2026 CA Foundation Exam Dates Are Complete, January 2027 Is Set
TL;DR
All three CA Foundation sittings in 2026 are complete. ICAI has confirmed the next sitting for 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027, while its January 2027 exam-form dates have not yet been announced.
Every 2026 sitting is now historical
CA Foundation is held in January, May and September under ICAI’s current three-sitting cycle. The dates below are the completed official 2026 schedules, not future booking windows. ICAI’s New Scheme FAQ describes the three annual sittings.
| Sitting | Paper dates | Course registration cut-off | Exam-form milestones | Official record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026, completed | Accounting: 18 Jan. Business Laws: 20 Jan. Quantitative Aptitude: 22 Jan. Business Economics: 24 Jan. | 1 September 2025 | Opened 3 Nov 2025. No late fee: 16 Nov. Late fee: 19 Nov. Corrections: 20 to 22 Nov. | ICAI January 2026 Foundation guidance notes, 2025 |
| May 2026, completed | Accounting: 14 May. Business Laws: 16 May. Quantitative Aptitude: 18 May. Business Economics: 20 May. | 1 January 2026 | Opened 3 Mar. No late fee: 16 Mar. Late fee: 19 Mar. Corrections: 20 to 22 Mar. | ICAI May 2026 official schedule, 2025 |
| September 2026, completed | Accounting: 2 Sep. Business Laws: 5 Sep. Quantitative Aptitude: 7 Sep. Business Economics: 9 Sep. | 1 May 2026 | Opened 6 Jul. No late fee: 19 Jul. Late fee: 22 Jul. Corrections: 23 to 25 Jul. | ICAI September 2026 Foundation guidance notes, 2026 |
Read the calendar by status
A date tracker is useful only when it distinguishes completed sittings from a future ICAI announcement. The timeline keeps those statuses separate and includes the January registration rule.
The 2026 record and the next sitting
January 2027 is the next confirmed Foundation sitting
ICAI announced on 23 September 2026 that the next CA Foundation examinations will be held on 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027. Papers 1 and 2 run from 2 PM to 5 PM IST, while Papers 3 and 4 run from 2 PM to 4 PM IST. ICAI’s January 2027 announcement also states that papers 3 and 4 have no advance reading time.
| Item | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Paper dates | Confirmed: 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027 | Choose the sitting only if your course registration was completed by 1 September 2026. |
| Course registration | The January-attempt rule is registration by 1 September of the previous year. | Check your SSP course-registration status and records. |
| Exam form | ICAI has confirmed that it will be submitted online through SSP, but has not stated the January 2027 opening or closing dates in the schedule announcement. | Watch ICAI’s exam announcements. Do not treat an estimated month as a deadline. |
| Admit card | ICAI’s 2026 Foundation guidance notes said admit cards are generally hosted about 14 days before the examination. | Use the SSP download when ICAI opens it, then verify your centre and medium. |
For the separate SSP steps, use our CA Foundation registration cut-off guide. Registration alone does not enter you for a particular examination.
Use the four-paper structure to plan the final stretch
CA Foundation has four 100-mark papers, 400 marks in total: Accounting, Business Laws, Quantitative Aptitude and Business Economics. Papers 1 and 2 are subjective, while Papers 3 and 4 are objective. ICAI requires at least 40% in each paper and 50% aggregate at one sitting, so a plan that ignores one paper can block an otherwise strong aggregate. ICAI’s New Scheme FAQ also confirms a 0.25-mark deduction for each wrong answer in the objective papers.
| When | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Before the next form window | Your Foundation course registration and Class 12 eligibility details in SSP | ICAI uses the course and eligibility record to determine whether the exam form can be submitted. |
| When the exam form opens | Centre, medium, payment confirmation and generated exam-form PDF | ICAI’s 2026 guidance notes instructed candidates to confirm a successful transaction and retain the generated PDF. |
| About two weeks before the examination | Admit card, centre and reporting instructions | ICAI generally hosted Foundation admit cards about 14 days before the examination in its 2026 guidance notes. |
| During revision | Separate practice for the two subjective and two objective papers | The format, duration and negative-marking rules differ across the four papers. |
Turn the paper structure into a dated revision sequence with our CA Foundation 90-day study plan.
Choose learning support after the official steps are secure
Our CA Foundation course provides live and recorded classes, study material, module-wise tests and mock tests. It can help with structured preparation, but it is not a substitute for ICAI course registration, the separate SSP exam form or the official admit-card check. Students who only need a date confirmation should use ICAI’s notices first.
If you are deciding whether guided support fits your situation after Class 12, see how students can choose CA Foundation coaching.
Change history
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| 12 December 2025 | ICAI announced the May 2026 Foundation paper dates. |
| 3 July 2026 | ICAI declared May 2026 Foundation results. ICAI reported 90,217 candidates appeared and 18,124 passed, a 20.09% pass rate. ICAI results release, 2026. |
| 23 September 2026 | ICAI announced the January 2027 Foundation paper dates: 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027. ICAI schedule, 2026. |
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Frequently asked
No. The January, May and September 2026 CA Foundation sittings have all finished. ICAI’s next confirmed Foundation examination is January 2027, with papers scheduled on 3, 5, 7 and 9 January 2027.
No. Course registration creates your Foundation-course record with ICAI, while the examination form is a separate online application for a particular sitting. ICAI’s 2024 New Scheme FAQ says the exam form usually opens about two months before the examination.
ICAI requires a minimum four-month registration period. Its 2024 New Scheme FAQ sets the usual cut-offs as 1 September of the previous year for January, 1 January for May, and 1 May for September.
ICAI’s 2024 New Scheme FAQ sets four 100-mark papers. Papers 1 and 2 are subjective, Papers 3 and 4 are objective with 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer, and passing requires 40% in every paper plus 50% aggregate.
ICAI’s 2024 New Scheme FAQ states that Foundation course registration costs ₹9,000 and includes the prospectus and study material. The September 2026 Indian examination-form fee was ₹1,500, but ICAI has not yet announced the January 2027 examination fee.
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