CA Foundation 2025 Exam Pattern: Levels, Sectional Weightage, Marking Scheme

Updated By Sukriti Vajpayee on 23 Sep, 2024 10:53

The CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern is specified by the ICAI on the official web portal. CA aspirants must check out the details to understand the CA Foundation exam structure, marking scheme, sections included etc.

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CA Foundation 2025 Exam Pattern

CA Foundation Exam Pattern 2025: The CA Foundation exam pattern is issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) at www.icai.org. All aspirants need to be acquainted with the exam pattern as it will help them understand the course structure, exam structure, total marks, weightage, marking system, exam mode etc.

As per the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025, there are 4 papers with multiple sections and different weightages per segment. The exam is organised in offline mode with 1 paper per day. The overall marks for CA Foundation 2025 is 400.

Along with the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern, students must review the CA Foundation 2025 syllabus for effective preparation. It is essential that they have a complete grasp of the subjects, marks distribution, etc for achieving their desired marks in the examination. Knowing both the pattern and syllabus will provide them with clarity and strategise their preparation accordingly.

Learn more about ICAI CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern highlights from the below sections on this page.

Upcoming Exams :

ICAI CA Foundation Exam Pattern Highlights 2025

Take a look at the CA Foundation exam pattern highlights from the below table - 

Event

Details

CA Foundation 2025 Exam Pattern Issued by

Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

Exam Mode

Pen and Paper Mode

Exam Duration

Paper 1 and Paper 2 (Subjective Papers) - 3 hours

Paper 3 and Paper 4 (Objective Papers) - 2 hours

Total Number of Papers

4 Papers

Question Style

Papers 1 and 2 - Subjective Papers

Papers 3 and 4 - Objective Papers (MCQ)

Level of Difficulty

Moderate to tough

Marks per Paper of CA Foundation 2025

100 marks per paper

Marking Scheme

Paper 3 and Paper 4 have Negative Marking (0.25 per wrong answer)

Total Marks

400

Passing Criteria

40% in all subjects minimum

50% in aggregate. Additionally, out of 400 total, 200 minimum has to be secured.

CA Foundation Exam Pattern 2025: Skill Assessment Levels

CA Foundation examination is the entry route to becoming a Chartered Accountant. Those who have appeared/ passed Class 12th are eligible to apply for the CA Foundation course. After clearing the Foundation level, they can proceed to the Intermediate and then the CA Final level. 

Get an idea about the CA Foundation exam pattern skill assessment level from the below table - 

Papers

Foundation Course

Level I

Level II

Comprehension Knowledge

Application

Paper 1

Accounting

5% - 20%

80% - 95%

Paper 2

Business Laws

45% - 65%

35% - 55%

Paper 3

Quantitative Aptitude

-

100%

Paper 4

Business Economics

10% - 20%

80% - 90%

CA Foundation Exam Pattern 2025: Section Wise Weightage

Check the section-wise weightage as per the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025 -

Paper 1 - Accounting (100 marks)

Section Number

Contents

Weightage

I

Theoretical Framework

5 - 10%

II

Accounting Process, Bank Reconciliation Statement, Inventories, Depreciation and Amortisation, Bills of exchange and Promissory notes 

30 - 35%

III

Preparation of Final accounts of Sole Proprietors, Financial Statements of Not-forProfit Organizations, Accounts from Incomplete Records (excluding preparation of accounts based on ratios)

20 - 25%

IV

Partnership and LLP Accounts

15 - 20%

V

Company Accounts

15 - 25%

Paper 2 - Business Laws (100 marks)

Section Number

Contents

Weightage

I

Indian Regulatory Framework

0 - 5%

II

The Indian Contract Act, 1872

20 - 30%

III

The Sale of Goods Act, 1930

15 - 20%

IV

The Indian Partnership Act, 1932

15 - 20%

V

The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008

5 - 10%

VI

The Companies Act, 2013

15 - 20%

VII

The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

10 - 15%

Paper 3 - Quantitative Aptitude (100 marks)

There are 3 major parts to Paper 3, (Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics) which have respective weightages. Check the details below - 

Section Number

Contents

Weightage

Part A - Business Mathematics (40 marks)

I

Ratio and proportion, Indices and Logarithms, Equations, Linear Inequalities

20 - 30%

II

Mathematics of Finance 

30 - 40%

III

Permutations and Combinations, Sequence and Series, Sets, Relations, and Functions. Basics of Limits and Continuity functions, Basic applications of Differential and Integral calculus in Business and Economics (Excluding the trigonometric applications)

30 - 50%

Part B - Logical Reasoning (20 marks)

IV

Number series coding and Decoding and odd man out

20 - 30%

Direction Test

20 - 30%

Seating Arrangements

20 - 30%

Blood Relations

20 - 30%

Part C: Statistics (40 Marks)

V

Unit 1: Statistical Representation of Data, Unit:2 Sampling, Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion

45 - 50%
VI

Probability, Theoretical Distributions

25 - 30%
VII

Correlation and Regression

10 - 15%
VIII

Index Numbers

10 - 15%

Paper 4 - Business Economics (100 marks)

Section Number

Contents

Weightage

I

Introduction to Business Economics

5%

II

Theory of Demand and Supply

10% 

III

Theory of Production and Cost

10% 

IV

Price Determination in Different Markets

15%

V

Determination of National Income

15% 

VI

Business Cycles

5%

VII

Public Finance

10%

VIII

Money Market

10%

IX

International Trade

10%

X

Indian Economy

10%

CA Foundation Exam Pattern 2025: Key Features & Marking Scheme

Some important points related to the CA Foundation exam pattern and marking scheme are as follows - 

  • Out of the 4 papers, Papers 1 and 2 will have descriptive style questions, while Papers 3 and 4 will have MCQ-based questions.
  • CA Foundation 2025 will be organised in offline mode.
  • There will be 6 questions each in Papers 1 and 2. Out of these questions, number 1 is mandatory for both papers. And from the rest 5, 4 have to be answered by the students.
  • Aspirants have to answer in English medium, except for those who selected the Hindi medium.
  • The passing criteria for the respective papers of the CA Foundation is 40%. Overall, the aggregate percentage should be a minimum of 50%. 
  • Further, please note that apart from obtaining the said overall aggregate marks (50%), the examinees have to obtain 200 marks minimum out of 400 total marks to pass CA Foundation 2025.

Here is an overview of the CA Foundation 2025 marking scheme -

  • The total mark for each paper is 100.
  • Papers 3 and 4 will have questions of 1 mark each.
  • Papers 1 and 2 do not have negative marking.
  • Papers 3 and 4 have negative marking. 0.25 per wrong attempt will be subtracted.

ICAI CA Foundation Exam Pattern 2025: Paper Wise Time Duration

Candidates can check out the paper-wise time duration as per the ICAI CA Foundation exam pattern 2025 from the below table -

CA Foundation 2025 Papers

Duration

Timing

Papers 1 and 2

3 hours

2 pm to 5 pm

Papers 3 and 4

2 hours

2 pm to 4 pm

CA Foundation 2025 Syllabus

The CA Foundation syllabus is issued by the ICAI on the official portal. It highlights the major subjects along with the sub-topics.

Paper 1 - Accounting

The main subjects of CA Foundation Paper 1 include - 

  • Theoretical Framework
  • Accounting Process
  • Bank Reconciliation Statement
  • Inventories
  • Depreciation and Amortisation
  • Bills of exchange and Promissory notes
  • Preparation of Final accounts of Sole Proprietors
  • Financial Statements of Not-forProfit Organizations
  • Accounts from Incomplete Records
  • Partnership and LLP Accounts
  • Company Accounts

Paper 2 - Business Laws

The main topics of Paper 2 include - 

  • The Indian Contract Act, 1872
  • The Sale of Goods Act, 1930
  • Indian Regulatory Framework,
  • The Indian Partnership Act, 1932
  • The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008
  • The Companies Act, 2013
  • The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881

Paper 3 - Quantitative Aptitude

The major segments of Paper 3 are - 

  • Business Mathematics
  • Logical Reasoning
  • Statistic

Paper 4 - Business Economics

The main areas that students need to cover for Paper 4 consists - 

  • Introduction to Business Economics
  • Business Cycles
  • Public Finance
  • International Trade
  • Indian Economy
  • Theory of Demand and Supply
  • Theory of Production and Cost
  • Price Determination in Different Markets
  • Determination of National Income
  • Money Market

Aspirants can access the CA Foundation syllabus official PDF from the below link -

CA Foundation 2025 Best Books

Here are some of the recommended books for CA Foundation 2025 - 

Accounting for CA Foundation by D.G. Sharma

General Economics by Agarwal Shiv Kumar 

Fundamentals of Accounting for CA by P.C Tulsian and Bharat Tulsian

Quantitative Aptitude for CA Foundation by Dr. R.S. Aggarwal

Taxmann's Business Laws by CA Shashank S. Sharma

CA Foundation Principles and Practice of Accounting by P.C Tulsian and S.Chand

Mercantile Law by M.C.Kuchhal and Vivek Kucchal

Quantitative Aptitude for CPT: Mathematics and Statistics by Tulsian P. C. and Jhujhunwala Bharat

Want to know more about CA Foundation

FAQs about CA Foundation Exam Pattern

What is the medium of the question paper according to the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025?

The medium of the question paper according to the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025 is English and Hindi. Only those who opted for the Hindi medium will be allowed to answer the questions in Hindi.

What is the passing criteria for the CA Foundation exam?

The passing criteria of the CA Foundation exam indicate that aspirants have to obtain 40% in all subjects at least, while the total aggregate percentage must be a minimum of 50%. Overall, they have to obtain a minimum score of 200 out of 400 (total).

 

Is negative marking relevant in CA Foundation 2025?

Yes, negative marking is relevant in CA Foundation 2025. 0.25 mark will be subtracted from the total for every wrong answer.

 

What is the marking scheme as per the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025?

As per the marking scheme as per the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025 for Papers 3 and 4, each question will have 1 mark. The question per mark for Papers 1 and 2 will vary as they have descriptive questions.

 

What is the overall mark as per the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern?

The overall mark as per the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern is 400. Each paper will have 100 marks.

 

What is the skill assessment level for the Accounting paper as per the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025?

As per the skill assessment level for the Accounting paper as per the CA Foundation exam pattern 2025, there will be 5%-20% knowledge-based questions and 80%-95% application-based ones.

 

What is the question variety as per the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern?

As per the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern, the questions for Papers 1 and 2 will be subjective based. For Papers 3 and 4, the questions will be multiple choice type. Papers 1 and 2 will have 6 questions each, out of which 5 have to be answered, with the 1st one being mandatory. Papers 3 and 4 will have 100 questions each.

How many total papers are there as per the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern?

As per the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern, there are 4 papers overall in the examination. The papers include Accounting, Business Laws, Quantitative Aptitude, and Business Economics

 

What is the importance of the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern?

It is important to know the CA Foundation 2025 exam pattern for extensive preparation. From the pattern, aspirants can know the structure of the CA Foundation, overall marks, mode of the examination, number of sections, marking system, weightage etc.

 

Who issues the CA Foundation exam pattern?

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) issues the CA Foundation exam pattern. To check the details of the pattern, students have to visit www.icai.org.

 

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