CMA Foundation June 2026: Complete Syllabus, Subjects, and Exam Pattern
- Shankargouda S Malipatil
- Sep 25
- 10 min read
The CMA Foundation June 2026: Complete Syllabus, Subjects, and Exam Pattern consists of four papers on law, accounting, mathematics, statistics, economics, and management, designed to build a strong base for higher CMA levels. For better preparation, students can join a CMA course in Bangalore, attend CMA Foundation classes, or enroll in the best CMA institute in Bangalore for expert guidance

CMA Foundation June 2026: Complete Syllabus, Subjects, and Exam Pattern
You can find the CMA Foundation curriculum on the ICMAI website. If you’re aiming for the June 2026 test, give it a thorough look – knowing what’s covered and how it’s organized makes studying smarter.
The CMA Foundation explores key topics - accounting basics, legal/ethical considerations for businesses, economic principles alongside management strategies, also business math incorporating stats. Consequently, students gain a solid base for further learning in cost and management accounting CMA Foundation June 2026: Complete Syllabus, Subjects, and Exam Pattern.
ICMAI continually updates the curriculum to be consistent with part practices in the industry so that students graduate with capabilities relevant to what employers want. By having an understanding of the course topic, students can focus their time on the study aspect more strategically and ultimately practice breaking down past exams, pending availability.
CMA Foundation Syllabus Overview
Students gain essential abilities for sophisticated cost and management accounting through the CMA Foundation. Four core areas – accounting, economics, law, moreover mathematics – prepare candidates to excel in later stages of their CMA studies.
CMA Foundation Subjects 2026
The 2026 test features four sections - each one digs into vital parts of business alongside money matters
Paper | Subject | Marks |
Paper 1 | Fundamentals of Business Laws and Communication | 100 |
Paper 2 | Fundamentals of Financial and Cost Accounting | 100 |
Paper 3 | Fundamentals of Business Mathematics and Statistics | 100 |
Paper 4 | Fundamentals of Business Economics and Management | 100 |
Detailed CMA Foundation Syllabus 2026
For the 2026 exam, the CMA Foundation curriculum details what you must learn - broken down into four key sections that explore vital business subjects.
Paper 1: Fundamentals of Business Laws and Communication
The work splits into sections covering how companies operate legally, likewise how people talk to each other at work. It looks at regulations impacting business alongside professional communication styles.
SECTION A: Business Laws
Introduction
Sources of law
Law-making process in India
How law works - the courts, rules, everything involved
Laws made directly by lawmakers alongside those created through assigned authority
Indian Contract Act, 1872
To have a real agreement, someone must propose something, then another person needs to say yes. It’s that simple
Deals that aren’t legally binding - those considered ‘void,’ likewise those which can be canceled - alongside what each party brings to the table
Whether something is lawful, also whether there’s a fair exchange
People involved must genuinely agree, understanding what they’re doing
Deals that depend on things happening, alongside getting work done
Deals covering promises to cover losses, assurances, collateral offers, moreover representation agreements
Online agreements alongside electronic signing
How agreements can end. Ways a contract gets fulfilled - or doesn’t. Methods to be released from obligations. Scenarios where duties cease. Instances concluding an agreement
When agreements fall apart, there are ways to make things right
Sale of Goods Act, 1930
Definition and scope
Transfer of ownership
A solid deal needs these things: what’s being sold, how much it costs, moving ownership, also promises about quality
Conditions and warranties
How well the deal is going
When someone sells goods but doesn’t get paid, they have certain legal options. Essentially, a seller can hold onto the items until payment arrives, reclaim them if the buyer defaults, or sue to recover the money owed - though timing is key for each possibility. It depends on what agreements were made beforehand, too
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
Things that make a financial document usable as payment include being written down, promising a specific amount of money, being signed by the payer, detailing who gets paid, then stating when and where payment happens
Let’s unpack promissory notes, bills of exchange, likewise cheques. They’re all ways to shift money around, yet operate differently. A promissory note is a straightforward IOU - a pledge by one party to pay another. Conversely, a bill of exchange involves three parties; someone instructs payment from a third person to another. Finally, a cheque directs your bank to hand over funds. Each handles debt, though through distinct mechanisms
How we get across things - rivers, roads, even ideas - matters a lot. Different crossings bring different results. Some are quick; others take time. Certain routes invite risk while some offer safety. The way forward shapes what happens next
If a cheque bounces, there can be legal trouble - specifically under law section 138. It means someone might face penalties because a payment wasn’t made as promised
SECTION B: Business Communication
Good business communication means connecting well at work – sharing thoughts plainly, making sure everyone gets it, behaving respectfully.
Good communication means being clear, really hearing what others say, then replying in a way that fits the situation
How we connect: speaking, writing, body language. Conversations can be official or casual. Messages move between people - from leaders to teams, from team members to leaders, or side-to-side among colleagues
How we connect using tech - like what’s considered polite on platforms people use to chat
Crafting work papers - letters, quick notes, full reports, pitches - also sharpening how you write
Talking with people from different cultures - or across nations
What gets in the way of talking to each other, also how to fix it
How to correctly employ images, graphs, citations - also the legal side of things - within work reports
Paper 2: Fundamentals of Financial and Cost Accounting
Students will learn how businesses track their earnings, manage expenses, then keep a close watch on where every dollar goes. Moreover, this groundwork builds skills needed for higher-level certification training
Grasping accounting basics, handling unique financial events, ultimately creating those closing reports
Grasping how businesses track expenses - fundamental ideas, categorizing costs, building expense reports, utilizing this info to make smart choices
CMA Foundation Detailed Syllabus 2026
For those aiming for the 2026 CMA certification, the curriculum builds essential skills across areas like bookkeeping, money matters, how markets work, legal aspects of business, numbers, data interpretation, alongside leadership principles. The learning path breaks down into four sections - each one spotlighting ideas vital for deeper CMA coursework.
Paper 2: Fundamentals of Financial and Cost Accounting
Students will explore how finances work - from basic bookkeeping to understanding what things cost. This builds a foundation for more advanced learning in management accounting.
Subject | Topics | Weightage |
Financial Accounting | Accounting Basics | 30% |
Special Transactions – Consignment, Joint Venture, Bills of Exchange | 15% | |
Preparation of Final Accounts – Sole Proprietorship & Not-for-Profit Organizations | 25% | |
Cost Accounting | Fundamentals of Cost Accounting | 30% |
Accounting Basics
Grasping how finances are tracked alongside different ways to structure a company
How we track money – the rules, ideas, also accepted practices
Whether money changes hands for a lasting benefit - like buying equipment - or just flows through for everyday business…that’s how we tell capital from revenue deals. One builds something up; the other keeps things moving
Tracking finances involves noting each deal, then sorting it into a diary, before transferring details to main accounts - supplemented by supporting records - culminating in a summary check
Handling money - from everyday funds to bigger accounts - also sorting out what transactions actually happened
Getting books in order - fixing mistakes, choosing how assets lose value, setting aside money for unpaid bills
Accounting for Special Transactions
Handling goods sent on commission, shared business deals, also drafts - but not those used for simple borrowing or when someone can’t pay their debts
Preparation of Final Accounts
Financial statements of sole proprietorships (Income Statement and Balance Sheet)
Financial statements of non-profit organizations (Receipts & Payments Account, Income & Expenditure Account, and Balance Sheet)
Cost Accounting Fundamentals
Financial accounting paints the big picture – how a company’s doing overall, for folks outside the business like investors. Cost accounting zeroes in on specific products or projects, helping managers make decisions about pricing alongside production. One looks outward; one delves within. Financial reporting follows strict rules, while cost accounting is more flexible because it serves internal needs. Essentially, financial accounting shows results, yet cost accounting shapes them
Using expense tracking to choose wisely
Tracking expenses involves pinpointing where money goes – cost centers, specific items bearing costs – cost units, then figuring out what makes those costs change – cost drivers
Classification of costs according to Cost Accounting Standard 1
Figuring out how much things cost - also what we earn from them
Paper 3: Fundamentals of Business Mathematics and Statistics
Students will gain math skills alongside statistical methods to make smarter choices in business. The course links computations to how things work in practice, so learners can dissect information then tackle actual challenges companies face.
Subject | Topics | Weightage |
Business Mathematics | Arithmetic | 15% |
Algebra | 20% | |
Calculus – Business Applications | 5% | |
Business Statistics | Data Representation | 5% |
Measures of Central Tendency & Dispersion | 15% | |
Correlation & Regression | 15% | |
Probability | 15% | |
Index Numbers & Time Series | 10% |
Business Mathematics
Numbers talk – figuring out how things compare, working with timelines and cash flow, spotting patterns in sequences, then calculating speed or how far something travels
Math includes collections of things, circles showing relationships, ways to write very big or small numbers, counting arrangements, picking items from a group, also solving problems with squared values
Get a grip on calculus fundamentals - think building blocks. Then explore how income alongside expenses work, followed by methods to make things as good as they can be
Business Statistics
Ways to show data include pictures like bar graphs, how often things happen displayed as lists or shapes, then there are circle charts breaking down parts of a whole - also lines showing trends over time
To get a feel for data, folks often look at its center - the typical value. This can be done several ways: finding the average (mean), the middle number (median), the most frequent one (mode), or how spread out numbers are from that average (mean deviation)
How spread out numbers are: find the extent, split into fourths, measure a quarter’s distance, calculate typical difference, express change relative to average, see if data leans one way
Figuring out how things relate - whether they move together, or if one actually influences another. It’s about spotting patterns, then seeing if we can predict what happens next
Exploring chance - how likely things are, alongside how that knowledge helps us
Figuring out patterns in data that changes over time - like tracking how things shift, also looking at those numbered lists
Paper 4: Fundamentals of Business Economics and Management
The course dives into essential economics alongside how companies are run, showing learners to use these ideas when making choices or planning what’s next for a business.
Subject | Topics | Weightage |
Business Economics | Basic Concepts | 15% |
Forms of Market | 20% | |
Money and Banking | 20% | |
Economic & Business Environment | 15% | |
Management | Fundamentals of Management | 30% |
Fundamentals of Business Economics
How things get made involves figuring out what people want (demand), how much is available (supply), actually making those things (production), likewise calculating how much it takes to create them (cost of production)
How markets work - with a look at pure competition, single-seller dominance, a few big players, lots of similar choices, moreover how sellers charge different customers varying prices
How funds work - what they do, different kinds available. Also, a look at businesses handling finances, like typical banks alongside the nation’s bank, how borrowing is managed, but also where money trades
Economic and business environment analysis: PESTEL framework, VUCAFU dimensions
Fundamentals of Management
Ever wonder how folks lead teams? This explores ideas about getting work done through others – a look at different approaches people have tried over time
Getting ready, arranging things, finding people, then guiding them
Sharing ideas, working together, keeping tabs on things, then steering them where they need to go
How teams get built, who does what, passing craiteria to others, guiding people, also getting everyone energized
How we choose - different ways, what happens when we do
Paper 4: Fundamentals of Business Economics and Management
Paper four for the CMA Foundation dives into how economics works alongside core ideas in managing things - both shape choices within a company. The material breaks down into two parts: Business Economics, then the basics of Management.
SECTION A: Business Economics
1. Basic Concepts
How cash works - what it does within a country’s financial life
What things bring satisfaction? How do we build riches? Also, how do we actually make stuff?
What makes people want things? How desires shift, what rules govern those shifts - like how price impacts buying. Also, how sensitive folks are to cost changes, why we buy what we do, moreover predicting future wants
How things get offered - the rules governing that offering - how responsive sellers are to price shifts, alongside where prices settle in a marketplace
What goes into making things, how adding more of one thing affects output - sometimes boosting it, sometimes not - also whether bigger operations are more efficient
How much things cost to make – quickly versus over time. This includes the complete expense, what each item averages, also how much more one additional item adds to the bill
What people use to make things, alongside the stuff they actually create with it
2. Forms of Market
How prices play out alongside rivals differs depending on the marketplace – whether many companies compete freely, a single firm dominates, just a few hold most power, two go head-to-head, or numerous sellers offer similar but unique goods
Charging different customers varying prices - how it works
3. Money and Banking
How cash works - what forms it takes, what it does
Banks handle money - they take savings, then loan it out. Loans help businesses grow by funding expansion. Simultaneously, banks secure savings - a better alternative to keeping money hidden at home. Consequently, they are vital for a functioning economyEveryday money stuff happens through local banks, while a nation’s finance health relies on its main bank.
Ways to manage borrowing alongside daily cash flow adjustments
4. Economic and Business Environment
PESTEL analysis: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors affecting business
Navigating today’s business world means facing constant shifts, hazy outcomes, tangled problems, unclear signals - even outright dread when things feel totally new. It's about getting a grip on that chaos
SECTION B: Fundamentals of Management
To get things done, businesses map out a course, arrange resources, find people to do the work, then guide them toward goals
How people lead - some think it stems from looking out for themselves, while others believe leaders are motivated by a sense of duty
To manage things well, keep everyone working together, talking openly, cooperating fully, also track progress
How a company arranges itself, who has the power to decide things, being answerable for actions, also owning those actions
What makes folks tick when they’re striving for something? How do leaders help them get there
How companies choose - the different ways they do it, what happens when they make choices, also how those choices work in real life
CMA Foundation Exam Pattern 2026
Aspect | Details |
Exam Mode | Offline, center-based exam |
Question Type | Objective (MCQs) |
Duration | 3 hours |
Marks per Paper | 100 |
Total Papers | 4 |
Medium | English |
Negative Marking | No |
To get started, the CMA Foundation course teaches essential topics - law, numbers, accounting, stats, economics, also how businesses are run. Doing well here means students are ready for the next levels of the CMA exam, ultimately leading toward professional certification as a Cost and Management Accountant.




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