ICAI Announces CA Final Exams To Be Held Twice A Year Instead Of Thrice From May 2026

ICAI CA May 2026: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced a key change in the schedule of the CA Final examinations. From May 2026 onwards, the exams will be conducted twice a year instead of the current three attempts.

At present, CA Final exams are held in January, May and September. However, following feedback from stakeholders, the ICAI Council has decided to limit the exam cycle to two sessions annually — in May and November.

Decision based on stakeholder feedback

According to the notification issued by ICAI on April 6, 2026, the modification has been brought about after taking into account various opinions expressed by different people including students and faculty members. This modification is intended to make the examination process more efficient.

Even though the exact reasons for modifying the schedule have not been mentioned by ICAI, it is generally done to find a balance between exam preparation time and administrative efficiency.

CA Final May 2026 Exam Schedule

Additionally, the dates of the next CA Final exams to be held in May 2026 have been announced by the institute. The examinations will be held in two groups:

• Group I - May 2, 4 & 6, 2026

• Group II - May 8, 10 & 12, 2026

Students are requested to check for further information about admit card and exam pattern on the official ICAI website.

What it means for CA aspirants?

Students will now be able to attempt the CA Final exams twice in a year rather than thrice as the number of exam cycles has decreased.

This change will be applicable from the year 2026 onwards.

Published on: Tuesday, April 07, 2026, 10:26 AM IST