About the CA Foundation exam
Chartered Accountancy Foundation Examination is one of the better-known exams in India. It is administered by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and attracts a large number of candidates each cycle. The exam is held several times a year.
Format of the real exam: Offline, with descriptive and objective papers. Practising in the same style is the quickest way to remove surprises on exam day, which is exactly why CA Foundation mock tests matter.
CA Foundation eligibility
Registration after Class 12 (or the stage specified by ICAI) and completion of the registration period.
Eligibility rules, age limits and relaxations can change between cycles, so always confirm the details in the latest official notification from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) before you apply.
CA Foundation exam pattern and marking scheme
Four papers: Principles and Practice of Accounting and Business Laws and Reporting (descriptive), and Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning and Statistics and Business Economics (objective). Objective papers carry negative marking.
- Subjects and sections: Accounting, Business Laws, Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning & Statistics and Business Economics.
- Mode of the real exam: Offline, with descriptive and objective papers.
- Frequency: Several times a year.
CA Foundation syllabus: what to study
The CA Foundation syllabus is organised around 4 main areas. Plan your preparation so that every area gets a revision cycle before your first full-length mock test.
- Accounting: revise concepts, practise topic-wise questions, then test yourself under timed conditions.
- Business Laws: revise concepts, practise topic-wise questions, then test yourself under timed conditions.
- Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning & Statistics: revise concepts, practise topic-wise questions, then test yourself under timed conditions.
- Business Economics: revise concepts, practise topic-wise questions, then test yourself under timed conditions.
How to prepare for CA Foundation
A good CA Foundation plan combines concept study, topic-wise practice and regular full-length mock tests. Use the checklist below as a starting point.
- Practise accounting problems daily to build speed and accuracy.
- Learn the ICAI study material and the RTPs and MTPs.
- In the objective papers, be careful with guesses due to negative marking.
- Analyse every mock test: separate errors into concept gaps, calculation slips and time pressure, and fix one group at a time.
- Keep a short error notebook and revise it weekly, since repeated mistakes cost more marks than new ones.
Why practise CA Foundation mock tests online
Reading and notes build knowledge, but only timed practice builds exam performance. A CA Foundation mock test trains time management, question selection and stress control. Mock Archive gives you instant scoring, subject-wise accuracy, time spent per question and a full answer review the moment you submit.
- Real CBT interface: question palette, section timers and review marking.
- Instant result with accuracy, attempts and a question-by-question review.
- Works on mobile, tablet and desktop, and can be installed like an app.
- Free forever: no login, no signup and no payment.