The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced a major shift in its examination schedule; the CA Final Exam 2026 will now be conducted twice in a year. Earlier, the exam was conducted in a thrice-yearly cycle format. This new transition will be observed from May 2026 onwards. Following feedback from stakeholders, the institute will discontinue the January attempt, moving forward with sessions in May and November. While the frequency of the ICAI CA Final Exam 2026 is changing, the ICAI confirmed that the existing syllabus and evaluation patterns will remain unaffected by this transition.
The ICAI stated, “Presently, Chartered Accountants Final Examinations are being conducted thrice a year, i.e., in the months of January, May and September. However, in view of the feedback from the stakeholders, the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has decided that CA Final Examinations shall be conducted twice a year in the months of May and November with effect from the May 2026 Chartered Accountants Examination and onwards.”
In addition to this, the interview phase of this drive began on April 6, 2026, and is scheduled to take place across several major Indian cities. For Mumbai and Delhi, it is scheduled from April 6 to 10, 2026. For Bengaluru, it will be conducted from April 8 to 13, 2026 and for Chennai, the dates are from April 9 to 14, 2026. Kolkata will observe the interview from April 10 to 25, 2026, and Hyderabad will do so from April 13 to 17, 2026. Additional recruitment drives are also planned for Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and various smaller regional centres to ensure widespread access for candidates.
The ICAI has introduced a standardised orientation programme as well. This programme will help the candidates to improve interview readiness, understand employer expectations, and provide professional guidance. As per reports, around 10,200 jobs were offered to fresh CAs, and the last recruitment round observed a salary package of Rs 32.33 LPA, domestically. Candidates are advised to keep a close watch on the official ICAI portal for further registration details and specific circulars regarding the May 2026 transition.
