CA Foundation Complete Exam Guide

Anyone who has passed — or is appearing in — Class 12 under a board recognised by the Central or a State Government can sit the CA Foundation exam. There's no minimum percentage requirement. You can register for the Foundation Course as soon as you clear Class 10, so you can begin studying early — your first actual exam attempt only counts once you've appeared for your Class 12 boards.

Registration has to be completed at least four months before your target exam month: by 1 January for May, 1 May for September, 1 September for January. Once registered, your Foundation registration stays valid for four years from your first eligible attempt.

Register through ICAI's Self Service Portal (SSP) at eservices.icai.org — the only official channel. You register once, then separately submit an exam form for each specific attempt.

CA Foundation runs three times a year (January, May, September); the exam form for each session typically opens around two months out. Registration carries a one-time course fee (ICAI's last published figure was ₹9,000, covering the prospectus and study material — confirm the current amount on icai.org) plus a smaller exam-form fee per attempt. Admit cards are released on the SSP portal, usually about two weeks before the exam, for download only.