The CA Foundation course has four papers. You must pass all four to succeed. Each paper has different topics. Below are the topics for each paper. Students need to learn these topics well to pass the exam.

ca foundation syllabus

CA Foundation Exam Pattern

The CA Foundation exam has four papers: Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3, and Paper 4. Each paper is split into different sections. Here is the exam pattern: 

Paper 1: Principles and Practice of Accounting
  • 100 marks
  • 3 hours
Paper 2: Business Laws and Business Correspondence and Reporting
  • 100 marks
  • 3 hours
    • Section A: Business Laws – 60 marks
    • Section B: Business Correspondence and Reporting – 40 marks
Paper 3: Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics
  • 100 marks
  • 2 hours
    • 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
  • 100 marks
  • 2 hours
    • Part I: Business Economics – 60 marks
    • Part II: Business and Commercial Knowledge – 40 marks

CA Foundation Exam Pattern Details

The CA Foundation exam for 2024 includes four papers.
  • Paper 1 and Paper 2 are written exams.
  • Paper 3 and Paper 4 are multiple-choice exams.
The total marks for the CA Foundation exam are 400. Each paper is worth 100 marks. There is negative marking for the multiple-choice papers. For each wrong answer, one-fourth of a mark is deducted. The exam is given in an offline format. You can take the exam in either English or Hindi. However, Section (b) of Paper 2 must be taken in English only.

CA Foundation Passing Criteria

To pass the CA Foundation exam in 2024:
  • You must score at least 40% in each paper.
  • You need an overall average of 55% across all four papers.

CA Foundation Syllabus 2024 Paper-Wise

Paper-1: Accounting

Paper 1 is designed to help you understand basic accounting concepts and principles. It aims to teach you how to create financial statements and solve basic accounting problems effectively.

Topics Sub-Topics
Theoretical Framework
  • Meaning and Scope of Accounting
  • Accounting Concepts, Principles, and Conventions
  • Accounting Terminology – Glossary
  • Capital and Revenue Expenditure, Receipts, Contingent Assets and Liabilities
  • Accounting Policies
  • Accounting as a Measurement Discipline
  • Accounting Standards
Accounting Process
  • Books of Accounts
  • Preparation of Trial Balance
  • Rectification of Errors
Bank Reconciliation Statement
  • Introduction, Reasons
  • Preparation of Bank Reconciliation Statement
Inventories
  • Cost of Inventory, Net Realizable Value
  • Inventory Valuation and Record Keeping
Depreciation
  • Concepts, Computation Methods
  • Accounting Treatment, Change in Methods
Special Transactions
  • Bills of Exchange, Promissory Notes
  • Sale on Approval or Return Basis
  • Consignments
  • Average Due Date
  • Account Current
Sole Proprietors
  • Financial Statements
  • Closing Adjustment Entries
  • Trading, Profit and Loss Account, Balance Sheet
Partnership Accounts
  • Final Accounts
  • Admission, Retirement, Death of a Partner
  • Treatment of Goodwill
  • Introduction to LLPs
Not-for-Profit Organizations
  • Receipt and Payment Account
  • Income and Expenditure Account
  • Balance Sheet
Company Accounts
  • Shares and Debentures
  • Issue, Forfeiture, Re-issue of Shares
  • Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet as per Schedule III

Paper-2: Business Laws

Paper 2 of the CA Foundation exam in 2024 focuses on Business Laws. The goal is to help students understand key aspects of business laws and handle practical issues related to these laws.

CA Foundation Syllabus 2024: Business Laws

Topics Laws Covered Key Points
The Indian Contract Act, 1872 General Nature of the Contract Overview of contract basics
Consideration Understanding what makes a contract valid
Other Essential Elements Elements necessary for a contract to be legally binding
Performance of a Contract How contracts are fulfilled and obligations met
Breach of Contract What happens when one party fails to uphold their end of the contract
Contingent and Quasi Contract Special types of contracts with unique characteristics
The Sale of Goods Act, 1930 Formation of the Contract of Sale How contracts for the sale of goods are created
Conditions and Warranties Types of assurances and guarantees in sale contracts
Transfer of Ownership and Delivery The process of transferring ownership and delivering goods in a sale
Unpaid Seller and His Rights Rights and remedies available to sellers in case of non-payment by the buyer
The Indian Partnership Act, 1932 General Nature of Partnership Basics of forming and operating a partnership business
Rights and Duties of Partners Responsibilities and entitlements of partners in a partnership
Reconstitution of Firms Changes that can occur within a partnership, such as admission or retirement of partners
Registration and Dissolution The process of registering and dissolving a partnership firm
The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 Introduction (Nature and Scope) Understanding the concept and scope of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)
Essential Features Key characteristics that distinguish LLPs from other business structures
Characteristics of LLP Specific traits and advantages of LLPs
Incorporation and Differences How to establish an LLP and how it differs from other types of organizations
The Companies Act, 2013 Essential Features of a Company Fundamental aspects of a company, such as legal personality
Corporate Veil Theory The concept of separating a company’s legal identity from its members
Classes of Companies Different categories of companies based on size and ownership
Types of Share Capital Variations in a company’s share capital structures
Incorporation of a Company Process of registering and creating a company
Memorandum of Association Document outlining the company’s constitution and powers
Articles of Association Regulations governing a company’s internal affairs
Doctrine of Indoor Management The principle that protects outsiders dealing with a company based on internal authority

Paper-3: Quantitative Aptitude

This section helps you understand basic math and statistics and their use in Business, Finance, and Economics. It also improves your logical reasoning skills to solve simple problems.

Part A: Business Mathematics

Topics Sub-Topics
Ratio and Proportion, Indices and Logarithms Ratio and Proportion (Business Applications)
Laws of Indices, Exponents and Logarithms and Anti-Logarithms
Equations Simultaneous linear equations up to three variables
Quadratic and Cubic equations in one variable
Linear Inequalities with Objective Functions and Optimization w.r.t. objective function
Time Value of Money Simple Interest
Compound Interest
Depreciation
Effective Rate of Interest
Present Value
Net Present Value
Future Value
Perpetuity
Annuities
Sinking Funds
Valuation of Bonds
Calculation of EMI
Calculation of Returns: Nominal Rate of Return, Effective Rate of Return, Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
Permutations and Combinations Basic concepts: Introduction, Factorial, Permutations, Circular Permutations, Permutations with restrictions, Combinations with standard results
Sequence and Series Sequences, Series
Arithmetic and Geometric progression
Relationship between AM and GM
Sum of n terms of special series
Sets, Relations and Functions Basic applications of Differential and Integral calculus
Applications of Marginal Cost and Marginal Revenue

Part B: Logical Reasoning (20 Marks)

Topics Key Points
Number Series Patterns in series of numbers
Coding and Decoding Converting information from one form to another
Odd Man Out Identifying the item that does not belong
Direction Tests Understanding directions and positions
Seating Arrangements Arranging people or items in a specific order
Blood Relations Understanding family relationships

Part C: Statistics (40 Marks)

Topics Sub-Topics
Statistical Description of Data Diagrammatic representation of data
Frequency distribution
Graphical representation of Frequency Distribution: Histogram, Frequency Polygon, Ogive, Pie-chart
Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion Mean, Median, Mode
Mean Deviation, Quartiles and Quartile Deviation
Standard Deviation, Coefficient of Variation, Coefficient of Quartile Deviation
Probability Independent and dependent events
Mutually exclusive events
Total and Compound Probability and Mathematical Expectation
Theoretical Distributions Binomial Distribution
Poisson Distribution: Basic applications
Normal Distribution: Basic applications
Correlation and Regression - Scatter diagram
Karl Pearson’s Coefficient of Correlation, Rank Correlation
Probable Error and Probable limits
Regression lines, Regression equations, Regression coefficients
Index Numbers Uses of Index Numbers
Problems in the construction of Index Numbers
Methods of constructing Index Numbers

Paper-4: Business Economics

In Paper 4 of the CA Foundation exam, we study Business Economics. The main goal is to understand key concepts and theories in Business Economics and learn how to use them to solve everyday problems. 

CA Foundation Syllabus 2024: Business Economics

Topics Sub-Topics
Introduction to Business Economics
  • (i) Meaning and scope
  • (ii) Basic Problems and Role of Price Mechanism
Theory of Demand and Supply
  • (i) Demand: Meaning, Determinants, Law, Elasticity
  • (ii) Consumer Behavior: Marshallian and Indifference Curve Approach
  • (iii) Supply: Meaning, Determinants, Law, Elasticity
  • (iv) Demand Forecasting
Theory of Production and Cost
  • (i) Production: Meaning, Factors
  • (ii) Laws of Production: Variable Proportions, Returns to Scale, Producer’s Equilibrium
  • (iii) Costs: Short-run and Long-run, Average and Marginal, Total, Fixed, and Variable
Price Determination in Different Markets
  • (i) Market Forms: Perfect Competition, Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition, Oligopoly
  • (ii) Price Determination
Business Cycles
  • (i) Meaning
  • (ii) Phases
  • (iii) Features
  • (iv) Causes