March 17, 2026

ZEROINFY.IN CA Inter Study Strategy · zeroinfy.in

Paper 1: Accounting · Paper 2: Corporate & Other Laws · Paper 3: Taxation (IT + GST) · Week-by-Week Plan · Chapter Priorities · Last 10 Days Strategy

Exam Starts: May 3, 2026 Group I: Paper 1, 2 & 3 Start by: March 19, 2026

Days to Paper 1

Accounting

May 3, 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Days to Paper 2

Corporate & Other Laws

May 5, 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Days to Paper 3

Taxation (IT + GST)

May 7, 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Group 1 exams start May 3. If you start March 19, you have exactly 45 days. Most students who fail Group 1 don’t fail because they didn’t study — they fail because they spread time equally across Accounts, Law, and Tax without respecting how differently each paper needs to be prepared. Accounts is numerical. Law is application-based theory with section citations. Tax is both — and it changes every year. This plan tells you what to study each week, which chapters matter most, and exactly how to use your last 10 days.

Know Your Papers — Before You Start the Clock

Exam dates, paper types and what each paper demands

Group I — Paper 1

Accounting

📅 May 3, 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Numerical + Theory

100 marks. Mix of practical problems and theory. Partnership accounts, company accounts, AS standards, and Cash Flow — all tested every attempt. Presentation and working notes are as important as the final answer.

Group I — Paper 2

Corporate & Other Laws

📅 May 5, 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Pure Theory

Companies Act 2013 + Other Laws (LLP, FEMA, Contract Act, NI Act). Part I = 60 marks, Part II = 40 marks. Section-cited structured answers score far better than free-form explanations. Know your section numbers.

Group I — Paper 3

Taxation (IT + GST)

📅 May 7, 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Numerical + Theory

Section A: Income Tax (60 marks) — computations, heads of income, deductions. Section B: GST (40 marks) — supply, ITC, registration, returns. Changes every Finance Act. AY 2026-27 provisions apply.

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The #1 Reason Students Fail Group 1 — Taxation Underprepared

Tax is the paper where students consistently underperform relative to effort. IT computation questions break down when income from multiple heads, set-off rules, and Chapter VIA deductions all converge in one problem. GST is vast and changes every year. Students who fail Group 1 almost always score under 40 in Paper 3. This plan gives Tax the preparation weight it deserves — IT computations and GST ITC are non-negotiable priorities.

Chapter Priorities — Where to Spend Your Time

Based on ICAI past papers, RTPs and MTPs from last 5 sessions

Paper 1 — Accounting

Chapter	Priority	Why It Matters
Partnership Accounts Admission, Retirement, Death, Dissolution	🔴 Must Do	20–25 marks every attempt. Goodwill treatment, revaluation, capital accounts — all must be exam-ready.
Company Accounts Share issue, debentures, final accounts	🔴 Must Do	Issue, forfeiture, reissue sequence is frequently tested. Final accounts of company — essential.
Cash Flow Statement (AS 3)	🔴 Must Do	Appears in every attempt. Both direct and indirect method. Full problem — always practise end-to-end.
Accounting Standards AS 2, 7, 9, 10, 16, 22, 26	🔴 Must Do	Theory + application questions. AS 10 (PPE), AS 16 (Borrowing Costs), AS 22 (Deferred Tax) — very high frequency.
Hire Purchase & Instalment	🟠 High	Interest computation and HP trading account — asked in most sessions.
Branch & Departmental Accounts	🟠 High	Foreign branch with currency conversion — 10–15 marks.
Investment Accounts	🟠 Medium	Cum-div/ex-div, interest accrual — tested as short questions.
Insurance Claims	🟢 Lower	Loss of stock and profit claims — cover basics, occasionally tested.

Paper 2 — Corporate & Other Laws

Chapter / Act	Priority	Why It Matters
Incorporation of Company Types, MOA, AOA, prospectus	🔴 Must Do	Foundation of Company Law. Always tested — often 15–20 marks combined.
Share Capital & Debentures Issue, allotment, buy-back (Sec 68–70), ESOP	🔴 Must Do	High-frequency — provisions, conditions, procedures all tested.
Meetings & Resolutions AGM (Sec 96), EGM, quorum, voting, proxies	🔴 Must Do	Section numbers are everything here. Cite Sec 96, 100, 101, 107 explicitly in answers.
Directors Appointment, DIN, disqualification (Sec 164), powers	🔴 Must Do	Very frequently tested — especially disqualification under Sec 164 and appointment procedure.
Indian Contract Act, 1872	🔴 Must Do	Part II cornerstone — offer, acceptance, consideration, void agreements, breach. Scenario-based questions every attempt.
Negotiable Instruments Act	🟠 High	Types, endorsement, dishonour, noting and protest — appears in almost every attempt.
Dividend (Sec 123–127)	🟠 High	Declaration conditions, interim dividend, unpaid dividend account — well-defined provisions.
LLP Act / FEMA / PMLA basics	🟠 Medium	Broad awareness — short questions, 5–8 marks.

Paper 3 — Taxation (IT + GST)

Chapter	Priority	Why It Matters
IT: Heads of Income Salary, HP, PGBP, Capital Gains, Other Sources	🔴 Must Do	Backbone of IT. All 5 heads must be exam-ready. Salary and PGBP are the heaviest tested.
IT: Total Income Computation Set-off, carry forward, Chapter VIA deductions	🔴 Must Do	Integration question — all heads combined. Consistently 15–20 marks. Must practise full computations.
IT: PGBP & Depreciation Sec 28–44, block of assets, WDV	🔴 Must Do	One computation always in the paper. Additional depreciation (Sec 32) frequently tested.
IT: Capital Gains STCG, LTCG, Sec 54/54B/54EC/54F	🔴 Must Do	Indexed cost, exemptions — tested every session. Know all exemption conditions precisely.
GST: Supply & Place of Supply Sec 7–8, Sec 10–14	🔴 Must Do	Composite vs mixed supply, inter-state vs intra-state — foundation of all GST questions.
GST: Input Tax Credit Sec 16, Sec 17(5) blocked credits	🔴 Must Do	Eligibility conditions + blocked credits list — 10+ marks potential. Sec 17(5) must be memorised completely.
GST: Registration & Returns Sec 22–25, GSTR-1, GSTR-3B	🟠 High	Threshold limits, compulsory registration, return deadlines.
IT: Residential Status (Sec 6)	🟠 High	Resident/NR/RNOR determination — scoring short question in every attempt.
GST: Exempt Supplies & Composition	🟠 Medium	Negative list, composition scheme — theory questions.

Note: Study IT provisions for AY 2026-27 (Finance Act 2025). GST as amended up to Finance Act 2025. Use ICAI’s May 2026 Study Material — do not rely on older editions.

The 45-Day Week-by-Week Plan

March 19 to May 2 — subject by subject, day by day

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Recommended Daily Time Split Across 3 Papers

Accounts — 3 hrs/day Law — 1.5 hrs/day Tax — 2.5 hrs/day

Accounts needs daily practice to stay sharp. Tax has the highest content volume and changes every year — it needs the most raw hours. Law requires consistent reading, not cramming. This split reflects what it actually takes to clear all three.

Week 1 — Foundation First: Partnership + Incorporation + Salary

March 19 – March 25 (Days 1–7)

Accounts: Partnership | Law: Incorporation + Directors | Tax: Residential Status + Salary

Day 1–3

Partnership Accounts — Admission (goodwill treatment, revaluation, capital adjustment). Retirement and death of partner. Practise 8–10 full admission problems. Focus on the full entry sequence from start to finish — never just the goodwill entry in isolation. Accounts

Day 4–5

Incorporation of Company — types of companies, MOA, AOA, prospectus. Directors — appointment, DIN, disqualification (Sec 164), powers and duties. For every provision you read, note the section number. This habit will directly score marks. Law

Day 6–7

IT: Residential Status (Sec 6) — Resident, NR, RNOR. Scope of total income. Salary head (Sec 15–17) — allowances, perquisites valuation, standard deduction, employer PF contribution. Practise 5+ salary computation problems including perquisite valuation. Tax

Week 2 — Company Accounts + Share Capital Law + PGBP

March 26 – April 1 (Days 8–14)

Accounts: Company Accounts | Law: Share Capital & Debentures | Tax: PGBP + Depreciation

Day 8–10

Company Accounts — issue of shares (pro-rata allotment, calls in arrears, forfeiture, reissue). Issue and redemption of debentures. Final accounts of a company. Practise end-to-end company final accounts — minimum 5 full problems. This is the most marks-dense area in Paper 1. Accounts

Day 11–12

Share capital provisions — kinds, buy-back (Sec 68–70), ESOP, sweat equity. Debenture provisions. Meetings and Resolutions — AGM (Sec 96–98), EGM, Board meetings (Sec 173), quorum, voting. Cite sections in every answer. Law

Day 13–14

IT: PGBP (Sec 28–44) — business income, admissible and inadmissible deductions. Depreciation — block of assets, WDV method, additional depreciation (Sec 32). Practise 8+ PGBP computation problems including depreciation block calculations. Tax

Week 3 — Cash Flow + Meetings/Resolutions + Capital Gains

April 2 – April 8 (Days 15–21)

Accounts: Cash Flow (AS 3) + Key AS | Law: Contract Act + NI Act | Tax: Capital Gains + House Property

Day 15–17

Cash Flow Statement — indirect method (PAT → adjust non-cash items → working capital changes → financing/investing). Direct method basics. Practise 8+ full Cash Flow problems. This chapter appears in every attempt — treat it like a guaranteed 15 marks. Also cover AS 2 (Inventories) and AS 9 (Revenue Recognition) theory. Accounts

Day 18–19

Indian Contract Act — offer and acceptance, consideration, capacity to contract, free consent (coercion/undue influence/fraud/misrepresentation/mistake), void agreements, performance and breach, remedies. Negotiable Instruments Act — types, cheque vs bill, endorsement, dishonour. Scenario answers: Issue → Law → Application → Conclusion. Law

Day 20–21

IT: Capital Gains (Sec 45–55) — STCG, LTCG, full value of consideration, indexed cost. Exemptions: Sec 54, 54B, 54EC, 54F with all conditions. House Property income (Sec 22–27) — annual value, deductions, self-occupied vs let-out. Practise 5+ CG computation problems. Tax

Week 4 — Accounting Standards + Remaining Law + GST Foundations

April 9 – April 15 (Days 22–28)

Accounts: Key AS Standards | Law: Dividend + Remaining chapters | Tax: GST Supply + ITC

Day 22–24

Accounting Standards — AS 7 (Construction Contracts), AS 10 (PPE), AS 16 (Borrowing Costs), AS 22 (Deferred Tax), AS 26 (Intangibles). For each: objective, scope, recognition, measurement. Practise journal entries for AS 22 deferred tax calculations. Accounts

Day 25–26

Dividend provisions (Sec 123–127), Audit and Auditors overview (Sec 139–148 basics), Winding up overview. LLP Act fundamentals, FEMA basics, PMLA awareness. Ensure all Company Law sections are mapped to your section number cheat sheet. Law

Day 27–28

GST: Concept of supply (Sec 7–8), composite vs mixed supply, place of supply (Sec 10–14), time of supply, value of supply. Input Tax Credit — eligibility conditions (Sec 16), blocked credits (Sec 17(5)) — memorise the full Sec 17(5) list. Practise 10+ ITC problems and MCQs. Tax

Week 5 — Complete Remaining Topics + First Full Revision

April 16 – April 22 (Days 29–35)

Accounts: Branch + HP + Investment | Law: Complete sweep | Tax: Total Income + GST Returns

Day 29–30

Branch Accounts (including foreign branch with currency conversion), Departmental Accounts, Hire Purchase, Investment Accounts. Ensure all ICAI Study Material questions from high-priority Accounts chapters are attempted at least once. Accounts

Day 31–32

Complete Law sweep — re-read all section numbers for Company Law. Finalize section cheat sheet (Sec 2 definitions, 96, 100, 139, 164, 173, 180, 186). Make sure Other Laws (Contract Act, NI Act) case-style answers are practised. Law

Day 33–34

IT: Total Income computation — integration of all heads, set-off and carry forward, Chapter VIA deductions (Sec 80C, 80D, 80G, 80TTA, 80TTB). Other Sources income. GST: Registration (Sec 22–25), GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, Composition scheme (Sec 10), Exempt supplies. Tax

Day 35

First Full Revision Day — scan across all 3 papers. Accounting working note format check. Law section numbers. Tax computation sequence head by head. List weak chapters — these get priority time in Week 6. Revise

Week 6 — ICAI RTPs, MTPs & Mock Tests

April 23 – April 29 (Days 36–42)

100% ICAI material — no new learning this week. Practice papers only.

Day 36–37

Attempt 2 full Accounting MTP/RTP papers under 3-hour exam conditions. Review vs ICAI suggested answers. Did your Partnership working note format match? Was your Cash Flow structured correctly? Did you show all workings? Mock

Day 38–39

Attempt 2 full Law MTP/RTP papers. Check: did you cite section numbers? Is the answer in Issue-Law-Application-Conclusion format? Law answers without section citations score 40–50% less. No exceptions. Mock

Day 40–41

Attempt 2 full Tax MTP/RTP papers. Score strictly. IT: full computation format with all heads shown. GST: did you address supply, place, time AND value where required? Check Sec 17(5) compliance on ITC questions. Mock

Day 42

Weak Chapter Day — rework specific questions where you lost marks. Revise AS standards. Refresh Law section number cheat sheet. IT deductions under Chapter VIA — memorise amounts and conditions. Revise

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Last 3 Days — Final Revision Only (April 30, May 1, May 2)

Days 43–45 · No new topics. No new questions. Consolidate only.

First exam is May 3 — you need a fresh, clear mind going in

April 30 (Day 43)

Accounting rapid revision — Partnership goodwill formula, Cash Flow indirect method steps, key AS recognition criteria, Company accounts working note format. Re-read mistake notebook. Sleep by 10:30 PM. Revise

May 1 (Day 44)

Law rapid revision — section number cheat sheet (Sec 96, 100, 139, 164, 173). Contract Act key principles. NI Act types and dishonour. Light Tax revision in evening — IT heads sequence, GST supply classification flowchart. Revise

May 2 (Day 45)

Tax rapid revision — full income computation sequence, Chapter VIA deductions (80C limit ₹1.5L, 80D limits, 80G conditions), CG exemptions (Sec 54/54EC), GST blocked credits (Sec 17(5)). Stop studying by 4 PM. Rest. Sleep early. Paper 1 Accounting is tomorrow at 2 PM. Revise

Exam Day Strategy — Paper by Paper

How to use your 3 hours on each exam day

May 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Paper 1 — Accounting

First 15 min: Read all questions. Identify your 4–5 strongest problems first.

Attempt order: Partnership → Company accounts → Cash Flow → AS question

Key rule: Show ALL workings in T-accounts or columnar format. Neat, labelled workings — steps score marks even when the final answer has an arithmetic error.

May 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Paper 2 — Law

First 15 min: Read all questions. Structure your answer mentally before writing.

Answer format: Issue → Relevant Section → Application → Conclusion. Always.

Key rule: Write in paragraphs, not bullet points. Every answer must cite the section number. No section = half marks at best.

May 2026 · 2 PM – 5 PM

Paper 3 — Taxation

Time split: 90 minutes IT + 90 minutes GST.

IT: Start with the computation format — head by head table. Show each deduction with section reference (Sec 80C, 80D etc.).

GST: For ITC questions — always check Sec 17(5) blocked credits first. State the section for every rule you apply.

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The 2-Day Gap Between Papers — Use It Right

You have a 2-day gap between each paper (May 3 → May 5 → May 7). Day 1 after each paper = recovery only, no studying. Day 2 = focused revision of the next paper only. Do not re-analyse the exam you just gave. Move forward only — that is the right mindset.

5 ICAI Resources You Must Use

Non-negotiable — these are what the examiner tests from

ICAI Study Material

Primary source. For Tax — May 2026 edition only. Finance Act 2025 provisions apply. Do not use an older edition for Tax.

Practice Manual

Attempt ALL questions for Accounts and Tax. Every question in the PM for these two papers — this is your second exam paper.

MTPs May 2026

2 MTPs per subject released by ICAI. All 6 papers — attempt every one under 3-hour timed conditions. Review against official answers.

RTP May 2026

Available at icai.org. The RTP is the closest preview of actual exam question patterns. Non-negotiable for Tax.

Need the Right Faculty for Group 1? Zeroinfy Has You Covered.

Zeroinfy offers video lectures by India’s top CA Inter Group 1 faculties — updated for May 2026. Accounting, Law and Taxation available in regular and fast-track batches. Free counselling to help you pick the right faculty for each subject.

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This study plan is based on ICAI’s official exam schedule, past papers and RTP/MTP patterns. Exam dates subject to ICAI’s final notification — verify on icai.org. Tax provisions as per Finance Act 2025, AY 2026-27. Zeroinfy Academic Desk, March 2026.

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