How to Prepare for CA Foundation While in Class 11 and 12

The CA Foundation is the first and most fundamental step in the CA curriculum. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India conducts the CA Foundation exams. It sets the base for students who pursue the course through the Foundation Route. Students who strategically plan right from their 11th and 12th standards find it easier to prepare for their Foundation journey.

CA FOUNDATION EXAM

The CA Foundation exam is the entry-level exam pursued by students after their 12th boards.

It is conducted three times a year in January, May, and September.

It is for a total of 400 marks (100 marks for each paper).

It consists of 4 papers:
(i) Paper 1 – Accounting
(ii) Paper 2 – Business Laws
(iii) Paper 3 – Quantitative Aptitude
 Part A: Business Mathematics
 Part B: Logical Reasoning
 Part C: Statistics
(iv) Paper 4 – Business Economics

Papers 1 and 2 are descriptive papers of 3 hours each, and Papers 3 and 4 are objective papers (with negative marking for wrong answers – ¼ mark will be deducted for every wrong answer).

Candidates must achieve a minimum of 40% in each individual paper and an overall aggregate of 50% in all four papers to pass the level.

TIPS TO PREPARE FOR CA FOUNDATION WITH CLASS 11 AND 12

Starting to prepare for the CA Foundation from the 11th standard can be a challenging task, but it is never impossible. Students can easily pursue the same through discipline, planning, and consistency.

1. Strategic Planning

Students should first analyse the syllabus of CA Foundation as well as their subjects of Class 11 and 12 and have a thorough overview of all the subjects. They should be able to understand the common topics and plan their study schedule accordingly.

2. Coaching Programs

There are many coaching programs available to students, which are mainly online or recorded classes that help students plan their CA Foundation journey along with Class 11 and 12. Enrolling in such batches helps students to get an idea of their preparation, plan studies under mentorship, and also boost their confidence.

3. Time Management

As discussed earlier, combining similar topics of both the CA Foundation and the 11th and 12th standards can help students save a lot of their time. Also, students should be able to create a study timetable that practically allocates dedicated time to each subject.

4. Importance of School Syllabus

Students are advised to build a strong base while studying their 11th and 12th syllabus, which can help in their further preparation for the CA Foundation. Since the subjects of CA Foundation, except for Business Law, are covered in the 11th and 12th standards, students can save a lot of their time and effort if they take their school syllabus seriously.

5. Subject Preparation

The four subjects of the CA Foundation are Accounting, Business Laws, Quantitative Aptitude, and Economics. The major topics covered in Accounting and Economics are a combination of both the 11th and 12th standards. Therefore, if a student can club the topics of both CA Foundation and their school syllabus in the said subjects, it is sure to ease their preparation. A student who has taken Mathematics in his 11th and 12th standards will find it easy while preparing for Paper 3 – Quantitative Aptitude. Having said that, Paper 3 does not essentially cover only Mathematics; it has Logical Reasoning and Statistics as its Part B and C, therefore, even a student with a non-Mathematics background, such as Entrepreneurship or Computer Applications, can pursue the same. Out of all the subjects, Business Law is the one that is entirely new to a school graduate. Students can either start it along with the other subjects by self-study, take classes from an experienced tutor, or dedicate their time to the subject after completing their school graduation.

6. Mock Tests and Tracking Progress

Students should engage in consistent practice by solving comprehensive test papers and mock exams designed for both Class 11 and 12, as well as for CA Foundation. Students can solve the previous exam questions of Classes 11 and 12 and also test themselves by solving the RTPs, MTPs, and suggested answers provided by ICAI. Tracking the progress of the mock tests can help the students in their preparation and allow them to analyse their progress effectively.