Aspirants who are thinking about giving the CA Foundation exams for the year 2021 must be familiar with the CA Foundation exam pattern. Exam pattern is a very basic and essential thing that a student should be aware of. It includes everything from types of questions, mode of examination, weightage for different topics to marking scheme, etc.
All the details about the CA Foundation exams and the paper patterns are given below. Students are advised to go through the CA Foundation paper pattern in depth so as to get an idea of the examinations and prepare for it accordingly. CA Foundation exams are going to be held in May and November of every year and the registration ends on 1st of January and July, so students have to register approximately 4 before the examination.
CA Foundation Exam Pattern Particulars:
| Particulars | CA Foundation 2020 |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Institute Of Chartered Accountant Of India (ICAI) |
| Level of Exam | National Level |
| Frequency | Twice a Year (May and November) |
| Mode of Registration | Online |
| Mode Of Exam | Paper Pen mode |
| Duration | 3 hours for each subjective paper |
| 2 hours for each objective paper | |
| Number of Papers | 4 |
| Negative marks | Just for Paper 3 and 4 (0.25) i.e is 1/4th of marks for the wrong answer |
| Eligibility | Passed 12th Grade or Appeared for in Current Year |
| Exemptions | Graduates or candidates with similar qualifications. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
| Official Website | icai.org |
CA Foundation Syllabus, Weightage, and Marking Scheme:
For passing the CA Foundation level 1, students are required to go through their syllabus thoroughly. Details given below will provide you with a complete update of the CA Foundation syllabus of all four subjects. Before appearing for the exam candidates are advised to go through the syllabus and marking scheme meticulously so that you can manage your time accordingly.
There is a negative marking scheme in the Exams for objective type questions for every wrong answer ¼ th of the marks will be deducted. Students must score a minimum aggregate of 50% in all the papers and at least 40% of marks in each paper to pass the CA foundation exams. This will help you to prepare your study plan and subsequently, you can put your efforts into it. Every subject of CA Foundation carries a different weightage whether it is Accounts Paper Pattern or Law.
| Papers | Subject | Marks Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Principles And Practice Of Accounting | (100 Marks) |
| Paper 2 | Business Laws And Business Correspondence | |
| Section A: Business Laws | (60 Marks) | |
| Section B: Business Correspondence And Reporting | (40 Marks) | |
| Paper 3 | Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, And Statistics | |
| Section A: Business Mathematics | (40 Marks) | |
| Section B: Logical Reasoning | (20 Marks) | |
| Section C: Statistics | (40 Marks) | |
| Paper 4 | Business Economics And Business & Commercial Knowledge | |
| Section A: Business Economics | (60 Marks) | |
| Section B: Business and Commercial Knowledge | (40 Marks) | |
Total marks for CA Foundations marks are 400. Students must work to score at least 50% marks in aggregate to pass the first level of CA. Check the CA foundation exam pattern, syllabus, and section-wise Weightage below.
PAPER – 1: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF ACCOUNTING:
First Paper is the Principles and Practices of Accounting in CA Foundation. It comprises of basic accounting which candidates have studied in the 11th and 12th commerce stream, which is the Basic Concept of Accounting and Financial Statements.
| Content Area | Marks Weightage and Distribution |
|---|---|
| 1. Theoretical Framework | 5%-10% |
| 2. Accounting Process | 25%-30% |
| 3. Bank Reconciliation Statement | |
| 4. Inventories | |
| 5. Concept and Accounting of Depreciation | |
| 6. Accounting for Special Transactions | 15%-20% |
| 7. Final Accounts of Sole Proprietors | 30%-40% |
| 8. Partnership Accounts | |
| 9. Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Organizations | |
| 10. Introduction to Company Accounts | 10%-15% |
PAPER – 2: BUSINESS LAWS AND BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE. REPORTING
This being the second paper of Foundation divided into Two Sections
SECTION A: BUSINESS LAW (60 MARKS)
| Content Area | Marks Weightage and Distribution |
|---|---|
| 1. The Indian Contract Act, 1872 | 25%-30% |
| 2. The Sale of Goods Act, 1930 | 20%-25% |
| 3. The Indian Partnership Act, 1932 | 20%-25% |
| 4. The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 | 5%-10% |
| 5. The Companies Act, 2013 | 15%-20% |
SECTION B: BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING (MARKS 40)
| Content Area | Marks Weightage and Distribution |
|---|---|
| Part I: Communication 1. Communication | 10%-15% |
| Part II: Sentence Types and Word Power 2. Sentence Types (Direct-Indirect, Active -Passive Speech) | 20%-30% |
| 3. Vocabulary Root Words. Synonyms, Antonyms, Prefixes, Suffixes. Phrasal verbs, Collocations and Idioms. | |
| Part III: Comprehension Passages and Note Making 4. Comprehension Passages | 20%-30% |
| 5. Note Making | |
| Part IV: Developing Writing Skills 6. Introduction to Basic Writing | 35%-40% |
| 7. Précis Writing | |
| 8. Article Writing | |
| 9. Report Writing | |
| 10. Writing Formal Letters | |
| 11. Writing Formal Mails | |
| 12. Resume Writing | |
| 13. Meetings |
PAPER – 3: BUSINESS MATHEMATICS, LOGICAL REASONING AND STATISTICS
The paper helps with the Basics of Maths and Statistics and their use in business, Economics and Finance and also develop reasonable opinion to solve problems.
Part – A. Business Mathematics (40 Marks)
| Content Area | Marks Weightage and Distribution |
|---|---|
| 1. Ratio and Proportion, Indices and Logarithms | 20%-30% |
| 2. Equations and Matrices | |
| 3. Linear Inequalities with Objective Functions. Optimization w.r.t. objective function. | |
| 4. Time value of Money | 30%-40% |
| 5. Permutations and Combinations | 30%-50% |
| 6. Sequence and Series | |
| 7. Sets, Relations and Functions | |
| 8. Basic applications of Differential and Integral calculus |
Part – B: Logical Reasoning (20 Marks)
| Content Area | Marks Weightage and Distribution |
|---|---|
| 1. Number series. Coding and Decoding and the odd man out. | 60%-70% |
| 2. Direction Tests | |
| 3. Seating Arrangements | |
| 4. Blood Relations | 30%-40% |
| 5. Syllogism |
Part – C: Statistics (40 Marks)
| Content Area | Marks Weightage and Distribution |
|---|---|
| 1. Statistical description of Data | 45%-50% |
| 2. Measures of Central tendency and Dispersion | |
| 3. Probability | 25%-30% |
| 4. Theoretical Distributions | |
| 5. Correlation and Regression | 10%-15% |
| 6. Index Numbers and Time Series | 10%-15% |
