CA Final Audit (Paper 3): Syllabus, ICAI Study Material and Classes

Where the audit paper fits in CA Final

Paper 3 is one of three Group I papers, with Paper 1, Financial Reporting, and Paper 2, Advanced Financial Management. Group II has the two tax papers and Paper 6, Integrated Business Solutions (FAQ, Q 4.3). ICAI's prospectus describes Paper 6 as a multi-disciplinary case study involving Papers 1 to 5, Self-Paced Online Modules SET A and SET B, and Strategic Management, so audit is tested there as well. The full paper list, passing marks and eligibility rules are in our guide to CA Final subjects under the new scheme.

CA Final exams are held twice a year, in May and November, from the May 2026 exam onwards (ICAI announcement, 6 April 2026). In the November 2026 exam, Paper 3 is on Friday, 6 November 2026, from 2 PM to 5 PM (ICAI exam announcement, 2 May 2026; Guidance Notes for Final, November 2026).

Notes written for the old syllabus

Under the earlier scheme the paper was called Advanced Auditing and Professional Ethics and had 16 topics (ICAI Board of Studies syllabus, 2021). Notes with separate chapters on Audit of Limited Companies, Audit Committee and Corporate Governance or Audit under Fiscal Laws follow that syllabus; none of these is a chapter in the current one. The current syllabus has 19 chapters: it gives separate chapters to related services, review of financial information, and prospective financial information and other assurance services (the SRS, SRE and SAE standards), adds a chapter on SDG and ESG assurance, and its Chapter 14 covers banks and non-banking financial companies but no longer insurance companies.

What the paper tests

ICAI's syllabus sets two objectives for Paper 3: to analyse current auditing practices and procedures and apply them in auditing engagements, and to solve cases relating to audit engagements.

• Question mix: 30 marks of case-scenario or case-study based MCQs and 70 marks of descriptive questions (FAQ, Q 4.7). ICAI's Guidance Notes for November 2026 add that each MCQ carries 1 or 2 marks and has four options, all MCQs are compulsory, there is no negative marking and no reasoning is needed. You mark the MCQ answers in the OMR portion on the cover page of the answer sheet.
• Closed book: only Paper 6 is an open-book exam; Paper 3 is closed-book (FAQ, Q 4.8).
• Skill levels: ICAI's skill assessment grid for Paper 3 is 10%–20% comprehension and knowledge, 65%–75% analysis and application, and 10%–20% evaluation and synthesis (ICAI prospectus). Most marks therefore go to applying a standard to a scenario rather than reproducing it.
• Intermediate standards as case studies: the syllabus notes that SA 200, 210, 230, 300, 315, 320, 500, 501, 505, 510, 530, 550, 560, 570 and 580 are covered in depth at Intermediate, and that their application "may be discussed in the form of Case Study at Final level". Keep your notes from Intermediate Paper 5, Auditing and Ethics, for revision.

How the May 2026 paper was set

ICAI's May 2026 Paper 3 and its suggested answers show the pattern in practice:

• Part I, MCQs (30 marks): 15 questions of 2 marks each. Questions 1 to 12 were set on three integrated case scenarios; Questions 13 to 15 stood alone.
• Part II, descriptive (70 marks): Question 1 was compulsory and candidates answered any four of the remaining five. Each question carried 14 marks, in parts of 5, 5 and 4 marks, and working notes count as part of the answer.

Syllabus and section weightage

ICAI's section-wise weightage for CA Final, issued on 26 October 2023 and applicable from the May 2024 exam until ICAI changes it, groups the 19 chapters of Paper 3 into five sections. Chapter numbers follow the syllabus and the study material.

Sources: ICAI section-wise weightage, Final Course (26 October 2023); ICAI study material, Paper 3, Module 1 contents.

Chapter 19 on its own carries the same range as the five chapters of Section III together. In our view, that makes professional ethics worth a full revision cycle of its own, not a last-day read.

Standards and laws named in the syllabus

• Standards listed by name: SQC 1 and SA 220 (quality control); SA 240, 250, 260, 299 and 402; SA 450, 520, 540, 610 and 620; SA 265 and SA 330; SA 700, 701, 705, 706, 710 and 720; and SA 600 in group audits.
• Basics and overview only: SA 800, 805 and 810; SRS 4400 and 4410; SRE 2400 and 2410; SAE 3400, 3402 and 3420.
• Laws and codes: the internal audit provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 (Chapter 16); the IESBA Code of Ethics, the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and the Chartered Accountants Regulations, 1988 (Chapter 19).

The syllabus adds that a new standard or law replacing an existing one is included from the date ICAI notifies, and that specific inclusions and exclusions are set through Study Guidelines when needed. Company law itself is no longer a Final exam paper: Corporate and Economic Laws is now the mandatory Self-Paced Online Module SET A (FAQ, Q 7.2), covered in our CA Final law guide.

ICAI study material for Paper 3

The Board of Studies publishes the Paper 3 study material as chapter-wise PDFs on the BoS Knowledge Portal, in English and in Hindi medium. Module 1 has Chapters 1 to 7, Module 2 has Chapters 8 to 14, and Module 3 has Chapters 15 to 19. ICAI's list for the November 2026 exam names the November 2024 edition (reprint August 2025 onwards) of all three modules, together with the Academic Update and RTP for November 2026.

• How each chapter is built: learning outcomes, a chapter overview, worked illustrations, "Test your understanding" questions, key takeaways, and exercise questions with case studies and case scenarios (study material, Module 1).
• Bare text of standards: for the full text of the auditing standards and guidance notes, ICAI points students to its "Auditing Pronouncements", hosted on the BoS Knowledge Portal.
• Printed copies: after you register for the Final course, ICAI emails login details for ordering the Final study material through its CDS portal (FAQ, Q 4.4).
• Exams from May 2027: when we checked on 6 October 2026, the portal listed English material "Applicable for May 2027 Exam Onwards" for Papers 4 and 5 only, not yet for Paper 3. Check for a newer Paper 3 edition before you start preparing for May 2027.

Academic Update and Revision Test Paper

ICAI expects Paper 3 candidates to know notifications, circulars and other legislative amendments made up to six months before the exam. For the May 2026 exam, that meant those issued up to 31 October 2025 (ICAI's applicability notice for May 2026). We could not find the equivalent notice for November 2026 on the BoS Knowledge Portal on 6 October 2026, so check the portal for the notice for your own attempt.

The November 2026 RTP for Paper 3 opens with an Academic Update to be read with the study material. For Chapter 14 it covers the RBI's Registration Amendment Directions, 2026 for NBFCs (issued 29 April 2026, effective from 1 July 2026), which exempt non-deposit-taking NBFCs with no public funds, no customer interface and assets below ₹1,000 crore from registration. For Chapter 19 it includes ICAI's limit of 60 tax audit reports per member in a financial year. Part II has MCQs on integrated case scenarios, independent MCQs and descriptive questions, with answers.

Mock tests, past papers and suggested answers

For the November 2026 exam, the Board of Studies ran two series of Mock Test Papers in physical or virtual mode; the Paper 3 tests were on 15 and 28 September 2026, from 2 PM to 5 PM. Question papers were posted on the BoS Knowledge Portal and the BoS MTP portal, answer keys followed within 48 hours, and students could register at ICAI branches and regional offices to sit the tests in person (BoS announcement, 10 August 2026).

ICAI's Final course question papers page has the new-scheme Paper 3 from May 2024, November 2024, May 2025, September 2025, January 2026 and May 2026. ICAI also publishes suggested answers; those for May 2026 include Paper 3.

Audit classes: ICAI's free classes and paid options

ICAI's Board of Studies runs its own classes for CA Final students. Its notices describe the Live Virtual Classes and the Live Virtual Revisionary Classes as free.

For both class programmes, ICAI lists one-to-one interaction over Zoom, doubt-resolution sessions, notes, assignments and MCQs, and unlimited access to recorded lectures. You join through the ICAI BoS mobile app, the BoS Knowledge Portal or ICAI's YouTube channel. Separately, the Board of Studies announced a weekly online series for students, "Audit Insights – Bridging Theory with Practice", every Wednesday from 16 September 2026, 3 PM to 5 PM (BoS announcement, 9 September 2026).

What to check before paying for audit classes

We don't rank teachers, and private audit classes differ in price, format and what they include. These are the questions we would ask before paying:

• Does the course teach from ICAI's current Paper 3 study material and include the Academic Update for your attempt, such as the 2026 NBFC registration changes?
• Does it cover all 19 chapters, including the two smallest sections, digital auditing and SDG/ESG assurance (3%–6% each)?
• Does Chapter 19 get time in proportion to its 17%–24% weightage, including the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and its Schedules?
• Will you practise case-scenario MCQs as well as full written answers, on ICAI's past papers and mock tests?
• Can you watch a sample lecture first, and are the lectures in the language, English or Hindi, that you will write the exam in?