This page tracks every published CFA exam window, registration deadline, and fee for 2026 and 2027 in one place — verified against the official CFA Institute dates & fees tool and refreshed after every cycle. Bookmark it: dates below change only when CFA Institute publishes new ones.
CFA Exam Windows: 2026 & 2027 Calendar
All dates below are the official exam windows per level. Your specific exam day within a window depends on the slot you book — seats are first-come, first-served, so early registrants get the best choice of date and city.
| Window | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Curriculum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 18–24 Aug | 25–29 Aug | 13–17 Aug | 2026 |
| Nov 2026 | 11–17 Nov | 18–22 Nov | — | 2026 (last old-curriculum window) |
| Feb 2027 | 22–28 Feb | — | 18–21 Feb | 2027 (new) |
| May 2027 | 11–17 May | 18–22 May | — | 2027 |
| Aug 2027 | 15–22 Aug | 23–27 Aug | 11–14 Aug | 2027 |
| Nov 2027 | 13–19 Nov | 20–24 Nov | — | 2027 |
The February 2027 window is the first tested on the new 2027 curriculum — AI & LLMs enter Level 1 Quant, Equities expands, and Ethics is restructured at all levels. Full breakdown in our CFA 2027 curriculum changes guide.
Registration Deadlines & What Each Window Costs
Every window has three dates that matter: when registration opens, the early-registration deadline (USD 1,140 for L1/L2, USD 1,240 for L3), and the standard deadline (USD 1,490 / 1,590) — after which registration closes entirely. All deadlines are 11:59 PM ET.
| Window | Registration opens | Early deadline | Standard (final) deadline | Scheduling deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 11 Nov 2025 | 21 Jan 2026 ✕ | 6 May 2026 ✕ | 13 May 2026 ✕ |
| Nov 2026 | 11 Feb 2026 | 15 Apr 2026 ✕ | 11 Aug 2026 ✕ | 18 Aug 2026 ✕ |
| Feb 2027 | 5 May 2026 | 7 Jul 2026 ✕ | 5 Nov 2026 | 10 Nov 2026 |
| May 2027 | 12 Aug 2026 | 14 Oct 2026 ✕ | 10 Feb 2027 | 16 Feb 2027 |
| Aug 2027 | 3 Nov 2026 | 20 Jan 2027 | 29 Apr 2027 | 6 May 2027 |
| Nov 2027 | Not yet announced by CFA Institute | |||
✕ = already passed. Rescheduling within the same window costs USD 250 and closes about a week before each level's exam dates.
CFA Exam Fees in 2026–27
- Enrollment fee: none. CFA Institute eliminated the old USD 350 one-time enrollment fee in April 2025 — your first registration now costs the same as any other.
- Early registration: USD 1,140 (Level 1 and 2) · USD 1,240 (Level 3).
- Standard registration: USD 1,490 (Level 1 and 2) · USD 1,590 (Level 3).
- Rescheduling fee: USD 250 within the same window.
- All three levels, per CFA Institute: USD 3,520–4,570 depending on when you register.
Registering early for all three levels saves USD 1,050 versus standard pricing — the single easiest money you will ever save in this programme. For the full cost picture in rupees (coaching, materials, forex markups and money-saving tactics), see our CFA fees in India breakdown.
How CFA Registration Works (and the Rules That Catch People)
- Register on the CFA Institute site, then separately schedule your exam appointment (date + test center) — registration alone does not reserve a seat. Scheduling closes on the dates in the table above.
- Two attempts per calendar year, maximum. You also cannot sit in consecutive windows or windows less than six months apart — so a February attempt makes August (not May) your next possible window.
- Choose your city early. India has around 30 planned test-center cities — including Delhi NCR (New Delhi, Noida, Gurugram), Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, Kochi and more — but confirmed seats appear only during scheduling, first-come first-served. Late registrants in smaller cities sometimes face a different city than planned.
- Results timing: Level 1 and 2 results arrive roughly 5–8 weeks after your window; Level 3 takes a little longer.
Which Window Should You Pick?
Work backwards from study hours, not forward from enthusiasm. A first attempt needs 300+ hours over roughly six months — so pick the window at least six months out from the day you actually start studying, then register early for the fee saving and the seat choice.
Two timing notes specific to 2026–27. If you are mid-preparation on the current curriculum, November 2026 is your last window before the syllabus changes. If you are starting fresh, aim at February or May 2027 and study the 2027 materials from day one — our study material guide covers which providers have updated.
CFA Exam Dates: Frequently Asked Questions
Level 1 is offered four times a year — February, May, August and November. Level 2 runs three times (May, August, November) and Level 3 twice (February and August). You can attempt at most twice per calendar year, with at least six months between attempts.
The next window is November 2026: Level 1 runs 11–17 November and Level 2 runs 18–22 November (registration closed on 11 August 2026). Indian candidates sit the same global windows at test centers across ~30 cities. After that, February 2027 brings Level 3 (18–21 February) and Level 1 (22–28 February), with registration open until 5 November 2026.
USD 1,140 per level with early registration (USD 1,240 for Level 3), or USD 1,490 standard (USD 1,590 for Level 3). There is no enrollment fee anymore — CFA Institute scrapped the USD 350 one-time fee in April 2025. CFA Institute puts the full three-level journey at USD 3,520–4,570.
Registration for the August 2027 window opened on 3 November 2026. The early-registration deadline is 20 January 2027, and the final deadline is 29 April 2027. August 2027 tests Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 on the new 2027 curriculum.
Every window from February 2027 onward. November 2026 is still tested on the current 2026 curriculum, so it is the last chance to sit on the old syllabus. The 2027 changes concentrate on Level 1 (AI & data science reading, expanded Equities, restructured Ethics).
Yes — within the same window you can reschedule your appointment for a USD 250 fee, up to each level's rescheduling deadline (about a week before the exam dates). Moving to a different window is a separate process and is not guaranteed; CFA Institute publishes withdrawal and deferral policies case by case.
