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ICMAI’s own published fees for the CMA course come to about Rs 64,100 on the Foundation route and about Rs 56,600 for graduates entering at Intermediate, if you pass every exam at the first attempt. That covers course fees, exam fees and the practical training registration fee. It excludes GST where applicable, which the fee table says is extra.
Search results for this question quote very different totals, partly because some pages include coaching or the US CMA and partly because a few quote registration figures that do not match ICMAI’s current table. This page uses ICMAI’s 2025 prospectus (Syllabus 2022) and its December 2026 exam notices, all read in October 2026. It covers money only. For eligibility, papers and training, see the main guide to the CMA course, and for pay, CMA salary in India.
What is the total fee for the CMA course?
On ICMAI’s published fees, the total is about Rs 64,100 from Foundation and Rs 56,600 for graduates, assuming first-attempt passes at every exam. Exam fees are paid per attempt, so each retake adds to them. The table shows how the figure is built.
| Item | Foundation route | Direct entry (graduates) |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation course fee | 6,000 | Not needed |
| Intermediate course fee | 23,100 | 23,100 |
| Final course fee | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| Foundation exam | 1,500 | Not needed |
| Intermediate exam, both groups | 2,800 | 2,800 |
| Final exam, both groups | 3,200 | 3,200 |
| Practical training registration | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| Total | 64,100 | 56,600 |
The totals are our addition of ICMAI’s figures. The course fees, exam fees and training fee are from Annexure IX of the ICMAI Prospectus 2025, and the exam fees match the notices for Intermediate and Final and Foundation in December 2026. The prospectus adds that fees are paid “subject to applicability of GST”, and it lists a hard-copy prospectus at Rs 250 that is not in the total. All amounts are as read on 23 October 2026, and ICMAI revises fees, so check the portal before paying.
What are the CMA course fees at each level?
Foundation is Rs 6,000, Intermediate is Rs 23,100 and Final is Rs 25,000, whether you take oral coaching or the postal e-learning scheme. The prospectus lists the same amount for both. The prospectus says its Rs 500 student registration fee is “included in total fees”, so we found no separate registration payment.
| Level | India | Overseas, postal e-learning |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 6,000 | US$ 250 |
| Intermediate | 23,100 | US$ 1,100 |
| Final | 25,000 | US$ 800 |
Coaching is a compulsory part of the course, not an optional extra. A student who enrols is expected to undergo it, through classroom (“oral”) coaching or ICMAI’s postal e-learning scheme (ICMAI Prospectus 2025). That is why the course fee here already includes tuition, which is different from the CA course, where ICAI sets no coaching fee (CA course fees).
Can you pay the CMA fees in instalments?
Yes, for Intermediate and Final. You can pay the whole fee, or split it into two payments. Foundation has no instalment option.
| Level | Option I: full fee | Option II: first instalment | Option II: second instalment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate | 23,100 | 12,000 at registration | 11,100 by 31 January (June term) or 31 July (December term) |
| Final | 25,000 | 15,000 at enrolment | 10,000 by the same dates |
Source: ICMAI Prospectus 2025. Course fees once paid are not refunded after admission is complete. If your registration is not accepted, the fee may be refunded minus 10% for processing.
How much are the CMA exam fees?
For centres in India, Foundation costs Rs 1,500. Intermediate costs Rs 1,500 for one group or Rs 2,800 for both, and Final costs Rs 1,800 for one group or Rs 3,200 for both. A late fee of Rs 500 applies after the normal deadline.
| Level | One group | Both groups | Overseas centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 1,500 | Not applicable | US$ 100 |
| Intermediate | 1,500 | 2,800 | US$ 100 or 150 |
| Final | 1,800 | 3,200 | US$ 100 or 150 |
The December 2026 term shows how the timing works. Foundation forms closed on 14 October 2026, with a late window to 21 October. Intermediate and Final forms closed on 10 October, with a late window to 17 October. Intermediate and Final exams run from 10 to 17 December, and Foundation is on 13 December. The form itself is free, and payment is online only. Some sites quote a Rs 1,200 Foundation fee or a Rs 1,400 Final fee, which do not match the ICMAI notices.
Retakes are simple to price. Failing one Intermediate group and retaking it adds Rs 1,500, and retaking both adds Rs 2,800. For Final the figures are Rs 1,800 and Rs 3,200. The fees for a retake are small beside the cost in months, since exams are held only twice a year.
What other charges does ICMAI levy?
The main ones are the practical training registration, renewal if your registration lapses, and exemption fees for specific qualifications. The prospectus also lists charges to revalidate coaching.
| Charge | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Practical training registration | 2,500 | When you register your practical training |
| De novo registration | 5,000 | After the seven-year registration expires |
| Coaching revalidation, Intermediate | 800 a group, 1,600 for both | Listed in the prospectus fee table |
| Coaching revalidation, Final | 1,000 a group, 2,000 for both | Listed in the prospectus fee table |
| Subject exemption for qualified CS | 1,000 per paper | Optional, for eligible papers |
| Subject exemption for engineering graduates and LL.B. | 3,000 per paper | Optional, Intermediate |
| Practical training exemption (Form T-3) | 4,500 | If you already work in a recognised organisation and area; practising CAs and CSs seek it this way |
| Associate membership application | 1,000 entrance fee plus 1,000 annual subscription | After Final and the required experience |
| Fellow membership application | 1,000 entrance fee plus 1,500 annual subscription | After five years of qualifying practice or senior service as an Associate |
| Certificate of Practice | 2,000, renewed yearly | If you practise as a cost accountant |
All amounts are from the ICMAI Prospectus 2025. We did not find a fee for the skills training modules or the industry-oriented programme as separate items. The prospectus notes that login access for some skills modules is provided once the full course fee is paid, which suggests they are bundled, but we cannot confirm that, so ask ICMAI before you assume it.
Are there scholarships and concessions?
Yes. ICMAI’s financial aid page lists a fee waiver for meritorious Foundation students, waiver and refund schemes for economically challenged and physically challenged students, and a national scholarship for graduate and postgraduate rank holders (ICMAI financial aid and scholarship page). We have not quoted amounts because the scheme documents change by year; check eligibility and dates there before assuming the full fee applies.
Does the practical training stipend offset the cost?
It can, more than in CA, if you train in a corporate. ICMAI’s prospectus sets stipends payable by employers. A practising cost accountant pays Rs 2,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 a month in years one to three. Corporates and other organisations pay by city category and year, and the rate rises again once you are Final-qualified (ICMAI Prospectus 2025).
| City category | Intermediate, years 1 to 3 | Final, years 1 to 3 | Final-qualified, years 1 to 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | 20,000 / 22,000 / 25,000 | 25,000 / 27,000 / 30,000 | 42,000 / 45,000 / 50,000 |
| Y | 18,000 / 20,000 / 22,000 | 22,000 / 25,000 / 27,000 | 40,000 / 42,000 / 45,000 |
| Z | 15,000 / 18,000 / 20,000 | 20,000 / 22,000 / 25,000 | 37,000 / 40,000 / 42,000 |
The prospectus says the categories follow a government classification of cities and towns, and we have not mapped individual cities. It does not tell you how many students find corporate placements. Over 15 months, even the lowest corporate rate (Rs 15,000 a month, our arithmetic) would exceed all the ICMAI fees above. The number of training places is not published, so plan as if the practitioner rate may apply to you.
When do you pay what?
On the Foundation route with two instalments, you pay Rs 6,000 at Foundation admission, Rs 1,500 for the exam, Rs 12,000 at Intermediate registration, Rs 11,100 by 31 January or 31 July, Rs 2,500 to register training, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 at Final, and exam fees at each sitting. If you miss the second instalment date, the facility stays open for the next three consecutive terms, but you cannot sit the exam until it is paid. Pay online by card or net banking, or by challan at specified Punjab National Bank, IDBI Bank or Central Bank of India branches. ICMAI does not collect tuition fees in cash or by demand draft (ICMAI Prospectus 2025).
Which refunds, lapses and extras can surprise you?
- No refund after admission. If ICMAI does not accept your registration, the fee may be refunded less 10% for processing.
- Provisional registration. If you do not submit your degree result within 18 months at Intermediate (36 months at Foundation), the registration is cancelled and the fees are forfeited.
- Coaching clearance expires. Revalidation costs Rs 800 or Rs 1,000 a group, with deadlines on 15 March for June and 15 September for December.
- GST. The prospectus says fees are paid “subject to applicability of GST”, and we found no amount, so keep a margin.
Is exemption cheaper than sitting the exam?
For a qualified CS, an exemption costs Rs 1,000 a paper where a group exam costs Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,200, so it saves little on fees but removes the risk of failing the paper. LL.B. and engineering exemptions cost Rs 3,000 a paper, which is more than a group exam. Exemption on 60% marks in an earlier sitting is free. The papers are listed in the CMA course guide.
Why do other websites show different totals?
Four reasons recur. Some pages mix in the US CMA, whose fees are in dollars and unrelated to ICMAI. Some add fee heads ICMAI does not list, such as a Rs 12,000 “application fee”, Rs 4,000 of “postal tuition” on top of Foundation or a Rs 1,100 “skills fee”. Some quote old figures, such as Intermediate at Rs 22,000, Final at Rs 26,400 to Rs 28,000, or exam fees of Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,400. And many give no “verified on” date.
Is the CMA course worth the money?
The ICMAI fees are low next to most professional degrees, and sit between the published CS totals (CS course fees, from ICSI’s fee structure) and the published CA totals (CA course fees, from ICAI’s prospectus), though each institute bundles coaching and training differently. The larger costs are time and repeats: in June 2026, ICMAI’s press release shows 19.68% of candidates who sat both Intermediate groups, and 32.97% of those who sat both Final groups, passed both (ICMAI press release, June 2026; full results in the main guide). If you are a graduate, the options after B.Com compared weighs CMA against shorter routes. What the qualification can earn is in CMA salary in India, and the three qualifications side by side are in CA vs CS vs CMA vs ACCA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the total fee of the CMA course in India?
ICMAI’s published course, exam and training-registration fees total about Rs 64,100 from Foundation and Rs 56,600 for graduates, at first attempt. GST, the hard-copy prospectus and anything not in ICMAI’s table are extra.
What is the CMA Intermediate fee?
The course fee is Rs 23,100, payable in full or in two instalments of Rs 12,000 and Rs 11,100. The exam fee is Rs 1,500 for one group or Rs 2,800 for both.
What is the CMA Final fee?
The course fee is Rs 25,000, payable in full or as Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000. The exam fee is Rs 1,800 for one group or Rs 3,200 for both.
Can I pay the CMA fee in instalments?
Yes at Intermediate and Final, in two parts, with the second due by 31 January or 31 July. Foundation is a single payment.
Is there any scholarship for CMA students?
Yes. ICMAI lists a fee waiver for meritorious Foundation students, schemes for economically challenged and physically challenged students, and a scholarship for rank holders. Check the current terms on its financial aid page.
Do graduates pay less than Class 12 students?
Yes, about Rs 7,500 less on the figures above, because they skip the Foundation course fee and exam.
Do I get paid during CMA practical training?
ICMAI’s prospectus sets stipends. A practising cost accountant pays Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 a month, while corporates pay Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 for students at Intermediate and Final, and Rs 37,000 to Rs 50,000 once you are Final-qualified, depending on city and year.
What is the CMA membership fee?
Associate membership costs a Rs 1,000 entrance fee plus Rs 1,000 annual subscription, and Fellow membership costs Rs 1,000 plus Rs 1,500. A Certificate of Practice costs Rs 2,000 a year.
Still deciding?
Fees are only one input. If you are weighing CMA against CA, CS, a degree or a shorter course, talk it through with a counsellor first. See career counselling, or call 9212008787 or message us on WhatsApp.
