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 No | Subject name (short) |
Paper 5 | Business Laws and Ethics |
Paper 6 | Financial Accounting |
Paper 7 | Direct and Indirect Taxation |
Paper 8 | Cost 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
- Business Laws and Ethics – This is law for business. It has simple rules. It also talks about the right way to work (ethics).
- Financial Accounting – This shows how to write business books. You learn to make balance sheet, profit and loss, and reports.
- Direct and Indirect Taxation – This covers two parts. Direct tax means income tax. Indirect tax means GST and related rules.
- 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
Paper | What it is | One tip |
Business Laws and Ethics | Laws and ethics for business | Learn big rules and a few sections well |
Financial Accounting | How to make financial reports | Practice journal entries and final accounts |
Direct and Indirect Taxation | Income tax + GST | Do many sums for tax. Learn forms and steps |
Cost Accounting | Costing and cost control | Solve 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.
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
- Go to ICMAI website. Find the Syllabus 2022 pages. They have the full list for each paper.
- Download the paper PDF for detail. It shows module wise topics and weight.
- 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.