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    CA Foundation vs CA Inter vs CA Final - Which is the hardest exam

    CA Foundation vs CA Inter vs CA Final - Which is the hardest exam

    Sansar Singh ChhikaraUpdated on 04 Jul 2025, 04:51 PM IST

    The exam difficulty level for all three CA exams - Foundation, Inter and Final. Statistically, CA Intermediate exams are the toughest among all three levels. In the last 7 years, the average CA Inter exam pass percentage has hovered between 10-12%. Second in terms of difficulty level comes CA Final. The CA Final exam percentage in the last seven years has floated around 10-15%. The CA Foundation exam is the easiest among all the three exams. The average CA Foundation pass percentage has been around 25-30%. CA Foundation is the entry-level exam into Chartered Accountancy and is relatively easy compared to the other two exams. The CA Inter and Final syllabus is also vast which makes both of the exams high on difficulty scale. Read the complete article for a statistical analysis between difficulty levels of CA Foundation, CA Inter and CA Final.

    CA Foundation vs CA Inter vs CA Final - Which is the hardest exam
    CA Foundation vs CA Inter vs CA Final - Which is the hardest exam

    Which is the hardest CA Level - Foundation, Inter or Final?

    CA Level

    Average Pass % (All Sessions)

    Recent Low

    Recent High

    Difficulty Indicator

    Foundation

    ~26–28%

    14.96% (June 2024)

    44.12% (Nov 2018)

    Medium

    Intermediate

    ~10–15% (Both Groups)

    5.66% (Sep 2024)

    17.98% (May 2018)

    Very High

    Final

    ~10–12% (Both Groups)

    1.41% (Jan 2021 Old)

    20.85% (May 2019)

    Extreme

    Key Insights into CA exams Difficulty Level

    Here are some important conclusions that can be made about ICAI CA difficulty level over the years:

    • CA Foundation exam has been the easiest exam among all the three exams, given that it is the entry-level exam and does not have a vast syllabus.

    • The CA Foundation exam was easier from 2018-2022, however, after the introduction of ICAI New Scheme of Education and Training there has been a fall in the pass percentage.

    • The CA Inter exam is statistically the hardest level of the CA exams.

    • In September 2024, CA Inter exam recorded the lowest pass percentage in many years, a mere 5.66% for both groups.

    • Statistics show that clearing both groups of CA Inter together is very hard and only a few students are able to achieve this feat.

    • CA Final is the toughest to clear the exam academically given its expansive syllabus, application-based questions and expectations of perfection.

    CA exams Year-wise Comparison in Difficulty Level

    Year

    CA Foundation

    CA Intermediate

    CA Final

    2018

    44.12% (Nov)

    17.98% (May)

    20.85% (May)

    2019

    18.58% (June)

    17.11% (May)

    20.85% (May)

    2020

    35.03% (Nov)

    17.09% (Nov)

    14.47% (Nov)

    2021

    24.89% (Jan)

    10.49% (July)

    15.31% (Dec)

    2022

    25.28% (June)

    5.46% (May)

    12.59% (May)

    2023

    24.98% (June)

    10.24% (May)

    8.33% (May)

    2024

    14.96% (June)

    5.66% (Sep)

    19.88% (May)

    CA Foundation Exam Difficulty Level May 2025 - Session-to-Session Analysis

    Exam Session

    Male Pass %

    Female Pass %

    Nov 2018

    43.03%

    45.56%

    June 2019

    18.47%

    18.72%

    Nov 2020

    36.11%

    33.88%

    Jan 2021

    24.91%

    24.85%

    June 2021

    26.08%

    27.26%

    Dec 2021

    30.20%

    30.37%

    June 2022

    25.52%

    24.99%

    Dec 2022

    29.57%

    28.88%

    June 2023

    25.99%

    23.80%

    Dec 2023

    30.19%

    29.77%

    June 2024

    15.66%

    14.14%

    Sep 2024

    20.47%

    18.76%

    Jan 2025

    21.74%

    21.27%

    CA Intermediate Difficulty Level May 2025 - Session-to-session analysis

    Exam Session

    Group 1%

    Group 2%

    Both Groups%

    May 2018

    23.04%

    4.04%

    17.98%

    Nov 2018

    18.54%

    43.04%

    8.88%

    May 2019

    17.69%

    31.70%

    17.11%

    Nov 2019

    22.49%

    17.87%

    14.37%

    Nov 2020 (New)

    25.64%

    21.85%

    17.09%

    Nov 2020 (Old)

    11.75%

    15.11%

    1.81%

    July 2021 (New)

    29.11%

    22.2%

    10.49%

    July 2021 (Old)

    4.34%

    30.13%

    0.66%

    Dec 2021 (New)

    21.78%

    11.81%

    11.56%

    Dec 2021 (Old)

    5.39%

    16.79%

    0.91%

    May 2022

    13.30%

    12.45%

    5.46%

    Dec 2022

    21.19%

    24.44%

    12.72%

    May 2023

    18.95%

    23.44%

    10.24%

    Nov 2023

    16.78%

    19.18%

    9.73%

    May 2024

    27.15%

    18.28%

    18.42%

    Sep 2024

    15.17%

    15.99%

    5.66%

    CA Final Difficulty Level May 2025 - Session-to-session analysis

    Session

    Group I Pass %

    Group II Pass %

    Both Groups Pass %
    May 2024

    27.35%

    36.35%

    19.88%

    Nov 2023

    9.46%21.60%

    19.88%

    May 2023

    9.46%

    21.60%

    8.33%

    Nov 202221.39%

    18.61%

    11.09%$
    May 202221.99%

    21.94%

    12.59%
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    Questions related to CA Foundation Exam

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CA Foundation Exam ?

    Hello,

    If you’ve given the CA Foundation exam three times and still couldn’t clear it, don’t worry, there are many good alternatives you can go for. Here are some options you can consider:

    1. B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce):
      You can continue your studies with B.Com. It gives you a strong base

    Hello aspirant,

    Under the proposed plan, Module 1 of the CA Foundation Accounting syllabus for 2025 covers theoretical frameworks, fundamental accounting procedures, bank reconciliation, and inventory.  Final accounts for partnerships, companies, and sole proprietors as well as non-profit organizations are included in Module 2.  Depreciation, bills of exchange, and specific

    Hello aspirant,

    The CA Foundation September 2025 exam has been completed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).  Candidates are anxiously awaiting their CA Foundation Sep 2025 results after the exam is over.  The CA Foundation results are anticipated to be released by ICAI in September 2025, most

    Hello CA student,

    You can download the admit card even through SSP.

    The ICAI has already issued the admit card for September 2025 exams.

    All the best.

    Hello aspirant,

    Students must register with BoS by September 1, 2024, and finish the four-month study session. Additionally, provisional registrations for students who passed their tenth class have begun at ICAI.

    For more information you can visit our site by clicking on the link given below.

    https://finance.careers360.com/articles/ca-foundation-registration#:~:text=CA%20Foundation%20Registration%202025%20%2D%20Eligibility%20criteria,-Candidates%20before%20registering&text=Students%20must%20register%20before%20September,have%20cleared%20their%2010th%20class .

    Thank you