CMA Foundation 2026 Exam Pattern: Questions, Marks, Duration & Negative Marking
CMA Foundation 2026 exam pattern — number of questions, marks per question, duration, negative marking scheme, section-wise split, and tips to maximise your score within the time limit.
Reviewed by: StudyRoadmap Editorial · Last verified: 2026-04-24
CMA Foundation 2026 exam pattern
The CMA Foundation examination consists of four papers, each of 100 marks, to be attempted in two sessions of 3 hours each. Session I has Paper 1: Fundamentals of Economics and Management (50 marks each) and Paper 2: Fundamentals of Accounting (100 marks). Session II has Paper 3: Fundamentals of Law and Ethics (100 marks) and Paper 4: Fundamentals of Business Mathematics and Statistics (100 marks). The exam is conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode. Candidates must secure a minimum of 40% marks in each paper and 50% aggregate across all papers to qualify.
Subjects in this exam
- Accounting: 15 topics
- Economics: 10 topics
- Mathematics: 15 topics
- Business Law: 8 topics