ICAI New Exam Pattern for May 2026 Latest Updates | New Scheme Exam Pattern | CA Final Inter & Foundation
The ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) has come out with a plan for the CA Final, Intermediate, and Foundation exams that will start from May 2026. This new plan is a change for the CA course. It focuses more on the things that students will actually do when they are working, like case studies and learning from life examples.
The new plan changes a lot of things, such as what the exams will be like, how many papers students have to give, how they will be trained, and how they will be graded. Students who are taking the CA Final, Intermediate, and Foundation exams in May 2026 and after that need to really understand what is changing so they can get ready in advance for the CA Final, Intermediate, and Foundation exams.
Here are the important dates to remember when we switch from the plan to the new plan:
S.No. | Important Dates for ICAI New Scheme | Date/Attempt |
1. | Last date for Registration in Intermediate and Final Courses under Existing Scheme | Sep. 1, 2025 |
2. | Last date of commencement of the three-year Practical Training | June 30, 2025 |
3. | Last date for Registration in Foundation under Existing Scheme | Jan. 1, 2026 |
4. | Date of commencement of Registration and Conversion in Intermediate and Final Courses under the New Scheme | March 3, 2026 |
5. | Date of commencement of two years of uninterrupted Practical Training | Dec. 31, 2025, or be in the final months by Jan. 1, 2026 |
6. | Date of commencement of Registration and Conversion in Foundation Course under New Scheme | – |
7. | Last Foundation Examination under Existing Scheme | Nov. 2023 |
8. | First Intermediate Examination under the New Scheme | May 3 to May 13, 2026 |
9. | First Final Examination under the New Scheme | May 2 to May 12, 2026 |
10. | First Foundation Examination under the New Scheme | May 14 to May 20, 2026 |
These timelines are really important for students who are planning when they will register and how they will approach their exams and move from one scheme to another. If students miss these registration deadlines, they will probably be moved into the scheme automatically, and the new scheme will require students to prepare for their exams in a different way.
Significant Changes in the New Scheme for May 2026
ICAI has changed the way exams work under the plan. Now the focus is on using what you learn, thinking critically, and combining subjects.
Some big changes are:
- They have reduced the number of papers from 8 to 6.
- Now we have choice questions in all subjects.
- The school is focusing more on case studies and real-life situations.
- They are combining subjects, like Strategic Management and Case Studies.
These changes mean that students need to prepare for exams in a certain way. Students need to study the theory and also practice choice questions and case-based questions regularly. This will help students do well in exams.
CA Intermediate May 2026 New Exam Pattern
Major changes are expected in CA Intermediate Accounting and Auditing with the introduction of a code of ethics in CA Inter Auditing.
Papers | CA Intermediate | Subjective | Objective |
Paper 1 | Advanced Accounting | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 2 | Corporate Laws | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 3 | Cost and Management Accounting | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 4 | Taxation | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 5 | Auditing and Code of Ethics | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 6 | Financial Management | 35 Marks | 15 Marks |
Strategic Management | 35 Marks | 15 Marks |
This new pattern helps students understand concepts clearly and solve problems accurately. To score well, students must practice MCQs regularly. Revise the theory. They need to do both.
CA Course Duration Under the New Course May 2026
One big change in the plan is that the articleship, which is like practical training, is shorter now.
- Earlier, it used to be 3 years long. (OLD scheme)
- Now it is 2 years. (NEW scheme)
The whole course is shorter, too. It used to be 48 months. Now it is 42 months. This makes the CA course easier to follow. It saves time.
The CA course change is good for students because they can finish their studies earlier and start working. The CA course also requires students to be more careful and work harder when they are preparing for it.
CA Final May 2026 Subjects and New Exam Pattern
The CA Final exam pattern is different now. They have added choice questions to all the papers. So the CA Final exam will have these choice questions and the usual questions that need to be answered in detail. The CA Final exam pattern has changed to include both types of questions in every paper.
Papers | CA Final | Subjective | Objective |
Paper 1 | Financial Reporting | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 2 | Advanced Financial Management (AFM) | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 3 | Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 4 | Multi-disciplinary case study with Strategic Management | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 5 | Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
Paper 6 | Indirect Tax Laws | 70 Marks | 30 Marks |
The new structure is really good because it helps students think carefully about things they learn by connecting ideas and seeing how things work in the real world. Students should make it a habit to regularly practice answering questions that require their thoughts, and also multiple-choice questions. This will help students with thinking and real-world application, so students should keep practicing both types of questions, like subjective answers and multiple-choice questions.
Negative Marking for CA Final and Intermediate New Scheme
There is no marking for the CA Final and Intermediate new course syllabus according to the ICAI notification.
This is good for students. They can try all the multiple-choice questions without worrying about losing marks. This can help them get a score.
CA Final, Intermediate, and Foundation Students of Existing Scheme
- It will no longer be continued after January 1, 2026; students whose exams are in May 2026 should start preparing per the new ICAI scheme.
- The last Date to register for the CA Foundation May 2026 Exam is March 16, 2026. Exams will be conducted under the existing scheme only.
- The last date to register for CA Inter and Final for May 2026 is March 16, 2026. Exams will be conducted under the existing scheme only; after November, students will be automatically shifted into the new scheme.
- Registration for the CA Foundation for the May 2026 attempt will start on March 3, 2026, and last for March 16, 2026. Business correspondence & Reporting in Paper 2 and Business commercial knowledge in Paper 4 are removed under the new scheme of the CA Foundation.
Passing Criteria for CA Foundation, Intermediate, and Final under the new course, May 2026 onwards
There is a new change in the exemption criteria under the new scheme. Now, ICAI will treat exempt papers (scored 60+ marks) as permanently passed papers. Students need to achieve 50% individually in the rest of the papers. Students can also surrender the exemption under the new scheme of ICAI.
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