The CA Foundation is a newly-introduced entry level course for Chartered Accountancy.

What is CA Foundation?

• The Foundation Course is newly-introduced at an entry level for the Chartered Accountancy Course.
• It is based on international education standards.
• You can give the Foundation Examination once you clear the senior secondary (10+2) exam recognized by the central government.
• The exam is conducted twice a year in May and November.
• To appear for the November exam, you must register before the 30th of June.
• To appear for the May exam, you must register before the 31st of December of the previous year.
• The Foundation Exam includes a total of four papers—two subjective papers and two objective papers.
• This exam has negative marking for incorrect answers in the objective papers.
• You also need to score a minimum of 40% marks in each paper along with a minimum of 50% marks aggregate in both papers to clear the exam.
• Registration for the Foundation Course is valid only for 3 years.
• You must pay a revalidation fee of Rs 300 to revalidate your registration for another 3 years.

How to apply

Eligibility Criteria for CA Foundation

You need to fulfil some eligibility criteria predetermined by ICAI for the CA Foundation course. The eligibility criterion for CA Foundation is as follow:

Route 1: Foundation Course Route

• To register for the Foundation Course, you should have completed 10+2 examination carried out by an examining body constituted by law in India.
• To be eligible for the examination conducted in the month of May, you should register on or before 31st December.
• To be eligible for examination conducted in the month of November, you should register on or before 30th June.

Route 2: Direct Entry Route

• You can directly register for the Intermediate Course if:
  • If you are a graduate or post graduate and have the relevant marks or grade in exams conducted by any recognized university (including open university)
  • You have passed an Intermediate level examination of the ICAI or the ICSI

Registration for CA Foundation

Follow these steps to register:

1. Log on to the ICAI's official website
2. Now, fill in the required details like name, date of birth, Aadhar number, email, mobile number, and create a password.
3. Once the account is created, log in to the registration portal
4. Enter the mandatory details
5. Upload the requisite documents
6. Make the payment online
7. Save the document and print it
8. Sign and attest the application form
9. Send the application to ICAI

Application Fee for CA Foundation

Admit Card for CA Foundation

• If you had registered and applied for the CA Foundation November 2018 exam, you would receive the admit card online in 4th week of October, 2018.
• You can download it by logging into your account through your registered ID and password.
• The CA Foundation admit card 2018 includes your details such as name, roll number, photograph and signature, exam centre, etc.
• You must carry a printout of the admit card to your allotted exam centre.
• If there is any discrepancy in your admit card, immediately contact the ICAI helpline desk.

Visit http://icaiexam.icai.org to download the admit card.

Exam Dates for CA Foundation

Update as soon as possible.

Syllabus for CA Foundation

Paper 1: Principles and Practices of Accounting

Paper 2: Business Law and Business Correspondence and Reporting

Section A: Business Law

1. The Indian Contract Act, 1872
2. The Sale of Goods Act, 1930
3. The Indian Partnership Act, 1932
4. The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008
5. The Companies Act, 2013

Section B: Business Correspondence and Reporting

Paper 3: Business Mathematics and Logical Reasoning and Statistics

Part I: Business Mathematics and Logical Reasoning

Business Mathematics

Logical Reasoning

Part II: Statistics

Paper 4: Business Economics and Business and Commercial Knowledge

Part I: Business Economics

Part II: Business and Commercial Knowledge

Exam Pattern for CA Foundation

• CA Foundation exam consists of both objective and subjective-type questions that constitute a total of 400 marks.
• It includes four subjects/papers. Papers 1 and 2 primarily include subjective/descriptive type questions, and papers 3 and 4 have objective questions.
• For objective type papers, i.e. papers 3 and 4, there is a negative marking of one-fourth marks per wrong answer
• The exam is conducted offline (pen/pencil paper)
• The medium of the test is English or Hindi

How to prepare

Preparation Tips for CA Foundation

• Make a study timetable: The most important step while studying is to prepare a timetable. Never waste time in thinking about what to study or where to start every day, and get started with an effective plan.
• Focus on Statistics and Logical Reasoning: Logical reasoning makes up for 20 marks and the remaining part is divided equally among Math and Statistics. So, if you are a non-math commerce student, you need to focus on the Statistics and Logical Reasoning as Math might not be a scoring subject for you.
• Make your own revision notes: Always create your own short notes while attending your classes, as this will be of immense help during your final preparation.
• Get a grasp of calculators: Exam papers would always be lengthy, so it’s imperative to have a command over the calculator. Become a pro and learn the short keys like M+, M-, G, etc.
• Take short breaks: Studying continuously for the whole day is a bad idea. Always take short breaks of 15-30 minutes in every 2-3 hours to rejuvenate your mind.
• Multiple revisions: The CA Foundation course is huge and requires at least three revisions before the exams. Create a smart plan by revising all topics in your first revision. Mark questions that are similar in nature and avoid them in your next revision to save time.
• Model test papers: CA Foundation Model Test papers (MTPs) are extremely helpful in getting good marks in the exam. Always solve the MTPs at the end of the chapters and after the completion of the course.
• Last month plan: Set a target of covering all the topics in your course well in advance. Leave the last month just for the last two revisions and solving mock test papers. Stick to your teachers' notes and don’t get confused with too many reference books.