Why this matters right now
Here is something most students still do not know. The CA exam you sit for in May 2026 is not the same exam your senior wrote in 2023.
ICAI quietly rewrote the rulebook starting June 2024. Articleship has been cut from three years to two. There is no negative marking on MCQs at Inter and Final levels. A new open-book paper has been added to Final. Four self-paced online modules have been made compulsory before you can even sit for Final. CA Foundation and Inter exams now run three times a year (January, May, September). And as of ICAI’s 6 April 2026 notification, CA Final is back to twice a year — May and November — starting from the May 2026 attempt.
Whether you are a 12th-pass student in Hyderabad, a Degree student in Vijayawada, or a parent in Warangal trying to figure out what your child should pursue, this guide is built for you. We have worked through every change so you do not have to read 40 pages of ICAI notifications.
Quick answer
The CA New Scheme is ICAI’s revised Chartered Accountancy framework that has been progressively active since June 2024 — Foundation rolled out first, followed by Intermediate, and Final. By 2026, all three levels run fully under the new scheme. It reduces papers to four at Foundation, six at Intermediate, and six at Final. Articleship is now two years instead of three. CA Foundation and Inter exams are held three times a year (January, May, September). CA Final, after a brief three-attempts experiment, is back to twice a year (May and November) effective from May 2026 per ICAI’s 6 April 2026 notification. MCQs at Inter and Final carry no negative marking.
By the end of this guide you will know whether to switch from old scheme to new, which papers are easier, which ones are still hard, what CAs are actually being paid in 2026, and how to plan the next three and a half years like our 112 rank holders did.
Get the Free CA 2026 Subject-Wise 10-Month Study Plan PDF
Built by CA V. Murali. The same plan our 112 All India Rank holders followed.
What is the CA New Scheme 2026?
The bigger story is what ICAI is now testing. They have moved away from rote learning towards application and judgement. Case studies. Real business problems. The kind of thinking the Big 4 actually hire for. Which is why a fresh CA at a Big 4 firm in Hyderabad now starts at ₹9 to 14 LPA, with top rank holders crossing ₹16 to 18 LPA at signing.
In simple terms: if you are using old scheme study material in 2026, you are preparing for an exam that no longer exists.
Watch: Want to become a CA? Why students choose Lakshya Edu – a short walkthrough from our channel @lakshyaEdu.
If you are completely new to all of this, start with our beginner’s guide to Chartered Accountancy first. It will give you the foundation before this article goes deeper.
Why ICAI changed the CA course
First, global standards. Indian CAs are now competing with ACCA, US CPA, and CIMA professionals. The new curriculum brings ICAI in line with what is being tested internationally. More analytics. More case studies. Stronger ethics coverage.
Second, faster industry entry. With articleship cut to two years, a student who clears Foundation in May 2026 can become a qualified CA by early 2030 instead of late 2030. That extra 12 months can mean an additional ₹10 to 15 lakhs in lifetime earnings, just from compounding.
Third, removing what nobody used. The old scheme had overlapping papers and theory-heavy subjects that few CAs ever applied at work. ICAI cut those out and added an open-book case study paper instead. It is a sharper, leaner course.
From our experience: our CA Inter students who started under the new scheme in 2024 finished and wrote exams ten months sooner than batchmates who waited it out. Time matters in this profession.
CA Foundation 2026: the entry level
Four papers, 100 marks each:
| Paper | Subject | Type | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | Subjective | No |
| 2 | Business Laws | Subjective | No |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude (Maths, Stats, LR) | Objective | 0.25 per wrong answer |
| 4 | Business Economics | Objective | 0.25 per wrong answer |
What is gone: Business Correspondence and Reporting (BCR) and Business and Commercial Knowledge (BCK). Both have been removed.
Passing rule: at least 40 percent in each paper, and 50 percent overall (200 out of 400).
Frequency: the exam is now held three times a year, in January, May/June, and September.
What this practically means for a Foundation student:
- Less syllabus to cover than the old scheme. Two heavy papers are gone.
- Three attempts a year, so a missed attempt only costs four months, not six.
- In Papers 3 and 4, marking every option is now risky. Accuracy beats speed.
Enroll in Lakshya’s CA Foundation Face-to-Face Batch (Hyderabad)
CA Intermediate 2026: where real CAs are made
Group 1
- Advanced Accounting
- Corporate and Other Laws
- Taxation
Group 2
- Cost and Management Accounting
- Auditing and Ethics
- Financial Management and Strategic Management
What is gone: Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) has been removed.
How the paper is set: 70 percent descriptive answers, 30 percent case-scenario MCQs. As per ICAI’s January 2026 notification, the MCQs carry no negative marking. So you can attempt all of them without holding back.
Passing rule: 40 percent in each paper, 50 percent in each group aggregate.
Frequency: January, May, and September.
How our 112 rankers actually prepared at Lakshya
- First 6.5 months: intensive classroom teaching. Concept first. No shortcuts.
- Last 3.5 months: dedicated revision. Four to five full syllabus sweeps and ICAI-pattern grand tests.
- Weekly tests in the first phase, so weak chapters surface early instead of three days before the exam.
- Group-wise mentor mapping. Every student is tracked. No one falls behind without someone noticing.
A lot of our students pair CA Inter with CMA Inter classes at Lakshya. The syllabus overlap is roughly 40 percent. So you can clear two qualifications in nearly the same time as one, if you plan it right.
Watch: CA/CMA Inter GST Full Revision Marathon by CA Rajesh Nanda from our channel @lakshyaEdu.
CA Articleship: why 2 years beats 3
| Old Scheme | New Scheme 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Articleship duration | 3 years | 2 years |
| When you write Final | After articleship | Last 6 months of articleship |
| Age at qualification | 24 to 25 | 22 to 23 |
In real terms: qualifying earlier means you start earning earlier. Across a five-year horizon, this typically translates to ₹15 to 20 lakhs of additional income.
Eligibility for articleship:
- You must clear both groups of CA Intermediate.
- You must complete ICITSS, which is the IT and soft skills training.
What you actually do: real audit work, taxation filings, financial consulting, all under a practising CA. This is where the textbook stops being theory and starts becoming instinct.
Self-Paced Online Modules (SPOM): do not skip these
If you skip SPOM, you cannot write the Final exam. There is no workaround.
The four sets:
- Set A (compulsory): Corporate and Economic Laws
- Set B (compulsory): Strategic Cost and Performance Management
- Set C (elective, choose one): Risk Management / Sustainable Development and Sustainability Reporting / Public Finance and Government Accounting / The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 / International Taxation / Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation / Forensic Accounting / Valuation / Financial Services and Capital Markets / Forex and Treasury Management
- Set D (elective, choose one): From the wider list of specialised areas — Economic Laws / Tax Laws / Foreign Exchange Management / Indian Constitution and Business Law and Ethics, etc.
Practical advice: do not push SPOM to the last six months of articleship. Most of our students start at month four, allocate four to five hours every weekend, and finish well in time. Doing it in panic mode close to Final is a bad idea.
CA Final 2026: the master level
Group 1
- Financial Reporting
- Advanced Financial Management
- Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics
Group 2
- Direct Tax Laws and International Taxation
- Indirect Tax Laws
- Integrated Business Solutions (multidisciplinary case study with strategic management). This is a new open-book paper.
Pattern: 70 percent descriptive, 30 percent case-scenario MCQs, no negative marking on MCQs.
Frequency: twice a year — May and November — effective from the May 2026 attempt. ICAI announced this change on 6 April 2026, ending the brief three-attempts experiment (January / May / September). The January and September windows for CA Final no longer exist. CA Foundation and CA Intermediate continue to be held three times a year.
Why the new IBS paper matters: it is multidisciplinary. Strategic management, taxation, auditing and reporting are all tested together in one case. And because it is open-book, ICAI is testing whether you can think like a CFO under time pressure, not whether you have memorised the textbook.
Old scheme vs new scheme: should you switch?
| Parameter | Old Scheme | New Scheme 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation papers | 4 (with BCR + BCK) | 4 (BCR and BCK removed) |
| Intermediate papers | 8 | 6 |
| Final papers | 8 | 6 |
| Articleship | 3 years | 2 years |
| Exam frequency | Twice a year (all levels) | Foundation & Inter: 3x a year. Final: 2x a year (May, Nov) from May 2026. |
| MCQ negative marking | Yes | No (Inter and Final) |
| Open-book paper | No | Yes (Final IBS) |
| SPOM | No | Yes (4 mandatory modules) |
| Total course duration | Around 4.5 years | 3.5 to 4 years |
Our honest take: unless you are deep into the old scheme already, with one group cleared, switch. The new scheme is shorter, cleaner, and closer to what the Big 4 actually want.
CA course duration in the new scheme
If you clear every level on the first attempt, the timeline looks like this:
- Foundation: about four months of preparation, then the exam, then results.
- Intermediate: eight to ten months of preparation, then the exam, then results.
- Articleship: 24 months.
- Final: the last six months of articleship overlap with Final preparation.
Realistic timeline: 3.5 years from Class 12 to qualified CA.
A student finishing 12th in March 2026 can be a qualified CA by late 2029 or early 2030. That is age 22 to 23.
CA vs CMA vs US CMA vs ACCA: which is right for you?
This is the question every parent in Hyderabad asks us. There is no single right answer, but here is an honest comparison so you can decide based on your child’s actual goals.
| Parameter | CA | CMA (India) | US CMA | ACCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governing body | ICAI | ICMAI | IMA, USA | ACCA, UK |
| Duration | 3.5 to 4 yrs | 3 to 3.5 yrs | 8 to 10 mo | 2 to 3 yrs |
| Number of exams | 16 papers | 20 papers | 2 parts | 13 papers |
| Recognition | India + select global | India + Middle East | 150+ countries | 180+ countries |
| Entry-level salary | ₹9 to 14 LPA | ₹6 to 10 LPA | ₹10 to 15 LPA | ₹6 to 10 LPA |
| Best for | Indian audit and tax | Cost and strategy in India | Fastest global finance route | UK or global finance |
What our smarter students do: they pair courses. CA + US CMA. Or B.Com + US CMA + EA. They get Indian depth and global reach in one shot. If a global track sounds interesting, read our US CMA Course Details 2026 and Career After EA guides.
CA career opportunities and salary in 2026
Where Lakshya alumni are working in 2026:
PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Accenture, Infosys, TCS, Bharat Petroleum, HDFC Bank, Citi, Mahindra, IBM, Aditya Birla Group, Microsoft, Google (finance roles), BDO, Nestle and P&G.
CA salary brackets in India for 2026
| Stage | Package |
|---|---|
| Fresh CA at Big 4 audit firms | ₹9 to 14 LPA |
| Fresh CA in industry or MNC | ₹8 to 12 LPA |
| 3 to 5 years experience | ₹15 to 25 LPA |
| 8 to 10 years (Manager / Senior Manager) | ₹25 to 45 LPA |
| Partner / CFO / Promoter CA | ₹60 LPA to ₹2 Cr+ |
If you want to compare CA pay with global certifications side by side, check our US CMA Salary in India 2026 breakdown.
Watch: CMA Poojitha G, AIR 09, shares her Lakshya journey – a real testimonial from one of our recent rank holders.
A real student story: Yathishwar Reddy
“When I joined Lakshya in 2021, I was a confused 12th-pass student from a Telugu medium background. The faculty here did not just teach me CA. They taught me how to think like a CA. Weekly tests, study hours, doubt sessions, and personal mentoring from CA V. Murali sir made the difference. I cleared CA Final and was placed at ₹12 LPA.”
— CA Yathishwar Reddy, Lakshya CA Final batch | Placed at ₹12 LPA
Yathishwar is one of 112 All India Rankers we have produced over 13 years. Read more journeys on our Rankers page and our student testimonials.
Why Hyderabad is India’s fastest-growing CA hub
Hyderabad is no longer just an IT city. It has quietly become a serious finance and audit hub.
Some numbers worth knowing:
- All four Big 4 firms (Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, EY) run major delivery centres in Hyderabad with 5,000-plus CA roles each.
- HITEC City, Gachibowli, and the Financial District together hold the highest density of CFO offices in South India.
- Telangana’s TS-iPASS reforms along with Andhra Pradesh’s investment-friendly policies have created strong demand for CA and audit talent.
- Over 5,000 CA jobs were posted on LinkedIn for Hyderabad in just the last six months.
- Salaries for fresh CAs in Hyderabad are now on par with Mumbai and Bangalore for Big 4 roles. That gap has closed.
What this means for parents: your child can study CA, do articleship, and get placed full-time without ever leaving Hyderabad. No relocation costs, no shifting to Mumbai. The career path can be entirely local.
What to look for in a CA coaching institute
After 13 years of teaching CA in Hyderabad, here is the honest checklist we share with every parent who walks into our SR Nagar campus.
- Full-time qualified CA faculty. Not part-timers reading off slides.
- A structured 10-month plan. Intensive teaching followed by dedicated revision.
- Weekly tests. So weak topics surface early, not three days before the exam.
- ICAI-pattern grand tests. In the last three months, scheduled and proctored properly.
- A real doubt-clearing system. In-class, on WhatsApp, and in one-on-one mentor sessions.
- Verifiable rank holders. Not stock photos. Ask to see actual rankers and meet them if possible.
- Career mentoring beyond exams. Articleship placement support, interview preparation, the works.
- Both face-to-face and online options. Especially if you are an outstation student.
Lakshya’s CA programs in 2026
- CA Foundation Face-to-Face Batch (10 months, Hyderabad).
- CA Inter Face-to-Face Batch (10 months, 1,200-plus classroom hours).
- CA Final Classes with grand tests and mentor support.
- Online and recorded backup for every class.
Get a free CA 2026 career counselling call
Frequently Asked Questions
It is fully active from January 2026, across all three levels: Foundation, Intermediate and Final.
Only at Foundation. Papers 3 and 4 carry 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer. At Intermediate and Final, the MCQs have no negative marking at all.
Two years. Earlier it was three. This is the single biggest time-saver in the new scheme.
CA Foundation and CA Intermediate are held three times a year, in January, May, and September. CA Final, per ICAI’s 6 April 2026 notification, is held twice a year — May and November — effective from the May 2026 attempt. The January and September windows for Final have been discontinued.
The old scheme is being phased out. The last attempt under the old scheme is May 2026. From November 2026 onwards, all students automatically transition to the new scheme.
If you clear every level on the first attempt, around 3.5 to 4 years from Class 12 to a qualified CA.
A fresh CA at a Big 4 firm earns ₹9 to 14 LPA. In industry roles, ₹8 to 12 LPA. With 3 to 5 years of experience, ₹15 to 25 LPA. Senior CFOs and partners earn ₹60 LPA and well above.
Lakshya College of Commerce has produced 112 All India Ranks across CA and CMA over 13 years. Our face-to-face programs run from our SR Nagar campus and we also offer online and recorded options.
Easier in terms of fewer papers and shorter duration. Harder in terms of testing style. The case-study approach demands actual application, not memorisation. You cannot mug your way through this exam anymore.
ICAI fees across all three levels add up to roughly ₹85,000 to ₹95,000. Coaching fees per level in Hyderabad range from ₹40,000 to ₹1,20,000 depending on the institute and the format.
Yes. The exam is in English but conceptual clarity matters far more than language. Many of our All India Rankers came from Telugu medium schools. The right coaching bridges the gap.
Yes. Students from any stream (Science, Arts, Commerce) can take the Foundation route after Class 12. Or use the Direct Entry route after graduation.
Four mandatory online modules added in the new scheme. You complete them after Inter and during articleship. Without SPOM, you cannot sit for Final.
Ready to start? Here is what to do next
You do not have to figure all this out on your own.
The CA New Scheme 2026 is the biggest opportunity for commerce students in a decade. But only if you start with the right foundation, the right mentors, and the right plan.
At Lakshya College of Commerce, we have helped 112 students secure All India Ranks across CA and CMA. Our alumni work at PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Bharat Petroleum, HDFC Bank, Microsoft, and dozens of other top firms. From our SR Nagar campus in Hyderabad, we have trained commerce students from across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and the rest of India for 13 years — and run the city’s most consistent face-to-face CA Foundation, CA Inter, and CA Final programs.
Pick whichever step makes sense for you right now:
Visit us: VRR Landmark, Axis Bank Lane, SR Nagar, Hyderabad 500038.
Call: 888-666-4724 / 888-666-4725.
WhatsApp: wa.me/918886664724
Website: www.lakshyaedu.co.in