CA Exam Pass Rates 2024–2026 (Foundation, Inter & Final)
Official ICAI pass percentages for every CA Foundation, Intermediate and Final attempt from 2024 to 2026 — with toppers, new-CA counts and attempt-wise trends. Latest: CA Final May 2026 both groups 14.07% (7,931 new CAs), CA Inter May 2026 8.47%. See the CA results page for declaration dates.
Key Insights (Updated: July 2026)
- • CA Final May 2026: Both Groups 14.07% (Group I 12%, Group II 20.49%) — declared 18th June 2026
- • 7,931 new CAs qualified in the May 2026 Final attempt
- • Top Rank Holder (Final May 2026): Noor Singla from Patiala with 83.17% (499/600 marks)
- • CA Intermediate May 2026: 8.47% both groups (Group I 10.25%, Group II 16.11%) — declared 24th June 2026
- • CA Foundation May 2026: 20.09% (18,124 of 90,217 passed) — declared 3rd July 2026; AIR 1 Sakshi Jain (Nashik, 92.75%)
- • Total 73,180 new CAs qualified across all attempts tracked
Pass Rate Comparison Across Levels
Lower pass rates = Higher difficulty. CA Final is the most challenging level.
Understanding What Pass Rates Actually Mean
What the pass rate measures:
"Of all candidates who appeared in THIS specific exam, what percentage passed?"
Example: 98,827 appeared for Foundation Sep 2025 → 14,609 passed → 14.78% pass rate
What the pass rate does NOT measure:
"Of students who started the CA journey, what percentage eventually become CAs?"
Each exam mixes first-timers and repeaters, and most students clear a level over 2–4 attempts — so a single attempt's rate is not your personal odds. In particular, don't multiply the three levels' pass rates together: different people sit Foundation, Inter and Final across different attempts, so the product is a meaningless number.
A more realistic picture:
ICAI produces approximately 30,000-55,000 new CAs per year (based on our data: 73,180 in tracked period). With lakhs of students in the system, the eventual success rate over multiple years and attempts is estimated at 3-8% of those who start the journey.
The key takeaway: Pass rates show exam difficulty, not your personal odds. With proper preparation and persistence, your chances are much better than raw pass rates suggest.
New Chartered Accountants Qualified
CA Foundation Pass Rates
| Term | Appeared | Passed | Pass % | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | 91,900 | 13,749 | 14.96% | |
| September 2024 | 70,437 | 13,858 | 19.67% | ↑ |
| January 2025 | 110,887 | 23,861 | 21.52% | ↑ |
| June 2025 | 82,662 | 12,474 | 15.09% | ↓ |
| September 2025 | 98,827 | 14,609 | 14.78% | ↓ |
| January 2026 | 109,694 | 21,099 | 19.23% | ↑ |
| May 2026 | 90,217 | 18,124 | 20.09% | ↑ |
CA Intermediate Pass Rates
| Term | Group I | Group II | Both Groups | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appeared | Pass % | Appeared | Pass % | Appeared | Pass % | |
| May 2024 | 117,764 | 27.15% | 71,145 | 18.28% | 59,956 | 18.42% |
| September 2024 | 69,227 | 15.17% | 50,760 | 15.99% | 23,482 | 5.66% |
| January 2025 | 108,187 | 14.17% | 80,368 | 22.16% | 48,261 | 14.05% |
| May 2025 | 97,034 | 14.67% | 72,069 | 21.51% | 38,029 | 13.22% |
| September 2025 | 93,074 | 9.43% | 69,768 | 27.14% | 36,398 | 10.06% |
| January 2026 | 105,526 | 13.96% | 69,477 | 15.54% | 41,798 | 9.39% |
| May 2026 | 91,237 | 10.25% | 64,381 | 16.11% | 33,304 | 8.47% |
Both Groups Pass Rate by Term
Group I vs Group II Comparison (Latest: May 2026)
CA Final Pass Rates
| Term | Group I | Group II | Both Groups | New CAs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appeared | Pass % | Appeared | Pass % | Appeared | Pass % | Qualified | |
| May 2024 | 74,887 | 27.35% | 58,891 | 36.35% | 35,819 | 19.88% | 20,446 |
| November 2024 | 66,987 | 16.8% | 49,459 | 21.36% | 30,763 | 13.44% | 11,500 |
| May 2025 | 66,943 | 22.38% | 46,173 | 26.43% | 29,286 | 18.75% | 14,247 |
| September 2025 | 51,955 | 24.66% | 32,273 | 25.26% | 16,800 | 16.23% | 11,466 |
| January 2026 | 53,652 | 21.03% | 38,169 | 9.76% | 22,293 | 10.97% | 7,590 |
| May 2026 | 54,606 | 12% | 42,573 | 20.49% | 23,776 | 14.07% | 7,931 |
Both Groups Pass Rate by Term
Group I vs Group II Comparison (Latest: May 2026)
Group II has 8.5 percentage points higher pass rate
Does the Attempt Month Matter? May vs Other Cycles
ICAI now holds CA exams in several windows each year (May, September and January). Averaging every attempt in our dataset, the May cycle has historically returned higher both-groups pass rates than the other cycles — though any single attempt can buck the trend.
Across tracked attempts, the May CA Final pass rate has averaged 4.0 pts higher than other cycles, and CA Inter 3.6 pts higher — but rates swing with each paper's difficulty, so treat this as a trend, not a guarantee.
Why Pass Rates Matter for Your Preparation
Understanding the Competition
With pass rates ranging from 5% to 36%, CA exams are among India's toughest professional exams. Knowing these statistics helps set realistic expectations and plan your preparation accordingly.
Choosing Your Attempt Wisely
May attempts have historically shown higher pass rates than the September and January cycles. If you have flexibility, consider timing your attempt strategically.
Group-wise Strategy
Group II in Finals has higher pass rates. Some students prefer to clear Group II first for confidence, then focus entirely on Group I.
Practice is Key
Students who practice with past papers and MTPs consistently perform better. Our collection of 300+ papers helps you prepare effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CA Final pass rate for May 2026?
Which CA Final group has a higher pass rate?
Is the May attempt easier than the November/September attempt?
How many students become Chartered Accountants each year?
When were the CA May 2026 results declared?
Beat the Odds with Practice
Access 300+ past papers with suggested answers to improve your chances.
Sources & references
All figures are official ICAI results, published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary (Part III, Section 4) and cross-checked against the ICAI Annual Report. Data covers May 2024 to May 2026.
- ICAI 76th Annual Report (2024-25) — official statistics for the May 2024, September 2024, November 2024 & January 2025 attempts (PDF)
- ICAI CA results — September 2025 (declared 3 November 2025)
- CA Final — May 2026 · CA Final — January 2026 · CA Inter & Foundation — January 2026
- Official results portal — caresults.icai.org
Last updated: 2026-07-05