The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has released detailed guidelines for CA Final candidates regarding the process of making exhausted exemptions permanent for the May 2026 examination. The announcement provides a one-time opportunity for eligible candidates whose exemptions are expiring after the January 2026 attempt.
This move is particularly significant for candidates who secured exemptions in November 2024 and whose validity extends up to the January 2026 examination.
Who Is Eligible to Make Exemption Permanent?
Candidates who:
- Secured exemption in November 2024
- Whose exemption remains valid up to January 2026
- Face exhaustion of exemption after declaration of January 2026 results
will be given an option to convert such exhausted exemption into a Permanent Exemption (50PE) before the May 2026 exams.
Important Dates to Apply
Eligible candidates can apply through the SSP dashboard between:
- 03 March 2026 to 22 March 2026
The option will be visible in the Important Dates section on ICAI’s official website during this period.
- No late fee window or correction window will be available after submission.
One-Time Opportunity - No Second Chance
ICAI has clarified that:
- Candidates will get only ONE opportunity to make the exhausted exemption permanent.
- If the candidate does not exercise the option within the specified dates, the exemption will lapse permanently.
Important Conditions Candidates Must Know
1. Group-Based Restriction
If a candidate has exemption in two papers of the same group (e.g., Paper 1 and Paper 2 of Group I), they must either:
- Make both exemptions permanent, OR
- Allow both to lapse
Partial continuation is not allowed.
2. Minimum 50% Requirement in Remaining Papers
Once exemption is made permanent in a group, the candidate must secure at least 50% marks in each of the remaining papers of that group as per Regulation 38D(8).
3. Exempted Marks Capped at 50
If exemption is made permanent:
- Marks will be restricted to 50
- Excess marks above 50 cannot be used for aggregate calculation of 50% in that group or another group.
4. No New Exemption in That Group
If a group already has a Permanent Exemption (50PE), no fresh exemption will be granted in that group.
Automatic Permanent Exemptions - No Application Required
ICAI has also clarified automatic exemptions:
- Candidates who secured exemption in Paper 4 (Final) during May 2022, November 2022, May 2023, or November 2023 will automatically receive permanent exemption from Self-Paced Online Module SET-A.
- Candidates who secured exemption in Paper 5 (Final) during the same attempts will automatically receive permanent exemption from Self-Paced Online Module SET-B.
No separate application is required in these cases.
Option to Surrender Permanent Exemption
Candidates who opt for permanent exemption may later surrender it and reappear in the concerned paper(s), as per ICAI Guidance Notes.
Official Contact for Clarification
For any queries related to CA Final exemption guidelines, candidates may write to:
With the May 2026 attempt approaching, eligible candidates are advised to carefully evaluate the implications of converting exhausted exemptions into permanent ones. Since this is a one-time opportunity with no correction window, timely and informed decision-making is crucial.
Official copy of the notification is as follows
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