ICAI Issues Eligibility Criteria for CA Foundation & Intermediate May 2026 Exams [Read Order]

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) recently declared the results of the January 2026 CA Final exams. The results were released on March 1, 2026, with over 7,500 candidates qualifying as Chartered Accountants. Soon after that, ICAI also announced that the results of the January 2026 CA Foundation and Intermediate would be published on March 8, 2026.

ICAI has now announced the eligibility criteria for the CA exams scheduled for May 2026, in the immediate aftermath of the earlier results. It’s a procedural step ICAI takes after each exam cycle: once results are out, the institute issues fresh guidelines for the next exam window. That way, students who didn’t clear in January or those newly eligible can prepare their applications correctly for May.

According to the announcement, candidates must ensure their Self Service Portal (SSP) credentials are valid and updated before attempting to fill out the exam form. ICAI has mentioned that course conversions to the latest codes (NEWINT23/CONINT23 for Intermediate and NEWFND23/CONFND23 for Foundation) are mandatory, though no additional fees are required.

Importantly for the Foundation course, students must be registered on or before January 1, 2026, and upload either their 12th standard admit card (by April 2026) or marksheet from a recognized board. Those previously enrolled under CPT must convert to Foundation before applying.

Also, for the Intermediate course, candidates must have completed the eight-month study period by May 1, 2026, meaning registration should be completed on or before September 1, 2025.

The notification also specifies strict photo and signature requirements for exam forms, including file size, dimensions, and background clarity.

They were also providing helplines for the candidates if they were facing issues with exam forms. They can reach out at :

• Foundation: foundation_examhelpline@icai.in
• Intermediate: intermediate_examhelpline@icai.i

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