The CA Foundation examination, administered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), serves as a pivotal milestone for individuals aspiring to attain Chartered Accountant status. Over the years, the CA Foundation examination format has undergone changes to ensure that candidates are thoroughly prepared and equipped with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in their future careers as chartered accountants. If you are planning to take the CA Foundation examination in 2023, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the examination pattern to bolster your preparation. In this article, we will explore the CA Foundation examination pattern for the year 2023.

The CA Foundation examination is designed to evaluate a candidate’s grasp of fundamental concepts in accounting, finance, taxation, and law. It is conducted twice annually, typically in May and November. The examination comprises four papers, which are categorized into two groups. Candidates have the option to either attempt both groups or select a single group for each attempt.

Becoming a Chartered Accountant is the aspiration of countless commerce students. This article will provide you with comprehensive information regarding the new scheme, registration process, fees, and eligibility criteria for the CA Foundation. The CA Foundation Course serves as the initial step toward the chartered accountancy program offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Previously referred to as the Common Proficiency Test, the CA Foundation examination consists of five series of papers.

The CA Foundation Test is the choice of students aiming for careers in Economics, Finance, Law, and Accounts, as it equips them with essential knowledge in these domains. Chartered Accountants, on the other hand, broaden their expertise in Auditing, Taxation, Cost Accounting, Budgeting, Consulting, and Financial Management within an organizational context.

The CA Foundation exam has taken the place of the CA-CPT exam and is now administered twice a year by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). It serves as the initial step for individuals aspiring to pursue a career in Chartered Accountancy. The CA Foundation represents the first phase of becoming a Chartered Accountant (CA), followed by the intermediate and final stages. To attain the CA designation, students must successfully clear all three stages.

To appear in the CA Foundation MAY/JUNE 2023 exams candidates have to register with ICAI online.

Here you will get everything you should know about the CA Foundation 2023.

Basic Details of CA Foundation 2023

Here are the basic details of the CA Foundation 2023 exam

Exam Name	CA Foundation 2023
Conducting Body	Institute Of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI)
Level of Exam	National Level
Frequency of Exam	MAY/JUNE 2023 | November 2023
Mode Of Exam	Offline (Pen and Paper Based)
Mode OfRegistration	Online
Number Of Papers	4
Medium of Exam	English/ Hindi(English compulsory for Section B of Paper 2)
Basic Eligibility	Passed Class 12 or Appearing for Class 12 in Current Year
Exemptions	Graduates and Post Graduates or Candidates with Equivalent Qualification
CA Foundation Total Fees 2021	Rs 11,300 (registration fees, examination fees, and others)
Official Website	icai.org

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ICAI: Important Announcement for December 2023 Foundation Examination

December 2023 rescheduled CA Foundation Course Exams

31st December 2023, 2nd, 4th & 6th January 2024

Here is the updated schedule for CA Foundation 2023-24.

CA Foundation 2023 Dates

Event	Date
Starting of Application Process	May 2023 | November 2023
Last Date to Apply without Late Fee	May 2023 – 1st January 2023 | December 2023 – 1st July 2023
Application correction window (Change exam city)	[June 2023] 4th To 10th March 2023
Last Date to Apply with Late Fee	–
Release of Admit card	June 2023 – Releasing soon
CA Foundation Exam	June 2023
CA Foundation Result	To be Announced

CA Foundation Registration 2023-24

CA Foundation Eligibility Criteria for Registration in 2023-24

The government of India has approved the institute to amend the regulations 25E, 25F & 28F of Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988 which now enables the candidate to provisionally enrol in the foundation course of ICAI post to passing class X examinations. 

Hence you need to fulfil the below-mentioned criteria to enrol yourself in the Foundation Course of ICAI. the same implied that you would be qualified for admission in ICAI Foundation Course if you have satisfied the following CA Foundation eligibility criteria for 2023:

Provisional Registration:

You are qualified for the admission in CA foundation course post to passing the secondary school examination (Class X) or matriculation exams or Madhyamik Pariksha driven by an examining body constituted by law in India. 

Additionally, an examination acknowledged by the Central Government (CG) or the State Government (SG) is identical to the 10th Class examination for the purpose of admission to Higher Secondary Education or HSC.

Regular Registration:

If you would pass the class XII examination then you would be qualified to obtain the enrolled ICAI towards the CA foundation course as a regular candidate. You would be appearing in the CA foundation examination post to appear in the Class XII examination. 

Note: below is the list of all the examinations which are equal to the 10+2 class exams. 

The graduate students would be qualified for direct admission to the CA Intermediate course i.e. they have the privileged of passing the CA Foundation examination.

CA Foundation Exam Pattern for 2023

Structure of the Exam

The CA Foundation exam consists of four papers, grouped into two levels:

Level 1: Paper 1 & Paper 2

Paper 1: Principles and Practice of Accounting (100 Marks)

On the basis of the paper, it determines the candidate’s understanding of the accounting principles, preparation, and presentation of financial statements, and various accounting standards.

Paper 2: Business Law & Business Correspondence and Reporting (100 Marks)

The same paper counts the topics concerned with business laws, business ethics, communication skills, and the basics of business correspondence.

Level 2: Paper 3 & Paper 4

Paper 3: Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics (100 Marks)

This paper evaluates the proficiency of the candidates in mathematical concepts, logical reasoning, and statistical techniques.

Paper 4: Business Economics & Business and Commercial Knowledge (100 Marks)

This paper is concerned with economics, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and business and commercial knowledge.

Registration Dates of CA Foundation 2023-24

Registration May 2023	1st January 2023*
Registration December 2023	1st July 2023*

Steps In the CA Foundation Course

To clear the CA Foundation candidates have to go through 5 steps

1st Step: Pass 10+2 and then register with the Board of Studies (BOS). Do registration by December 31 for CA Foundation May Session and by June 30 for the November session.

2nd Step: Finish the four-month study period for CA Foundation

3rd Step: Apply for CA Foundation as per the schedule.

4th Step: Appear for the Foundation examination in November/ May.

5th Step: Qualify Foundation Course and then register for the Intermediate Course.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates have to fulfil the eligibility criteria to appear in the CA foundation exams, here are they

The candidate must have cleared or appeared in this year in Class 12 or any equivalent examination carried out by a recognized board.

Must have registered for the CA Foundation in any secession as per the schedule.

After the registration candidate has gone through a minimum of 4 months of study period before appearing for the exam.

The Registration Process for CA Foundation 2023-24

The registration process is online, and one-time successful registration will be valid for three years. The candidate can apply and appear for a maximum of six attempts.

Step by Step fill CA foundation Exam Form – New Process

Step by step guidelines with full process

• To fill out the form one has to visit https://eservices.icai.org and then click the self-service portal. Under which one has to fill in the password and login details.
• One has to click the SSP portal login and then the dashboard will show the register for exam button on the exam function.
• And then click on the foundation exam form, then there will be pop-up of foundation guidelines that one has to accept at the end.
• You can also check student details and photographs/signatures. One needs to update the photo and signature first then only one can fill out the exam form. Click next.
• After which there is a declaration form and click the I agree with box.
• After which click next and there will be a payment gateway window where one needs to pay INR 1500.
• After paying the exam fees, one can also download the exam receipt by clicking on the side button.

CA Foundation Online Application Website link	Click Here
CA Foundation Online Registration link	Click Here

CA Foundation Registration Fee

Registration is open throughout the year, and the candidate can register with BOS, here is the fee detail for registration.

Details of Fee	For Indian Nationals (Rs)	For Foreign Students (USD)
Cost of Foundation Prospectus	200	20
Foundation Registration Fee	9000	700
Subscription for student’s Journal (For One Year ) (Optional)	200	20
Subscription for member’s Journal (For One Year ) (Optional)	400	40
Total	9800	780

CA Foundation Application Fee

CA Foundation exam is conducted in May or November every year and application windows gets open for a time period. The Application fee details are provided below.

Exam Centre	Application Fee
For Indian Centres	Rs. 1500/-
For Katmandu (Nepal) Centre	Rs. 2200/-
For Overseas Centres (Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Muscat)	US$ 325

CA Foundation Exam Pattern

• There is a set of 4 papers. 
• Paper 1 & Paper 2 will have subjective type questions. 
• Paper 3 & Paper 4 will have objective-type questions.
• Each paper will carry 100 marks.
• The maximum Time duration will be 3 hours.
• There will be no negative marking on Paper 1 & Paper 2.
• Paper 3 and paper 4 will have a negative marking scheme. 1/4th of the marks will be subtracted for each wrong answer.
• Candidates have to get a minimum of 40% marks in each paper and a minimum of  50% marks in aggregate in all papers to pass the CA Foundation exam.
• Exams will be conducted through Offline Mode.
• Papers will be available in Hindi and English but Section B of Paper 2 will be conducted in English Medium only.

CA Foundation Syllabus 2023-24

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has unveiled the revised syllabus for the CA Foundation course in 2023. This syllabus update is designed to equip future Chartered Accountants with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the ever-changing and dynamic realm of accounting and finance.

The CA Foundation exam will comprise a total of four papers, each with a three-hour time limit. To perform well in the upcoming Foundation exam, candidates preparing for it this year must possess a comprehensive understanding of the exam syllabus and the individual papers. Additionally, this article provides insight into the CA Foundation Exam Pattern, shedding light on the subjects covered in the exam and the types of questions that will be presented.

Students gearing up for the CA Foundation exam should carefully peruse this article. It is imperative to familiarize oneself with the 2023 CA Foundation syllabus released by ICAI before commencing exam preparation. To access a detailed breakdown of each subject in the CA Foundation syllabus, organized chapter-wise, click on the download link provided below.

CA Foundation Syllabus PDF Download

Click Here

CA Foundation Papers

Paper	Subjects	Sections
Paper 1	Principles and Practice of Accounting (100 Marks)
Paper 2	Business Laws and Business Correspondence and Reporting	Part A : Business Laws (60 Marks) Part B : Business Correspondence and Reporting (40 Marks)
Paper 3	Business Mathematics and Logical Reasoning and Statistics	Part A: Business Mathematics (40 Marks) Part B: Logical Reasoning(20 Marks) Part C: Statistics (40 Marks)
Paper 4	Business Economics and Business and Commercial Knowledge	Part A : Business Economics (60 Marks) Part B : Business and Commercial Knowledge (40 Marks)

Dates and Timings of the FOUNDATION EXAMINATION :

CA Foundation Admit Card

The admit card release date is not in the updated dates but we know that CA Foundation Admit Card will be available online on the official website. Candidates who have completed the Registration process, filled out and submitted the application, and completed the payment process in due time will get the admit card.

All the candidates can download admit cards from the official website by using their registration number and password. They also have to carry the same at the examination centre.

CA Foundation 2023 Result

The Result will be also released on the official website. After appearing in the exam candidates will receive the result releasing date through SMS or Email.

Just like admit cards, Candidates can access and download their results by using the registration number and password on the official website. ICAI will also release a CA Foundation Merit List which will consist of details of the top 50 qualified candidates for the CA Foundation exam.

Check out all the relevant FAQs based on commonly asked queries CA Foundation – New Entry Scheme.

Read more official FAQs on the ICAI website: Click here

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the CA Foundation Course’s