How to register for CA Inter after Foundation: steps, fee
How to register for CA Inter after Foundation: log in to ICAI's Self Service Portal at eservices.icai.org with your SRN, register for the Intermediate course, upload your self-attested documents, photo and signature, and pay ₹18,000 online for both groups. If you passed Foundation in the September 2026 result declared on 6 November 2026, ICAI's 8-month rule means you must register on or before 1 January 2027 to write CA Inter in September 2027.
ICAI declared the CA Foundation September 2026 result on 6 November 2026, and 19,736 students passed (ICAI press release (opens in a new tab)). If you are one of them, the next step is Intermediate registration, and the date you register decides your first Inter attempt. Below: who can register, the steps, every fee in one table, the last date for each attempt, and what to do with the eight months before your exam. Every rule links to ICAI's own documents.
Quick eligibility check
You can register for CA Intermediate through the Foundation route if you have passed both the Foundation exam and Class 12 (ICAI FAQs on the New Scheme, Q 3.2, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
| You have | Can you register for Inter? |
|---|---|
| Passed Foundation and passed Class 12 | Yes |
| Passed Foundation, Class 12 result still awaited | Not yet: ICAI asks for both |
| Not passed Foundation | Not through the Foundation route |
If you don't know where Inter sits in the full course, the CA course structure and exam sequence has every level in one table. This post covers just the Inter registration step.
How to register for CA Inter after Foundation: step by step
Registration is fully online, on ICAI's Self Service Portal (SSP) at eservices.icai.org. ICAI's prospectus says there is "no need for personal visit or submission of physical documents" (ICAI prospectus, PDF (opens in a new tab)). If someone tells you to post papers to a regional office, check the prospectus first.
- Open the Self Service Portal. Go to eservices.icai.org (opens in a new tab). ICAI registers students for Foundation, Intermediate and Final through this portal (ICAI FAQs, Q 1.3, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
- Log in with the account you used for Foundation. Your username is
<your SRN>@icai.org, with your password. If you have forgotten it, use the forgot-password option on the same page (ICAI January 2027 exam notice, PDF (opens in a new tab)). - Register for the Intermediate course. ICAI's notice lists "Register Course" among the things you do on SSP only, along with converting a course, revalidating, and updating your photo, signature and address (ICAI January 2027 exam notice, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
- Upload your documents. Self-attested documents are submitted online (ICAI prospectus, PDF (opens in a new tab)). The form lists the documents it needs, so keep clear scans ready, along with your photo and signature.
- Pay ₹18,000 online. This is the Intermediate registration fee for both groups (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.10, PDF (opens in a new tab)). Concessions are in the fee table below.
- Watch for ICAI's e-mail. After successful registration, ICAI sends you an e-mail with a login for ordering your study material through the CDS portal, icai-cds.org (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.14, PDF (opens in a new tab); ICAI prospectus, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
Keep the payment receipt and the confirmation e-mail. Your eight months of study, which decide your first attempt, are counted from your registration.
Stuck on the portal? ICAI's FAQs give [email protected] (opens in a new tab) for student queries (ICAI FAQs, Q 1.4, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
CA Inter registration fees
CA Inter registration costs ₹18,000, once, and it covers both groups. The exam fee is separate and you pay it each time you fill an exam form.
| Fee | Amount | When you pay | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate registration (both groups) | ₹18,000 (foreign students US$ 1,000) | Once, at registration | Prospectus (opens in a new tab), FAQs Q 3.10 (opens in a new tab) |
| Concession: J&K, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar and the 8 North-East states | 75% off the registration fee, extended till 31 March 2028 | At registration | Prospectus (opens in a new tab) |
| Concession: wards of deceased ICAI members | 75% off the registration fee (from 1 April 2022) | At registration | Prospectus (opens in a new tab) |
| Revalidation (after 5 years) | ₹400 | Once, if needed | FAQs Q 3.20 (opens in a new tab) |
| Exam fee, one group (Indian centres) | ₹1,500 | Every attempt | Jan 2027 notice (opens in a new tab) |
| Exam fee, both groups (Indian centres) | ₹2,700 | Every attempt | Jan 2027 notice (opens in a new tab) |
| Late fee on the exam form | ₹600 | Only if you fill the form late | Jan 2027 notice (opens in a new tab) |
The 8 North-East states in the concession are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The exam fees above are per ICAI's January 2027 notice; ICAI sets the exam fee each attempt, so check the notice for your own attempt before you pay. That notice allows payment by card, net banking or BHIM UPI.
CA Inter registration last date
ICAI's rule: you must be registered for Intermediate at least 8 months before the first day of the exam month (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.9, PDF (opens in a new tab)). Inter exams are held three times a year, in January, May and September, so there are three cut-offs:
| Inter exam | Register on or before (ICAI's rule) |
|---|---|
| May exam | 1 September of the previous year |
| September exam | 1 January of the same year |
| January exam | 1 May of the previous year |
For a September 2026 Foundation passer
Your Foundation result came on 6 November 2026. Applying ICAI's 8-month rule:
| Inter attempt | Register on or before | Can you make it? |
|---|---|---|
| May 2027 | 1 September 2026 | No. That date passed before your result |
| September 2027 | 1 January 2027 | Yes: your first possible attempt |
| January 2028 | 1 May 2027 | Yes, if you register later |
Register on or before 1 January 2027 and September 2027 is open to you. Register after that date and your first attempt moves to January 2028.
These cut-offs come from ICAI's rule, not from an exam announcement. ICAI has not announced the September 2027 exam dates or exam-form dates yet. When it does, they will appear on ICAI's website, icai.org; our CA exam dates 2026–27 post tracks them.
Registration and the exam form are two different things
Registration makes you a CA Intermediate student. The exam form books you a seat in one particular attempt. Many students mix the two up and miss a step.
| Registration | Exam form | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Enrols you in the Inter course | Enters you for one attempt |
| How often | Once (valid 5 years) | Every attempt you write |
| Fee | ₹18,000 | ₹1,500 one group / ₹2,700 both groups (Jan 2027 notice) |
| Where | eservices.icai.org | eservices.icai.org |
| Condition | Foundation and Class 12 passed | 8 months of study as on the first day of the exam month |
To sit the exam, you must be enrolled and hold a certificate of not less than 8 months of study as on the first day of the exam month (ICAI prospectus, PDF (opens in a new tab)). ICAI's path is register, complete 8 months of theoretical education, fill the exam form, then pass both groups.
How long CA Inter registration is valid
Your Intermediate registration is valid for 5 years from the date you register. After that you can revalidate it for 5 more years by paying ₹400, and ICAI allows revalidation only once (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.20, PDF (opens in a new tab)). Revalidation is also done on SSP.
One group or both groups?
You must register for both groups, but you can write one group at a time (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.12, PDF (opens in a new tab)). The ₹18,000 covers both. The choice you make is at the exam form, where you pick one group or both for that attempt (ICAI prospectus, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
CA Inter has six papers in two groups (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.13, PDF (opens in a new tab)):
| Group I | Group II |
|---|---|
| Paper 1: Advanced Accounting | Paper 4: Cost and Management Accounting |
| Paper 2: Corporate and Other Laws | Paper 5: Auditing and Ethics |
| Paper 3: Taxation | Paper 6: Financial Management and Strategic Management |
Before you decide between one group and both, read how the CA Inter passing marks and exemption rules work.
What to do in the 8 months before your exam
Eight months sounds long. With six papers, it isn't. A plan that works for a September 2027 attempt:
- Get ICAI's study material first. Order it through icai-cds.org with the login ICAI e-mails you. You can also read it module by module from our CA Inter ICAI study material page, which links to ICAI's own files.
- Learn the paper pattern before you start notes. Each paper mixes MCQs and descriptive questions; CA Inter exam pattern: MCQs and marks explains it paper by paper.
- Use ICAI's practice papers as they come out. ICAI's MTPs and RTPs for each attempt are collected on our CA Inter free resources page.
- Write full mock papers before the exam. Three hours, by hand, full syllabus, then check every mark you lost. Your mistakes show up here, while there is still time to fix them.
- Keep the result date in mind. CA result dates shows when ICAI usually declares results, so you can plan your next step.
A short note on direct entry
Direct entry is the other way into CA Intermediate, for graduates and some other candidates who meet ICAI's criteria without writing Foundation. The criteria are in our CA course structure post. If you registered through the Foundation route and later qualify for direct entry, ICAI's prospectus says you can convert to the Direct Entry route by logging in to SSP (ICAI prospectus, PDF (opens in a new tab)). Having just passed Foundation, you would normally simply register through the Foundation route, as above.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CA Inter registration fee for both groups?
₹18,000, paid once, and it covers both groups (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.10, PDF (opens in a new tab)). There is no separate registration fee for one group, because ICAI makes you register for both. Students from J&K, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar and the 8 North-East states, and wards of deceased members, get a 75% concession.
What is the last date of CA Inter registration for September 2027?
On or before 1 January 2027, under ICAI's rule of 8 months' registration before the first day of the exam month (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.9, PDF (opens in a new tab)). ICAI has not announced the September 2027 exam dates yet.
Can I write CA Inter in May 2027 after passing Foundation in September 2026?
No. May 2027 needed registration on or before 1 September 2026, which was before the Foundation result on 6 November 2026. Your first possible attempt is September 2027.
Is CA Inter registration valid for how many years?
Five years from the date of registration. You can revalidate it once, for 5 more years, with a ₹400 fee (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.20, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
Can I register for only one group?
No. ICAI requires you to register for both groups, but you may appear in one group at a time (ICAI FAQs, Q 3.12, PDF (opens in a new tab)). You pick one group or both on each exam form.
Do I need to send documents to the ICAI regional office?
No. ICAI's prospectus says there is no need for a personal visit or for physical documents; self-attested documents are submitted online (ICAI prospectus, PDF (opens in a new tab)).
Register now, then start practising
Register on eservices.icai.org on or before 1 January 2027, order your study material, and give the eight months a plan. When you reach the full-paper stage, our CA Inter test series has full-syllabus papers for every subject on the latest ICAI pattern, 30% MCQs and 70% descriptive, set at the real ICAI exam standard by 15+ qualified CA faculty. You write by hand and upload one PDF; within 24 hours your copy comes back with ICAI-style step-wise marks and the reason for every mark cut, with the correct line to write.
For every CA level, see our CA test series. Line up ICAI's free MTPs and RTPs with your CA mock tests, and you will walk into your first Inter attempt knowing exactly where your marks stand.