CA Intermediate Syllabus 2027: Paper-wise Topics and Weightage
The CA Intermediate syllabus is set by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) under the New Scheme of Education and Training. It has six papers in two groups, and ICAI publishes a section-wise weightage for each paper with an expected deviation of up to 5% either way. The January 2027 exam follows the Board of Studies study material marked for the May 2026, September 2026 and January 2027 sessions.
This page lists the topics in every paper with their weightage, flags the key change coming in 2027, shows where the papers overlap, and ends with a phased plan to cover the syllabus. Use it as your working checklist, and keep the ICAI study material as the final reference for what is examinable.
CA Intermediate syllabus at a glance
Group | Paper | Sections | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
I | Paper 1: Advanced Accounting | Single paper | 100 | 3 hours |
I | Paper 2: Corporate and Other Laws | Part I Company and LLP Law (70), Part II Other Laws (30) | 100 | 3 hours |
I | Paper 3: Taxation | Section A Income-tax Law (50), Section B GST (50) | 100 | 3 hours |
II | Paper 4: Cost and Management Accounting | Single paper | 100 | 3 hours |
II | Paper 5: Auditing and Ethics | Single paper | 100 | 3 hours |
II | Paper 6: Financial Management and Strategic Management | Section A FM (50), Section B SM (50) | 100 | 3 hours |
Each paper has 30% case-scenario MCQs and 70% descriptive questions. The CA Intermediate exam pattern page explains the marking and passing rules.
Key changes to know
Income-tax Act, 2025 from May 2027: ICAI has announced that Paper 3 Section A (Income-tax Law) will be examined under the Income-tax Act, 2025 from the May 2027 session. If you are writing in January 2027, study from the material marked for May 2026, September 2026 and January 2027. If you might move to May 2027, plan for the new Act.
Six papers, not eight: The new scheme replaced the earlier eight-paper structure. Older pages may still show papers such as Enterprise Information Systems or a separate Economics for Finance paper, so follow the current ICAI syllabus.
Accounting Standards, not Ind AS: Advanced Accounting at Intermediate tests Accounting Standards (AS). Ind AS is part of the Final level.
Amendments by session: ICAI notifies which amendments, standards and notifications apply to each session. Always check the applicability notice for your attempt.
Group I syllabus
Paper 1: Advanced Accounting
Section | Topics to cover | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
I | Framework for financial statements, applicability of Accounting Standards and the individual AS covered in the study material | 55% to 65% |
II | Company accounts: Schedule III financial statements, buy-back of securities, amalgamation and internal reconstruction | 30% to 35% |
III | Accounting for branches, including foreign branches | 5% to 10% |
Accounting Standards carry more than half the paper. Start with the standards and their practical adjustments, then move to company accounts. Branch accounts is a small, scoring area to close in the last month.
Paper 2: Corporate and Other Laws
Part and section | Topics to cover | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
Part I, Section I | Companies Act, 2013: preliminary, incorporation, prospectus and allotment, share capital and debentures | 20% to 30% of Part I |
Part I, Section II | Acceptance of deposits, registration of charges, management and administration | 20% to 30% of Part I |
Part I, Section III | Declaration and payment of dividend, accounts of companies, audit and auditors, companies incorporated outside India | 30% to 35% of Part I |
Part I, Section IV | Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 | 15% to 20% of Part I |
Part II, Section I | General Clauses Act, 1897 | 35% to 40% of Part II |
Part II, Section II | Interpretation of statutes | 25% to 30% of Part II |
Part II, Section III | Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 | 30% to 40% of Part II |
Part I carries 70 marks, so company law decides most of this paper. Learn section numbers for the high-frequency provisions and practise writing answers in the provision, facts, analysis and conclusion format.
Paper 3: Taxation
Section A: Income-tax Law (50 marks)
Basic concepts (10% to 20%): Basis of charge, residential status, scope of total income and the computation framework for individuals.
Heads of income (25% to 30%): Salaries, income from house property, profits and gains of business or profession, capital gains and income from other sources.
Total income adjustments (15% to 20%): Clubbing, set-off and carry forward of losses, and deductions from gross total income.
Advance tax, TDS and TCS (15% to 20%): Payment obligations, rates and timelines.
Returns and computation (20% to 25%): Provisions for filing returns, self-assessment and computing total income and tax liability under the alternative tax regimes.
Section B: Goods and Services Tax (50 marks)
GST in India (0% to 5%): Introduction and constitutional aspects.
Levy and supply (50% to 80%): Levy and collection of CGST and IGST, concept of supply, reverse charge, exemptions and composition levy.
Compliance and computation (20% to 45%): Place and time of supply, value of supply, input tax credit, computation of GST liability, registration, tax invoice, accounts and records, payment and returns.
Income tax rewards steady practice of computation questions. In GST, supply, ITC and valuation link to almost every practical question, so learn them first.
Group II syllabus
Paper 4: Cost and Management Accounting
Section | Topics to cover | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
I | Introduction to cost and management accounting, cost terms, cost sheet | 10% to 15% |
II | Material cost, employee cost, direct expenses, overheads, activity based costing, cost accounting systems and reconciliation | 35% to 40% |
III | Unit, job, batch, process and operation costing, joint and by-products, service costing | 20% to 25% |
IV | Standard costing, marginal costing, budgets and budgetary control | 25% to 30% |
Section II is the largest block. Overheads, standard costing and marginal costing are the chapters to master first, because they appear in many combined questions.
Paper 5: Auditing and Ethics
Section | Topics to cover | Weightage |
|---|---|---|
I | Nature, objective and scope of audit | 4% to 6% |
II | Audit strategy, audit planning and audit programme | 8% to 12% |
III | Risk assessment, materiality and internal control | 8% to 12% |
IV | Audit evidence, audit sampling, external confirmations, related parties, analytical procedures | 12% to 18% |
V | Audit of items of financial statements | 12% to 20% |
VI | Audit documentation, completion and review, subsequent events, going concern, written representations | 8% to 12% |
VII | Audit report, modified opinions, comparatives, branch and joint audits, CARO | 8% to 12% |
VIII | Audit of different types of entities, including banks | 12% to 18% |
IX | Ethics and terms of audit engagements | 8% to 10% |
Audit is a theory paper built on Standards on Auditing. Learn each SA by its objective and key requirements, and practise applying them to short case facts.
Paper 6: Financial Management and Strategic Management
Section A: Financial Management (50 marks)
Introduction and ratio analysis (10% to 15%): Scope of financial management and financial analysis through ratios.
Financing decisions (45% to 50%): Sources of finance, cost of capital, capital structure decisions and leverages.
Investment and dividend decisions (20% to 25%): Capital investment appraisal and dividend decisions.
Working capital management (15% to 20%): Estimation of working capital and management of its components.
Section B: Strategic Management (50 marks)
Introduction (15% to 25%): Strategic management concepts, vision, mission and levels of strategy.
External environment (15% to 25%): Strategic analysis of the external environment, including industry analysis.
Internal environment (15% to 25%): Strategic analysis of the internal environment, resources and capabilities.
Strategic choices (15% to 25%): Corporate, business and functional level choices.
Implementation and evaluation (15% to 25%): Strategy implementation, evaluation and control.
Weightages above are from the ICAI section-wise weightage for the new scheme, with up to 5% deviation possible. Topic names are summarised; the study material for your session is the final word on coverage.
Where the papers overlap
Area | Paper A | Paper B | How to plan |
|---|---|---|---|
Company accounts and audit | Advanced Accounting (Schedule III) | Auditing (audit of items, CARO) | Study Schedule III before the audit chapters on financial statement items. |
Companies Act provisions | Corporate Laws (accounts, audit and auditors) | Auditing (appointment and rights of auditors) | Learn the sections once and use them in both papers. |
Costing concepts and FM | Cost and Management Accounting (marginal costing, budgets) | FM (leverages, working capital) | Revise marginal costing before leverage analysis. |
Accounting Standards and tax | Advanced Accounting (AS) | Taxation (business income) | Note where tax treatment differs from accounting treatment. |
How to cover the CA Intermediate syllabus
Months 1 to 3, concepts: Cover the practical papers of your first group from the ICAI study material, one chapter at a time, with the illustrations solved by hand.
Months 3 to 5, theory and second group: Add law and audit, writing short answers each week. Start the second group if you are writing both.
Month 5 onwards, topic tests: Take chapter-wise MCQ sets and short descriptive tests to find weak chapters early.
Last 8 weeks, revision and full papers: Revise from your own notes, solve ICAI Revision Test Papers and Mock Test Papers, and write full 3-hour papers with same-day review of an error log.
Download the official syllabus and study material from the ICAI Chartered Accountancy course page.
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