New Scheme, ICAI conducts the CA Foundation examination three times every year: in January, May/June, and September. This gives students greater flexibility and reduces the waiting time between attempts.

Students can register with the Board of Studies (BoS) of ICAI after passing Class 10. However, they become eligible to appear for the CA Foundation examination only after appearing for or passing their Senior Secondary (10+2 / Class 12) examination from a recognized examining body (CBSE, CISCE, or State Boards) and completing a minimum of 4 months study period after registration.

CA Foundation registration is valid for 4 years from the date of registration. A student can appear for multiple attempts during this 4-year window. Re-validation is possible after the 4-year term upon payment of the prescribed revalidation fee to ICAI.

The key changes include: (1) Business Correspondence and Reporting (BCR) was completely removed from Paper 2, making Business Laws a comprehensive 100-mark paper; (2) Business and Commercial Knowledge (BCK) was removed from Paper 4, replaced by Macroeconomics, Public Finance, and Indian Economy; (3) Dissolution of partnership and bonus shares were added to Paper 1; and (4) Exam frequency was increased from 2 to 3 times a year.