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