CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects with 2025 Syllabus, Papers & Tips

Table of Contents

Group One is the first half of the CMA Intermediate course. CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects has four papers. Each paper is one subject. Each paper is for one hundred marks. You get three hours to do each paper in the exam.

CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects

Paper NoSubject name (short)
Paper 5Business Laws and Ethics
Paper 6Financial Accounting
Paper 7Direct and Indirect Taxation
Paper 8Cost Accounting

This is the official list from ICMAI. Each paper is 100 marks. These four CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects are the base for advanced learning in the CMA course.

Quick View — What Each CMA Inter Group 1 Subject is About

  1. Business Laws and Ethics – This is law for business. It has simple rules. It also talks about the right way to work (ethics).
  2. Financial Accounting – This shows how to write business books. You learn to make balance sheet, profit and loss, and reports.
  3. Direct and Indirect Taxation – This covers two parts. Direct tax means income tax. Indirect tax means GST and related rules.
  4. Cost Accounting – This shows how to count cost. You learn how business finds cost of making items. It helps in price and plan.

These short points give a clear idea of CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects in simple words.

Table: Paper Wise Short View With One-Line Tip

PaperWhat it isOne tip
Business Laws and Ethics Laws and ethics for businessLearn big rules and a few sections well
Financial Accounting How to make financial reportsPractice journal entries and final accounts
Direct and Indirect TaxationIncome tax + GSTDo many sums for tax. Learn forms and steps
Cost AccountingCosting and cost controlSolve cost problems by practice

Paper by Paper — Simple Explain of CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects

Paper 5 — Business Laws and Ethics

  • This paper teaches simple law rules.
  • Topics: Contract law, Sale of goods, Negotiable instruments, Partnership, Companies basics, LLP, Consumer laws, Factories law, and Ethics.
  • You must know small parts of many laws. You do not need to learn whole law books. Learn the parts ICMAI lists in CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects.

Study tips

  • Make short notes of each law section.
  • Learn names of sections and what they do.
  • Read examples and small cases.
  • Write one line meaning for each law point.

Paper 6 — Financial Accounting

  • This paper shows how to make accounts.
  • Topics: Accounting rules, company final accounts, accounting for special transactions, accounting standards basics, accounting from incomplete records, hire purchase, branch accounts, consolidation basics. 

Study tips

  • Do many sums. Practice full accounts.
  • Make small steps in each problem. Write journal, ledger, trial balance, then final accounts.
  • Learn a few accounting standards in plain words.

This is one of the most practical CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects because it helps in both exam and job.

Paper 7 — Direct and Indirect Taxation

  • This paper has two parts in one paper.
    1. Direct tax (Income Tax): How to compute income, tax rates, deductions, filing.

2. Indirect tax (GST): GST rules, invoice, input tax credit, return filing.

  • You must know both tax laws. Do many practical problems for tax computation. 

Study tips (Tax)

  • Practice income tax problems step by step.
  • For GST, learn entries, invoice flow, and return types.
  • Keep notes on recent changes (tax rules change often).

Paper 8 — Cost Accounting

  • This paper teaches how to count costs.
  • Topics: Elements of cost, costing methods (job, batch, process), cost control, standard costing, marginal costing, cost records.

Study tips 

  • Learn formulas and apply them in problems.
  • Make small notes of each costing method.
  • Solve past test papers.

Costing is one of the key CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects because CMA professionals are known for cost control skills.

Exam Format and Time for CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects

  • Each paper is of 100 marks.
  • Exam time is about three hours. You must manage time per question. Official guides say about one and a half minutes per mark. Plan time well.

How to Use the Official Syllabus for CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects

  1. Go to ICMAI website. Find the Syllabus 2022 pages. They have the full list for each paper.
  2. Download the paper PDF for detail. It shows module wise topics and weight.
  3. Follow the ICMAI topics. Do not study extra topics not in syllabus.

Study Plan (simple 12 week plan idea)

  • Week one to three: Read each subject basics. Make tiny notes.
  • Week four to eight: Do long practice for each paper. Solve sums and past tests.
  • Week nine to ten: Do mock tests. Time yourself.
  • Week eleven to twelve: Revise notes. Learn quick points and law sections.

This is a simple plan. Change it as you like. Many toppers of CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects follow such short study cycles.

Visual: Simple study checklist

  • Read the syllabus PDF for each paper. 
  • Make short notes for each topic.
  • Solve past papers.
  • Do a timed mock test.
  • Revise key laws, tax steps, and costing formulas.

How to write better answers in exam 

  • Read the question fully. Plan your answer.
  • Start with a small intro line. Then show steps.
  • For sums, show working steps. Do not skip lines.
  • For law answers, write the section name and one short sentence of meaning. Give a short example.
  • For tax, show slab and computation steps.

(ICMAI sample papers show format for all CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects.)

Final Tips for CMA Inter Group 1 Subjects

  • Follow the ICMAI syllabus only.
  • Do practice more than reading. Tests help more.
  • Make small notes you can read in one day.
  • Keep a math notebook for tax and accounting sums.
  • Revise one day before the exam. Read short notes only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many papers in Group 1?
Ans
: Four papers. Each is 100 marks. 

Q: Can I take one paper at a time?
Ans
: Yes. You can appear for one or all papers in the group at an exam. See ICMAI exam rules. 

Q: What is a passing mark?
Ans
: Check ICMAI rules for passing and exemptions. The institute gives details in prospectus and circulars. Use the ICMAI site for the latest rules.

Q: Where to get study material?
Ans
: ICMAI study material pages and their workbooks. You can also use good coaching notes. Always match the official syllabus of CMA Inter Subjects.

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