CMA Pattern 2026: Know Total Marks, Exam Duration & Weightage
Certified Management Accountant 2026 ( CMA )
CMA June 2026 Inter & Final Result
5 Aug '26
CMA 2026 Exam Pattern: The Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) has released the exam pattern of CMA 2026 for December and June sessions on the official website, icmai.in. ICMAI will be conducting the exam as offline centre-based test for all three courses. Last year, CMA exam for Foundation course was conducted as remote proctored exam, while exam for the Intermediate and Final courses were conducted as online tests from centre.
Scroll down for complete information on CMA 2026 exam pattern for Foundation, Intermediate and Final courses.
Table of contents
- CMA Exam Pattern Highlights
- CMA Foundation 2026: Paper-Wise Weightage
- CMA Intermediate 2026: Paper-Wise Weightage
- CMA Final 2026: Paper-Wise Weightage
- ICMAI CMA Total Marks 2026
- ICMAI CMA Exam Sections
- FAQs on CMA Exam
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CMA Exam Pattern Highlights
ICMAI conducts CMA exam at three course levels. Check below to know the key highlights of CMA exam pattern for all levels:
| Exam Features | CMA Exam Details |
|---|---|
| Mode of CMA exam (All three levels) | Offline Centre-Based Test |
| Type of questions | CMA Foundation Exam: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) CMA Inter & Final Exam: Descriptive |
| Total marks in each subject paper | 100 |
| Exam Duration | CMA Foundation: 120 minutes CMA Inter & Final: 180 minutes |
| Frequency of Exam | Twice a Year - June & December |
| Negative Marking in CMA Foundation | No |
Read More:
CMA Foundation 2026: Paper-Wise Weightage
The space below mentions the CMA 2026 paper-wise weightage for foundation course:
| Topic | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Paper 1 - Fundamentals of Business Law & Business Communication | |
| Section A: Fundamentals of Business Laws | 80% |
| Introduction | 10% |
| Indian Contracts Act, 1872 | 30% |
| Sale of Goods Act, 1930 | 20% |
| Negotiable Instruments Act,1881 | 20% |
| Section B: Business Communication | 20% |
| Business Communication | 20% |
| Paper 2 - Fundamentals of Financial & Cost Accounting | |
| Section A: Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | 70% |
| Accounting Fundamentals | 30% |
| Accounting for Special Transactions | 15% |
| Preparation of Final Accounts | 25% |
| Section B: Fundamentals of Cost Accounting | 30% |
| Fundamentals of Cost Accounting | 30% |
| Paper 3 - Fundamentals of Business Mathematics & Statistics | |
| Section A: Fundamentals of Business Mathematics | 40% |
| Arithmetic | 15% |
| Algebra | 20% |
| Calculus - Application in Business | 5% |
| Section B: Fundamentals of Business Statistics | 60% |
| Statistical Representation of Data | 5% |
| Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion | 15% |
| Correlation and Regression | 15% |
| Probability | 15% |
| Index Numbers and Time Series | 10% |
| Paper 4 - Fundamentals of Business Economics & Management | |
| Section A: Fundamentals of Business Economics | 70% |
| Basic Concepts | 15% |
| Forms of Market | 20% |
| Money & Banking | 20% |
| Economic and Business Environment | 15% |
| Section B: Fundamentals of Business Management | 30% |
| Fundamentals of Management | 30% |
CMA Intermediate 2026: Paper-Wise Weightage
The space below mentions the paper-wise weightage for CMA intermediate 2026 course:
| Topic | Weightage |
|---|---|
| GROUP I | |
| Paper 5 - Business Laws & Ethics | |
| Section A: Commercial Laws | 30% |
| Introduction to Law and Legal System in India |
5% |
| Indian Contracts Act, 1872 | 10% |
| Sale of Goods Act, 1930 | 5% |
| Negotiable Instruments Act,1881 | 5% |
| Indian Partnership Act, 1932 | 5% |
| Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 | |
| Section B: Industrial Laws | 15% |
| Factories Act, 1948 | 10% |
| Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 | |
| Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 | |
| Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 | |
| The Code on Wages, 2019 | 5% |
| Section C: Corporate Laws | 40% |
| Companies Act, 2013 | 40% |
| Section D: Business Ethics | 15% |
| Business Ethics and Emotional Intelligence | 15% |
| Paper 6 - Financial Accounting | |
| Section A: Accounting Fundamentals | 15% |
| Accounting Fundamentals | 15% |
| Section B: Accounting for Special Transactions | 10% |
| Bills of Exchange, Consignment, Joint Venture | 10% |
| Section C: Preparation of Financial Statements | 20% |
| Preparation of Final Accounts of Commercial Organisations, Not-for-Profit Organisations and from Incomplete Records | 20% |
| Section D: Partnership Accounting | 20% |
| Partnership Accounting | 20% |
| Section E: Lease, Branch and Departmental Accounts etc. | 15% |
| Lease Accounting | 15% |
| Branch (including Foreign Branch) and Departmental Accounts | |
| Insurance Claim for Loss of Stock and Loss of Profit | |
| Hire Purchase and Installment Sale Transactions | |
| Section F: Accounting Standards | 20% |
| Accounting Standards | 20% |
| Paper 7 - Direct and Indirect Taxation (DITX) | |
| Section A: Direct Taxation | 50% |
| Basics of Income Tax Act | 10% |
| Heads of Income | 25% |
| Total Income and Tax Liability of Individuals & HUF | 15% |
| Section B: Indirect Taxation | 50% |
| Concept of Indirect Taxes | 5% |
| Goods and Services Tax (GST) Laws | 35% |
| Customs Act & Rules | 10% |
| Paper 8 - Cost Accounting | |
| Section A: Introduction to Cost Accounting | 40% |
| Introduction to Cost Accounting | 5% |
| Cost Ascertainment – Elements of Cost | 15% |
| Cost Accounting Standards (CAS 1 to CAS 24) | 10% |
| Cost Book Keeping | 10% |
| Section B: Methods of Costing | 30% |
| Methods of Costing | 30% |
| Section C: Cost Accounting Techniques | 30% |
| Cost Accounting Techniques | 30% |
| GROUP II | |
| Paper 9 - Operations Management and Strategic Management (OMSM) | |
| Section A: Operations Management | 60% |
| Introduction | 5% |
| Operations Planning | 5% |
| Designing of Operational Systems and Control | 5% |
| Application of Operation Research - Production Planning and Control | 20% |
| Productivity Management and Quality Management | 5% |
| Project Management, Monitoring and Control | 15% |
| Economics of Maintenance and Spares Management | 5% |
| Section B: Strategic Management | 40% |
| Introduction | 10% |
| Strategic Analysis and Strategic Planning | 10% |
| Formulation and Implementation of Strategy | 10% |
| Digital Strategy | 10% |
| Paper 10 - Corporate Accounting and Auditing (CAA) | |
| Section A: Corporate Accounting | 50% |
| Accounting for Shares and Debentures | 10% |
| Preparation of the Statement of Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet (As Per Schedule III of Companies Act, 2013) | 10% |
| Cash Flow Statement | 10% |
| Accounts of Banking, Electricity and Insurance Companies | 10% |
| Accounting Standards | 10% |
| Section B: Auditing | 50% |
| Basic Concepts of Auditing | 10% |
| Provisions Relating to Audit under Companies Act, 2013 | 30% |
| Auditing of Different Types of Undertakings | 10% |
| Paper 11 - Financial Management and Business Data Analytics (FMDA) | |
| Section A: Financial Management | 80% |
| Fundamentals of Financial Management | 5% |
| Institutions and Instruments in Financial Markets | 10% |
| Tools for Financial Analyses | 15% |
| Sources of Finance and Cost of Capital | 10% |
| Capital Budgeting | 15% |
| Working Capital Management | 15% |
| Financing Decisions of a Firm | 10% |
| Section B: Business Data Analytics | 20% |
| Introduction to Data Science for Business Decision-making | 5% |
| Data Processing, Organisation, Cleaning and Validation | 5% |
| Data Presentation: Visualisation and Graphical Presentation | 5% |
| Data Analysis and Modelling | 5% |
| Paper 12 - Management Accounting (MA) | |
| Section A: Introduction to Management Accounting | 5% |
| Introduction to Management Accounting | 5% |
| Section B: Activity Based Costing | 10% |
| Activity Based Costing | 10% |
| Section C: Decision Making Tools | 30% |
| Marginal Costing | 30% |
| Applications of Marginal Costing in Short Term Decision Making | |
| Transfer Pricing | |
| Section D: Standard Costing and Variance Analysis | 15% |
| Standard Costing and Variance Analysis | 15% |
| Section E: Forecasting, Budgeting and Budgetary Control | 15% |
| Forecasting, Budgeting and Budgetary Control | 15% |
| Section F: Divisional Performance Measurement | 10% |
| Divisional Performance Measurement | 10% |
| Section G: Responsibility Accounting | 5% |
| Responsibility Accounting | 5% |
| Section H: Decision Theory | 15% |
| Decision Theory | 15% |
CMA Final 2026: Paper-Wise Weightage
The space below mentions the paper-wise weightage for CMA Final 2026 course:
| Topic | Weightage |
|---|---|
| GROUP III | |
| Paper 13 - Corporate and Economic Laws (CEL) | |
| Section A: Corporate Laws | 60% |
| The Companies Act, 2013 | 40% |
| Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 | 10% |
| Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility and Sustainability | 10% |
| Section B: Economic Laws and Regulations | 40% |
| SEBI Regulations | 10% |
| The Competition Act, 2002 | 5% |
| Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 | 5% |
| Laws and Regulations related to Banking Sector | 5% |
| Laws and Regulations related to Insurance Sector | |
| Specific Legal Provisions related to MSME Sector | 5% |
| Laws and Regulations related to Cyber Security and Data Privacy | 5% |
| Laws and Regulations related to Anti-Money Laundering | 5% |
| Paper 14 - Strategic Financial Management (SFM) | |
| Section A: Investment Decisions | 25% |
| Investment Decisions, Project Planning and Control | 10% |
| Evaluation of Risky Proposal for Investment Decisions | 10% |
| Leasing Decisions | 15% |
| Securitization | |
| Section B: Security Analysis and Portfolio Management | 35% |
| Introduction | 5% |
| Equity and Bond Valuation and Evaluation of Performance | 15% |
| Mutual Funds | |
| Portfolio Theory and Practice | 15% |
| Asset Pricing Theories | |
| Portfolio Performance Evaluation and Portfolio Revision | |
| Efficient Market Hypothesis | |
| Section C: Financial Risk Management | 20% |
| Risks in Financial Market | 20% |
| Financial Derivatives - Instruments for Risk Management | |
| Section D: International Financial Management | 15% |
| The International Financial Management | 5% |
| Foreign Exchange Market | 10% |
| Foreign Exchange Risk Management | |
| Section E: Digital Finance | 5% |
| Digital Finance | 5% |
| Paper 15 - Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation (DIT) | |
| Section A: Direct Tax Laws | 60% |
| Assessment of Income and Computation of Tax Liability of Various Entities |
60% |
| Tax Management, Return and Assessment Procedure | |
| Grievance Redressal | |
| Penalties and Prosecutions | |
| Business Restructuring | |
| Different Aspects of Tax Planning | |
| CBDT and Other Authorities | |
| E-commerce Transaction and Liability in Special Cases | |
| Income Computation and Disclosure Standards (ICDS) | |
| Black Money Act, 2015 | |
| Case Study | |
| Section B: International Taxation | 40% |
| Double Taxation and Avoidance Agreements (DTAA) [Sec.90. 90A and 91] | 40% |
| Transfer Pricing | |
| GAAR | |
| Paper 16 - Strategic Cost Management (SCM) | |
| Section A: Strategic Cost Management for Decision Making | 60% |
| Introduction to Strategic Cost Management | 5% |
| Quality Cost Management | 5% |
| Decision Making Techniques | 25% |
| Activity Based Management and Just in Time (JIT) | 10% |
| Evaluating Performance | 15% |
| Section B: Quantitative Techniques in Decision Making | 40% |
| Linear Programming | 15% |
| Transportation | |
| Assignment | |
| Game Theory | 15% |
| Simulation | |
| Network analysis – PERT, CPM | |
| Learning Curve | |
| Business Application of Maxima and Minima | 10% |
| Business Forecasting Models – Time Series and Regression Analysis | |
| Introduction to Tools for Data Analytics | |
| GROUP IV | |
| Paper 17 - Cost and Management Audit (CMAD) | |
| Section A: Cost Audit | 50% |
| Basics of Cost Audit | 5% |
| Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014 (as amended) | 10% |
| Cost Auditor | 10% |
| Overview of Cost Accounting Standards and GACAP | 10% |
| Cost Auditing and Assurance Standards | |
| Cost Audit Programme | 5% |
| Cost Audit Documentation, Audit Process and Execution | 5% |
| Preparation and Filing of Cost Audit Report | 5% |
| Section B: Management Audit | 25% |
| Basics of Management Audit | 5% |
| Management Reporting Issues and Analysis | 5% |
| Management Audit in Different Functions | 5% |
| Evaluation of Corporate Image | 5% |
| Information Systems Security Audit | 5% |
| Section C: Internal Control, Internal Audit, Operational Audit and Other Related Issues | 15% |
| Internal Control and Internal Audit | 5% |
| Operational Audit and Internal Audit under Companies Act, 2013 | 5% |
| Audit of Different Service Organisations | 5% |
| Section D: Forensic Audit and Anti-Money Laundering | 10% |
| Forensic Audit | 5% |
| Anti-Money Laundering | 5% |
| Paper 18 - Corporate Financial Reporting (CFR) | |
| Section A: Indian Accounting Standards | 25% |
| Specific Accounting Standards | 25% |
| Section B: Valuation of Shares, Accounting and Reporting of Financial Instruments and NBFCs | 15% |
| Valuation of Shares (Including Determination of Goodwill, Post - Valuation of Tangible and Intangible Assets) | 15% |
| Accounting of Financial Instruments | |
| NBFCs – Provisioning Norms, Accounting and Reporting | |
| Section C: Accounting for Business Combination and Restructuring (in Compliance with Ind ASs) | 20% |
| Accounting for Business Combination and Restructuring | 20% |
| Section D: Consolidated Financial Statements and Separate Financial Statements (in Compliance with Ind ASs) | 20% |
| Consolidated Financial Statements and Separate Financial Statements | 20% |
| Section E: Recent Developments in Financial Reporting | 10% |
| Recent Developments in Financial Reporting | 10% |
| Section F: Government Accounting in India | 10% |
| Government Accounting in India | 10% |
| Paper 19 - Indirect Tax Laws and Practice (ITLP) | |
| Section A: Goods and Services Tax Act & Rules | 70% |
|
70% |
| Section B: Business Data Analytics | 30% |
|
30% |
| Paper 20A - Strategic Performance Management & Business Valuation | |
| Section A: Strategic Performance Management | 50% |
| Introduction to Performance Management |
10% |
| Performance Measurement, Evaluation and Improvement Tools | 15% |
| Economic Efficiency of the Firm – Performance Analysis | 10% |
| Enterprise Risk Management | 15% |
| Section B: Business Valuation | 50% |
| Fundamentals of Business Valuation | 5% |
| Laws and Compliance in Business Valuation | 5% |
| Business Valuation Methods and Approaches | 10% |
| Valuation of Assets and Liabilities | 15% |
| Valuation in Mergers and Acquisitions | 15% |
| Paper 20B - Risk Management in Banking & Insurance | |
| Section A: Risk Management in Banking | 60% |
| Introduction to Risk Management |
5% |
| Interest Rate Risk and Market Risk | 15% |
| Credit Risk and Liquidity Risk | 15% |
| Sovereign Risk and Insolvency Risk | 10% |
| Operational Risk and Off-Balance Sheet Risk | 15% |
| Section B: Risk Management in Insurance | 40% |
| Introduction to Insurance Business | 10% |
| Insurance Intermediaries, General Insurance, Health Insurance and Life Insurance | 15% |
| Managing Risk in Insurance Business | 15% |
| Paper 20C - Entrepreneurship & Startup | |
| Section A: Entrepreneurial Skill Sets | 15% |
| Entrepreneurial Skill Sets |
15% |
| Section B: The Entrepreneurial Eco-system | 15% |
| The Entrepreneurial Eco-system | 15% |
| Section C: Idea to Action | 15% |
| Idea to Action | 15% |
| Section D: Value Addition | 15% |
| Value Addition | 15% |
| Section E: Scale Up | 10% |
| Scalability, Scaling up and Stabilisation of Sustainable Business | 10% |
| Section F: Risk Management Strategies | 10% |
| Risk Management Strategies | 10% |
| Section G: Leadership | 10% |
| Leadership | 10% |
| Section H: Types of New Age Business | 10% |
| Types of New Age Business | 10% |
ICMAI CMA Total Marks 2026
The CMA total marks for Foundation, Intermediate and Final course for each paer is as follows:
| CMA Level | Marks per Paper | Number of Papers | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMA Foundation | 100 marks per paper | 4 papers | 400 marks |
| CMA Intermediate | 100 marks per paper | 8 papers | 800 marks |
| CMA Final | 100 marks per paper | 8 papers | 800 marks |
ICMAI CMA Exam Sections
Check out exam sections/papers in CMA Foundation, Intermediate and Final.
CMA Foundation Course Papers
There are four papers based on accounts in the CMA foundation course. The subjects below are as per the CMA 2026 syllabus:
- PAPER 1: Fundamentals Of Business Laws and Business Communication (FBLC)
- PAPER 2: Fundamentals Of Financial and Cost Accounting (FFCA)
- PAPER 3: Fundamentals Of Business Mathematics and Statistics (FBMS)
- PAPER 4: Fundamentals Of Business Economics and Management (FBEM)
CMA Intermediate Course Papers
The course consists of two groups (Group 1 and Group 2) inclusive of 4 papers each (Papers 5-8) and (Papers 9-12)
| Group I | Group II |
|---|---|
| PAPER 5: Business Laws and Ethics (BLE) | PAPER 9: Operations Management and Strategic Management (OMSM) |
| PAPER 6: Financial Accounting (FA) | PAPER 10: Corporate Accounting and Auditing (CAA) |
| PAPER 7: Direct and Indirect Taxation (DITX) | PAPER 11: Financial Management and Business Data Analytics (FMDA) |
| PAPER 8: Cost Accounting (CA) | PAPER 12: Management Accounting (MA) |
CMA Final Course Papers
CMA Final Course will consist of two groups (Group 3 and Group 4) has 4 papers each (Papers 13-16) and (Papers 17-20)
| Group III | Group IV | |
|---|---|---|
| PAPER 13: Corporate and Economic Laws (CEL) | PAPER 17: Cost and Management Audit (CMAD) | |
| PAPER 14: Strategic Financial Management (SFM) | PAPER 18: Corporate Financial Reporting (CFR) | |
| PAPER 15: Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation (DIT) | PAPER 19: Indirect Tax Laws and Practice (ITLP) | |
| PAPER 16: Strategic Cost Management (SCM) | PAPER 20: One of the following subjects | PAPER 20A: Strategic Performance Management and Business Valuation (SPMBV) |
| PAPER 20B: Risk Management in Banking and Insurance (RMBI) | ||
| PAPER 20C: Entrepreneurship and Start Up (ENTS) | ||
Read More: CMA Syllabus 2026
FAQs on CMA Exam
Check out frequently asked questions on CMA exam pattern:
Q: Is it easy to crack CMA exam?
A:
CMA exam is usually considered difficult to crack in one attempt. However, if a candidate is diligent with his/her preparation and practices mock exams, past papers and sample papers thoroughly before exam, their chances of passing the exam increases.
Q: What is registration fee for CMA Intermediate course?
A:
The CMA Intermediate course registration fee is INR 23,100. Candidates can pay this amoung in two installments - INR 12,000 at the time of registration, and INR 11,100 before January 31 and July 31 for June and December term exams.
Q: Is CMA more difficult than CA?
A:
CA is usually considered tougher than CMA if we consider the volume of syllabus and study. Also, the pass rate for CA exam is lower than that for CMA exam.
Q: How to clear CMA exam in one attempt?
A:
To clear CMA Foundation, Inter or Final exam in first attempt, candidates must strengthen their basics, cover syllabus, practice as much as possible, stay away from distraction, attempt full-length mock tests, use smart revision techniques and evaluate their progess weekly or monthly.
Q: Can I take CMA exam two times in a year?
A:
CMA exam is conducted twice a year - June and December. The Institute of Cost Accountants of India allows candidates to appear for the exam twice in a year, provided they fill and submit the exam form before last date for both sessions.
Q: What is registration fee for CMA Foundation course?
A:
The registration fee for ICMAI CMA foundation course is INR 6,000.
Q: What is the ideal study time to pass CMA exam?
A:
Students must give at least 8-10 hours daily for each group of CMA exam for about 3 months to prepare well of the exam.
Q: What is registration fee for CMA Final course?
A:
Candidates have to pay INR 25,000 as CMA Final course registration fee. ICMAI allows candidates to pay this amount in two installments as follows:
- 1st Installement: INR 15,000 (at the time of registration)
- 2nd Installment: INR 10,000 (before January 31 and July 31 for June and December term exams)
Q: When will CMA June 2026 Inter exam be conducted?
A:
The CMA Intermediate exam for June 2026 session was conducted between June 11 and June 18, 2026.
Q: When will CMA June 2026 Final exam be conducted?
A:
ICMAI administered CMA Final exam June 2026 between June 11 and June 18, 2026. The mode of examination was offline centre based.
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