CA Final · May 2026 · Paper 6
CA Final Integrated Business Solutions (Multidisciplinary Case Study with Strategic Management) May 2026: paper analysis
Our own analysis of the official paper, as of 12 October 2026. The questions and answers belong to ICAI; read them on ICAI's website.
Chapter-wise marks
Where the marks were in this paper (out of 100; internal-choice alternatives not double counted).
| Chapter | Questions | Marks | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Cost & Performance Management | 7 | 27 | 22% |
| Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation | 7 | 24 | 19% |
| Advanced Financial Management | 5 | 17 | 14% |
| Indirect Tax Laws | 6 | 16 | 13% |
| Financial Reporting | 4 | 16 | 13% |
| Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics | 5 | 13 | 10% |
| Corporate and Economic Laws | 6 | 12 | 10% |
What each question tested
In our words, by question number. Open the official paper for the full question.
| Q | Marks | Tests | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 | 5 | Applying the Business Model Canvas to a plantation business to streamline operations and find growth opportunities | Strategic Cost & Performance Management |
| 1.7 | 5 | Choosing the cheapest hedge for a foreign currency payable: forward, money market and letter of credit options | Advanced Financial Management |
| 1.8 | 5 | Depreciation on plant and machinery including additional depreciation under the Income-tax Act | Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation |
| 2.6 | 5 | Identifying non-value-added activities in production that can be eliminated and the strategic impact of removing them | Strategic Cost & Performance Management |
| 2.7 | 4 | Income-tax consequences of a share buy-back for the company and its shareholders | Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation |
| 2.8 | 6 | Responding to GST officer objections on tax liability, credit admissibility, interest and penalty | Indirect Tax Laws |
| 3.6 | 4 | Deferred tax and goodwill arising on acquisition of a subsidiary under Ind AS | Financial Reporting |
| 3.7 | 6 | Evaluating an overseas plant using after-tax cash flows across exchange rate scenarios and a perpetuity valuation | Advanced Financial Management |
| 3.8 | 5 | Strategy for pending income-tax appeals before the first appellate authority and the tribunal | Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation |
| 4.6 | 5 | Valuation of closing inventory for an operating segment under Ind AS 2 | Financial Reporting |
| 4.7 | 5 | Acceptance, planning and performance of an audit of a single financial statement element under a special purpose framework | Advanced Auditing, Assurance and Professional Ethics |
| 4.8 | 5 | Pricing strategy for entering a new overseas market when market research findings conflict | Strategic Cost & Performance Management |
| 5.6 | 6 | Using the McKinsey 7S framework to build operational resilience and competitive advantage for an airline | Strategic Cost & Performance Management |
| 5.7 | 5 | Accounting for exercise of a lease extension option and remeasurement of the lease liability under Ind AS 116 | Financial Reporting |
| 5.8 | 4 | Defending TDS defaults on lease rentals to IFSC and foreign lessors and on airport charges | Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation |
What stood out
- Five case studies were set and candidates had to attempt any four, each carrying 10 marks of MCQs and 15 marks of descriptive questions.
- Corporate and economic laws supplied the most MCQs (6 of 25), while indirect tax followed with 5, so law and GST knowledge decided much of the objective score.
- Strategic management questions (Business Model Canvas, 7S, pricing strategy, Kano model) are mapped to Strategic Cost & Performance Management, the closest chapter in our topic map; together with cost questions this area carried about 21 descriptive marks.
- Direct tax was the largest descriptive area at about 18 marks across depreciation, buy-back, appeals and TDS on cross-border leases.
- Each case blended four to five subjects, so skipping any one paper in revision would have weakened every case rather than just one.
Practise the chapters that carried the marks
Strategic Cost & Performance Management, Direct Tax Laws & International Taxation, Advanced Financial Management: study guides and practice questions in the CA Final format.