CMA Inter Passing Marks: Group Rules, Exemption and Carry Forward

The CMA Inter passing marks are 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate of the group. With 100 marks a paper and four papers a group, that means at least 40 in every paper and 200 out of 400 in total. ICMAI's prospectus adds three rules that change how a failed group plays out: exemption, carry forward of marks, and passing both groups together on a combined aggregate.

A 60 in one paper does not always save you work next time. Whether it counts as 50 or as the actual 60-plus depends on your marks in the other papers of that group.

TL;DR

• Pass a group: at least 40 in each paper and 200 out of 400 in the group.
• Exemption: 60 or more in a paper of a failed group. That paper counts as 50 in the next aggregate.
• Carry forward: 60 or more in a paper and at least 40 in all the others. The actual marks carry forward.
• Both groups together: 40 in each paper and 50% across all eight papers qualifies you.
• Exemption and carry forward last for the next three terms, and end if you sit the paper again.

What are the passing marks for CMA Inter?

Under Syllabus 2022, CMA Inter has eight papers of 100 marks each, in two groups:

• Group I: Paper 5 Business Laws and Ethics, Paper 6 Financial Accounting, Paper 7 Direct and Indirect Taxation, Paper 8 Cost Accounting.
• Group II: Paper 9 Operations Management and Strategic Management, Paper 10 Corporate Accounting and Auditing, Paper 11 Financial Management and Business Data Analytics, Paper 12 Management Accounting.

ICMAI declares you passed in a group if you get at least 40% in each paper of the group and 50% of the total marks of the non-exempted papers. You pass Inter when you have passed both groups.

A student with 75, 70, 65 and 38 has 248 out of 400 but fails the group, because 38 is below 40.

Forty in every paper and 200 in the group; one paper under 40 fails the group, whatever the total.

How does the 60% exemption work?

If you fail a group but score 60 or more in a paper, you are exempted from that paper in later exams. For the aggregate next time, ICMAI counts each exempted paper as 50, not your actual score.

Worked example

Group I, first attempt: Paper 5, 52; Paper 6, 38; Paper 7, 61; Paper 8, 55. Total 206, but Paper 6 is below 40, so the group fails. Paper 7 at 61 earns an exemption.

Second attempt, three papers: Paper 5, 45; Paper 6, 48; Paper 8, 50. That is 143, plus 50 for the exempted Paper 7, which makes 193. Every paper is above 40 and the group still fails, because 193 is short of 200. The student needed 150 from the three papers written.

An exempted paper counts as exactly 50, so the papers you write must average 50 to clear the group.

What is carry forward of marks, and how is it different?

Carry forward applies when you fail a group but score 60 or more in a paper and at least 40 in each of the other papers of that group in the same attempt. You are exempted from that paper, and your actual marks go into the next aggregate.

Worked example

Group I, first attempt: Paper 5, 45; Paper 6, 42; Paper 7, 68; Paper 8, 40. Total 195, so the group fails on aggregate. Every paper is at least 40 and Paper 7 is above 60, so the 68 carries forward.

Next attempt, the student needs 132 from the other three papers (200 minus 68), with 40 in each. Scores of 44, 45 and 43 add up to 132, and the group is cleared. Under a plain exemption the same student would have needed 150.

Carry forward keeps your real score in the aggregate, and it needs a clean 40-plus in every other paper of the group.

Can you pass both groups together with a weak group?

Yes. The prospectus says a student who appears in both groups, with or without exemptions, qualifies Intermediate if they score at least 40% in each paper appeared and 50% in aggregate across both groups taken together.

Say Group I adds up to 190 and Group II to 230, with every paper at 40 or more. Group I alone fails, but 420 out of 800 is 52.5%, so the student qualifies Inter. A student writing one group at a time does not get this cushion.

Writing both groups lets a strong group carry a weak one, as long as no paper is below 40.

How long does an exemption last, and can you give it up?

Exemption and carry forward apply for the three terms right after the one in which you earned them. If you sit the exempted paper again, the benefit ends at once and the new score is the one that counts.

I would think hard before giving up a carry-forward of 68 to chase a higher score. Our post on CMA pass percentages shows how low Inter pass rates have been, so a safe mark has real value.

Three terms is the limit, and sitting the paper again cancels the exemption.

What should you do before the December 2026 exam?

The December 2026 term runs from 10 to 17 December, with Inter papers from 2 pm to 5 pm, and ICMAI's schedule gives results by 5 February 2027. Our CMA December 2026 timetable has the paper-wise dates.

Look at your last marksheet and work out what you need: 200 minus 50 for each exempted paper, or minus the actual marks for a carry forward. Then make sure no paper slips under 40. Gradehunt's CMA Inter test series has you write full papers by hand, and an ex-examiner checks them within 48 hours with step-wise marks, so you can see which paper is closest to the 40 line.

The rules on this page are from ICMAI's prospectus for Syllabus 2022. Check the latest notices on icmai.in before you apply.