CA Syllabus 2026: Full Course & Exam Structure Guide

The Chartered Accountancy course is one of India’s most respected professional qualifications designed for students who aspire to build strong careers in finance, accounting, taxation and audit. With its three-tier system – Foundation, Intermediate and Final- the CA curriculum ensures a progressive learning journey aligned with global standards.

What Is the CA Course and How Is It Structured?

The Chartered Accountancy (CA) is an Indian course regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). It is one of the most prestigious and sought-after professions in the fields of finance, accounting, and business advisory. It is a qualification that equips individuals with the expertise to analyze financial data, audit accounts, provide strategic financial advice, and ensure compliance with tax and regulatory requirements.

It is broadly structured into three levels – Foundation, Intermediate and Final. But the overview of the entire course can be found below :

There are two ways to approach the course

(i) Foundation route

(ii) Direct Entry (Directly entering the Intermediate route, bypassing the Foundation level).

Overview of the CA Syllabus and Exam Levels

The CA syllabus and Exam levels can be found as below :

PAPERS	CA FOUNDATION	PASS MARK
Paper-1	Accounting	40/100
Paper-2	Business Laws	40/100
Paper-3	Quantitative Aptitude	40/100
Paper-4	Business Economics	40/100
Minimum Pass Mark		200/400

Note : * Papers 1 and 2 are descriptive, whereas Papers 3 and 4 are objective.

*Students must pass the papers individually as well as obtain 50% of the aggregate to clear each level

GROUP-I	PAPERS	CA INTERMEDIATE	PASS MARK
	Paper-1	Advanced Accounting	40/100
	Paper-2	Corporate & Other Laws	40/100
	Paper-3	Taxation: Section A: Income-Tax Law Section B: Goods and Services Tax	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300
GROUP-II	Paper-4	Cost & Management Accounting	40/100
	Paper-5	Auditing & Ethics	40/100
	Paper-6	Financial Management and Strategic Management Section A: Financial Management Section B: Strategic Management	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300

GROUP-I	PAPERS	CA FINAL	PASS MARK
	Paper-1	Financial Reporting	40/100
	Paper-2	Advanced Financial Management	40/100
	Paper-3	Advanced Auditing Assurance & Professional Ethics	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300
GROUP-II	Paper-4	Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation	40/100
	Paper-5	Indirect Tax Laws: Section A: Goods & Services Tax Section B: Customs & FTP	40/100
	Paper-6	Integrated Business Solution	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300

Note : *Students can either attend the groups individually or attend both groups simultaneously in their respective attempts.

*Students must pass the papers individually as well as obtain 50% of the aggregate to clear each level

*A student who appeared in all the papers comprised in a Group and fails in one or more papers in that Group but secures a minimum of 60% marks in any paper(s) of that Group shall be eligible for exemption in that paper(s) in the next three following examinations.

CA Subject-Wise Breakdown: Theory vs Practical Papers

CA Foundation

Paper 1 and 2: Accounting and Business Laws are Descriptive papers, while Paper 3 and 4: Quantitative Aptitude and Business Economics are objective papers with MCQs.

CA Intermediate

When it comes to CA Intermediate, Paper-2, 5 and 6B, which are Corporate and other Laws, Auditing & Ethics, and Strategic Management, they are theory papers, while Paper 1, 3, 4 and 6A, which are Advanced Accounting, Taxation, Cost and Management Accounting and Financial Management, respectively, are practical papers.

CA Final

When it comes to CA Final, Papers -3 and 5, which are Advanced Auditing Assurance & Professional Ethics and Indirect Tax Law, are theory papers, while Papers 1, 2, 4 and 6, which are Financial Reporting, Advanced Financial Management, Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation and Integrated Business Solution, respectively, are practical.

New CA Syllabus 2024 (ICAI Updates and Changes)

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India periodically reviews its scheme of education and training to remain in tandem with developments in the field of education and other changes at the national and global levels. Evolving business and changing environment also demand newer skills from the accounting professionals. ICAI, being a member body of the International Federation of Accountants IFAC), has to comply with the International Education Standards [IES 1 to IES 8]. Further, the scheme has been re-aligned as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

1. Key Changes in Foundation

· The number of papers remains at 4, but the number of subjects the number of subjects have been dropped from 6 to 4

· Business Correspondence and Reporting, and Business Commercial Knowledge have been removed from the syllabus.

2. Key Changes in Intermediate

· Papers have been reduced from 8 to 6, thereby having 3 papers in each group.

· The new syllabus merges papers such as Advanced Accountancy as a single paper as Paper 1 in group 1.

· The earlier paper 7, Enterprise Information System (EIS), has been removed from the syllabus.

· MCQs with case study scenarios are now integrated into all papers. The papers are now a mix of 70 marks subjective and 30 marks objective per paper.

3. Key Changes in Final

· The introduction of Self-Paced Online Modules(SPOM) into the curriculum, which should be completed before the student attends his/her CA final exams.

· The number of papers is cut from 8 to 6 (two groups of 3 papers each).

· Elective papers like Risk Management and Capital markets have been restructured as Set C of SPOM.

· The introduction of Multi-disciplinary paper 6 – Integrated Business Solution into the syllabus is now a core paper.

· MCQs with case study scenarios are now integrated into all papers. The papers are now a mix of 70 marks subjective and 30 marks objective per paper.

4. Changes in articleship duration

The duration of articleship has been reduced from 3 years to 2 years, thereby making it easier to qualify.

CA Syllabus Weightage and Marking Scheme Explained

Given below are the Section-wise Weightage issued by the ICAI Applicable for May 2024 and subsequent exams.

Foundation

Paper 1: Accounting (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Theoretical Framework	I	5%-10%
2. Accounting Process 3. Bank Reconciliation Statement 4. Inventories 5. Depreciation and Amortisation 6. Bills of exchange and Promissory notes	II	30%-35%
7. Preparation of Final Accounts of Sole Proprietors 8. Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Organizations 9. Accounts from Incomplete Records (excluding preparation of accounts based on ratios)	III	20%-25%
10. Partnership and LLP Accounts	IV	15%-20%
11. Company Accounts	V	15%-25%

Paper 2: Business Laws (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Indian Regulatory Framework	I	0%-5%
2. The Indian Contract Act, 1872	II	20%-30%
3. The Sale of Goods Act, 1930	III	15%-20%
4. The Indian Partnership Act, 1932	IV	15%-20%
5. The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008	V	5%-10%
6. The Companies Act, 2013	VI	15%-20%
7. The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881	VII	10%-15%

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
Part A: Business Mathematics (40 Marks)
1. Ratio and proportion, Indices and Logarithms 2. Equations: 3. Linear Inequalities	I	20%-30%
4. Mathematics of Finance	II	30%-40%
5. Permutations and Combinations 6. Sequence and Series 7. Sets, Relations, and Functions. Basics of Limits and Continuity functions 8. Basic applications of Differential and Integral calculus in Business and Economics (Excluding the trigonometric applications)	III	30%-50%
Part B: Logical Reasoning (20 Marks)
9. Number series coding and Decoding, and odd man out 10. Direction Tests 11. Seating Arrangements 12. Blood Relations	IV	20%-30%
Part C: Statistics (40 Marks)
13. Unit 1: Statistical Representation of Data Unit:2 Sampling 14. Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion	V	45%-50%
15. Probability 16. Theoretical Distributions	VI	25%-30%
17. Correlation and Regression	VII	10%-15%
18. Index Numbers:	VIII	10%-15%

Paper 4: Business Economics (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Introduction to Business Economics	I	5%
2. Theory of Demand and Supply	II	10%
3. Theory of Production and Cost	III	10%
4. Price Determination in Different Markets	IV	15%
5. Determination of National Income	V	15%
6. Business Cycles	VI	5%
7. Public Finance	VII	10%
8. Money Market	VIII	10%
9. International Trade	IX	10%
10. Indian Economy	X	10%

Intermediate

Paper 1: Advanced Accounting (100 Marks)

CONTENTS	SECTION	WEIGHTAGE
1. Process of formulation of Accounting Standards, including Indian Accounting Standards (IFRS converged standards) and IFRSs; Convergence vs Adoption; Objective and Concepts of carve-outs.	I	55%-65%
2. Framework for Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements (as per Accounting Standards).
3. (i) Applicability of Accounting Standards to various entities
(ii) Application of Accounting Standards: AS 1: Disclosure of Accounting Policies AS 2: Valuation of Inventories AS 3: Cash Flow Statements AS 4: Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date AS 5: Net Profit or Loss for the Period, Prior Period Items and Changes in Accounting Policies AS 7: Construction Contracts AS 9: Revenue Recognition AS 10: Property, Plant and Equipment AS 11: The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates AS 12: Accounting for Government Grants AS 13: Accounting for Investments AS 14: Accounting for Amalgamations (excluding intercompany holdings) AS 15: Employee Benefits AS 16: Borrowing Costs AS 17: Segment Reporting AS 18: Related Party Disclosures AS 19: Leases AS 20: Earnings Per Share AS 21: Consolidated Financial Statements of a single subsidiaries (excluding problems involving acquisition of Interest in Subsidiary at Different Dates, Cross holding, Disposal of a Subsidiary and Foreign Subsidiaries). AS 22: Accounting for Taxes on Income AS 23: Accounting for Investment in Associates in Consolidated Financial Statements AS 24: Discontinuing Operations AS 25: Interim Financial Reporting AS 26: Intangible Assets AS 27: Financial Reporting of Interests in Joint Ventures AS 28: Impairment of Assets AS 29: Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets
4. Company Accounts (i) Schedule III to the Companies Act, 2013 (Division I) (ii) Preparation of financial statements – Statement of Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement (iii) Buy-back of securities (iv) Accounting for the reconstruction of companies.	II	30%-35%
5. Accounting for Branches, including foreign branches.	III	5%-10%

PAPER – 2: CORPORATE AND OTHER LAWS (100 Marks)

PART I – COMPANY LAW AND LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP LAW (70 Marks)

CONTENTS	SECTION	WEIGHTAGE
I. The Companies Act, 2013, including important rules and drafting of notices, resolutions, etc.– 1. Preliminary 2. Incorporation of Company and Matters Incidental thereto 3. Prospectus and Allotment of Securities 4. Share Capital and Debentures	I	20%-30%
5. Acceptance of Deposits by Companies 6. Registration of Charges 7. Management and Administration	II	20%-30%
8. Declaration and Payment of Dividend 9. Accounts of Companies 10. Audit and Auditors 11. Companies Incorporated Outside India	III	30%-35%
II. The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008, including important Rules	IV	15%-20%

Part II- Other Laws (30 Marks

CONTENTS	SECTION	WEIGHTAGE
1. The General Clauses Act, 1897:	I	35%-40%
2. Interpretation of statutes:	II	25%-30%
3. The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999:	III	30%-40%

PAPER 3: TAXATION (100 MARKS)

SECTION A: INCOME-TAX LAW (50 MARKS)

Contents

Section

Weightage

1. Basic Concepts

2. Residential status and scope of total income

10%-20%

3. Heads of income and the provisions governing the computation of income under different heads

(i) Salaries

(ii) Income from house property

(iii) Profits and gains of business or profession

(iv) Capital gains

(v) Income from other sources

25%-30%

4. Provisions relating to clubbing of income, set-off or carry forward and set-off of losses, deductions from gross total income

III

15%-20%

5. Advance Tax, Tax deduction at source and tax collection at source

6. Provisions for filing the return of income and self-assessment

15%-20%

7. Computation of total income and income-tax payable by an individual under the alternative tax regimes under the Income-tax Act, 1961 to optimise tax liability.

20%-25%

Section B: Goods And Services Tax (GST) (50 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
Goods and Services Tax (GST) Laws		--
1. GST Laws: An introduction including Constitutional aspects	I	0-5%
2. Levy and collection of CGST and IGST i) Application of CGST/IGST law ii) Concept of supply including composite and mixed supplies iii) Charge of tax including reverse charge iv) Exemption from tax v) Composition levy	II	50%-80%
3. Basic concepts of: i. Classification ii. Place of supply iii. Time of supply iv. Value of Supply v. Input tax credit
4. Computation of GST liability
5. Registration	III	20%-45%
6. Tax invoice; Credit and Debit Notes; Electronic way bill
7. Accounts and Records
8. Payment of tax
9. Returns

PAPER – 4: COST AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING (100 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Overview of Cost and Management Accounting (i) Introduction to Cost and Management Accounting (ii) Elements of Cost and preparation of Cost Sheets	I	10%-15%
2. Ascertainment of Cost and Cost Accounting System (i) Material Cost (ii) Employee Cost (iii) Direct Expenses (iv) Overheads (v) Concepts of Activity Based Costing (ABC) (vi) Integration of cost and financial data	II	35%-40%
3. Methods of Costing (i) Single Output/ Unit Costing (ii) Job Costing (iii) Batch Costing (iv) Process/ Operation Costing (v) Costing of Service Sectors	III	20%-25%
4. Cost Control and Analysis (i) Standard Costing (ii) Marginal Costing (iii) Budget and Budgetary Control	IV	25%-30%

PAPER 5- AUDITING AND ETHICS (100 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Nature, Objective and Scope of Audit	I	4%-6%
2. Audit Strategy, Audit Planning and Audit Program	II	8%-12%
3. Risk Assessment and Internal Control	III	8%-12%
4. Audit Evidence 5 .Audit Documentation	IV	12% - 18%
6. Audit of Items of Financial Statements:	V	12%-20%
7. Completion and Review	VI	8%-12%
8. Audit Report	VII	8%-12%
9. Special Features of Audit of Different Types of Entities 10. Audit of Banks	VIII	12%-18%
11. Ethics and Terms of Audit Engagements	IX	8%-10%

Paper – 6 : Financial Management And Strategic Management (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Financial Management and Financial Analysis (i) Introduction to Financial Management Function (ii) Financial Analysis through Ratios	I	10%-15%
2. Financing Decisions and Cost of Capital (i) Sources of Finance (ii) Cost of Capital (iii) Capital Structure Decisions (iv) Leverages	II	45%-50%
3. Capital Investment and Dividend Decisions (i) Capital Investment Decisions (ii) Dividend Decisions	III	20%-25%
4. Management of Working Capital	IV	15%-20%

Paper 6B: Strategic Management (50 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Introduction to Strategic Management	I	15%-25%
2. Strategic Analysis: External Environment	II	15%-25%
3. Strategic Analysis: Internal Environment	III	15%-25%
4. Strategic Choices	IV	15%-25%
5. Strategy Implementation and Evaluation	V	15%-25%

FINAL

PAPER – 1: FINANCIAL REPORTING (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Introduction to General Purpose Financial Statements as per Indian Accounting Standard (Ind AS) 2. Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting under Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) 3. Application of Ind AS with reference to General Purpose Financial Statements (i) Ind AS on Presentation of Items in the Financial Statements Ind AS 1 “Presentation of Financial Statements” Ind AS 34 “Interim Financial Reporting” Ind AS 7 “Statement of Cash Flows” (ii)Ind AS on Measurement based on Accounting Policies Ind AS 8 “Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors” Ind AS 10 “Events after the Reporting Period” Ind AS 113 “Fair Value Measurement”	I	10%-15%
(iii)Ind AS on Income Statement Ind AS 115* “Revenue from Contracts with the Customers”	II	5%-10%
(iv)Ind AS on Assets and Liabilities of the Financial Statements Ind AS 2 “Inventories” Ind AS 16 “Property, Plant and Equipment” Ind AS 116* “Leases” Ind AS 23 “Borrowing Costs” Ind AS 36 “Impairment of Assets” Ind AS 38 “Intangible Assets” Ind AS 40 “Investment Property” Ind AS 105 “Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations” Ind AS 19 “Employee Benefits” Ind AS 37 “Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets”	III	15%-25%
(v)Ind AS on Items impacting the Financial Statements Ind AS 12* “Income Taxes” Ind AS 21 “The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates” (vi)Ind AS on Disclosures in the Financial Statements Ind AS 24 “Related Party Disclosures” Ind AS 33 “Earnings per Share” Ind AS 108 “Operating Segments” (vii)Other Ind AS Ind AS 20 “Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance” Ind AS 102 “Share Based Payment” Ind AS 41 “Agriculture”	IV	15%-20%
(viii)Ind AS on Financial Instruments (it includes Ind AS 32, Ind AS 109, Ind AS 107) Financial Instruments: Scope and Definitions Classification and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities Financial Instruments: Equity and Financial Liabilities Derivatives and Embedded Derivatives Recognition and Derecognition of Financial Instruments Hedge Accounting Disclosures	V	10%-15%
4. Ind AS on Group Accounting (i) Business Combinations (Ind AS 103) (ii) Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements (it includes Ind AS 110, Ind AS 111, Ind AS 27, Ind AS 28, Ind AS 112)	VI	10%-20%
5. First time adoption of Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS 101) 6. Analysis of financial statements (as per Ind AS)	VII	5%-10%
7. Ethics with Accounting Concepts Identify and explain the key ethical issues 8. Technology and Accounting Evolution of Accounting in the Technological Environment	VIII	5%-10%

PAPER – 2: ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
(1) Financial Policy and Corporate Strategy (2) Risk Management (3) Advanced Capital Budgeting Decisions	I	8% – 15%
(4) Security Analysis (5) Security Valuation (6) Portfolio Management	II	20% – 30%
(7) Securitization (8) Mutual Funds (9) Derivatives Analysis and Valuation (10) Foreign Exchange Exposure and Risk Management	III	20% – 30%
(11) International Financial Management (12) Interest Rate Risk Management	IV	20% – 25%
(13) Business Valuation (14) Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring	V	10% – 15%
(15) Startup Finance	VI	2% – 5%

PAPER 3: ADVANCED AUDITING, ASSURANCE AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Quality Control 2. General Auditing Principles and Auditors' Responsibilities 3. Audit Planning, Strategy, and Execution 4. Materiality, Risk Assessment and Internal Control 5. Audit Evidence 6. Completion and Review 7. Reporting 8. Specialised Areas 9. Related Services 10. Review of Financial Information 11. Prospective Financial Information and Other Assurance Services	I	45%-55%
12. Digital Auditing and Assurance	II	3% -6%
13. Group Audits 14. Special Features of Audit of Banks & Non-Banking Financial Companies 15. Overview of Audit of Public Sector Undertakings 16. Internal Audit 17. Due Diligence, Investigation and Forensic Accounting	III	17%-24%
18. Emerging Areas: Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) & Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Assurance etc	IV	3% -6%
19. Professional Ethics and Liabilities of Auditors	V	17%-24%

PAPER 4: DIRECT TAX LAWS & INTERNATIONAL TAXATION (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
I. (a) Comprehensive computation of income-tax liabilities of companies and other entities under the alternative tax regimes under the Income-tax Act, 1961, to optimise tax liability (i) General provisions under the Act for computation of total income and tax liability for companies and other entities (ii) Special tax regimes under the Act for companies and other entities (iii) Optimisation of tax liability of companies and other entities through tax planning (b) Special Provisions relating to charitable and religious trusts and institutions, political parties and electoral trusts, business trusts, securitisation trusts, investment funds and other funds/trusts (c) Anti-avoidance provisions under the Act (d) Provisions to address tax challenges on digitalisation	I	40%-45% [20%-23% weightage for item (i) and 20%- 22% weightage for (ii), (iii) and (iv) together]
II. Tax Administration and Appellate Mechanism (i) Deduction, Collection and Recovery of Tax (ii) Income-tax Authorities (iii) Assessment Procedures (iv) Appeals and Revision; and Dispute Resolution (v) Provisions to counteract unethical tax practices - Taxation of undisclosed income under the Income-tax Act, 1961 - Taxation of undisclosed foreign income and assets - Penalties and offences, and prosecution (vi) Miscellaneous Provisions (vii) Tax Audit	II	20%-30%
III.International Taxation (i) Taxation of cross border transactions and Non-resident taxation under the Income-tax Act, 1961, including - Transfer Pricing - Non-resident Taxation - Double Taxation Relief - Advance Ruling (ii) Other Aspects of International Taxation, namely, - Significant articles of OECD and UN Model Tax Conventions - Fundamentals of BEPS - Application and Interpretation of Tax Treaties - Latest developments in international taxation	III	30%-35%

PAPER 5: INDIRECT TAX LAWS (100 MARKS)

PART-I-GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (80 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
(i) Case studies based on the following: Levy and collection of CGST and IGST – Application of CGST/IGST law; Concept of supply, inter-State supply, intra-State supply, supplies in territorial waters; Charge of tax, including reverse charge; Classification; Exemption from tax; Place of supply; Time of Supply; Value of supply; Input tax credit; Computation of GST liability	I	45%-65%
(ii)Procedures under GST, including registration, tax invoice, credit and debit notes, electronic way-bill, accounts and records, returns, and payment of tax (iii)Refunds and case studies based on refund provisions (iv)Job work (v) Liability to pay in certain cases	II	10%-30%
(vi) Administration of GST; Assessment and Audit (vii) Inspection, Search, Seizure and Arrest (viii) Other provisions	III	0-5%
(ix) Demand and Recovery Offences and Penalties (x) Advance Ruling (xi) Appeals and Revision (xii) Ethics under GST	IV	15%-30%

PART-II-CUSTOMS & FTP (20 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1(i) Levy of customs duties, including application of customs law, taxable event, charge of customs duty, exceptions to the levy of customs duty, and exemption from customs duty (ii)Types of customs duties (iii) Classification and valuation of imported and export goods	I	40%-65%
(v)Import and Export Procedures, including special procedures relating to baggage, goods imported or exported by post, and stores (vi)Warehousing (vii)Refund 2(iii) Basic concepts relating to export promotion schemes provided under FTP	II	20% - 45%
2(i) Introduction to FTP – legislation governing FTP, salient features of FTP, administration of FTP, contents of FTP and other related provisions 2(ii) Basic concepts relating to import and export 1(i) Introduction to customs law, including Constitutional aspects	III	10%-20%

How to Study the CA Syllabus Effectively (Level-Wise Tips)

Foundation

· Students can start preparing for the CA Foundation with their 11^th and 12^th standards.

· Create a realistic and balanced study timetable.

· Focus on studying concepts and practising questions

· Practice MCQs since Papers 3 & 4 consist of MCQs with negative marking

· Make handwritten summary notes.

Intermediate

· Create an effective study timetable to prepare either a single group or both groups.

· The early phase of study should focus on understanding the concepts, then on practising the questions and then revising all of it.

· Practice writing the answers since the presentation of answers plays a huge role in passing the exams.

Final

· Students should plan effectively to balance their articleship with the Final preparation.

· They must devise a separate study strategy during their articleship period and post articleship period.

· They must focus on completing the lectures during the articleship period.

· Post articleship period, the focus must be on practising the questions and revision.

FAQs

1. What is the eligibility to register for the CA Foundation course?

Students must complete class 10 to provisionally register with the Board of Studies (BoS) of the Institute for the Foundation Course. Still, they can attend the exams only after clearing Class XII board exams, irrespective of whether a student had opted for Commerce, Science or Humanities for 12^th standard.

2. Can a student skip CA Foundation and enter CA Intermediate?

Yes, under the Direct Entry scheme, graduates/post-graduates with the prescribed marks, or students who have cleared the CMA Intermediate or CS Executive, can directly register for CA Intermediate, bypassing the CA Foundation.

3. How long does it take to complete the CA course?

It takes 4.5 to 5 years, assuming a student completes all levels in a single attempt.

4. What is the passing criteria for each level?

A student must score 40% in each paper and 50% in the aggregate to clear each level.

5. What are the major changes in the CA new syllabus 2024?

ICAI has introduced SPOM, reduced the number of papers in each level, reduced the period of articleship from 3 to 2 years and added more case study scenarios and MCQs into the syllabus.

CA SYLLABUS

What Is the CA Course and How Is It Structured?

It is broadly structured into three levels – Foundation, Intermediate and Final. But the overview of the entire course can be found below :

There are two ways to approach the course

(i) Foundation route

(ii) Direct Entry (Directly entering the Intermediate route, bypassing the Foundation level).

Overview of the CA Syllabus and Exam Levels

The CA syllabus and Exam levels can be found as below :

PAPERS	CA FOUNDATION	PASS MARK
Paper-1	Accounting	40/100
Paper-2	Business Laws	40/100
Paper-3	Quantitative Aptitude	40/100
Paper-4	Business Economics	40/100
Minimum Pass Mark		200/400

Note : * Papers 1 and 2 are descriptive, whereas Papers 3 and 4 are objective.

*Students must pass the papers individually as well as obtain 50% of the aggregate to clear each level

GROUP-I	PAPERS	CA INTERMEDIATE	PASS MARK
	Paper-1	Advanced Accounting	40/100
	Paper-2	Corporate & Other Laws	40/100
	Paper-3	Taxation: Section A: Income-Tax Law Section B: Goods and Services Tax	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300
GROUP-II	Paper-4	Cost & Management Accounting	40/100
	Paper-5	Auditing & Ethics	40/100
	Paper-6	Financial Management and Strategic Management Section A: Financial Management Section B: Strategic Management	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300

GROUP-I	PAPERS	CA FINAL	PASS MARK
	Paper-1	Financial Reporting	40/100
	Paper-2	Advanced Financial Management	40/100
	Paper-3	Advanced Auditing Assurance & Professional Ethics	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300
GROUP-II	Paper-4	Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation	40/100
	Paper-5	Indirect Tax Laws: Section A: Goods & Services Tax Section B: Customs & FTP	40/100
	Paper-6	Integrated Business Solution	40/100
Minimum Pass Marks			150/300

Note : *Students can either attend the groups individually or attend both groups simultaneously in their respective attempts.

*Students must pass the papers individually as well as obtain 50% of the aggregate to clear each level

CA Subject-Wise Breakdown: Theory vs Practical Papers

CA Foundation

Paper 1 and 2: Accounting and Business Laws are Descriptive papers, while Paper 3 and 4: Quantitative Aptitude and Business Economics are objective papers with MCQs.

CA Intermediate

When it comes to CA Intermediate, Paper -2, 5 and 6B, which are Corporate and other Laws, Auditing & Ethics, and Strategic Management, they are theory papers, while Paper 1, 3, 4 and 6A, which are Advanced Accounting, Taxation, Cost and Management Accounting and Financial Management, respectively, are practical papers.

CA Final

New CA Syllabus 2024 (ICAI Updates and Changes)

1. Key Changes in Foundation

· The number of papers remains at 4, but the number of subjects the number of subjects have been dropped from 6 to 4

· Business Correspondence and Reporting, and Business Commercial Knowledge have been removed from the syllabus.

2. Key Changes in Intermediate

· Papers have been reduced from 8 to 6, thereby having 3 papers in each group.

· The new syllabus merges papers such as Advanced Accountancy as a single paper, as Paper 1 in group 1.

· The earlier paper 7, Enterprise Information System (EIS,) has been removed from the syllabus.

· MCQs with case study scenarios are now integrated into all papers. The papers are now a mix of 70 marks subjective and 30 marks objective per paper.

3. Key Changes in Final

· The introduction of Self-Paced Online Modules(SPOM) into the curriculum, which should be completed before the student attends his/her CA final exams.

· The number of papers is cut from 8 to 6 (two groups of 3 papers each).

· Elective papers like Risk Management and Capital markets have been restructured as Set C of SPOM.

· The introduction of Multi-disciplinary paper 6 – Integrated Business Solution into the syllabus is now a core paper.

· MCQs with case study scenarios are now integrated into all papers. The papers are now a mix of 70 marks subjective and 30 marks objective per paper.

4. Changes in articleship duration

The duration of articleship has been reduced from 3 years to 2 years, thereby making it easier to qualify.

CA Syllabus Weightage and Marking Scheme Explained

Given below are the Section-wise Weightage issued by the ICAI Applicable for May 2024 and subsequent exams.

Foundation

Paper 1: Accounting (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Theoretical Framework	I	5%-10%
2. Accounting Process 3. Bank Reconciliation Statement 4. Inventories 5. Depreciation and Amortisation 6. Bills of exchange and Promissory notes	II	30%-35%
7. Preparation of Final Accounts of Sole Proprietors 8. Financial Statements of Not-for-Profit Organizations 9. Accounts from Incomplete Records (excluding preparation of accounts based on ratios)	III	20%-25%
10. Partnership and LLP Accounts	IV	15%-20%
11. Company Accounts	V	15%-25%

Paper 2: Business Laws (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Indian Regulatory Framework	I	0%-5%
2. The Indian Contract Act, 1872	II	20%-30%
3. The Sale of Goods Act, 1930	III	15%-20%
4. The Indian Partnership Act, 1932	IV	15%-20%
5. The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008	V	5%-10%
6. The Companies Act, 2013	VI	15%-20%
7. The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881	VII	10%-15%

Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
Part A: Business Mathematics (40 Marks)
1. Ratio and proportion, Indices and Logarithms 2. Equations: 3. Linear Inequalities	I	20%-30%
4. Mathematics of Finance	II	30%-40%
5. Permutations and Combinations 6. Sequence and Series 7. Sets, Relations, and Functions. Basics of Limits and Continuity functions 8. Basic applications of Differential and Integral calculus in Business and Economics (Excluding the trigonometric applications)	III	30%-50%
Part B: Logical Reasoning (20 Marks)
9. Number series coding and Decoding, and odd man out 10. Direction Tests 11. Seating Arrangements 12. Blood Relations	IV	20%-30%
Part C: Statistics (40 Marks)
13. Unit 1: Statistical Representation of Data Unit:2 Sampling 14. Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion	V	45%-50%
15. Probability 16. Theoretical Distributions	VI	25%-30%
17. Correlation and Regression	VII	10%-15%
18. Index Numbers:	VIII	10%-15%

Paper 4: Business Economics (100 marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Introduction to Business Economics	I	5%
2. Theory of Demand and Supply	II	10%
3. Theory of Production and Cost	III	10%
4. Price Determination in Different Markets	IV	15%
5. Determination of National Income	V	15%
6. Business Cycles	VI	5%
7. Public Finance	VII	10%
8. Money Market	VIII	10%
9. International Trade	IX	10%
10. Indian Economy	X	10%

Intermediate

Paper 1: Advanced Accounting (100 Marks)

CONTENTS	SECTION	WEIGHTAGE
1. Process of formulation of Accounting Standards, including Indian Accounting Standards (IFRS converged standards) and IFRSs; Convergence vs Adoption; Objective and Concepts of carve-outs.	I	55%-65%
2. Framework for Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements (as per Accounting Standards).
3. (i) Applicability of Accounting Standards to various entities
(ii) Application of Accounting Standards: AS 1: Disclosure of Accounting Policies AS 2: Valuation of Inventories AS 3: Cash Flow Statements AS 4: Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date AS 5: Net Profit or Loss for the Period, Prior Period Items and Changes in Accounting Policies AS 7: Construction Contracts AS 9: Revenue Recognition AS 10: Property, Plant and Equipment AS 11: The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates AS 12: Accounting for Government Grants AS 13: Accounting for Investments AS 14: Accounting for Amalgamations (excluding intercompany holdings) AS 15: Employee Benefits AS 16: Borrowing Costs AS 17: Segment Reporting AS 18: Related Party Disclosures AS 19: Leases AS 20: Earnings Per Share AS 21: Consolidated Financial Statements of a single subsidiaries (excluding problems involving acquisition of Interest in Subsidiary at Different Dates, Cross holding, Disposal of a Subsidiary and Foreign Subsidiaries). AS 22: Accounting for Taxes on Income AS 23: Accounting for Investment in Associates in Consolidated Financial Statements AS 24: Discontinuing Operations AS 25: Interim Financial Reporting AS 26: Intangible Assets AS 27: Financial Reporting of Interests in Joint Ventures AS 28: Impairment of Assets AS 29: Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets
4. Company Accounts (i) Schedule III to the Companies Act, 2013 (Division I) (ii) Preparation of financial statements – Statement of Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement (iii) Buy-back of securities (iv) Accounting for the reconstruction of companies.	II	30%-35%
5. Accounting for Branches, including foreign branches.	III	5%-10%

PAPER – 2: CORPORATE AND OTHER LAWS (100 Marks)

PART I – COMPANY LAW AND LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP LAW (70 Marks)

CONTENTS	SECTION	WEIGHTAGE
I. The Companies Act, 2013, including important rules and drafting of notices, resolutions, etc.– 1. Preliminary 2. Incorporation of Company and Matters Incidental thereto 3. Prospectus and Allotment of Securities 4. Share Capital and Debentures	I	20%-30%
5. Acceptance of Deposits by Companies 6. Registration of Charges 7. Management and Administration	II	20%-30%
8. Declaration and Payment of Dividend 9. Accounts of Companies 10. Audit and Auditors 11. Companies Incorporated Outside India	III	30%-35%
II. The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008, including important Rules	IV	15%-20%

Part II- Other Laws (30 Marks)

CONTENTS	SECTION	WEIGHTAGE
1. The General Clauses Act, 1897:	I	35%-40%
2. Interpretation of statutes:	II	25%-30%
3. The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999:	III	30%-40%

PAPER 3: TAXATION (100 MARKS)

SECTION A: INCOME-TAX LAW (50 MARKS)

Contents

Section

Weightage

1. Basic Concepts

2. Residential status and scope of total income

10%-20%

3. Heads of income and the provisions governing the computation of income under different heads

(i) Salaries

(ii) Income from house property

(iii) Profits and gains of business or profession

(iv) Capital gains

(v) Income from other sources

25%-30%

4. Provisions relating to clubbing of income, set-off or carry forward and set-off of losses, deductions from gross total income

III

15%-20%

5. Advance Tax, Tax deduction at source and tax collection at source

6. Provisions for filing the return of income and self-assessment

15%-20%

7. Computation of total income and income-tax payable by an individual under the alternative tax regimes under the Income-tax Act, 1961 to optimise tax liability.

20%-25%

Section B: Goods And Services Tax (GST) (50 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
Goods and Services Tax (GST) Laws		--
1. GST Laws: An introduction including Constitutional aspects	I	0-5%
2. Levy and collection of CGST and IGST i) Application of CGST/IGST law ii) Concept of supply including composite and mixed supplies iii) Charge of tax including reverse charge iv) Exemption from tax v) Composition levy	II	50%-80%
3. Basic concepts of: i. Classification ii. Place of supply iii. Time of supply iv. Value of Supply v. Input tax credit
4. Computation of GST liability
5. Registration	III	20%-45%
6. Tax invoice; Credit and Debit Notes; Electronic way bill
7. Accounts and Records
8. Payment of tax
9. Returns

PAPER – 4: COST AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING (100 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Overview of Cost and Management Accounting (i) Introduction to Cost and Management Accounting (ii) Elements of Cost and preparation of Cost Sheets	I	10%-15%
2. Ascertainment of Cost and Cost Accounting System (i) Material Cost (ii) Employee Cost (iii) Direct Expenses (iv) Overheads (v) Concepts of Activity Based Costing (ABC) (vi) Integration of cost and financial data	II	35%-40%
3. Methods of Costing (i) Single Output/ Unit Costing (ii) Job Costing (iii) Batch Costing (iv) Process/ Operation Costing (v) Costing of Service Sectors	III	20%-25%
4. Cost Control and Analysis (i) Standard Costing (ii) Marginal Costing (iii) Budget and Budgetary Control	IV	25%-30%

PAPER 5- AUDITING AND ETHICS (100 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Nature, Objective and Scope of Audit	I	4%-6%
2. Audit Strategy, Audit Planning and Audit Program	II	8%-12%
3. Risk Assessment and Internal Control	III	8%-12%
4. Audit Evidence 5 .Audit Documentation	IV	12% - 18%
6. Audit of Items of Financial Statements:	V	12%-20%
7. Completion and Review	VI	8%-12%
8. Audit Report	VII	8%-12%
9. Special Features of Audit of Different Types of Entities 10. Audit of Banks	VIII	12%-18%
11. Ethics and Terms of Audit Engagements	IX	8%-10%

Paper – 6 : Financial Management And Strategic Management (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Financial Management and Financial Analysis (i) Introduction to Financial Management Function (ii) Financial Analysis through Ratios	I	10%-15%
2. Financing Decisions and Cost of Capital (i) Sources of Finance (ii) Cost of Capital (iii) Capital Structure Decisions (iv) Leverages	II	45%-50%
3. Capital Investment and Dividend Decisions (i) Capital Investment Decisions (ii) Dividend Decisions	III	20%-25%
4. Management of Working Capital	IV	15%-20%

Paper 6B: Strategic Management (50 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Introduction to Strategic Management	I	15%-25%
2. Strategic Analysis: External Environment	II	15%-25%
3. Strategic Analysis: Internal Environment	III	15%-25%
4. Strategic Choices	IV	15%-25%
5. Strategy Implementation and Evaluation	V	15%-25%

FINAL

PAPER – 1: FINANCIAL REPORTING (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Introduction to General Purpose Financial Statements as per Indian Accounting Standard (Ind AS) 2. Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting under Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) 3. Application of Ind AS with reference to General Purpose Financial Statements (i) Ind AS on Presentation of Items in the Financial Statements Ind AS 1 “Presentation of Financial Statements” Ind AS 34 “Interim Financial Reporting” Ind AS 7 “Statement of Cash Flows” (ii)Ind AS on Measurement based on Accounting Policies Ind AS 8 “Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors” Ind AS 10 “Events after the Reporting Period” Ind AS 113 “Fair Value Measurement”	I	10%-15%
(iii)Ind AS on Income Statement Ind AS 115* “Revenue from Contracts with the Customers”	II	5%-10%
(iv)Ind AS on Assets and Liabilities of the Financial Statements Ind AS 2 “Inventories” Ind AS 16 “Property, Plant and Equipment” Ind AS 116* “Leases” Ind AS 23 “Borrowing Costs” Ind AS 36 “Impairment of Assets” Ind AS 38 “Intangible Assets” Ind AS 40 “Investment Property” Ind AS 105 “Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations” Ind AS 19 “Employee Benefits” Ind AS 37 “Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets”	III	15%-25%
(v)Ind AS on Items impacting the Financial Statements Ind AS 12* “Income Taxes” Ind AS 21 “The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates” (vi)Ind AS on Disclosures in the Financial Statements Ind AS 24 “Related Party Disclosures” Ind AS 33 “Earnings per Share” Ind AS 108 “Operating Segments” (vii)Other Ind AS Ind AS 20 “Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance” Ind AS 102 “Share Based Payment” Ind AS 41 “Agriculture”	IV	15%-20%
(viii)Ind AS on Financial Instruments (it includes Ind AS 32, Ind AS 109, Ind AS 107) Financial Instruments: Scope and Definitions Classification and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities Financial Instruments: Equity and Financial Liabilities Derivatives and Embedded Derivatives Recognition and Derecognition of Financial Instruments Hedge Accounting Disclosures	V	10%-15%
4. Ind AS on Group Accounting (i) Business Combinations (Ind AS 103) (ii) Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements (it includes Ind AS 110, Ind AS 111, Ind AS 27, Ind AS 28, Ind AS 112)	VI	10%-20%
5. First time adoption of Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS 101) 6. Analysis of financial statements (as per Ind AS)	VII	5%-10%
7. Ethics with Accounting Concepts Identify and explain the key ethical issues 8. Technology and Accounting Evolution of Accounting in the Technological Environment	VIII	5%-10%

PAPER – 2: ADVANCED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
(1) Financial Policy and Corporate Strategy (2) Risk Management (3) Advanced Capital Budgeting Decisions	I	8% – 15%
(4) Security Analysis (5) Security Valuation (6) Portfolio Management	II	20% – 30%
(7) Securitization (8) Mutual Funds (9) Derivatives Analysis and Valuation (10) Foreign Exchange Exposure and Risk Management	III	20% – 30%
(11) International Financial Management (12) Interest Rate Risk Management	IV	20% – 25%
(13) Business Valuation (14) Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Restructuring	V	10% – 15%
(15) Startup Finance	VI	2% – 5%

PAPER 3: ADVANCED AUDITING, ASSURANCE AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1. Quality Control 2. General Auditing Principles and Auditors' Responsibilities 3. Audit Planning, Strategy, and Execution 4. Materiality, Risk Assessment and Internal Control 5. Audit Evidence 6. Completion and Review 7. Reporting 8. Specialised Areas 9. Related Services 10. Review of Financial Information 11. Prospective Financial Information and Other Assurance Services	I	45%-55%
12. Digital Auditing and Assurance	II	3% -6%
13. Group Audits 14. Special Features of Audit of Banks & Non-Banking Financial Companies 15. Overview of Audit of Public Sector Undertakings 16. Internal Audit 17. Due Diligence, Investigation and Forensic Accounting	III	17%-24%
18. Emerging Areas: Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) & Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Assurance etc	IV	3% -6%
19. Professional Ethics and Liabilities of Auditors	V	17%-24%

PAPER 4: DIRECT TAX LAWS & INTERNATIONAL TAXATION (100 Marks)

Contents	Section	Weightage
I. (a) Comprehensive computation of income-tax liabilities of companies and other entities under the alternative tax regimes under the Income-tax Act, 1961, to optimise tax liability (i) General provisions under the Act for computation of total income and tax liability for companies and other entities (ii) Special tax regimes under the Act for companies and other entities (iii) Optimisation of tax liability of companies and other entities through tax planning (b) Special Provisions relating to charitable and religious trusts and institutions, political parties and electoral trusts, business trusts, securitisation trusts, investment funds and other funds/trusts (c) Anti-avoidance provisions under the Act (d) Provisions to address tax challenges on digitalisation	I	40%-45% [20%-23% weightage for item (i) and 20%- 22% weightage for (ii), (iii) and (iv) together]
II. Tax Administration and Appellate Mechanism (i) Deduction, Collection and Recovery of Tax (ii) Income-tax Authorities (iii) Assessment Procedures (iv) Appeals and Revision; and Dispute Resolution (v) Provisions to counteract unethical tax practices - Taxation of undisclosed income under the Income-tax Act, 1961 - Taxation of undisclosed foreign income and assets - Penalties and offences, and prosecution (vi) Miscellaneous Provisions (vii) Tax Audit	II	20%-30%
III.International Taxation (i) Taxation of cross border transactions and Non-resident taxation under the Income-tax Act, 1961, including - Transfer Pricing - Non-resident Taxation - Double Taxation Relief - Advance Ruling (ii) Other Aspects of International Taxation, namely, - Significant articles of OECD and UN Model Tax Conventions - Fundamentals of BEPS - Application and Interpretation of Tax Treaties - Latest developments in international taxation	III	30%-35%

PAPER 5: INDIRECT TAX LAWS (100 MARKS)

PART-I-GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (80 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
(i) Case studies based on the following: Levy and collection of CGST and IGST – Application of CGST/IGST law; Concept of supply, inter-State supply, intra-State supply, supplies in territorial waters; Charge of tax, including reverse charge; Classification; Exemption from tax; Place of supply; Time of Supply; Value of supply; Input tax credit; Computation of GST liability	I	45%-65%
(ii)Procedures under GST, including registration, tax invoice, credit and debit notes, electronic way-bill, accounts and records, returns, and payment of tax (iii)Refunds and case studies based on refund provisions (iv)Job work (v) Liability to pay in certain cases	II	10%-30%
(vi) Administration of GST; Assessment and Audit (vii) Inspection, Search, Seizure and Arrest (viii) Other provisions	III	0-5%
(ix) Demand and Recovery Offences and Penalties (x) Advance Ruling (xi) Appeals and Revision (xii) Ethics under GST	IV	15%-30%

PART-II-CUSTOMS & FTP (20 MARKS)

Contents	Section	Weightage
1(i) Levy of customs duties, including application of customs law, taxable event, charge of customs duty, exceptions to the levy of customs duty, and exemption from customs duty (ii)Types of customs duties (iii) Classification and valuation of imported and export goods	I	40%-65%
(v)Import and Export Procedures, including special procedures relating to baggage, goods imported or exported by post, and stores (vi)Warehousing (vii)Refund 2(iii) Basic concepts relating to export promotion schemes provided under FTP	II	20% - 45%
2(i) Introduction to FTP – legislation governing FTP, salient features of FTP, administration of FTP, contents of FTP and other related provisions 2(ii) Basic concepts relating to import and export 1(i) Introduction to customs law, including Constitutional aspects	III	10%-20%

How to Study the CA Syllabus Effectively (Level-Wise Tips)

Foundation

· Students can start preparing for the CA Foundation with their 11^th and 12^th standards.

· Create a realistic and balanced study timetable.

· Focus on studying concepts and practising questions

· Practice MCQs since Papers 3 & 4 consist of MCQs with negative marking

· Make handwritten summary notes.

Intermediate

· Create an effective study timetable to prepare either a single group or both groups.

· The early phase of study should focus on understanding the concepts, then on practising the questions and then revising all of it.

· Practice writing the answers since the presentation of answers plays a huge role in passing the exams.

Final

· Students should plan effectively to balance their articleship with the Final preparation.

· They must devise a separate study strategy during their articleship period and post articleship period.

· They must focus on completing the lectures during the articleship period.

· Post articleship period, the focus must be on practising the questions and revision.

FAQs

1. What is the eligibility to register for the CA Foundation course?

2. Can a student skip CA Foundation and enter CA Intermediate?

3. How long does it take to complete the CA course?

It takes 4.5 to 5 years, assuming a student completes all levels in a single attempt.

4. What is the passing criteria for each level?

A student must score 40% in each paper and 50% in the aggregate to clear each level.

5. What are the major changes in the CA new syllabus 2024?

ICAI has introduced SPOM, reduced the number of papers in each level, reduced the period of articleship from 3 to 2 years and added more case study scenarios and MCQs into the syllabus.

CA Syllabus: Complete Structure, Subjects & Exam Pattern