The Examination Department of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), in its latest notification, has released the examination dates and other important details for its January 2026 Chartered Accountant (CA) exam on its official website. Registration window for the CA January 2026 exam will begin on November 3, 2025, and will close on November 16, 2025 (without late fee).
The ICAI CA exam is a multi-level professional examination series conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to qualify individuals as Chartered Accountants (CAs) in India. The exam is divided into three levels: CA Foundation, CA Intermediate, and CA Final, and candidates must pass all stages to become a certified CA, a profession considered equivalent to a postgraduate degree.
ICAI CA 2026 Exam Schedule: Final, Inter, Foundation
The ICAI CA 2026 Exam Schedule for each Foundation, Intermediate and Final level is given below:
- Final Course Examination
| Group – I | January 5, 7 & 9, 2026 |
| Group – II | January 11, 13 & 16, 2026 |
- Intermediate Course Examination
| Group – I | January 6, 8 & 10, 2026 |
| Group – II | January 12, 15 & 17, 2026 |
- Foundation Course Examination
| January 18, 20, 22 & 24, 2026 |
Hence, all the three levels of CA 2026 Exam take place within the period of early to mid January.
ICAI CA January 2026 Exam Timings:
The following table provides required information about the exam timings for the respective level of CA January 2026 Exam :
| Examination | Paper(s) | Exam. Timings (IST) | Duration |
| Foundation | Paper 1 & 2 Paper 3 & 4 | 2 PM to 5 PM 2 PM to 4 PM | 3 hours 2 hours |
| Intermediate | All Papers | 2 PM to 5 PM | 3 hours |
| Final | Paper 1 to 5 Paper 6 | 2 PM to 5 PM 2 PM to 6 PM | 3 hours 4 hours |
The CA Intermediate being of the shortest duration, 3 hours, whereas the CA Final being of the longest duration, a total of 7 hours.
CA January 2026 Application Form and Deadline
The following table provides the necessary information about CA January 2026 Exam application form submission:
| Events | Dates |
| Commencement of submission of online examination application forms | November 3, 2025 [Monday] |
| Last date for submission of online examination application forms (without late fee) | November 16, 2025 [Sunday] |
| Last date for submission of online examination application forms (with late fee of ₹ 600/- or US $ 10) | November 19, 2025 [Wednesday] |
| Students seeking change of examination city / medium, the correction window for the examination forms already filled will be available during the dates mentioned | November 20, 2025 [Thursday] To November 22, 2025 [Saturday] |
Hence, with the official notification of CA 2026 Exam Schedule, candidates are advised to submit their CA January 2026 Exam application form on time, adhering to the deadline.
