CA Final May 2027 Study Plan: 24 Weeks From 16 November, With Hours per Paper

As on 13 November 2026, ICAI had not notified the CA Final May 2027 exam dates, so this CA Final May 2027 study plan works back from an assumed date. The last four May Finals, 2023 to 2026, all began on 2 May. I have taken Sunday 2 May 2027 as the working date, which gives you 24 weeks from Monday 16 November 2026 and about 930 hours for both groups (my planning number). Direct Tax gets the largest share because, under ICAI's announcement of 5 December 2025, Paper 4 moves to the Income-tax Act, 2025 from May 2027.

Treat 2 May 2027 as a planning date, not an ICAI date, and give Direct Tax the most hours, because every student writing Paper 4 in May 2027 has to learn the Income-tax Act, 2025.

TL;DR

• No May 2027 Final dates from ICAI as on 13 November 2026. The plan assumes 2 May 2027.
• 24 weeks, about 930 hours for both groups: FR 184, AFM 166, Audit 162, DT 204, IDT 136, IBS 78.
• First pass to 7 February, second revision with chapter tests to 7 March, full papers to 4 April, then ICAI MTPs, RTPs and your own notes.
• Wrote in November 2026? Start now. ICAI says the result is likely in December 2026 or January 2027; our count says 20 December to 8 January.
• In the May 2026 cycle the exam form opened on 3 March and SPOM and Advanced ICITSS were due by 10 April. Finish both by February.

When is the CA Final May 2027 exam?

ICAI's notice of 6 April 2026 holds the Final twice a year, in May and November. There is no January 2027 Final, so May 2027 is the next attempt after November 2026.

As on 13 November 2026, the BoS exam announcements page had no May 2027 Final schedule. For history only, ICAI put out the May 2026 schedule on 12 December 2025 and the November 2026 one on 2 May 2026.

I counted ICAI's schedules: the May Final started on 2 May in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. A pattern, not a 2027 date. In May 2026, Papers 1 to 5 ran 2 PM to 5 PM and Paper 6 ran 2 PM to 6 PM, after 15 minutes of reading time.

No May 2027 date yet. Plan to 2 May and shift the last fortnight once ICAI's notice is out.

Is 6 months enough for CA Final both groups?

16 November 2026 to 1 May 2027 is 24 weeks, about five and a half months. My view: enough for both groups if your articleship is over and you can give about 39 hours a week. Still in office through December? Write one group in May 2027.

Check eligibility first. For May 2026, 2-year articleship had to end by 31 October 2025. As on 13 November 2026, ICAI had not published the May 2027 requirements.

How many hours a day should you study for CA Final?

About 6.5 hours, six days a week, with one day off: 39 hours a week, my number and not ICAI's. After a light first week the plan runs 36 to 42 hours, since a full paper in exam time takes three hours (four for IBS) plus checking.

Twenty-four weeks at about 39 hours a week covers both groups once articleship is behind you.

The week-by-week CA Final May 2027 study plan

Weeks run Monday to Sunday, ending Saturday 1 May. Hours are per week. Where ICAI had not published a May 2027 date, 'watch' gives the May 2026 date as the pattern.

• Week 1, 16-22 Nov 2026 (10 hours a week): rest 3 days; note what you wrote in each November paper; list weak chapters. FR 2, AFM 2, Audit 2, DT 2, IDT 2. Watch: observations on the November papers to reach ICAI by 18 Nov.
• Weeks 2-4, 23 Nov-13 Dec (40 hours a week): first pass FR and AFM; Audit 1 hour a day. FR 14, AFM 12, Audit 8, DT 6.
• Weeks 5-7, 14 Dec 2026-3 Jan 2027 (40 hours a week): first pass DT on the Income-tax Act, 2025; finish FR and AFM. FR 10, AFM 8, Audit 6, DT 16. Watch: Nov 2026 result: ICAI says Dec 2026 or Jan 2027; our count 20 Dec to 8 Jan.
• Weeks 8-10, 4-24 Jan (40 hours a week): first pass IDT and Audit; DT questions. FR 4, AFM 4, Audit 10, DT 8, IDT 14. Watch: ICAI live virtual classes for Final May 2027 end 24 Jan (optional).
• Weeks 11-12, 25 Jan-7 Feb (38 hours a week): close the first pass: weakest chapters only; IBS case reading. FR 6, AFM 6, Audit 6, DT 8, IDT 6, IBS 6. Watch: finish SPOM and Advanced ICITSS (May 2026 cut-off was 10 Apr).
• Weeks 13-16, 8 Feb-7 Mar (42 hours a week): second revision with chapter tests, all six papers. FR 8, AFM 7, Audit 6, DT 9, IDT 7, IBS 5. Watch: exam form (May 2026 window: 3 to 16 Mar, late fee to 19 Mar).
• Weeks 17-20, 8 Mar-4 Apr (42 hours a week): two full papers a week in exam time (3 hours; IBS 4 hours), checked. FR 7, AFM 7, Audit 7, DT 8, IDT 7, IBS 6. Watch: ICAI MTP Series I (May 2026: 16 to 27 Mar).
• Weeks 21-22, 5-18 Apr (38 hours a week): third revision from your own notes plus ICAI MTPs and RTPs. FR 7, AFM 6, Audit 6, DT 8, IDT 6, IBS 5. Watch: ICAI MTP Series II (May 2026: 1 to 13 Apr).
• Weeks 23-24, 19 Apr-1 May (36 hours a week): one paper a day in exam order, short notes only. FR 6, AFM 6, Audit 6, DT 6, IDT 6, IBS 6. Watch: admit card (check ICAI's notice).

Totals over 24 weeks: FR 184, AFM 166, Audit 162, DT 204, IDT 136, IBS 78, which is 930 hours.

Hours: Gradehunt planning numbers. ICAI dates: May 2026 notices, shown as the pattern, not May 2027 dates.

Why does Direct Tax get the most hours?

ICAI applies the Income-tax Act, 2025 to Final Paper 4 from the May 2027 exam. Its Paper 4 study material is headed 'Applicable for May 2027 and Nov 2027 Examinations', and the September 2026 edition solves problems for tax year 2026-27.

So DT is a fresh first pass for everyone writing it in May 2027. A November 2026 student's notes are on the 1961 Act. I give DT 16 hours a week through the three weeks to 3 January. Our post on the Income-tax Act, 2025 for CA Final covers what changed.

Where do ICAI's mock tests and exam form fit?

As on 13 November 2026, ICAI had not published the May 2027 MTP schedule or form dates. In the May 2026 cycle, forms ran from 3 to 16 March (late fee to 19 March), MTP Series I from 16 to 27 March and Series II from 1 to 13 April.

So the full-paper weeks sit over Series I and the third revision over Series II. Count ICAI's MTPs as part of your two full papers a week, and clear SPOM and ICITSS in February.

Both groups take about 930 hours, and DT gets the most, 204, because the 2025 Act is new to every student writing Paper 4 in May 2027.

What should you do if you wrote CA Final in November 2026?

Close the attempt in week 1. Observations on the November papers must reach ICAI by 18 November ([email protected] or Speed Post). When ICAI posts its suggested answers, give each paper an honest rough score. What you need is a list of weak chapters.

Keep DT in every week, whatever the result. ICAI's guidance note for November 2026 says the result is likely in December 2026 or January 2027, and our count puts it between 20 December 2026 and 8 January 2027.

Send observations by 18 November, score each paper, and keep DT going before the result.

How should you change the plan after the result?

Cleared one group? Keep only the other group's three papers, at the same hours:

• Group I only: FR 184 + AFM 166 + Audit 162 = 512 hours, about 21 a week.
• Group II only: DT 204 + IDT 136 + IBS 78 = 418 hours, about 17 a week.

I would put the spare hours into more checked full papers. A fresh first pass of chapters you have read twice gives less back.

Scored 60% or more in a paper of a group you failed? ICAI exempts it for the next three exams if you sat the whole group. See CA Final passing marks and exemption for the full rule.

Failed both groups? Keep the full plan and move 10 to 20 hours from your strongest paper to your lowest-marked one. That is my rule of thumb.

One group left means 418 or 512 hours, and the extra time belongs to checked full papers.

Which ICAI study material applies to CA Final May 2027?

As on 13 November 2026, icai.org listed May 2027 editions for Paper 1 FR (17 chapters), Paper 3 Audit (19 chapters) and Paper 4 DT (28 chapters). For Papers 2, 5 and 6, check the BoS Knowledge Portal for the May 2027 edition before you buy or print.

ICAI's May 2027 DT material says that amendments, circulars and notifications up to 31 October 2026 that are not in the modules are web-hosted as a Statutory Update on the BoS Knowledge Portal. Read that update along with the modules.

The pattern in ICAI's guidance note: in Papers 1 to 5, 30 marks are case-based MCQs. Paper 6 IBS is open book, and you attempt four of five case studies.

Papers 1, 3 and 4 had May 2027 editions on 13 November 2026, and DT also needs the update to 31 October 2026.

How do you know the plan is working by March?

Track marks per paper, not hours. From week 17, write two timed full papers a week and have someone else check them. Self-checking misses what costs marks in a checked copy, such as missing working notes or unstated assumptions.

If a paper stays below 50 in two full tests, move hours to it in weeks 21 and 22.

By March, checked marks per paper tell you more than any count of hours.

If you want those papers checked, Gradehunt's CA Final test series has Full Syllabus Mock Tests (2 full syllabus tests per subject) and the Every Chapter Test Series for May 2027. You write by hand and upload, ex-examiners check the copy within 48 hours of upload, and your first paper is checked free.