CA Foundation Syllabus and Exam Pattern Explained

CA foundation syllabus: papers, marks and the CA exam pattern

All four papers are taken in the same session, usually on alternate days. You can write the descriptive papers in English or Hindi.

Paper 1: Accounting

This is the heaviest paper for most students because every question needs a worked format. The chapters are:

• Theoretical framework: meaning and scope of accounting, concepts, conventions and accounting standards in outline
• Accounting process: journal, ledger, trial balance, subsidiary books, rectification of errors
• Bank reconciliation statement
• Inventories and their valuation
• Depreciation and amortisation
• Bills of exchange and promissory notes
• Final accounts of sole proprietors, including those of manufacturing concerns
• Accounts from incomplete records
• Partnership and LLP accounts: admission, retirement, death and dissolution
• Company accounts: issue and forfeiture of shares, issue and redemption of debentures
• Financial statements of not-for-profit organisations

Paper 2: Business Laws

Answers here are judged on correct sections, a clear statement of law and a reasoned conclusion. The paper covers:

• The Indian regulatory framework
• The Indian Contract Act, 1872
• The Sale of Goods Act, 1930
• The Indian Partnership Act, 1932
• The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008
• The Companies Act, 2013 (basic concepts)
• The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

Contract Act alone takes a large share of questions, so learn its offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity, void agreements and breach parts very well. Under the new scheme, business correspondence and reporting is no longer part of this paper.

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude

Business Mathematics (40 marks)

• Ratio and proportion, indices and logarithms
• Equations and linear inequalities
• Mathematics of finance: simple and compound interest, annuity, net present value
• Permutations and combinations, sequence and series
• Sets, relations and functions, basics of limits and continuity, and simple business uses of differential and integral calculus

Logical Reasoning (20 marks)

• Number series, coding and decoding, odd one out
• Direction tests, seating arrangements, blood relations

Statistics (40 marks)

• Statistical representation of data, sampling
• Measures of central tendency and dispersion
• Probability and theoretical distributions
• Correlation and regression, index numbers

Paper 4: Business Economics

• Nature and scope of business economics
• Theory of demand and supply
• Theory of production and cost
• Price determination in different markets
• Business cycles
• Determination of national income
• Public finance
• Money market
• International trade
• Indian economy

The objective format rewards students who read the study material line by line, since options often differ in one word. Macro chapters on national income, public finance and money market were added to the foundation level in the new scheme, so give them proper time.

CA foundation marking scheme and pass rules

You pass when you score at least 40 marks in each paper and at least 200 out of 400 overall. In papers 3 and 4, each wrong answer costs a quarter of a mark, so guessing blindly can pull you below 40.

There is no exemption system at foundation level: if you fail, you write all four papers again in a later session.

A six month study plan

1. Months 1 and 2: Accounting daily (it needs the most practice) and Business Laws on alternate days.
2. Month 3: Business Mathematics and Statistics, with ten logical reasoning questions every day.
3. Month 4: Business Economics from the ICAI study material, with chapter-end objective questions.
4. Months 5 and 6: ICAI mock test papers and revision test papers, writing full answers for papers 1 and 2 by hand.

Use the ICAI study material and the official question papers from the Board of Studies on icai.org as your main books. Class 11 and 12 commerce NCERT books help with basics in accounting and economics. Comparing other commerce courses too? The entrance exams hub lists them.

CA syllabus in Hindi

सीए फाउंडेशन में चार पेपर होते हैं और हर पेपर 100 अंकों का है। पहला पेपर अकाउंटिंग और दूसरा बिज़नेस लॉज़ है, दोनों लिखित उत्तर वाले और तीन घंटे के होते हैं। तीसरा पेपर क्वांटिटेटिव एप्टीट्यूड है जिसमें बिज़नेस गणित 40, लॉजिकल रीज़निंग 20 और सांख्यिकी 40 अंक की होती है। चौथा पेपर बिज़नेस इकोनॉमिक्स है। तीसरा और चौथा पेपर वस्तुनिष्ठ हैं, दो घंटे के हैं और हर गलत जवाब से 0.25 अंक कम हो जाता है। पास होने के लिए हर पेपर में 40 प्रतिशत और कुल 50 प्रतिशत अंक चाहिए। यही है सीए का सिलेबस संक्षेप में।

What changed in the new scheme

The new scheme replaced the older foundation papers. Business Correspondence and Reporting was removed, Business and Commercial Knowledge was dropped, and Business Economics now covers more macroeconomics. The exam is also held three times a year instead of twice, which gives you more chances to clear it. Students who registered under the old scheme should check ICAI announcements for conversion rules.