Missed ACCA December 2026? How CA Students Can Start ACCA in March 2027
If your CA result has made you think about ACCA, you have probably noticed that the December 2026 session is too close. Standard entry closes on 2 November 2026 and late entry on 9 November 2026, and most new students are still waiting for their exemptions to be confirmed by then.
The good news: March 2027 is a better start for CA students, and this year there is a special reason for it. This guide explains why, and gives you a month-by-month plan.
Why March 2027 Matters More Than Usual
ACCA is redesigning its qualification from 2027. The current Applied Skills and Strategic Professional exams have their final sitting in June 2027, and the first sitting of the new Expertise and Strategic Professional exams is in September 2027.
That leaves two sittings of the papers in their current form: March 2027 and June 2027. A CA Inter student with a B.Com usually has 6 exemptions and only 3 Applied Skills papers left. Starting in March, you can finish all of them in those two sittings, in the format today’s study material, mock tests and past papers are built for.
What Happens to Your Passes and Exemptions in 2027?
ACCA’s official FAQ says:
- Students part-way through receive credit for their progress and do not retake equivalent exams.
- Exemptions against the current qualification transfer automatically in July 2027.
- Up to nine exam exemptions remain available, but there are no exemptions for the new Digital Tech and Innovation module or for any Strategic Professional element.
- Students with conditional exemptions who want transition credit for Digital Tech and Innovation must provide proof of prior learning by 30 June 2027.
So you lose nothing by starting now, and you have a deadline-based reason not to wait. Your exact position depends on your exemptions, so check it on ACCA’s Transition Tool or WhatsApp us your marksheet and we will check it with you.
How Current Papers Map to the 2027 Structure
Current paper | 2027 equivalent | Level |
FA, MA, LW | K1 Financial Accounting, K2 Management Accounting, K3 Business Law | Knowledge |
BT | Responsible Business Management module | Knowledge |
TX, FR, AA, FM, PM | E1 Taxation, E2 Financial Reporting, E3 Audit, Risk and Control, E4 Finance and Investment, E5 Performance with Data Analysis | Expertise |
SBR, SBL | S1 Business and Sustainability Reporting, S2 Strategic Business Leader | Strategic Professional |
(Sources: ACCA, FAQs on the future ACCA Qualification, accaglobal.com; mapping as published by OpenTuition. From September 2027, ACCA says students will need only one Options exam.)
For the full new structure, read ACCA Qualification Structure Guide: Important Exam Changes Coming in 2027.
Your Month-by-Month Plan
When | What to do | Why |
November 2026 | Register with ACCA, upload your CA Inter and B.Com documents, accept and pay your exemptions | Exemptions take time to confirm |
December 2026 to February 2027 | Study your first two Applied Skills papers; sit timed computer-based mocks from January | About 12 weeks of preparation |
March 2027 | Sit two Applied Skills papers | Second-last sitting of current papers |
March to June 2027 | Study and sit your remaining Applied Skills paper(s) in June | Final sitting of current papers |
September 2027 onwards | Strategic Professional under the new structure | Only one Options exam needed |
March 2027 booking deadlines: ACCA had not published them on its Important Dates page when we wrote this (21 October 2026). The March session normally runs in the first week of March, with standard entry closing around five weeks earlier. WhatsApp us and we will send you the official dates as soon as ACCA releases them.
What If You Are Re-attempting CA in January 2027?
You can still keep this plan. Register with ACCA and sort out your exemptions in November, focus fully on your CA exams from 2 to 12 January 2027, then use the seven weeks to early March for one ACCA paper instead of two. Your CA preparation in accounts, audit and tax overlaps strongly with FR and AA.
The Skill CA Students Must Add: Computer-Based Exams
CA exams are pen and paper. ACCA Applied Skills exams are computer-based, with spreadsheet and word-processor answer areas. Practise in this format before March, not in exam week. Read ACCA CBE Spreadsheet Exam Technique, and see the full fee plan in ACCA Registration and Exemption Fees for CA Students.
Take the Next Step Today
Take a free ACCA mock test and watch free demo lectures on the MBC LMS, in the computer-based style ACCA uses, with a worked solution for every question. Our recorded classes let students anywhere in India start now and be ready for March 2027.
Megha Bhansali Classes is an ACCA Gold Approved Learning Partner, and our faculty includes CA and ACCA qualified teachers. WhatsApp us your marksheet and we will plan your exemptions, March papers and the 2027 transition with you, for free.
Call / WhatsApp: +91 96807 56998
Website: www.meghabhansaliclasses.com
Visit us: Megha Bhansali Classes, Plot 718, Mahaveer Nagar, Durgapura, Jaipur, Rajasthan – 302018
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it too late to sit ACCA in December 2026?
Standard entry closes on 2 November 2026 and late entry on 9 November 2026 at a much higher fee. For a new student still waiting on exemptions, March 2027 is the realistic start.
Should I wait for the new ACCA qualification in September 2027?
ACCA advises students to keep studying without delay, because passes and exemptions carry over as credit. Waiting only costs you time.
When is the last sitting of the current ACCA Applied Skills papers?
June 2027. The new Expertise exams start in September 2027.
Will my CA Inter exemptions still count after 2027?
According to ACCA, exemptions against the current qualification transfer automatically in July 2027.
What are the March 2027 ACCA exam deadlines?
ACCA had not published them as of 21 October 2026. WhatsApp us on +91 96807 56998 and we will share them when they are out.
