CA Intermediate syllabus

The second level of the CA course: six papers in two groups of three, each paper 100 marks in three hours on paper, with 30 marks of MCQs and 70 marks of descriptive questions. Passing needs 40 in each paper and 50 percent of a group's total.

Paper 1: Advanced Accounting (Group I)

Part I: Multiple choice questions

30 marks of MCQs (1 or 2 marks each) · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario.

  • Accounting Standards (AS 1 to AS 29 as listed in the syllabus) and their applicability, 55%–65%
  • Company accounts: Schedule III (Division I), financial statements, buy-back of securities, reconstruction, 30%–35%
  • Accounting for branches including foreign branches, 5%–10%

Part II: Descriptive questions

70 marks of descriptive questions · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners. On ICAI's question papers and mock test papers, Question 1 is compulsory and the candidate answers any four of the remaining five questions, 14 marks each.

  • Accounting Standards (AS 1 to AS 29 as listed in the syllabus) and their applicability, 55%–65%
  • Company accounts: Schedule III (Division I), financial statements, buy-back of securities, reconstruction, 30%–35%
  • Accounting for branches including foreign branches, 5%–10%

Paper 2: Corporate and Other Laws (Group I)

Part I: Multiple choice questions

30 marks of MCQs (1 or 2 marks each) · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario.

  • Company law and Limited Liability Partnership law, 70 marks of the syllabus
  • Other laws: General Clauses Act, interpretation of statutes, Foreign Exchange Management Act, 30 marks of the syllabus

Part II: Descriptive questions

70 marks of descriptive questions · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners. On ICAI's question papers and mock test papers, Question 1 is compulsory and the candidate answers any four of the remaining five questions, 14 marks each.

  • Company law and Limited Liability Partnership law, 70 marks of the syllabus
  • Other laws: General Clauses Act, interpretation of statutes, Foreign Exchange Management Act, 30 marks of the syllabus

Paper 3: Taxation (Group I)

Section A: Income-tax Law: multiple choice questions

MCQs within Section A's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario. The guidance notes give the paper 30 marks of MCQs and 70 of descriptive questions, and divide it into two sections of 50 marks. They do not print how the 30 MCQ marks fall between the sections.

  • Basic concepts, residential status, heads of income, total income and tax liability of individuals
  • Advance tax, tax deduction and collection at source, returns

Section A: Income-tax Law: descriptive questions

Descriptive questions within Section A's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners, written in the answer book marked A.

  • Basic concepts, residential status, heads of income, total income and tax liability of individuals
  • Advance tax, tax deduction and collection at source, returns

Section B: Goods and Services Tax: multiple choice questions

MCQs within Section B's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario. The guidance notes give the paper 30 marks of MCQs and 70 of descriptive questions, and divide it into two sections of 50 marks. They do not print how the 30 MCQ marks fall between the sections.

  • GST: supply, charge, exemptions, place and time of supply, value, input tax credit
  • Registration, invoices, payment, returns

Section B: Goods and Services Tax: descriptive questions

Descriptive questions within Section B's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners, written in the answer book marked B.

  • GST: supply, charge, exemptions, place and time of supply, value, input tax credit
  • Registration, invoices, payment, returns

Paper 4: Cost and Management Accounting (Group II)

Part I: Multiple choice questions

30 marks of MCQs (1 or 2 marks each) · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario.

  • Overview of cost and management accounting and cost sheets, 10%–15%
  • Material, employee cost, overheads, activity based costing, cost accounting systems, 35%–40%
  • Methods of costing: unit, batch, job, process, joint and by-products, service costing, 20%–25%
  • Standard costing, marginal costing, budgets and budgetary control, 25%–30%

Part II: Descriptive questions

70 marks of descriptive questions · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners. On ICAI's question papers and mock test papers, Question 1 is compulsory and the candidate answers any four of the remaining five questions, 14 marks each.

  • Overview of cost and management accounting and cost sheets, 10%–15%
  • Material, employee cost, overheads, activity based costing, cost accounting systems, 35%–40%
  • Methods of costing: unit, batch, job, process, joint and by-products, service costing, 20%–25%
  • Standard costing, marginal costing, budgets and budgetary control, 25%–30%

Paper 5: Auditing and Ethics (Group II)

Part I: Multiple choice questions

30 marks of MCQs (1 or 2 marks each) · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario.

  • Nature, objective and scope of audit; Standards on Auditing; audit planning, evidence and documentation
  • Risk assessment and internal control, audit of items of financial statements
  • Company audit, audit reports, special features of audit of different entities, professional ethics

Part II: Descriptive questions

70 marks of descriptive questions · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners. On ICAI's question papers and mock test papers, Question 1 is compulsory and the candidate answers any four of the remaining five questions, 14 marks each.

  • Nature, objective and scope of audit; Standards on Auditing; audit planning, evidence and documentation
  • Risk assessment and internal control, audit of items of financial statements
  • Company audit, audit reports, special features of audit of different entities, professional ethics

Paper 6: Financial Management and Strategic Management (Group II)

Section A: Financial Management: multiple choice questions

MCQs within Section A's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario. The guidance notes give the paper 30 marks of MCQs and 70 of descriptive questions, and divide it into two sections of 50 marks. They do not print how the 30 MCQ marks fall between the sections.

  • Financing decisions, cost of capital, capital structure, leverage
  • Investment decisions, dividend decisions, working capital management

Section A: Financial Management: descriptive questions

Descriptive questions within Section A's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners, written in the answer book marked A.

  • Financing decisions, cost of capital, capital structure, leverage
  • Investment decisions, dividend decisions, working capital management

Section B: Strategic Management: multiple choice questions

MCQs within Section B's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

MCQs of 1 or 2 marks each, four options with one correct answer, compulsory, with no internal or external choice. No negative marking. No reasoning is asked for. They may be knowledge-based or application-based and are often set on a case scenario. The guidance notes give the paper 30 marks of MCQs and 70 of descriptive questions, and divide it into two sections of 50 marks. They do not print how the 30 MCQ marks fall between the sections.

  • Strategic analysis of the external and internal environment
  • Strategic choices, implementation and evaluation

Section B: Strategic Management: descriptive questions

Descriptive questions within Section B's 50 marks · Within the paper's 3 hours

Descriptive questions, marked by ICAI examiners, written in the answer book marked B.

  • Strategic analysis of the external and internal environment
  • Strategic choices, implementation and evaluation