ICAI announces Permanent Exemption Window for CA Intermediate & Final Exam Students [Find dates of the Exemption Window here]

India’s Chartered Accountancy (CA) regulator has set a tight, three-week window for candidates who want to convert their “exhausted” paper-wise score exemptions into permanent exemptions for the September 2025 CA Intermediate and Final examinations. The Institute ofChartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will activate the online facility at 11 a.m. IST on 5 July 2025 and shut it at 11.59 p.m. IST on 24 July 2025; applications can be filed only through the Self-Service Portal (SSP) on eservices.icai.org.

Window timetable and access details

The official examination circular confirms the following schedule: start 5 July 2025 (11:00 hrs) and end 24 July 2025 (23:59 hrs), with all filings to be completed online; there is no provision for a late-fee or correction window. Candidates must log in with their SSP credentials, navigate to “Exemptions → Apply for Permanent Exemption” and upload a self-declaration that the exemption sought was originally earned with a score of ≥60 per cent in an earlier attempt.

Who is eligible?

The facility is available to Intermediate and Final examinees whose “automatic” exemptions—valid for three consecutive attempts—expired after the May 2025 session yet remain eligible for conversion under Regulation 38A. ICAI FAQs emphasise that each exemption can be made permanent only once and that candidates must still score at least 50 per cent in every remaining paper of the group to pass the examination.

Why this matters

A permanent exemption reduces the number of papers a candidate must sit in September, easing study pressure and financial costs. Recent Board of Studies analytics show that roughly 11 per cent of Intermediate and 8 per cent of Final examinees qualified via permanent exemptions in past cycles, and faculty advisers expect the proportion to rise as ICAI transitions fully to its New Scheme of Education and Training in 2026. CA coaching institutes urge students not to wait until the last day, warning that SSP traffic spikes in the final 48 hours routinely cause payment gateway delays.

How this window compares with earlier rounds

ICAI offered identical 20-day exemption windows for the May 2025 and January 2025 exam sessions, but this is the first to overlap with the New Scheme’s preparatory workshops scheduled from 28 July 2025, giving candidates barely four days between the close of the window and the start of mock-test series. Observers say the tighter calendar underlines ICAI’s push to streamline assessment cycles and publish results by early November, ahead of campus placements.

Next steps for aspirants

For further clarification, students can call ICAI Sahayata (helpline) or consult the detailed guidance notes linked on the September 2025 examination page. (icai-call-sahayata.icai.org)

With the clock already ticking, prompt action could spell the difference between a lighter exam load this September or a heavier retake in future sessions.

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