either after clearin both d grps of ipcc or if u appear only fr d first grp n clears it u cn go for articleshp or in case if u dnt clear 2nd grp but clears only first grp den also u cn go articleshp.
in nutshell clearin first grp to join articleahp is mandatory
you can start your articleship after clearing group -1 and ICAI releases exam forms generally 2-3 months before exams..so you've to wait till next year if you want to appear in may'17 exams.