CA Final test series for May 2027: when to start mocks

For CA Final May 2027, start chapter-wise tests while you study each paper, and move to full-syllabus mock tests in the last 8 to 10 weeks before your first paper, with ICAI's RTPs and MTPs slotted in when they're released. ICAI hasn't announced the May 2027 exam dates yet, so the timeline below works back from the usual early-May window and is clearly labelled as such. Plan in weeks before the exam, and fix the dates once ICAI publishes the schedule.

What ICAI has announced for May 2027 so far

ICAI's latest CA Final schedule is for November 2026 (PDF (opens in a new tab)). The class details are in our guide to ICAI LVC and LVRC. If you still have Self-Paced Online Module tests to qualify before your Final attempt, note that ICAI's module tests were paused from 11 to 20 October 2026.

When CA Final in May usually falls

Only one May attempt has run under the current May-and-November system (from May 2026), so "usual" here rests on a short history. Label it as such in your own plan.

Last May cycle (May 2026), from ICAI's Guidance Notes for Final May 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab):

So CA Final in May has usually started in the first days of May. That is a pattern, not a date for 2027. Count your weeks back from "early May", then move the plan when ICAI publishes the real schedule.

When ICAI's RTPs and MTPs usually come

We explain what each one is in ICAI RTP and MTP explained. For timing, the last two Final cycles look like this:

MTP sources: May 2026 revised schedule, PDF (opens in a new tab) and November 2026 announcement, PDF (opens in a new tab). In both cycles, ICAI said the answer key would be uploaded within 48 hours of each paper.

In both cycles, the RTP came about three months before the exam, and the two MTP series ran between about eight and three weeks before the first paper. If May 2027 follows the same pattern, expect the RTP around February 2027 and the MTPs across March and April 2027. That is a guess from the last cycles, not an ICAI date.

Your May 2027 timeline, working back from the exam

Weeks are counted back from your first paper. If May 2027 starts in early May, as May 2026 did, "week 10" falls around late February. For a 12-week study plan with subject-wise hours for one or both groups, see our CA Final 3-month study plan for May 2027.

Now to about 10 weeks before: study, with chapter tests

• Finish each paper's first full reading from the edition ICAI lists for May 2027. For Paper 4, that means the Income-tax Act 2025, not the 1961 Act; don't study DT from older notes.
• After every chapter, write a short timed test on it: a few MCQs and one or two descriptive questions, closed book, checked the same day. The point is to find gaps while the chapter is fresh, not to build speed yet.
• Keep an error log from the first test. By the time you reach full mocks, you'll already know your repeat mistakes.
• Write one full paper early in your strongest subject, even if the syllabus isn't finished, just to feel what 3 hours (or 4, for Paper 6) is like.

About 10 to 8 weeks before: start full-syllabus mocks

This is the right time to start a full-syllabus test series for most students. Earlier, and you're testing chapters you haven't revised. Later, and there's no time to fix what the mocks show. If you're new to the idea, what a CA test series is and how it works explains the types.

• Read the RTP for May 2027 first when ICAI releases it. Its opening pages give the law base and cut-off for the attempt; update your notes before writing full mocks. Our guide to what's applicable for your CA attempt shows how to read them.
• Write your first round of full mocks: one per paper, timed and by hand, each checked and fixed before the next.

About 7 to 3 weeks before: ICAI MTPs plus your own mocks

• Write ICAI's MTPs on their dates if you can, in the real time slot.
• Write a second round of full mocks in between, so you see papers you haven't seen before.
• Rewrite weak questions from your error log, against the clock.

The last 2 to 3 weeks

• One more full mock per paper if your calendar allows, then stop full papers a few days before your first exam.
• Revise from your error log, amendments and formats.
• Our CA Final last 30 days plan is written for November 2026, but the calendars work the same way once you shift the dates.

Don't start full mocks before revision, or after it's too late

Two mistakes are common at the extremes:

• Starting full-syllabus mocks while half the syllabus is unread. You'll lose marks on chapters you haven't studied, and the result tells you nothing new. Use chapter tests until your first reading is done.
• Saving every mock for the last two weeks. A mock is useful only if there's time to fix what it shows. Three mocks in the last ten days leave no room for that.

How many mocks, and how to fit them, is covered in how to choose a CA Final test series and how to attempt a CA Final paper in 3 hours. The wider plan, from one group or both to RTPs and past papers, is in passing CA Final in your first attempt.

Our CA Final test series and your attempt

Our CA Final test series page lists every live plan, each set to its attempt's applicability with every amendment for that attempt tested. Match the plan to the attempt you are writing: Paper 4 moves to the Income-tax Act 2025 from May 2027, so your DT practice must follow the Act that applies to your attempt.

• Writing November 2026? Pick your group on the CA Final test series page.
• Writing May 2027? Use this post to set your timeline, start chapter tests now, and use ICAI's free study material and past papers from our CA Final free resources.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start a CA Final test series for May 2027?

Chapter-wise tests while you study each paper, and full-syllabus mocks from about 8 to 10 weeks before your first paper. ICAI hasn't announced the May 2027 dates yet; in May 2026, the first paper was on 2 May (Guidance Notes, PDF (opens in a new tab)).

When is the CA Final May 2027 exam?

ICAI hasn't announced it yet. CA Final is held in May and November (ICAI announcement, PDF (opens in a new tab)), and the May 2026 Final ran from 2 to 12 May 2026.

When will ICAI release the MTP for May 2027?

Not announced yet. For May 2026, Series I ran from 16 to 27 March and Series II from 1 to 13 April 2026 (ICAI schedule, PDF (opens in a new tab)). Treat that as last cycle's pattern, not a 2027 date.

Is the Income-tax Act 2025 applicable for CA Final May 2027?

Yes, for Paper 4: Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation, from the May 2027 exams onwards (ICAI announcement, PDF (opens in a new tab)).

Practise with checked CA Final mock tests

If you are writing November 2026, our plans have full-syllabus mock tests for every subject, on the latest ICAI pattern, with a checked copy back within 24 hours showing the reason for every mark cut.

• CA Final Group I mock tests: FR, AFM and Audit
• CA Final Group II mock tests: DT and International Tax, IDT and IBS
• CA Final both groups mock tests: all six papers

You can read preview pages of the first mock of each subject on the plan page before you buy.