CA Final November 2026: MCQ pattern changes across five subjects, full analysis here
ICAI's November 2026 CA Final examination featured a revised MCQ distribution, higher calculation-based weightage in Direct Tax and a different subject mix in IBS, according to an analysis of student-shared question papers.
The November 2026 Chartered Accountancy (CA) Final examination witnessed substantial changes in question patterns and subject-wise weightage, with multiple papers placing greater emphasis on the number of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), according to an analysis by CA education platform GradeHunt.
The analysis compared all six papers of the November 2026 examination with their May 2026 counterparts, examining the marks distribution and the nature of questions. The examination concluded on November 13 with the Integrated Business Solutions (IBS) paper.
One of the most significant changes was observed in the MCQ pattern. Financial Reporting (FR), Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Audit, Direct Tax and Indirect Tax papers each featured 23 MCQs carrying 30 marks. These comprised 16 one-mark questions and seven two-mark questions, the education platform said, while analysing the paper.
In the May 2026 attempt, all 30 MCQ marks in these papers were distributed across 15 two-mark questions.
"The biggest change across the attempt was the MCQ part. FR, AFM, Audit, Direct Tax and Indirect Tax each had 23 MCQs for 30 marks, 16 of 1 mark and 7 of 2, where every one of them had 15 two-mark MCQs in May. Students now answer more questions for the same marks, so the MCQ section needs its own time limit," said CA Mamta Arora, Chartered Accountant and GradeHunt faculty.
DIRECT TAX: LAST PAPER UNDER THE 1961 ACT
The November 2026 examination also marked the final CA Final Direct Tax paper based on the Income-tax Act, 1961. From the May 2027 examination onwards, Paper 4 will be based on the Income-tax Act, 2025, following ICAI's announcement.
The analysis found that 72 out of 118 printed marks in the November Direct Tax paper involved calculations, accounting for 61 per cent of the total. This was higher than the 52.5 per cent recorded in the May 2026 paper.
AUDIT: GREATER WEIGHTAGE TO ETHICS
In the Audit paper, ethics accounted for 29 out of 114 printed marks, or approximately 25.4 per cent. Meanwhile, only 26 of the 84 marks in Part II involved application-based questions requiring students to analyse facts and arrive at a conclusion. In May 2026, the corresponding figure was 52 marks.
AFM AND IBS REFLECT CHANGES IN QUESTION COMPOSITION
In Advanced Financial Management, calculation-based questions accounted for 29 of the 30 MCQ marks, compared with 24 marks in the previous attempt.
The IBS paper also showed a notable shift in the distribution of Financial Reporting questions. In November 2026, Financial Reporting appeared only in the MCQ section, accounting for 10 marks. In May 2026, the subject carried two marks in MCQs and 14 marks in descriptive questions.
Corporate and Economic Laws accounted for 20 of the 100 marks in the IBS paper, according to the analysis.
The findings are based on student-shared copies of the question papers. The platform said the Indirect Tax paper copy available for the analysis contained only Part I, while the IBS copy did not include the cover page and descriptive questions from Case 5.
ICAI's official question papers and suggested answers had not been published at the time of the analysis.
The November 2026 Chartered Accountancy (CA) Final examination witnessed substantial changes in question patterns and subject-wise weightage, with multiple papers placing greater emphasis on the number of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), according to an analysis by CA education platform GradeHunt.
The analysis compared all six papers of the November 2026 examination with their May 2026 counterparts, examining the marks distribution and the nature of questions. The examination concluded on November 13 with the Integrated Business Solutions (IBS) paper.
One of the most significant changes was observed in the MCQ pattern. Financial Reporting (FR), Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Audit, Direct Tax and Indirect Tax papers each featured 23 MCQs carrying 30 marks. These comprised 16 one-mark questions and seven two-mark questions, the education platform said, while analysing the paper.
In the May 2026 attempt, all 30 MCQ marks in these papers were distributed across 15 two-mark questions.
"The biggest change across the attempt was the MCQ part. FR, AFM, Audit, Direct Tax and Indirect Tax each had 23 MCQs for 30 marks, 16 of 1 mark and 7 of 2, where every one of them had 15 two-mark MCQs in May. Students now answer more questions for the same marks, so the MCQ section needs its own time limit," said CA Mamta Arora, Chartered Accountant and GradeHunt faculty.
DIRECT TAX: LAST PAPER UNDER THE 1961 ACT
The November 2026 examination also marked the final CA Final Direct Tax paper based on the Income-tax Act, 1961. From the May 2027 examination onwards, Paper 4 will be based on the Income-tax Act, 2025, following ICAI's announcement.
The analysis found that 72 out of 118 printed marks in the November Direct Tax paper involved calculations, accounting for 61 per cent of the total. This was higher than the 52.5 per cent recorded in the May 2026 paper.
AUDIT: GREATER WEIGHTAGE TO ETHICS
In the Audit paper, ethics accounted for 29 out of 114 printed marks, or approximately 25.4 per cent. Meanwhile, only 26 of the 84 marks in Part II involved application-based questions requiring students to analyse facts and arrive at a conclusion. In May 2026, the corresponding figure was 52 marks.
AFM AND IBS REFLECT CHANGES IN QUESTION COMPOSITION
In Advanced Financial Management, calculation-based questions accounted for 29 of the 30 MCQ marks, compared with 24 marks in the previous attempt.
The IBS paper also showed a notable shift in the distribution of Financial Reporting questions. In November 2026, Financial Reporting appeared only in the MCQ section, accounting for 10 marks. In May 2026, the subject carried two marks in MCQs and 14 marks in descriptive questions.
Corporate and Economic Laws accounted for 20 of the 100 marks in the IBS paper, according to the analysis.
The findings are based on student-shared copies of the question papers. The platform said the Indirect Tax paper copy available for the analysis contained only Part I, while the IBS copy did not include the cover page and descriptive questions from Case 5.
ICAI's official question papers and suggested answers had not been published at the time of the analysis.
The November 2026 Chartered Accountancy (CA) Final examination witnessed substantial changes in question patterns and subject-wise weightage, with multiple papers placing greater emphasis on the number of multiple-choice questions (MCQs), according to an analysis by CA education platform GradeHunt.
The analysis compared all six papers of the November 2026 examination with their May 2026 counterparts, examining the marks distribution and the nature of questions. The examination concluded on November 13 with the Integrated Business Solutions (IBS) paper.
One of the most significant changes was observed in the MCQ pattern. Financial Reporting (FR), Advanced Financial Management (AFM), Audit, Direct Tax and Indirect Tax papers each featured 23 MCQs carrying 30 marks. These comprised 16 one-mark questions and seven two-mark questions, the education platform said, while analysing the paper.
In the May 2026 attempt, all 30 MCQ marks in these papers were distributed across 15 two-mark questions.
"The biggest change across the attempt was the MCQ part. FR, AFM, Audit, Direct Tax and Indirect Tax each had 23 MCQs for 30 marks, 16 of 1 mark and 7 of 2, where every one of them had 15 two-mark MCQs in May. Students now answer more questions for the same marks, so the MCQ section needs its own time limit," said CA Mamta Arora, Chartered Accountant and GradeHunt faculty.
DIRECT TAX: LAST PAPER UNDER THE 1961 ACT
The November 2026 examination also marked the final CA Final Direct Tax paper based on the Income-tax Act, 1961. From the May 2027 examination onwards, Paper 4 will be based on the Income-tax Act, 2025, following ICAI's announcement.
The analysis found that 72 out of 118 printed marks in the November Direct Tax paper involved calculations, accounting for 61 per cent of the total. This was higher than the 52.5 per cent recorded in the May 2026 paper.
AUDIT: GREATER WEIGHTAGE TO ETHICS
In the Audit paper, ethics accounted for 29 out of 114 printed marks, or approximately 25.4 per cent. Meanwhile, only 26 of the 84 marks in Part II involved application-based questions requiring students to analyse facts and arrive at a conclusion. In May 2026, the corresponding figure was 52 marks.
AFM AND IBS REFLECT CHANGES IN QUESTION COMPOSITION
In Advanced Financial Management, calculation-based questions accounted for 29 of the 30 MCQ marks, compared with 24 marks in the previous attempt.
The IBS paper also showed a notable shift in the distribution of Financial Reporting questions. In November 2026, Financial Reporting appeared only in the MCQ section, accounting for 10 marks. In May 2026, the subject carried two marks in MCQs and 14 marks in descriptive questions.
Corporate and Economic Laws accounted for 20 of the 100 marks in the IBS paper, according to the analysis.
The findings are based on student-shared copies of the question papers. The platform said the Indirect Tax paper copy available for the analysis contained only Part I, while the IBS copy did not include the cover page and descriptive questions from Case 5.
ICAI's official question papers and suggested answers had not been published at the time of the analysis.
