CA Foundation exam pattern and marking scheme Jan 2027
The CA Foundation exam pattern for January 2027 is four papers of 100 marks each: Paper 1 (Accounting) and Paper 2 (Business Laws) are 3-hour descriptive papers, and Paper 3 (Quantitative Aptitude) and Paper 4 (Business Economics) are 2-hour papers of 100 MCQs, where a wrong answer costs 1/4 of a mark. Every point below comes from ICAI's own documents: the September 2026 question papers and the January 2027 exam schedule. Links to each one are given in the text.
Quick answer: 2 written papers (Accounting, Business Laws: 3 hours, Q1 + any 4 of 5) and 2 MCQ papers (Maths and Economics: 2 hours, 100 MCQs, minus 1/4 mark for a wrong answer). Exams on 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027. For all four dates and form deadlines, see CA exam dates 2026 and 2027.
CA Foundation exam pattern at a glance
| Paper | Type | Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Accounting | Descriptive | 3 hours | 100 |
| Paper 2: Business Laws | Descriptive | 3 hours | 100 |
| Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude | 100 objective MCQs | 2 hours | 100 |
| Paper 4: Business Economics | 100 objective MCQs | 2 hours | 100 |
Sources: ICAI January 2027 exam schedule (PDF) (opens in a new tab), Paper 1, September 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab), Paper 3, September 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
Is the CA Foundation exam objective or subjective?
Both. Paper 1 (Accounting) and Paper 2 (Business Laws) are subjective, written answers; Paper 3 (Quantitative Aptitude) and Paper 4 (Business Economics) are objective MCQs on an OMR sheet. ICAI's FAQ says "Paper 1 & 2 are subjective type and Paper 3 & 4 are objective type" (New Scheme FAQs, Q 2.12, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
CA Foundation exam timings and reading time for January 2027
For January 2027, every Foundation paper starts at 2 PM (IST).
- Papers 1 and 2 run from 2 to 5 PM, with 15 minutes of advance reading time from 1:45 PM.
- Papers 3 and 4 run from 2 to 4 PM, with no advance reading time.
The exam dates are 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027. ICAI says the schedule will not change even if one of those days is declared a public holiday (schedule PDF (opens in a new tab)).
CA Foundation Paper 1 and Paper 2 pattern (Accounting and Business Laws)
Both papers follow the same instructions on the cover of the September 2026 question paper:
- 6 questions in total. "Question No. 1 is compulsory. Answer any four questions from the remaining five questions."
- You answer 5 questions for 100 marks, so each question carries 20 marks, usually split into parts (a), (b), (c).
- "Working notes should form part of the answers."
- Answers must be in English unless you opted for Hindi medium. If you did not opt for Hindi medium, answers written in Hindi are not evaluated.
Sources: Paper 1, September 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab), Paper 2, September 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
What the question parts look like
In the September 2026 Accounting paper, Question 1(a) asked for six true-or-false statements with reasons, at 2 marks each (6 × 2 = 12). It was followed by a 4-mark theory part and a 4-mark journal entry part. So within a single question you get short reasoning, theory and computation side by side.
In Business Laws, many questions are case situations: facts are given, and you apply the law and reach a conclusion. The September 2026 Question 1(a) was a contract-law case about an offer, its revocation and consideration.
How to write your Paper 1 and Paper 2 answers
- Choose your four questions early. Read all six during reading time. Question 1 is fixed, so pick the four strongest from Questions 2 to 6.
- Show your workings. ICAI asks for working notes in so many words. Put them under the answer, labelled, rather than on a rough sheet.
- Expect step marks, not all-or-nothing. Papers 1 and 2 are written, so correct formats, entries and working notes can earn marks even if the final figure is wrong. See is there step marking in CA Foundation.
- Compare your law answers with ICAI's own. In ICAI's suggested answers for Business Laws, May 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab), each answer states the provision with its section number, applies it to the facts of the case and ends with a conclusion. Use the same order.
CA Foundation marking scheme: Paper 3 and 4 MCQs and negative marking
These are objective papers answered on an OMR sheet (ICAI's full exam-day and OMR rules for January 2027 are in CA Foundation Jan 2027 exam rules). The cover of the September 2026 Paper 3 states the rules:
- The booklet has 100 questions, each with four options.
- Duration of the test is 2 hours.
- "For each correct answer, one mark will be awarded. For each wrong answer, 1/4th of the mark earmarked for each question will be deducted."
- If you darken more than one circle for a question, it is treated as a wrong answer.
- For questions not answered (blanks), zero is given.
- Use an HB pencil only. Any answer marked in the question booklet is not considered.
Sources: Paper 3, September 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab), Paper 4, September 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab). For Paper 3, the questions ICAI keeps asking, chapter by chapter, are in CA Foundation maths important questions.
CA Foundation negative marking in numbers
| Your answers | Marks |
|---|---|
| 80 correct, 20 left blank | 80 |
| 80 correct, 20 wrong | 80 − 5 = 75 |
| 85 correct, 15 wrong | 85 − 3.75 = 81.25 |
A wrong answer costs a quarter of a mark. If you can rule out two of the four options, a guess between the other two gains you 0.375 of a mark on average. Even a blind guess among all four gains slightly on average (+1/16 of a mark), and ruling out options makes a guess clearly worthwhile. Decide on your rule before the exam, not during it.
Time per question: 100 MCQs in 2 hours
That is 1 minute 12 seconds per question, with no reading time. Many students do a first pass on the questions they can answer quickly, then a second pass on the rest. Keep the last few minutes to check the OMR sheet against your booklet.
CA Foundation marking scheme, paper by paper
| Paper | How marks are given | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Accounting | Written; 20 marks per question, step-wise | No |
| Paper 2: Business Laws | Written; 20 marks per question, provision + application + conclusion | No |
| Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude | 1 mark per correct MCQ | 1/4 mark per wrong answer |
| Paper 4: Business Economics | 1 mark per correct MCQ | 1/4 mark per wrong answer |
The CA Foundation accounts marking scheme and law marking scheme are not published mark by mark: ICAI gives marks per question, and the examiners' comments show what loses marks. Our step marking guide quotes them for both papers.
CA Foundation study material applicable for January 2027
ICAI has said that for the January 2027 Foundation exam, all four papers use the August 2024 edition (Reprint August 2025 onwards) of the study material. For Papers 1 and 2, you also use the RTP for January 2027 (ICAI notice, PDF (opens in a new tab)). Each paper's chapters for this attempt are listed in CA Foundation Jan 2027 syllabus: all 46 chapters.
The Business Laws RTP starts with the amendments that apply. The September 2026 RTP, for example, opened with the change in small company limits under G.S.R. 880(E) of 1 December 2025 (RTP Paper 2, September 2026, PDF (opens in a new tab)). Read the first pages of the January 2027 RTP when ICAI publishes it. ICAI's study material and RTPs are collected, paper-wise, on our CA Foundation study material and CA Foundation RTP pages.
How to practise for the CA Foundation exam pattern
The best practice is to write full papers under exam conditions. For Papers 1 and 2, write by hand for 3 hours, choose 4 of 5 after Question 1, and show working notes. For Papers 3 and 4, answer 100 MCQs in 2 hours on an answer sheet, and count the negative marks honestly. Which chapters to put first in each is in our CA Foundation Maths mock test and CA Foundation Economics mock test guides.
ICAI's own Mock Test Papers are the closest thing to the real exam. Their January 2027 dates and last year's schedule are in CA Inter and Foundation MTP Jan 2027 schedule, and past MTPs are on our CA Foundation mock test papers page. Moving on to Inter later? The CA Inter exam pattern is different: 30 marks of MCQs with no negative marking in every paper. For the whole route after Foundation, with articleship before Final, see CA course structure, Foundation to Final.
Frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in CA Foundation?
Only in Paper 3 (Quantitative Aptitude) and Paper 4 (Business Economics). Each correct answer gets one mark, each wrong answer loses 1/4 of a mark, a blank gets zero, and darkening more than one circle counts as wrong (Paper 3, September 2026, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
How many questions do you have to answer in CA Foundation Paper 1 and Paper 2?
Five of the six. Question 1 is compulsory, and you answer any four of the remaining five, so each question carries 20 marks (Paper 1, September 2026, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
Is there reading time in CA Foundation Paper 3 and Paper 4?
No. Papers 3 and 4 run from 2 to 4 PM with no advance reading time. Papers 1 and 2 get 15 minutes of reading time from 1:45 PM (January 2027 schedule, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
Is the CA Foundation exam objective or subjective?
Papers 1 and 2 are subjective (written), and Papers 3 and 4 are objective (MCQs on an OMR sheet).
Is there step marking in CA Foundation?
Yes, in Papers 1 and 2, which are written. Papers 3 and 4 are MCQs, so each answer is simply right, wrong or blank (step marking in CA exams).
When is the CA Foundation January 2027 exam?
On 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027, with every paper starting at 2 PM (IST). ICAI says the schedule will not change even if one of those days is declared a public holiday (January 2027 schedule, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
Which study material applies for CA Foundation January 2027?
The August 2024 edition (Reprint August 2025 onwards) for all four papers, plus the RTP for January 2027 for Papers 1 and 2 (ICAI notice, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
Where to get the official papers
- Past question papers, all four papers: ICAI Foundation question papers (opens in a new tab), also listed on our CA Foundation past year question papers page. On ICAI's question-papers page, Papers 3 and 4 start from September 2026; May 2026 Papers 3 and 4 are in the suggested answers.
- Suggested answers: ICAI Foundation suggested answers (opens in a new tab).
- RTPs and Model Test Papers: ICAI Foundation RTPs (opens in a new tab) and ICAI Foundation Model Test Papers (opens in a new tab).
- Everything in one place, with direct PDF links: CA Foundation free resources.
Practise the pattern before January
Write each of ICAI's free papers above in the exam's time limit and mark it honestly. For full mock tests in this exact pattern, our CA Foundation test series for January 2027 has full-syllabus papers for all four papers: you write by hand, upload one PDF, and within 24 hours get a checked copy with the reason for every mark cut. What all four papers or one paper costs is in CA Foundation test series fees Jan 2027. When to write each of those mocks is dated in our CA Foundation Jan 2027 mock test plan, and the chapters that carry the most marks are in our CA Foundation Jan 2027 chapter-wise weightage. Every level is on the CA test series home page.