CPT is an entrance exam for the person who is interested in doing their CA course. In order to do the CPT the basic requirement is that you should have passed your 10th Grade. If you meet this requirement then you can register with the CA institute. In Mumbai the CA institute is situated at Cuff Parade.
You can register for the CPT after your 10th Grade, but can take the exams only after your 12th Grade exams. The 12th Grade exams are held in the month of February and the CPT exam is conducted in the month of June. The CPT exam is conducted twice in a year, the second of which is held in December.
The paper is spread across 2 papers of 100 marks each. The first paper is split into 60 marks of Accounts and 40 marks assigned for Law. The second paper consists of 50 marks for Economics and 50 for Mathematics. The paper is based on the MCQ format and there is 1 mark for every right answer and a negative marking of .25. The negative marking can be altered by the CA institute, in which case it can be increased to .50. The overall passing cut-off across 2 papers is 50%. However the CA institute has been planning to have an individual cut-off for each subject which hasn’t been put to practice as yet. This implies that one has to score 100 out of 200 to pass the exam.
