To become a Cost and Management Accountant in India, candidates must enroll in the CMA course offered by The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India (ICMAI). While pursuing the course, candidates must appear for CMA exams and pass them with the criteria mentioned by ICMAI.
In this article, we will talk about what CMA exams are, who is eligible for them, the admission process, syllabus, exam pattern, and results. We will also cover other important details such as admit card and CMA exam form.
What is the CMA Exam?
Any student who wants to pursue a career as a Cost and Management Accountant in India must appear for CMA exams held by The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India. ICMAI holds CMA exams twice a year. Once in the month of June and once in December.
There are three levels in the CMA course CMA Foundation, CMA Intermediate, and CMA Final.
Students have to give exams for all three levels and clear them to become certified CMA. Only after clearing the Foundation exam, can a candidate enroll for the Intermediate level, and after clearing Intermediate, they can appear for the final.
CMA Exam Eligibility Criteria
There are certain conditions that students must meet to enroll in the Foundation, Intermediate, or Final exams.
CMA Foundation
- The Candidate should have passed Class 10 or equivalent from a recognized board or institution
- or, should have passed Senior Secondary School Examination under the 10+2 format from a recognized board or an examination recognized by the Central Government of the country.
- or, should have passed the National Diploma in Commerce Examination organized by the All India Council for Technical Examination or by any state board of Technical Education, under the authority of the said All India Council.
- or, should have achieved the Diploma in Rural Service Examination conducted by the National Council of Higher Education.
CMA Intermediate
- The candidate should have successfully passed the CMA Foundation Course
- The candidate should have successfully completed oral/postal coaching
- The candidate should have successfully completed skills training
CMA Final
- The candidate should have successfully passed the CMA intermediate course (both groups)
- The candidate should have successfully completed Oral/Postal Coaching
- The candidate should have successfully completed 15 months of Practical Training
How To Register for ICMAI CMA Exam?
To register for the ICMAI CMA exam, you have to register for the first level of examination in the CMA course which is the CMA Foundation course.
How to apply for CMA Foundation exam?
Admission is open throughout the year for ICMAI courses. Students who wish to appear for the June term examination must apply before 31st January of that year, while those aiming for the December term examination should apply before 31st July. Registrations are processed online through the official ICMAI website. To complete the process, students are required to fill out an application form and pay the relevant fees.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to apply
Step 1 – Visit – ICMAI’s official website
Step 2 – Click on the ‘Students’ tab
Step 3 – Click on the ‘Admissions’ tab
Step 4 – Click on the red-colored link ‘Online admission’ on the left side of the page
Step 5 – Choose which course to apply for – foundation, intermediate or final
Step 6 – Fill out the information asked. You will also have to select which type of coaching will you be taking for the respective course, oral or postal coaching. After filling in all the details, it will generate an OTP. After which login credentials will be sent to your registered email id.
Step 7 – Now you can start filling out the admission form, fill in your details, verify them once again and save.
Step 8 – After filling in the information, you will be required to upload the requested documents.
Step 9 – Pay the registration fee.
After you pay the fee for your CMA registration, a receipt will be generated. Download it. Following these steps you can register for any of the three levels, just keep in mind the dates.
If you are a student looking for online classes and video lectures for CMA Foundation, Intermediate, or Final, you can visit TopLad CMA Online Classes and learn from the top CMA faculty in India.
CMA Exam Fees Structure
While applying for the exam, you will also be required to pay a registration fee. The fee structure for all three courses is provided below.
| Course | Fee | Installments |
| CMA Foundation | Rs.6000 | |
| CMA Intermediate | Rs.23100 | Rs.12000 |
| Rs.11,100 | ||
| CMA Final | Rs.25000 | Rs.15000 |
| Rs.10000 |
Download Admit Card
A candidate must carry their admit card to the exam, without it they won’t be allowed to give the examination. Admit card is not sent to students via email or phone number. It has to be downloaded from ICMAI’s website portal.
How to download your CMA Admit Card?
To download your Admit Card follow these instructions:
- Visit – ICMAI’s official website
- Click on the “students” tab followed by the “examination” tab
- Click on the admit card link on the side menu
- Download admit card
ICMAI CMA Exam Form
Before the commencement of exams, ICMAI releases a form known as the CMA exam form that students registered for the CMA course must fill out. This form is mandatory for appearing in the exams. If a student fails to fill out the form, there is a week’s extension provided but after that, the candidate cannot sit in the examination.
CMA Exam Form Fee
Students will also be required to pay a fee while filling out the ICMAI exam form.
ICMAI exam form fees are provided below for your reference.
| ICMAI Exam | ICMAI Exam Fee |
| CMA Foundation | Rs.1200 |
| CMA Intermediate Single Group | Rs.1200 |
| CMA Intermediate Both Groups | Rs.2400 |
| CMA Final Group Single Group | Rs.1400 |
| CMA Final Group Both Groups | Rs.2800 |
Mode of Filling ICMAI Exam Form
The CMA exam form is available only in online mode. Students can visit the official website of ICMAI and proceed. The fee payment for the exam form can be done using net banking, debit card, credit card, or bank challan.
Students must stay updated with the important dates and fill out the CMA exam form within the due dates.
Syllabus for CMA Exams
CMA Course consists of three levels of examination. CMA Foundation, CMA Intermediate, and CMA Final. CMA Inter and CMA Final contain two groups each. The syllabus for all three is given below.
CMA Foundation Syllabus
CMA Foundation has 4 papers
| Paper 1: Fundamentals of Business Laws And Business Communication |
| Paper 2: Fundamentals of Financial And Cost Accounting |
| Paper 3: Business Mathematics And Statistics |
| Paper 4: Business Economics And Management |
CMA Intermediate Syllabus
CMA Intermediate has 2 groups containing 4 papers each.
Group 1
| Paper 5: Business Laws And Ethics |
| Paper 6: Financial Accounting |
| Paper 7: Direct AND Indirect Taxation |
| Paper 7A: Direct Taxation |
| Paper 7B: Indirect Taxation |
| Paper 8: Cost Accounting |
Group 2
| Paper 9A: Operations Management |
| Paper 9B: Strategic Management |
| Paper 10: Corporate Accounting And Auditing |
| Paper 11A: Financial Management |
| Paper 11B: Business Data Analytics |
| Paper 12: Management Accounting |
CMA Final Syllabus
CMA Intermediate has 2 groups containing 4 papers each.
Group 3
| Paper 13: Corporate And Economic Laws |
| Paper 14: Strategic Financial Management |
| Paper 15: Direct Tax Laws And International Taxation |
| Paper 16: Strategic Cost Management |
Group 4
| Paper 17: Cost And Management Audit |
| Paper 18: Corporate Financial Reporting |
| Paper 19: Indirect Tax Laws And Practice |
Looking for some good quality CMA Study material? We got you covered!
Mock Test Papers Past Year Papers Notes Books
CMA Exam Pattern
Exam Pattern according to the latest amendments is given below for your relevance.
| Particulars | Foundation | Intermediate | Final |
| Mode of exam | Online center based | Online center based | Online center based |
| No of groups | 0 | 2, group 1 & 2 | 2, group 3 & 4 |
| No of papers | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| Duration of exam | 3 hours | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Total marks | 100 marks on each paper | 100 marks on each paper | 100 marks on each paper |
| Types of questions | Objective and subjective | Objective and subjective | Objective and subjective |
| Number of questions | 120 questions | 120 questions | 120 questions |
| Negative marking | No negative marking | No negative marking | No negative marking |
| Passing marks | 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate | 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate | 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate |
Results
CMA exam results are announced by ICMAI on their official website a few weeks after the exam is held. Students can download their scorecards from there.
To pass the exam, a student must obtain a minimum of 40% score on each paper and a 50% score in aggregate.
For more information on how to check your results, and a step-by-step guide, you can check out our blog on CMA results.
CMA Results: Everything You Need To know
Check out TopLad CMA Online Classes to learn from India’s Top CMA faculty.
Test Centers
CMA exams are held in online mode in test centers located all over India. While filling out your ICMAI exam form, you will be asked to choose a center. Students have the option of choosing their centers. You should make sure to pick the one nearest to you.
This is where we conclude all the information about the ICMAI CMA exams. We hope this blog has helped you in understanding everything about your CMA exams and that now you have a clear direction.
For more information or queries about the CMA exam, you can contact us at [email protected] or call us at our toll-free number 18003091245 and talk to our experts for free.
What is the CMA exam for?
The CMA exam assesses knowledge in cost and management accounting, preparing candidates for financial management roles.
Can I give CMA after 12th?
Yes, students can start the CMA course after completing their 12th grade through the Foundation level.
What is the salary of a CMA?
A CMA typically earns between ₹6 lakhs to ₹12 lakhs per annum, with experienced professionals earning over ₹20 lakhs.
How many attempts are allowed for CMA?
Candidates are allowed a maximum of six attempts for each level of the CMA exam.
How many papers are in CMA?
The CMA program consists of 20 papers across three levels: Foundation (4), Intermediate (8), and Final (8).
