ICAI CA Foundation, Intermediate and Final examinations guidelines released: Check details here

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has released the admit cards for the CA Foundation Examination scheduled for the January 2026 session. Now, it has released important guidelines for aspirants preparing to appear in Foundation, Intermediate and Final exams. ICAI officials have made it clear that entry into the examination hall will be governed not merely by academic readiness, but by strict adherence to registration timelines and Self Service Portal (SSP) requirements.

CA Foundation Examination: Eligibility and documentation in focus

For candidates appearing in the CA Foundation Examination in January 2026, ICAI has restated its eligibility framework. Aspirants must have been registered for the Foundation Course on or before September 1, 2025. Those who shifted from the earlier CPT route remain eligible, provided the conversion was completed before the examination form was submitted.

Candidates must also meet the Senior Secondary requirement. Those who have already cleared Class 12 from a recognised board are required to upload their marksheet on the SSP. Candidates who are appearing for the Class 12 examination and are scheduled to complete it by December 2025 can also apply, but must upload their board admit card instead.

ICAI has issued a clear caution to provisional applicants: the required Class 12 document must be uploaded on the SSP by December 1, 2025. Failure to meet this deadline will result in the Foundation admit card not being issued.

Here is the official notice for the CA Foundation examination.

CA Intermediate Examination: Registration validity under scrutiny

For CA Intermediate candidates, the institute has placed renewed emphasis on course validity and SSP authentication. Aspirants have been advised to check that their Intermediate registration has not lapsed. Where validity has expired, revalidation or course conversion must be completed in advance.

ICAI has also asked candidates to verify the quality of photographs and signatures available on the portal. Images that do not meet printing standards could lead to complications in the issuance of admit cards or mark sheets and must be corrected on the SSP without delay.

Here is the official notice for the CA Intermediate examination.

CA Final Examination: No room for procedural errors

Candidates appearing for the CA Final Examination have been warned that procedural lapses will not be overlooked at the concluding stage of the course. ICAI has directed Final aspirants to ensure that their course status, personal details and uploaded documents are accurate and updated.

Any correction beyond routine edits must be routed through a formal ticket raised on the SSP. Requests made outside the portal will not be considered, the institute has clarified.

Here is the official notice for the CA final examination.

ICAI’s message to candidates: Act early, check everything

Across all three levels, ICAI has urged candidates to download their admit cards at the earliest and verify every detail carefully. Those facing login issues have been advised to use the ‘forgot password’ option instead of attempting fresh registrations.

As the January 2026 examination cycle gathers pace, ICAI’s message is unambiguous: administrative discipline is not optional. A missed upload or an unchecked detail could, quite simply, keep a candidate out of the examination hall.
Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!