The CA Foundation exam eligibility limit states that you must have completed your 10th or 12th from a recognised board with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. The eligibility criteria are released by the conducting authority officially.
To be considered eligible for the CA Foundation examination, you need to satisfy the eligibility limit set by the conducting authority, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). The official eligibility limit states that you must have completed your 10th and 12th with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks from a recognised board. To become a CA, you need to qualify for the CA Foundation, Intermediate, and Final examinations. It takes around 3-4 years.
To qualify for the exam, you must start your preparation early so that you can secure good marks and clear the exam on your first attempt. Check out the detailed eligibility requirements along with the age limit provided below.
What is the CA Foundation Exam Eligibility Limit?
The CA Foundation eligibility criteria are set by the conducting authority, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), on the official website. Based on the guidelines prepared by the authority, you need to meet the eligibility requirements. Those who have completed their 10th and 12th with an aggregate mark of 50% from a recognised board or institution are eligible for the program.
You must check out the educational requirement details for the CA Foundation exam provided below.
- You must have completed your 10th from a state, central, or government board or its equivalent, and are eligible to take provisional admission for the CA Foundation examination, which will later be confirmed once your 12th is clear.
- You must have secured a minimum of 50% of aggregate marks in your 12th to be considered eligible.
- Those who are appearing in the final year of their 12th examination are also eligible to register for the examination.
CA Foundation Age Limit Details
You need to be fully aware of all the major or minor details related to the examination you are willing to appear for. Thus, you must be aware of the maximum and minimum age requirements of the CA Foundation exam.
You must note that there is no upper age limit for the CA Foundation examination. It's just that you must have qualified for 12th. Thus, the age limit details state that you can apply for the CA Foundation exam at any age.
Also Read: CA Foundation Application Form 2026
What are the CA Foundation Exam Exemptions?
The CA Foundation exam exemptions details are specified in the table below for your guidance. You must check out the table given here.
| Criteria | Exemptions |
| UG & PG | Those who have an aggregate of 55% marks in graduation or post-graduation degree in Commerce stream or its equivalent from any recognized university will be exempted from CA Foundation 2026 exam. |
| NIOS | Those who have qualified undergraduate or postgraduate degrees from Open University will be exempted from CA Foundation 2026 exam |
| Non-Commerce | Those having bachelor's or master's degrees in a stream other than Commerce and have secured an aggregate of at least 60% marks or its equivalent from a recognized University will be exempted from CA Foundation 2026 exam. |
What Are the CA Foundation Eligibility Criteria Equivalence?
To appear for the CA Foundation examination, you must have passed your 12th from a board recognized by the Government of India. Check out the table shared below showing the list of boards accepted by the ICAI.
| Board of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh | Assam Higher Secondary Education Council |
| Bihar School Examination Board | Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) |
| Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education | Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) |
| Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education | Gujarat Secondary & Higher Secondary Education |
| Board of School Education, Haryana | H. P. Board of School Education |
| J & K State Board of School Education | Jharkhand Academic Council |
| The government of Karnataka Department of Pre-University Education | Kerala Board of Higher Secondary Education |
| Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education | Board of Secondary Education, Madhya Pradesh |
| Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur | Meghalaya Board of School Education |
| Mizoram Board of School Education | Nagaland Board of School Education |
| Council of Higher Secondary Education, Orissa | Punjab School Education Board |
| Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan | Tamil Nadu State Board of School Examinations |
| Tripura Board of Secondary Education | U.P. Board of High School and Intermediate Education |
| Board of School Education, Uttarakhand | West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education |
Check CA Foundation Relevant Articles:
| Difference Between CA CPT and CA Foundation | Best CA Foundation Coaching Centres in India |
| How to Prepare for CA Foundation in 1st Attempt? | CA Foundation Declaration Form 2026 |
Conclusion
You must check out the detailed eligibility requirements of the CA Foundation examination provided here for your guidance. You must note that those who have qualified their 10+2 from a recognised board with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks are eligible for the examination.
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Eligibility set by ICAI. -
Must have cleared 10th and 12th. -
Minimum 50% aggregate marks in 12th. -
No upper age limit for CA Foundation.
