ICAI Exam Pattern 2026 

The ICAI (Institute of Chartered Accountants of India) has introduced a new streamlined exam pattern for its Chartered Accountancy (CA) course starting from the January 2026 examination cycle. This new ICAI exam pattern applies to all three levels of the CA course—Foundation, Intermediate, and Final—and brings significant changes aimed at modernizing the assessment process and aligning it better with practical professional requirements.

The revamped ICAI 2026 exam pattern represents a well-balanced approach, blending objective and subjective assessments to rigorously evaluate candidates’ competencies in theoretical knowledge and practical application required to become proficient Chartered Accountants. This new scheme also promises to reduce the total number of papers and course duration, making the CA journey more focused and industry-relevant.

CA Foundation Exam Pattern 2026

The CA Foundation exam comprises four papers, each carrying 100 marks. The papers are divided into two levels

• Level 1:Paper 1 - Principles and Practice of Accounting; Paper 2 - Business Law, Business Correspondence, and Reporting.
• Level 2:Paper 3 - Business Mathematics, Logical Reasoning, and Statistics; Paper 4 - Business Economics and Business & Commercial Knowledge.

The exam duration is typically three hours for each paper, except Papers 3 and 4, which consist of objective-type questions and include sections with negative marking. The total marks for the Foundation exam sum up to 400, and to qualify candidates must score a minimum of 40% marks in each paper and an aggregate of at least 50% overall.

CA Intermediate Exam Pattern 2026

The Intermediate examination has been reduced to six papers under the new scheme, grouped into two parts

• Group 1:Advanced Accounting; Corporate Laws; Cost and Management Accounting.
• Group 2:Taxation; Auditing and Code of Ethics; Financial Management and Strategic Management.

Each paper consists of both subjective and objective questions totalling 100 marks, split as 70 marks for descriptive and 30 marks for objective questions. The duration is 3 hours per paper. The introduction of MCQs in all papers provides a balanced testing format covering both conceptual clarity and application skills.

CA Final Exam Pattern 2026

The CA Final exam comprises six papers, equally divided into two groups, each paper carrying 100 marks

• Group 1:Financial Reporting; Strategic Financial Management; Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics.
• Group 2:Multi-disciplinary Case Study with Strategic Management; Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation; Indirect Tax Laws.

Like the Intermediate level, the Final exam papers blend objective MCQs and subjective descriptive questions, with the aim of assessing the candidate’s analytical abilities and practical knowledge. The duration for each paper is 3 hours, and notably, there is no negative marking for wrong answers in the Final exams.

Marking Scheme and Passing Criteria

Across all levels, each paper carries 100 marks. Passing the CA Foundation requires 40% in each paper and an overall aggregate of 50%. For Intermediate and Final exams, candidates must also secure 40% in each paper and 50% aggregate marks. Negative marking is applicable only to objective sections in Foundation and limited papers in Intermediate, but not in the Final level.

Examination Mode and Languages

The ICAI 2026 examination mode remains pen and paper for Intermediate and Final level exams, while Foundation exams also include objective MCQs. ICAI exams are conducted twice or thrice a year depending on the level and schedule. The medium of instruction for the ICAI exams is both English and Hindi, although some subjects are available only in English.

Click Here For ICAI 2026 Eligibility Criteria

FAQs

Q1. What is the total duration of each ICAI exam paper in 2026?

Ans. Each ICAI exam paper for Foundation, Intermediate, and Final levels is typically 3 hours long, except for some Foundation papers with shorter durations for objective sections.

Q2. Are there objective questions in all ICAI 2026 exams?

Ans. Yes, objective-type questions are now included in all three levels—Foundation, Intermediate, and Final—alongside descriptive questions to test a wide range of skills.

Q3. Is negative marking applicable in the ICAI 2026 exams?

Ans. Negative marking applies only to the objective sections of CA Foundation and some papers in the Intermediate level. There is no negative marking in the Final exams.

Q4. How many papers do students need to clear in the CA Intermediate and Final exams under the new scheme?

Ans. Students need to clear 6 papers each in the Intermediate and Final exams, grouped into two sets of three papers, for qualification.

Q5. Can candidates appear for the ICAI exams in Hindi and English?

Ans. Yes, ICAI allows exams in both Hindi and English languages except for some papers which may be offered only in English, particularly at the Final level.