Coimbatore: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced a key change in the schedule for CA final examinations, effective May 2026.Under the new system, the exams will be held twice a year in May and November while the January session will be discontinued. The decision, officially communicated by the ICAI Council, was made after considering feedback from various stakeholders. Currently, CA final exams are conducted three times a year in January, May, and September. Starting May 2026, students will have only two attempts annually. The May 2026 session will be the first under this revised schedule. A Jalapathi, secretary of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Chartered Accountants Association, explained that under the old system, results were declared approximately six weeks after each attempt, making it difficult for the students to prepare for the next attempt. So, this new announcement will allow students to plan and study more effectively. The CA Articleship duration should be extended from two years to three years, providing students with increased practical exposure and enhancing their hands-on experience in the finance and accounting sectors, he said. The change is aimed at streamlining the CA final process while enabling students to focus better and gain more practical knowledge, strengthening their readiness for professional opportunities in the country’s financial and economic sectors, he emphasized. CA course has three levels, foundation for students who have completed Class 12, intermediate (two groups), and final, with two-year Articleship training required before the final exam.
