CA Intermediate Classes

CA Intermediate 2026 — The Level Where Most Students Slow Down

CA Intermediate is the second and arguably most demanding stage of the CA programme. Under the 2023 New Scheme, it has 6 papers split into two groups. You can attempt both groups together or one group at a time — a decision that depends on your preparation depth, not on what others are doing.

The November/December 2026 attempt is the next upcoming session. Students who have cleared CA Foundation and are currently serving Articleship can appear in CA Intermediate while completing their training — this concurrent approach is how most students manage the timeline.

Group 1 — Paper-Wise Breakdown

• Paper 1 — Advanced Accounting (100 marks): Ind AS, amalgamation, consolidation, branch accounts, and financial statements of specific entities. The Ind AS shift under the new scheme makes this paper conceptually heavier than the old scheme.
• Paper 2 — Corporate and Other Laws (100 marks): Companies Act 2013 (Part I) and other business laws including FEMA, Insolvency Code basics, and Securities Laws. Case-law based answers score better.
• Paper 3 — Taxation (100 marks): Split between Direct Tax (Income Tax Act, ~60 marks) and Indirect Tax (GST, ~40 marks). Both sections are updated for the Finance Act 2026 in current study material.

Group 2 — Paper-Wise Breakdown

• Paper 4 — Cost and Management Accounting (100 marks): Standard costing, marginal costing, budget and budgetary control, process costing, and activity-based costing. Numerical-heavy — daily practice is non-negotiable.
• Paper 5 — Auditing and Ethics (100 marks): Audit planning, internal control, vouching, company audit, and professional ethics under the 2023 New Scheme. SA (Standards on Auditing) coverage is extensive.
• Paper 6 — Financial Management & Strategic Management (100 marks): FM section (~60 marks) covers capital budgeting, working capital, and cost of capital. SM section (~40 marks) covers business strategy frameworks and Porter's Five Forces.

Pass Rates — Honest Numbers from November 2025

Group 1 pass rate: approximately 13–17%. Group 2 pass rate: approximately 16–21%. Taxation (Paper 3) and Audit (Paper 5) have the highest failure rates — not because they are conceptually impossible, but because students don't keep their study material current with the latest amendments.

Group Strategy: Both Together or One at a Time?

Attempting both groups together in one shot works if you have 10–12 months of dedicated preparation and are not in the thick of Articleship work. Most working Articleship students do better splitting groups across two attempts — Group 2 first (it has comparatively better pass rates) or Group 1 first if Accounts is your strength.