Qualification updates

ICAG · Official notice

Sitting ICAG exams in November? Check your level’s dates first.

MSL explanation reviewed 30 September 2026. This is a dated explanation; check the linked guidance before acting.

This edition is due for a fresh check or its dates have passed. Read it as a record of the notice, not confirmation of today’s arrangements. Check MSL’s ICAG guidance and confirm your position with ICAG.

The November sitting does not mean every paper takes place in November. Level 1 starts in October, while Levels 2 and 3 follow in November. Use the notice for your level when planning your time away from work and your final revision.

Who this is for

Students registering for the November 2026 ICAG CA examinations, including those moving to the next level with exemptions still outstanding.

When it applies

These arrangements apply to the November 2026 sitting only. Do not carry them forward to another examination sitting.

Start with the registration deadline, then check the date and time of each paper you intend to write. The general examination notice and the separate Level 1 online notice need to be read together. The general November date range is not the timetable for Level 1.

An exemption you qualify for is not the same as an exemption you have applied and paid for. ICAG’s general November 2026 examination notice requires students to apply and pay for outstanding exemptions before writing papers at the next level. If that affects you, resolve it before relying on your next-level paper choices.

Registration

Registration opens on 1 September 2026 and closes on 16 October 2026.

Level 1: online examinations

The four Level 1 online examinations run from 27 to 30 October 2026, beginning at 10:00 each day, with authentication at 09:30.

Levels 2 and 3

The Level 2 and Level 3 examinations run from 2 to 6 November 2026 in morning sessions from 09:00 to 12:00 and afternoon sessions from 14:00 to 17:00.

What to do next

1. Check your individual paper dates and times in the timetable linked below. Level 1 students should also read the online examination requirements in ICAG’s Level 1 notice.
2. Complete registration and payment within the regular registration window. If you need to consider late registration, check the separate conditions rather than assuming the regular deadline has moved.
3. Use MSL’s sitting planner to organise your paper choices, then confirm that your registration and any outstanding exemption applications are complete with ICAG.

• Outstanding exemptions before your next level →
• Registration dates and payment →
• Your Level 1 paper dates and times →
• Your Level 2 or Level 3 paper dates and times →
• Plan your November sitting →

These are sitting-specific instructions, not a claim that ICAG has introduced a new permanent rule. The notices do not give an exact issue date; MSL’s review date below is not their publication date.

ICAG · Official notice · 21 August 2026

ICAG’s August exemption communiqué: what to check before choosing your papers

MSL explanation reviewed 30 September 2026. This is a dated explanation; check the linked guidance before acting.

This edition is due for a fresh check or its dates have passed. Read it as a record of the notice, not confirmation of today’s arrangements. Check MSL’s ICAG guidance and confirm your position with ICAG.

Your qualification may entitle you to exemptions, but the name of the award and ICAG’s document checks matter. The signed communiqué lists five qualification groups and the papers each group may be exempt from.

Who this is for

Applicants whose completed qualification is listed in ICAG’s conditional-exemption communiqué, and students checking which papers they still need to write.

When it applies

The communiqué is dated 21 August 2026. It does not state a separate date on which the arrangements take effect.

Match the exact name of your award to the exemption table, rather than treating every accounting or finance qualification as equivalent. The listed groups do not all receive the same Level 2 exemptions, and the communiqué does not show a Level 3 exemption.

ICAG must successfully verify your academic transcript and certificate with your tertiary institution. You must also submit a certified true copy of your completion certificate. MSL can help you understand the table, but ICAG confirms and grants the exemption.

If your qualification is not listed, this communiqué alone does not tell you that you are ineligible. It does not say that other routes have been withdrawn. Obtain an assessment from ICAG instead of assuming either that you are exempt or that you must start again.

What to do next

1. Open the exemption table below and match your exact qualification to the listed route.
2. Prepare the required academic documents and ask ICAG to confirm your entitlement before finalising the papers you will take.
3. If you hold one of the named Accounting master’s degrees but do not have an Accounting first degree, ask ICAG to confirm your position. The communiqué does not expressly settle that combination.

• Find your qualification in the exemption table →

This explanation reports what the signed communiqué says. It does not claim that every entitlement is new, that omitted routes have been removed, or that the notice itself awards an exemption to an individual student.