The CA Foundation Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2026-27 covers three major areas: Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics. The paper is designed to test a student's numerical ability, logical thinking, and understanding of basic statistical concepts.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has released the revised Foundation Course Paper 3: Quantitative Aptitude syllabus, which is relevant for the May 2027 and onwards examinations. The syllabus includes 18 chapters across Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics.
Students preparing for CA Foundation should understand the complete CA Foundation QA syllabus, important CA Foundation Maths topics, and the available section-wise weightage before starting their preparation.
The CA Foundation Quantitative Aptitude syllabus is divided into three parts:
Part A: Business Mathematics
Part B: Logical Reasoning
Part C: Statistics
Together, these sections include 18 chapters.
The broad weightage of the three sections is as follows:
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CA Foundation QA Syllabus: Section-wise Weightage |
|
|
Section |
Weightage |
|
Business Mathematics |
40% |
|
Logical Reasoning |
20% |
|
Statistics |
40% |
|
Total |
100% |
Business Mathematics and Statistics carry the highest share of the paper, while Logical Reasoning has a comparatively smaller weightage.
Note: ICAI does not prescribe a fixed chapter-wise marks distribution for every examination. The number of questions or marks from individual chapters can vary. Therefore, students should prepare the complete syllabus instead of relying only on a predicted chapter-wise weightage.
Part A of the CA Foundation Quantitative Aptitude paper focuses on Business Mathematics. It includes topics such as ratios, equations, finance, permutations and combinations, sequences, functions, and calculus.
This chapter covers the basic concepts of:
Ratio and proportion
Indices
Laws of indices
Logarithms
Laws of logarithms
Applications of ratios and logarithms
Students should practice numerical questions regularly because these concepts are used in several mathematical problems.
This chapter deals with equations and their applications. Students should understand different types of equations and learn how to solve them step by step.
The chapter covers linear inequalities and their solutions. Students should practice representing and solving inequalities correctly.
Mathematics of Finance is an important part of the CA Foundation Maths syllabus. It covers concepts related to financial calculations and includes topics such as:
Simple interest
Compound interest
Annuities
Present value
Future value
Applications of financial mathematics
This chapter introduces students to the basic concepts of permutations and combinations. Questions generally require students to understand whether the arrangement or selection of objects is involved.
This chapter covers:
Sequences
Series
Arithmetic Progression (AP)
Geometric Progression (GP)
Related formulas and applications
Students should learn the formulas and practice different types of numerical questions.
This chapter includes:
Sets
Relations
Functions
Limits
Continuity of functions
Understanding the basic definitions and practising numerical problems can help students solve questions more quickly.
The final chapter of Business Mathematics covers the basic applications of:
Differential calculus
Integral calculus
Business applications
Economic applications
Students should focus on understanding how calculus is applied to business and economic problems.
Part B of the syllabus is Logical Reasoning. It contains four chapters and focuses on reasoning and problem-solving ability.
This chapter covers:
Number series
Coding and decoding
Odd man out
Regular practice is important because students need to identify patterns quickly.
Direction Sense questions test a student's ability to understand directions and positions. Students should practice questions involving different movements and directions.
This chapter covers different types of seating arrangement problems. Students need to carefully understand the conditions given in each question before finding the correct arrangement.
Blood Relation questions require students to identify relationships between different people. Drawing a simple family tree can make these questions easier to solve.
Part C covers Statistics and contains six chapters. Statistics carries a significant portion of the CA Foundation Quantitative Aptitude paper.
Chapter 13 is divided into two units:
Unit I: Statistical Description of Data
This unit introduces students to the presentation and description of statistical data.
Unit II: Sampling
This unit covers the basic concepts of sampling and related statistical methods.
This chapter is divided into two units:
Unit I: Measures of Central Tendency
It covers concepts used to identify the central value of a dataset.
Unit II: Dispersion
This unit focuses on the spread or variability of data.
Probability is an important topic in Statistics. Students learn how to calculate the likelihood of different events and solve probability-based problems.
This chapter covers theoretical distributions and their applications. Students should understand the concepts as well as the formulas used to solve numerical questions.
This chapter deals with the relationship between variables. It covers:
Correlation
Regression
Related statistical calculations
Interpretation of results
The final chapter covers Index Numbers and their applications. Students should understand the basic concepts, formulas, and numerical applications.
Here is the complete list of CA Foundation Quantitative Aptitude chapters for the 2026-27 syllabus:
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CA Foundation QA Topics 2026-27: Complete List |
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|
Part |
Chapter |
Topic |
|
Business Mathematics |
1 |
Ratio and Proportion, Indices, Logarithms |
|
Business Mathematics |
2 |
Equations |
|
Business Mathematics |
3 |
Linear Inequalities |
|
Business Mathematics |
4 |
Mathematics of Finance |
|
Business Mathematics |
5 |
Basic Concepts of Permutations and Combinations |
|
Business Mathematics |
6 |
Sequence and Series – Arithmetic and Geometric Progressions |
|
Business Mathematics |
7 |
Sets, Relations and Functions, Basics of Limits and Continuity Functions |
|
Business Mathematics |
8 |
Basic Applications of Differential and Integral Calculus in Business and Economics |
|
Logical Reasoning |
9 |
Number Series, Coding and Decoding and Odd Man Out |
|
Logical Reasoning |
10 |
Direction Sense Test |
|
Logical Reasoning |
11 |
Seating Arrangements |
|
Logical Reasoning |
12 |
Blood Relations |
|
Statistics |
13 |
Statistical Description of Data and Sampling |
|
Statistics |
14 |
Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion |
|
Statistics |
15 |
Probability |
|
Statistics |
16 |
Theoretical Distributions |
|
Statistics |
17 |
Correlation and Regression |
|
Statistics |
18 |
Index Numbers |
Business Mathematics accounts for 40% of the Quantitative Aptitude paper. It is followed by Statistics with another 40%, while Logical Reasoning accounts for 20%.
However, students should not treat the section-wise weightage as a chapter-wise prediction. ICAI can change the distribution of questions across individual chapters in an examination.
For this reason, it is better to cover all eight Business Mathematics chapters rather than skipping chapters based on expected weightage.
The CA Foundation Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2026-27 includes 18 chapters across Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics. Business Mathematics and Statistics have the highest section-wise weightage, while Logical Reasoning carries a smaller share.
Students should complete the entire CA Foundation QA syllabus and avoid preparing only a few chapters based on expected weightage. A combination of ICAI study material, regular practice, formula revision, and mock tests can help students prepare effectively for the examination.