ICAI CA Exam Pattern 2024: Paper Wise Marking Scheme

ICAI CA Exam Pattern is designed with great precision by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to prepare students for accounting, tax computations and legal documentation. The course spans three levels which include CA Foundation, CA Intermediate, and CA Final which must be completed in a logical progression to obtain a Chartered Accountant qualification.

However, these levels involve different exam patterns and different levels of difficulty. Due to the difficulty level of CA papers, the pass percentage is comparatively very low and the candidates appear for re-examinations consecutively to clear each level.

It conducts exams for the Foundation and Intermediate courses three times a year, in May-June, September, and January, and exams for the Final course twice a year in May and November. This article explains the details of the ICAI CA exam pattern including the paper-wise marking scheme in the year 2024.

CA Exam Pattern 2024

The ICAI has modified the CA Exam Pattern in its latest scheme and thus brings a change in the overall pattern. For both CA Intermediate and CA Final, there has been a reduction in the number of exams from 8 to 6. Further, objective type / Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) have been introduce in all the subjects at CA Intermediate and CA Final level.

ICAI CA Exam Pattern 2024 Highlights

The ICAI CA examination pattern for Foundation, Intermediate, and Final courses is given below in the table.

CA Foundation Exam Pattern 2024

CA  is the first stage of the Chartered Accountancy course. The students who took the CA course after passing the Class 12 examination have to complete the registration procedure and pass the Foundation exam to progress to the CA Intermediate level. Now, as per the ICAI’s new scheme, the CA Foundation exam will be conducted thrice a year during May/June, September, and January. 

The passing criteria of the CA Foundation examination is a minimum of 40% in each of the papers and 50% in the aggregate of all four papers. 

The following table features the papers, their respective marks and types of questions of the CA Exam Pattern.

CA Intermediate Exam Pattern 2024

According to CA New Scheme 2024, the CA Intermediate exam is divided into six papers in two groups, each of which consists of three papers. Group 1 consists of Advanced Accounting, Corporate and Other Law and Taxation. , Group 2 consists of Cost and Management Accounting, Auditing and Assurance, Financial Management and Strategic Management.

The papers consist of both subjective and objective questions and the papers are of 3 hours each and each paper is of 100 marks. It is imperative to note that there are no negative markings in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) of the CA Inter Exam Pattern. MCQs section will be of 30 marks and the rest 70 marks will be for the descriptive questions. The MCQs in these papers will be one or two marks each and all of them are compulsory. Notably, there will be no internal or external choices for MCQs. Now, as per the ICAI’s new scheme, the CA Intermediate exam will be conducted thrice a year during May/June, September, and January. 

To pass, students need to obtain a minimum of 40% for each paper and a cumulative average of 50% in a group. ICAI conducts the CA Intermediate exam thrice annually in May, September, and January.

The subject-wise marks distribution for each CA Intermediate paper are mentioned in the table below.

CA Final 2024 New Exam Pattern

As per the ICAI, there is no change in the CA Final exam pattern this year and it is similar to the previous years. In two phases, the CA Final exam takes place in May and November every year and is structured similarly to the CA Foundation and CA Intermediate exams but with higher difficulty levels. 

The exam consists of Six papers divided into two groups: Group I and II. Group 1 consists of Financial Reporting, Strategic Financial Management, Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics and Corporate and Economic Laws. Group 2 consists of Strategic Cost Management and Performance Evaluation, Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation and Indirect Tax Laws. To pass the examination a candidate must score a minimum of 40% in each of the papers.

The CA Final exam is conducted only in offline mode by the ICAI. When registering for the exam, the candidates have to select the exam centres of their preference. The exam is written and the participants have to write it at the designated CA Final exam centres. The CA Final exam is conducted twice a year that is in May or June and November or December. ICAI announces the specific dates of exams separately for each session every year.

The subject-wise marks distribution for each CA Final paper are mentioned in the table below.

Changes in CA Final Exam Pattern

It can be noted that ICAI has made some changes in the CA Final Paper 6: Integrated Business Solutions. The new education and training scheme will make this paper an open book and case study-based test that should take four hours.

Further, Multiple-choice questions account for 40% of the examination, while the remaining 60% are descriptive questions. The paper contains five cases with each case being worth 25 marks and candidates are expected to answer any four cases.

CA Course Duration Under New Course 2024

The Chartered Accountancy (CA) course duration has been changed and the new course duration is May 2024. The duration of the course has been reduced from 4.5 years to 3.5 years. The new duration is likely to be of advantage to the students as well as the employers in the job market.

There has been progressive change during the CA Articleship which is an important period for the growth of an aspiring Chartered Accountant. In the current structure, this period covers three years, however, in the new course 2024 that will commence in May 2024, it only covers two years. Therefore, the course duration in the new scheme has been adjusted progressively from 48 months to 42 months.

CA Passing Criteria 2024

To clear the CA Foundation exam, students need to obtain a total of 40% in each of the papers and at least 50% in the total of all four papers.

In Addition, for passing the CA Intermediate Exam, the candidate is required to obtain a minimum of 40% marks in each of the papers and a minimum of 50% marks in the aggregate of all Six papers.

To clear the CA Final exam, a candidate needs to obtain 40% marks in each of the papers and 50% marks in the aggregate of the Six papers in total.

Final Thoughts

The ICAI CA Exam Pattern 2024 encompasses the technical knowledge, practical skills, and analytical abilities expected from a candidate in the modern accounting field.

Further, the use of case study-based questions and integrated subjects will ensure that the institute churns out professionals capable of solving complicated issues that will be presented to them in the course of their careers. Such approaches guarantee that the candidates are most prepared for the exam as well as when they get into the workplace. Since the changes occur, adjusting the study techniques to these has been crucial for aspiring students.

Further, the 2024 pattern is inclined towards integrated assessment and comes from a brighter progressive world for the next generation of Chartered Accountants. To be successful in this highly competitive area, be knowledgeable, ready and most importantly self-assured. Take this new pattern as a challenge to foster further knowledge and skills in the profession.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How many papers have to be attempted by the aspirants for the CA foundation exam, CA intermediate, and CA final exam?

Ans: For the CA foundation exam aspirants have to appear for 4 subject exams, for CA intermediate aspirants have to appear for 6 subjects including both old and new subjects, and for CA final exam aspirants have to appear for 6 subjects including both old and new subjects.

Q2. What is the study time required for the CA intermediate preparations?

Ans: The study time required for the CA intermediate preparations is 8 months.

Q3. Can CA aspirants use calculators in the CA foundation, CA intermediate, and CA final exams?

Ans: CA aspirants are allowed to use calculators in the CA foundation, CA intermediate, and CA final exams as per ICAI guidelines. The calculators used by the aspirants must be battery operated, have only 6 functions, and only 12 digits with 2 memories.

Q4. Is ICAI study material enough for the CA Foundation, CA Intermediate, and CA final exams?

Ans: Yes, ICAI study material is enough for the preparation of the CA foundation, CA Inter, and CA final exams point of view.