CA Final November 2026 & CA Inter / Foundation September 2026 — Complete Exam Datesheet
ICAI has officially released the full exam schedule. Here is everything you need to know — dates, timings, registration deadlines, and how to plan your preparation.
By Harsh Gupta | HG Virtuals
Great news for every CA student planning their next attempt. ICAI officially released the complete exam schedule for the September and November 2026 sessions on May 2, 2026. Whether you are appearing for CA Foundation, CA Inter, or CA Final — all dates are now confirmed.
Here is the complete, paper-wise breakdown.
CA Inter September 2026 — Official Datesheet
CA Inter exams for the September 2026 session will be held from September 1 to September 12, 2026.
Group 1
| Date | Paper |
|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 (Tuesday) | Paper 1 — Advanced Accounting |
| September 3, 2026 (Thursday) | Paper 2 — Corporate & Other Laws |
| September 6, 2026 (Sunday) | Paper 3 — Taxation (Income Tax + GST) |
Group 2
| Date | Paper |
|---|---|
| September 8, 2026 (Tuesday) | Paper 4 — Cost & Management Accounting |
| September 10, 2026 (Thursday) | Paper 5 — Auditing & Ethics |
| September 12, 2026 (Saturday) | Paper 6 — Financial Management & SM |
Exam Timing: All papers — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (3 hours) Reading Time: 15 minutes advance reading from 1:45 PM to 2:00 PM
CA Foundation September 2026 — Official Datesheet
CA Foundation exams for September 2026 will be held from September 2 to September 9, 2026.
| Date | Paper |
|---|---|
| September 2, 2026 (Wednesday) | Paper 1 — Principles & Practice of Accounting |
| September 5, 2026 (Saturday) | Paper 2 — Business Laws |
| September 7, 2026 (Monday) | Paper 3 — Business Mathematics & Statistics |
| September 9, 2026 (Wednesday) | Paper 4 — Business Economics |
Exam Timing:
- Paper 1 & 2 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (3 hours) | Reading time from 1:45 PM
- Paper 3 & 4 — 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (2 hours) | No advance reading time
CA Final November 2026 — Official Datesheet
CA Final continues to be held twice a year — May and November. The November 2026 session will run from November 2 to November 13, 2026.
Group 1
| Date | Paper |
|---|---|
| November 2, 2026 (Monday) | Paper 1 — Financial Reporting (FR) |
| November 4, 2026 (Wednesday) | Paper 2 — Advanced Financial Management (AFM) |
| November 6, 2026 (Friday) | Paper 3 — Advanced Auditing & PE |
Group 2
| Date | Paper |
|---|---|
| November 9, 2026 (Monday) | Paper 4 — Direct Tax Laws (DT) |
| November 11, 2026 (Wednesday) | Paper 5 — Indirect Tax Laws (IDT) |
| November 13, 2026 (Friday) | Paper 6 — Integrated Business Solutions (IBS) |
Exam Timing:
- Papers 1 to 5 — 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (3 hours)
- Paper 6 (IBS) — 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM (4 hours) — Open book exam
- Reading Time: 15 minutes advance reading from 1:45 PM for all papers
Registration & Important Dates
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | July 6, 2026 |
| Last date without late fee | July 19, 2026 |
| Last date with late fee (Rs. 600) | July 22, 2026 |
| Correction window | July 23 to July 25, 2026 |
Exam Form Fee:
- CA Inter — Single Group: Rs. 1,500 | Both Groups: Rs. 2,700
- CA Foundation — Rs. 1,500
Registration is done through the ICAI Self Service Portal (SSP) at eservices.icai.org
Key Points to Note
1. CA Final is held only in May and November Unlike Foundation and Inter which now follow a tri-annual cycle (January, May, September), CA Final is conducted only twice a year — May and November. If you are appearing for CA Final, the next opportunity after November 2026 will be May 2027.
2. CA Inter and Foundation have three attempts per year With the new ICAI scheme, Inter and Foundation students now get three opportunities per year — January, May, and September. This is a significant change from the earlier twice-a-year pattern.
3. No exam on public holidays ICAI has clarified that there will be no change in the exam schedule even if any date is declared a public holiday by the Central Government or State Government. Mark your calendar accordingly.
4. IBS Paper is 4 hours — plan accordingly CA Final Paper 6 (Integrated Business Solutions) is an open book exam of 4 hours duration — 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. This is different from all other papers. If you are appearing for Group 2 in November, factor this in your preparation.
5. Exam centres across 280+ cities ICAI will conduct exams across 280+ cities in India and select overseas centres. City selection is done at the time of form filling and can be changed during the correction window only.
How Many Months Do You Have? Use This to Plan
| Exam | Today (June 16) | Days Left |
|---|---|---|
| CA Inter Group 1 | September 1, 2026 | ~77 days |
| CA Inter Group 2 | September 8, 2026 | ~84 days |
| CA Foundation Paper 1 | September 2, 2026 | ~78 days |
| CA Final Group 1 | November 2, 2026 | ~139 days |
| CA Final Group 2 | November 9, 2026 | ~146 days |
This is your window. Use every day deliberately.
What Should You Do Right Now?
If you are appearing for CA Inter September 2026: You have approximately 11 weeks to exam day. If classes are still ongoing, complete them on priority. Use the free CA Study Planner at caharshgupta.com/ca-study-planner to build your subject-wise class completion plan, and the CA Revision Planner at caharshgupta.com/ca-revision-planner to plan your revisions.
If you are appearing for CA Foundation September 2026: Roughly 11 weeks. Foundation papers require consistent daily practice — especially Accounts and Maths. Build a daily habit of solving questions.
If you are appearing for CA Final November 2026: You have close to 5 months. This is a healthy window — but CA Final demands depth, not just coverage. Start with your weakest subject first. Use the CA Study Planner to map out your remaining class hours and build a realistic month-by-month plan.
For all levels — register on time: Registration opens July 6. Do not wait until the last day — ICAI portals can get slow during peak periods. Register in the first week itself.
Quick Summary
| Level | Session | Exam Dates | Registration Opens |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA Inter | September 2026 | Sep 1 to Sep 12 | July 6, 2026 |
| CA Foundation | September 2026 | Sep 2 to Sep 9 | July 6, 2026 |
| CA Final | November 2026 | Nov 2 to Nov 13 | July 6, 2026 |
Official website for all updates: icai.org | icai.nic.in
All the best for your upcoming attempt. The datesheet is out — now it is time to get to work.
Written by Harsh Gupta — CA Educator & Founder, HG Virtuals Free tools for CA students at caharshgupta.com — CA Study Planner, CA Revision Planner, CA Resume Builder & CA Interview Checklist.
Tags: CA Final November 2026, CA Inter September 2026, CA Foundation September 2026, ICAI Exam Dates 2026, CA Datesheet 2026, HG Virtuals
