
CA Foundation Question Papers of previous years are of much importance to applicants. Students preparing for the CA Foundation May 2026 exam must practice past papers to understand the exam structure and difficulty level. CA Foundation May 2026 exam will be conducted between May 14 and May 20, 2026. With only three months left, students must complete their preparation and start practicing previous year papers. As Chartered Accountancy is a difficult course, it is not easy for a candidate to crack it in first attempt. It is not enough to cover only CA Foundation syllabus to clear the exam; a lot of preparation and practice is required. One also needs to practice a good number of CA level questions of various difficulty levels and types.
On this page you can get CA Foundation question papers along with revision test papers and sample papers. Those pursuing CA currently and preparing for CA May 2026 exam must practice previous years papers and official mock tests.
- ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers
- Benefits of Solving ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers
- CA Foundation Question Papers: Marking Scheme
- Difficulty Level of CA Foundation Questions
- ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers FAQs
Download previous year CA Foundation question papers and sample papers. Use them for practice and improve your speed and accuracy. You can download CA Foundation previous year question papers and the preparation guides for free.
ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers
CA Foundation September 2024 Question Papers
Download ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers
Benefits of Solving ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers
CA Foundation question paper practice helps a student in understanding the nature of questions, difficulty levels and his/her own capabilty. No matter how much you study, you will not know your preparation level until you test yourself. Practicing CA Foundation question papers of previous years are also a test for you. Here are a few reasons for why solving ICAI CA practice papers for Foundation course is important:
- Practicing CA Foundation question papers helps in mastering the ability to solve questions of various difficulty levels.
- Practicing ICAI CA question papers of Foundation exams helps in understanding the types of questions asked and what is the topic wise weightage in the paper.
- The more a student practices sample questions based on the ICAI CA Foundation syllabus, the better they get at the topics included.
- CA Foundation course is all about Maths, Taxation, calculations, law and rules. Thus, practice is very important.
- Practicing CA Foundation question papers and sample papers also helps in developing speed in solving Mathematical problems.
- Practicing previous question papers also helps students in time management. Most of the times students get stuck on one question, that they lose marks on the ones they knew well.
- The minimum passing marks in CA Foundation is 40 per cent in every paper and 50 per cent overall. To be able to solve as much questions to pass the exam, one needs to have speed and accuracy, which can be achieved only by practice.
Commonly asked questions
ICAI CA Foundation is the first level of the course. This level may be considered the easiest of all the courses. The syllabus of ICAI CA Foundation includes the following topics:
- Principles and Practice of Accounting
- Business Laws and Business
- Correspondence and Reporting
- Business Mathematics
- Logical Reasoning and Statistics
- Business Economics
- Business and Commercial Knowledge
Candidates need to clear all the papers relate to these subjects in order to move to Intermediate level. The minimum score requirement id 40 per cent in every paper.
Yes, ICAI provides comprehensive study material for CA Foundation preparation. The study material includes books, sample papers, practice test papers, mock tests, online classes and much more. Registered students can enroll at BoS to avail study material offered by the ICAI. Students must also refer to CA Foundation books and study material available in the market for preparation.
CA Foundation Question Papers: Marking Scheme
ICAI prescribes the marking scheme used to evaluate a candidate's response sheet. Check below marking scheme of CA Foundation exam 2026:
- CA Foundation question paper is of 100 marks
- There are 100 questions per paper
- Total marks is 400
- Every question carries 4 marks
- Minimum score requirement to pass CA Foundation is 40% per paper and 50% overall
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
CA Foundation may be the easiest of all CA level but it's difficulty level is high on its own. So, one should at least spend 6-8 months in preparing for the exam. Coverage of CA Foundation syllabus needs a lot of time post which students need to practice a lot of sample questions and mock tests. Students must dedicate minimum 8 hours daily to study for CA Foundation.
In the CA course, candidates can make any number of attempts until they clear a particular level. They will be eligible to register for the next level only after clearing the previous level. For example, a candidate needs to clear the CA Foundation level to be able to register for CA Intermediate. For appearing in CA Final exams, a candidate needs to clear both Foundation and Intermediate levels.
Since, the level of difficulty of this course is very high, a maximum percentage of students make multiple attempts. Candidates who decide to pursue CA course, need to make sure that they are well prepared to a marathon of studies, preparation and exams.
Hope this helps!!!
Difficulty Level of CA Foundation Questions
CA is a high difficulty level course programme which requires a lot of focus and hard work. Candidates take several years to clear all three levels. In the following table we have mentioned course wise difficulty level of CA Foundation question papers:
| CA Question Papers | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|
| CA Foundation question papers | Tough |
| CA Intermediate question papers | Tough |
| CA Final question papers | Tough |
After CA Foundation, candidates have to clear CA Intermediate and CA Final exams as well, which are of a much higher difficulty level than CA Foundation. The student pursuing CA course must continue to take reference from and practice previous years' CA question papers in order to perform well.
Also Read:
CA Foundation Exam Dates May 2026
CA Foundation May 2026 application
CAT Foundation admit card 2026
Commonly asked questions
One can register for CA Foundation after Class 10 but can pursue the course only after completing Class 12. Until then, ICAI registration will remain provisional, as the minimum eligibility criteria for CA Foundation is Class 12 pass. The advantage of registering for the course after class 10 though is that you can start preparing for it along with your studies. If you choose commerce stream in class 11 and 12, it will be even easier for you to prepare for CA Foundation.
Candidates need to score 40 per cent in each paper of every group/course level and 50 per cent in aggregate in all the papers of a group/course level. This minimum mark criterion is applicable to all three courses - CA Foundation, CA Intermediate and CA Final. Candidates cannot move to the next level of the Chartered Accountancy course until they clear the previous level. A very few percentage of candidates get a high score as the scores of All India toppers are usually below 75%. Candidates can take any number of attempts to clear a course level. The process includes practical training as well.
ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers FAQs
Check here Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on ICAI CA Foundation Question Papers:
Commonly asked questions
The time duration of CA exams varies for each paper. Some CA exam papers are of two hours duration whereas some are of three hours duration. The ICAI CA exams are conducted from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The exam timings of every paper will be mentioned in the date sheet and the CA admit card of each candidate. Given below is the table indicating CA Foundation, Intermediate and Final exam timings:
CA Exam | Paper (s) | Exam Timings |
|---|---|---|
CA Foundation | Paper 1 & 2 | 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
CA Foundation | Paper 3 & 4 | 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM |
CA Intermediate (IPC) (Old Scheme) | All papers | 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
CA Intermediate (New Scheme) | All Papers | 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
CA Final (Old Scheme) | All Papers | 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
CA Final (New Scheme) | Paper 1 to 5 & Paper 7 & 8 | 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
Paper 6 (Elective) | 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM | |
IRM and (INTT | All | 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
PCC or IPC is the first stage of the Chartered Accountancy course curriculum wherein only working knowledge of core and allied subjects is covered.
The objective of the PCC course is to lay a strong foundation for Chartered Accountants in the preparation and presentation of financial statements. In PCC, candidates also learn the computerized accounting system. The course curriculum includes the following subjects:
- Advanced Accounting (100 Marks)
- Auditing and Assurance (100 Marks)
- Law, Ethics, and Communication (100 Marks)
- Cost Accounting and Financial Management (100 Marks)
- Taxation (100 Marks)
- Information Technology and Strategic Management (100 Marks)
The time duration of ICAI CA exams varies for each paper. For some papers, the duration is three hours whereas for some papers it is two hours. The time limit of CA Foundation paper 3 and 4 is two hours and for rest of the papers across levels is three hours. There is no sectional time limit in CA exams.
CA exams for all the three levels are being held thrice in a year from 2025. The first phase exams are held in May and June and the second phase exams are held in September. The third phase exam is held in January. Registrations for the May-June exams is held in February-March and registrations for September exam is done in July and registration for January exam is done in October-November. Candidates can register and appear for the exam as per their preparation and articleship completion. For any phase of exam, they need to fill the form and pay exam fee through registered login ID.
CA Foundation Exam
Student Forum
Answered Yesterday
No, there is no sectional time limit in ICAI CA exam. Candidates have to answer all sections within given time. CA Final exam for Paper 1 to 5 is of 3 hours each and Paper 6 is of 4 hours. During this time, they have to answer all the subjective and MCQs.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
ICAI conducts CA exams three times a year. These are May, September and January. To appear for the exam, candidates have to register and apply before deadline. The registration schedule is released by ICAI on its official website - icai.org.
Y
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes you are eligible
N
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 2 months ago
Candidates have to carry a printout of CA Foundation admit card and a valid photo ID. They can carry any of the following:
· Aadhaar card
· PAN card
· Voter ID card
· Passport
· Driving License
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 months ago
Students should not carry phone, watch, smart watch, earphone, Bluetooth device or any electronic items to CA Foundation exam centre. They should also not carry books. Also, there is no provision of bag deposits at the centre, so they must not carry bag or valuables.
N
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 months ago
The options to select number of test cities in CA Foundation exam is 3. Students must select their preferred test location in order – 1, 2 and 3.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 months ago
Changing test city option after release of CA Foundation admit card is not allowed. Candidates will have to appear for the exam at the location mentioned on the admit card only. '
A
Contributor-Level 6
Registration - 3 Mar '26
Is there sectional time limit in ICAI CA exams?