CA Foundation 2025 registration dates and passing marks
CA Foundation is the entry-level paper of the Indian Chartered Accountants programme and covers accounting, business law, quantitative aptitude and business statistics. Candidates in Australia may sit the qualification to progress towards the Indian CA designation, support India-focused career plans, or demonstrate accounting aptitude before choosing a specialist field.
Registration for both 2025 attempts is handled through the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Dates, fees, exam venues and permitted examination modes should be checked against ICAI’s official notifications, especially when planning from Australia, where the Indian Standard Time exam schedule, currency conversion and travel arrangements require extra planning.
Choose the session that fits your study rhythm
The May 2025 session is the first main attempt of the year, while November 2025 provides a second opportunity for candidates who need more preparation or want to align their studies with a particular intake. For students in Australia, May usually falls near the end of the first semester, and November falls around the middle of the second semester. Either date can therefore be practical alongside university or employment commitments.
Candidates should base their choice on their preparation for all four papers rather than one subject. Some learners use the May session as a diagnostic attempt, while others prefer a longer preparation period for quantitative aptitude and statistics. Students comparing accounting with a technical postgraduate route can also consult engineering master's pathways to understand the structure and entry requirements of a different academic option.
Australian usage also requires care. The phrase “chartered accountant” generally refers to a member of CA ANZ or another recognised Australian accountancy body. CA Foundation is a preliminary qualification issued by ICAI in India, and passing it does not by itself make an Australian graduate a chartered accountant. Its practical value depends heavily on the candidate’s intended destination and career route.
Official registration windows for 2025
For the May 2025 examination, the regular registration and fee-payment period ran from 15 January to 6 May 2025. The late-registration period began on 7 May and remained available until 31 January 2026. The examinations were scheduled for 27, 28, 30 and 31 May 2025, with the final paper schedule published by ICAI in the official examination notice.
For the November 2025 session, regular registration opened on 15 July and closed on 6 November 2025. Candidates could register late from 7 November until 31 January 2026. The examination dates were 25, 27, 28 and 30 November 2025. These windows allow candidates to plan around Australian university semesters as well as the two Indian examination cycles.
Registration normally involves creating or accessing an ICAI account, selecting the Foundation session, entering personal and contact details, choosing an examination centre or permitted mode, and paying the prescribed fee. Australian candidates should expect the fee to be charged in Indian rupees, with the final Australian-dollar amount depending on exchange rates and any fees imposed by their card provider. If a return to India is part of the plan, an Andhra Pradesh colleges directory can help candidates compare educational locations around Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
Exam format and what sits in each paper
CA Foundation has four papers, each worth 100 marks. Paper 1 covers accounting, Paper 2 covers business laws, Paper 3 covers quantitative aptitude and Paper 4 covers business statistics. Each paper is scheduled for three hours, creating a total of 400 marks. Candidates need to study the syllabus applicable to the 2025 attempt rather than relying on an older study guide.
| Feature | May 2025 session | November 2025 session |
|---|---|---|
| Regular registration | 15 January to 6 May 2025 | 15 July to 6 November 2025 |
| Late registration | 7 May 2025 to 31 January 2026 | 7 November 2025 to 31 January 2026 |
| Examination dates | 27, 28, 30 and 31 May 2025 | 25, 27, 28 and 30 November 2025 |
| Papers | Accounting, Business Laws, Quantitative Aptitude, Business Statistics | Accounting, Business Laws, Quantitative Aptitude, Business Statistics |
Paper timing follows Indian Standard Time, and Australian candidates should not rely on the date printed in their local diary without converting it. For example, a 9:00 a.m. IST start is 11:30 a.m. in Sydney during standard time but 4:30 p.m. during daylight saving. Evening papers can finish after midnight locally, creating another detail to check before booking accommodation or travel.
CA Foundation does not include a general-knowledge or current-affairs paper, although the quantitative and business papers still reward careful reading and current commercial awareness. Students preparing simultaneously for Indian competitive examinations can use a guide to current government schemes for broader general-knowledge revision without confusing that material with the Foundation syllabus.
Passing marks and the aggregate rule
The minimum passing mark in every CA Foundation paper is 40 out of 100. A candidate must also achieve an aggregate of at least 55 percent across all four papers. Since the papers total 400 marks, the aggregate requirement is 220 marks. These conditions apply together: a strong result in one subject cannot compensate for a paper in which the candidate scores below 40.
For example, marks of 60, 58, 55 and 47 total 220, so the candidate meets both the aggregate and the minimum requirement in every paper. Marks of 65, 65, 55 and 30 also total 215, but the result is unsuccessful because the 30 in one paper falls below the required 40. This distinction is important for students who naturally perform better in calculation-heavy or theoretical subjects.
Candidates who do not clear one or two papers normally carry those papers forward to the next session. Exemptions are granted only when the applicable ICAI conditions are met, so a student should not assume that a failed paper disappears from the aggregate or that attendance in the next attempt removes the earlier requirement. Once results are declared, successful candidates can proceed to the CA Intermediate level subject to the remaining programme requirements.
Sitting the exam while living in Australia
The available route depends on the current ICAI arrangements. An Australian candidate may use an approved overseas examination centre if one is offered for the session, travel to a designated centre in India, or use a remote-proctored option where ICAI permits it for that examination cycle. Remote delivery normally requires a private room, stable internet, a webcam, a suitable computer and compliance with identity-verification rules. The official booking portal is the only reliable source for confirming eligibility.
Indian-origin students in Melbourne, Sydney and other Australian cities often combine CA Foundation revision with university assessment, work or a visa condition that limits available study hours. Australian campuses may call assessed units modules or credit points, whereas ICAI refers to papers and attempts. Mapping ICAI topics to a semester timetable can prevent overload, especially during exam periods when the IST-based Foundation schedule creates late-night or early-morning sessions.
Employers and education providers evaluate the qualification according to local rules. Australian universities usually consider CA subjects for possible credit through a syllabus and learning-outcome review rather than granting an automatic credit amount. Overseas qualification assessors, including the relevant body for a particular skilled-migration occupation, decide independently whether the qualification meets their standards. A local degree, CA ANZ membership or another widely recognised accounting credential will generally carry more direct weight with Australian employers.
Take control of your 2025 registration
Begin through the official ICAI member portal, select the May or November session, complete every personal detail and confirm the available centre or examination mode before paying. Save the registration receipt and calendar the late-registration deadline if the regular window has already closed. Australian candidates should also obtain fresh confirmation of the exam timetable because daylight-saving changes can alter the local start and finish times.
Build a weekly study schedule around all four papers from the first week, using the official 2025 syllabus and past examination papers as the basis. Reserve regular sessions for calculation practice, revise laws and accounting standards through short recall exercises, and sit full-length timed papers before the examination. Register for the session that matches the available preparation time, secure the application record immediately, and turn the official deadlines into fixed dates in your Australian calendar.