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With the CA Final November 2026 exams underway, attention turns to the next attempt. ICAI’s exam application window for the January 2027 Foundation and Intermediate exams opens on November 3, 2026.

January 2027 — application timeline

Fresh context — CA Intermediate Sept 2026 results: ICAI declared the September 2026 Intermediate results on October 22, 2026. Group I passed at 23.14%, Group II at 18.92%, and both groups together at 13.21%. Neel Rajesh Shah (Mumbai) and Chandak Sakshi (Nashik) shared AIR 1 with 502/600.

If you’re retaking a group in January, note the new exam calendar: Foundation and Intermediate now run three times a year; CA Final runs twice (May and November).

ICAI has reversed course on the CA Final examination calendar. Instead of three sittings a year, the Final exam is now held twice a year, in May and November, with effect from the May 2026 examination.

What ICAI actually said

The change came in an Important Announcement from the Examination Department dated 6 April 2026, headed "Chartered Accountants Final Examination to be held twice a year from May 2026 Examination onwards". In full:

The stated reason is feedback from stakeholders. ICAI has not published any further explanation.

Final and Intermediate are now on different calendars

This is the part worth getting straight, because the two levels no longer run on the same cycle. ICAI’s Board of Studies announcements for its Live Virtual Classes name the attempts directly:

So the January/May/September pattern that Final briefly used is now the Intermediate pattern. If you saw the three-sittings figure quoted for Final, that is what it was describing.

What this means if you are sitting Final

There is one fewer attempt per year, so a deferral costs more time than it used to. Under three sittings a missed attempt cost roughly four months; under two it costs six. The gap between May and November is the longest in the current calendar.

ICAI has not announced any change to the Final syllabus, paper pattern or eligibility alongside this. The only change is how often the exam runs.

The Income-tax Act, 2025 still applies from May 2027

Separately, and unaffected by this change, ICAI’s Board of Studies confirmed on 5 December 2025 that the Income-tax Act, 2025 applies:

•  From the May 2027 examination onwards for Intermediate Paper 3A (Income-tax Law) and Final Paper 4 (Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation)

•  For CA exams conducted from 1 May 2027 onwards for Self-Paced Online Module Set C, Paper 5 (International Taxation)

The Act received presidential assent on 21 August 2025 and takes effect from 1 April 2026, covering tax year 2026-27. Because that year ends on 31 March 2027, ICAI examines it from the following attempt.

2027 dates and fees

ICAI has not yet published exam dates, exam-form windows or fees for any 2027 attempt. As of 14 September 2026 the most recent examination notification on icai.org covers 2026 only. The attempts above are confirmed by Board of Studies announcements, but the dates within them are not.

We will update this page when ICAI publishes the 2027 notification.

Sources

All facts on this page come from ICAI directly:

•  ICAI Important Announcement, 6 April 2026 — CA Final to be held twice a year

•  ICAI BoS — Applicability of the Income-tax Act, 2025 from May 2027 CA Exams onwards

•  ICAI Examination — Students announcements

Correction note for the foot of the article (optional but recommended)

Correction: an earlier version of this article said CA Final would be held three times a year in January, May and September. ICAI reversed that decision on 6 April 2026 and now holds CA Final twice a year, in May and November. The article has been corrected.

The announcement. ICAI's Board of Studies (Academic) issued an announcement on 5 December 2025 headed “Applicability of the Income-tax Act, 2025 from May 2027 CA Exams Onwards”. It confirms the switch and, unusually, names the exact papers.

The papers affected. Three, and only three:

Why May 2027 and not sooner. The logic is in the announcement itself. The Income-tax Act, 2025 received Presidential assent on 21 August 2025 and takes effect from 1 April 2026. It therefore applies to the tax year 2026-27, which ends on 31 March 2027. CA papers examine the law in force for the relevant tax year, so the first exam that can test it is the one sat after that year closes — May 2027.

Why this is bigger than a normal syllabus tweak. Most updates adjust weightings or swap a chapter. This replaces the statute. Tax papers are examined against the law in force for the relevant tax year, so the change reaches the way questions are framed, the terminology your answers need to use, and which study material is safe to rely on.

Who is affected. Anyone whose attempt in those three papers falls in May 2027 or later. If you are sitting an earlier session, you continue under the existing law. Do not switch your reading early. Note also that the self-paced module is worded differently from the other two: it is tied to exams conducted from 1 May 2027 onwards, not to a named session.

The trap to avoid. Second-hand summaries of the new Act are already circulating. ICAI sets out the paper-by-paper applicability in the announcement itself, and revised study material follows through the Board of Studies. Check ICAI's own announcement rather than coaching notes, and re-check before buying any book dated before the switch.

What to do now. Sitting before May 2027? Ignore the change and finish under the current law. Sitting May 2027 or later? Hold off on buying tax material until ICAI's revised study material is published. Undecided between an earlier attempt and a mid-2027 one? This is a genuine argument for the earlier one, because it avoids a statute change landing in the middle of your preparation.

One planning note. Your other papers are unaffected. Only Intermediate 3A, Final 4 and SPOM Set C Paper 5 are named. If tax is the paper you are weakest in and your attempt straddles the change, it may be worth clearing tax first and carrying the rest forward.

Source: ICAI Board of Studies (Academic) announcement, 5 December 2025 — “Applicability of the Income-tax Act, 2025 from May 2027 CA Exams Onwards” (icai.org / boslive.icai.org).

The ICAI CA September 2026 exams are just days away. CA Intermediate begins September 1, 2026 (Group 1, Advanced Accounting) and CA Foundation starts September 2, 2026, with papers running through mid-September in the standard 2:00 PM afternoon slots. Admit cards (hall tickets) for both Foundation and Intermediate are already live on the ICAI eservices portal.

If you're sitting this attempt, download and print your admit card now, confirm your exam centre and reporting time, and carry a valid photo ID on exam day. Don't wait for the final weekend — portal traffic spikes as exams approach.

ICAI Admit Card — eservices Portal

The ICAI CA September 2026 admit cards (hall tickets) are out. ICAI activated the download link for CA Foundation and CA Intermediate on 14 August 2026. This matters immediately: the exams begin in early September, and your admit card is the document you must carry to the exam hall. Download it now, check every detail, and report any error to ICAI right away rather than on exam day.

ICAI CA September 2026 exam dates

CA Intermediate exams begin first (1 September), followed by CA Foundation (2 September). Papers are held in the afternoon session; confirm the exact reporting time and duration for each of your papers on your admit card, as timings can differ by paper.

How to download your admit card

• Go to the ICAI Self Service Portal at eservices.icai.org.
• Select your level (Foundation or Intermediate).
• Log in with your student registration number and password, or your SSP (Self Service Portal) login.
• Open the admit card, review it, and print it.

Print at least two colour copies and keep them with a valid photo ID for exam day.

Check these details right away

On your admit card, verify your name, photograph, roll number, exam centre, exam dates and reporting time. If anything is wrong, contact the ICAI exam helpdesk immediately for a correction. Fixing a discrepancy now is far easier than discovering it at the centre on exam day.

What about CA Final?

CA Final admit cards for the November 2026 sitting will be released closer to those exams. If you are a CA Final student, watch the ICAI Self Service Portal for that download link nearer the time.

While you wait for exam day, keep your concepts sharp with free CA practice questions on Professional Career Club, with instant feedback and no signup needed.

Exam dates are as published by ICAI and can change; always confirm the details on your official admit card and the ICAI portal.

With the ICAI CA Intermediate September 2026 timetable released, the exams are now only weeks away, and the next milestone for candidates is the admit card. ICAI usually releases admit cards roughly two weeks before the exams begin, on its official eServices portal. This is the moment to lock down your final revision plan, work through full-length mock tests under timed conditions, and sort your exam-day logistics such as centre, ID and reporting time. Log in to the ICAI portal and double-check your personal details so nothing trips you up when the admit card drops. For the confirmed date sheet and admit-card release, rely on official ICAI announcements rather than third-party dates. A calm, structured final fortnight beats last-minute cramming every time.

Source: https://finance.careers360.com/articles/ca-intermediate-exam-dates

ICAI has released the CA Final November 2026 exam schedule. Here are the full paper dates for both groups and the exam-day timings.

CA Final November 2026 - Group 1

CA Final November 2026 - Group 2

All CA Final papers are held in a single afternoon shift from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (three hours), except Paper 6 (Integrated Business Solutions), which runs for four hours. Always confirm the exact timing for each paper on your admit card.

Before exam day

Download your admit card from the ICAI Self Service Portal (eservices.icai.org) when it is released, check every detail, and carry a printed copy with a valid photo ID. Report any discrepancy to ICAI immediately.

Sharpen up before the exams with free CA practice questions on Professional Career Club - instant feedback, no signup needed.

Dates are as published by ICAI and can change; always confirm on your official admit card and the ICAI portal.

Information Systems Audit – Assessment Test (ISA-AT) scheduled for July 25, 2026.

🔗 https://www.icai.org/category/announcements

ICAI released the exam application form for CA Foundation and Intermediate (September 2026) and CA Final (November 2026).

The deadline to apply without a late fee was 19 July 2026, with a correction window from 23 to 25 July 2026. Applications are accepted only through ICAI official channels.

For current CA exam dates, fees, eligibility and pass rates, see our CA course guide.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) published the CA Foundation May 2026 results on its official results portal at icaiexam.icai.org, with details also available on icai.org.

ICAI releases results only through its own channels. Check your roll number and registration number against the official site rather than any third-party mirror, and download the official mark sheet from ICAI once it is available.

For the current CA exam calendar, eligibility routes, fees and pass rates, see our CA course guide.