The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has officially announced a rescheduling of an important Chartered Accountant examination. The CA Intermediate exam for Group 2, Paper 5, which focuses on Auditing and Ethics, has been moved to a new date.
New Exam Date and Timings
The examination, originally slated for January 15, 2026, will now be held on January 19, 2026. The timing for the paper remains unchanged, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST). This decision was taken in view of the general elections for Municipal Corporations in the state of Maharashtra scheduled for January 15.
Key Instructions for Candidates
In a significant relief for aspirants, ICAI has clarified that the admit cards or hall tickets issued earlier remain valid. Candidates who downloaded their admit cards on December 18, 2025, do not need to download fresh hall tickets for the revised date. The exam will be conducted at the same examination centres across India and abroad as previously allocated.
The institute issued a formal notice stating the change was a partial modification to its earlier announcement. It confirmed that the schedule for all other CA examinations in the January 2026 session remains unaffected and will proceed as planned.
Complete January 2026 Exam Schedule
For clarity, here is the broader schedule for the ongoing exam session:
- CA Final Exams: Group 1 on January 5, 7, and 9; Group 2 on January 11, 13, and 16.
- CA Foundation Exams: Scheduled for January 18, 20, 22, and 24.
Looking ahead, ICAI has also released the timetable for the May 2026 session. Registration for the May exams will open on March 3, 2026. The last date for application without a late fee is March 16, while applications with a late fee will be accepted until March 19. The May 2026 examinations are scheduled to be conducted from May 2 to May 20.
Candidates are advised to stay updated through the official ICAI website, icai.org, for any further announcements. They can also download their admit cards from the same portal when required for other papers.
