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For the March 2027 CAIA® exams, registration opened on 12 October 2026, the early registration deadline is 7 December 2026 and registration closes on 1 February 2027, according to CAIA Association. Level I testing is scheduled for 1–12 March and Level II for 15–26 March 2027. A candidate should choose the level and session, register within its stated window, then book an available appointment; the registration deadline is not the exam date or a promise of a particular seat.
The published 2027 timetable in order
CAIA Association's registration and fees page now displays both March and September 2027 cycles. For March, it gives 12 October 2026 as registration opening, 7 December 2026 as the early deadline and 1 February 2027 as the closing date. It then gives separate exam windows: 1–12 March 2027 for Level I and 15–26 March 2027 for Level II. These are issuer-published calendar dates observed on 24 October 2026 in Hong Kong. A testing window is a range of potential exam days; the candidate still needs an appointment within the relevant level's window.
For the September 2027 cycle, CAIA Association lists registration opening on 12 April 2027, the early deadline on 7 June 2027 and registration closing on 2 August 2027. Its Level I testing window begins on 30 August and ends on 10 September 2027; its Level II window runs from 16 to 24 September 2027. The fact that the Level I window begins in August does not make it an August registration cycle. The issuer calls this the September 2027 cycle, and the registration dates belong to that cycle. Label your plan with both the cycle and the exact level window to avoid that calendar trap.
The early deadline is an earlier point inside the registration period, not the final day on which the exam can be taken or booked. Registration close ends the published registration period. Testing follows later. Mixing up these three events can create a false sense of time, especially when a candidate can study before registration but cannot assume that waiting until the last registration day will leave a preferred local appointment available. CAIA Association's candidate page presents the practical order as account and registration, appointment scheduling, and study with the digital curriculum.
What to do now for March rather than merely noting the dates
As of the 24 October 2026 observation, the March 2027 registration period is open and its early deadline has not passed. A candidate considering March should first decide which level they are eligible to register for and whether the available study period is realistic for their own commitments. Then they should check the official registration page again before paying, since the issuer controls the live terms. If proceeding, complete registration for the chosen exam session and follow the issuer's scheduling instructions to seek a seat. A calendar reminder for the early deadline is helpful, but it is not a substitute for confirmation that registration and payment actually completed.
The choice of level matters because the two March exam windows are different. A person studying for Level I should not build leave plans around the Level II window. A Level II candidate should not assume a seat in the Level I period. The two September windows differ as well. A useful personal plan therefore records the level, cycle, registration deadline, potential test days and the appointment confirmation separately. Keep the issuer's confirmation of the selected date and centre as the source for travel planning, rather than treating the broad published window as a booking.
Consider an illustrative working professional who can take leave only in the second week of March 2027 and is preparing for Level II. The published Level II window does not begin until 15 March, so that leave period does not fit the level's stated testing window. The person needs to revisit leave arrangements or choose a later cycle; booking early cannot create an exam day outside the issuer's window. For a Level I candidate, the same leave period might intersect the published range, but an actual appointment still depends on seat availability. This scenario introduces no invented rule or availability claim; it shows how to use the dates without confusing a possible day with a confirmed booking.
Registration, scheduling and deferral are separate decisions
CAIA Association's frequently asked questions say registration is tied to a particular exam session and cannot simply be postponed from one testing window to another. Its registration page likewise says that registering for March does not permit a routine switch to September. The consequence is practical: a candidate with uncertain work travel should examine that risk before selecting and paying for a session. Do not describe the September dates as a free fallback after a March registration. The issuer publishes specific policies for missed exams, retakes and exceptional cases; read the live policy for a situation rather than inventing a general entitlement to defer.
Scheduling is another step after registration. CAIA Association instructs candidates to create an account and register, then schedule an exam time and centre. The public exam windows do not list all available locations and appointment times. Availability is an operational question that the booking process answers for an individual candidate. This distinction matters for someone coordinating a shift roster, childcare, travel or approved accommodations. Completing registration can satisfy one deadline without resolving those arrangements. Save the actual appointment confirmation and verify its level, date, time and location.
The registration page states that online proctored exams are available by exception only and require an approved accommodation. A candidate should not plan the standard route around remote testing. If an accommodation is needed, follow CAIA Association's official process and wait for its decision before relying on a particular format. The published testing window is still relevant, but the details of an approved arrangement come from the issuer's individual confirmation, not from a general article.
Keep fees and curriculum years in their own boxes
An early registration deadline can affect price, but this calendar article does not replace a fee calculation. The issuer's registration page separates early and standard pricing and distinguishes first-time and retake categories. A candidate should use the correct category on the live page and check taxes or other applicable conditions before payment. Our separate CAIA fee guide addresses that money question. The calendar question here is when a chosen registration route remains open and when the relevant exam can be sat.
Study materials also need a year label. CAIA Association's curriculum and study tools page says the 2027 curriculum is for both March and September 2027 cycles and that earlier editions are not recommended for those exams. Someone carrying notes forward from the previous cycle should check their edition before assuming the same reading list or emphasis. The timetable may help set a study plan, but it cannot verify that old materials match the new curriculum. The CAIA programme page is an internal starting point for preparation; the issuer remains the source for dates, policies and eligible curriculum.
A practical deadline check before committing
Make one row in a personal calendar for the chosen cycle and level. Record the registration opening, early deadline, final registration close and the correct level's testing range from the issuer. Add a separate row only when an actual appointment is confirmed. Check whether work and travel commitments fit the exam range, and allow for the fact that a preferred seat is not guaranteed by the range alone. If the March 2027 timing is unsuitable, the published September 2027 registration opening is 12 April 2027, but that later cycle requires its own registration decision.
Finally, revisit the official dates page before taking action. The dates above are the issuer's published information as opened on 24 October 2026, not a personal booking or a statement about future availability. The decision order is simple: choose the right level and cycle, confirm the current terms, complete registration while open, schedule the actual appointment and plan leave around the confirmation. That is the useful distinction between knowing a calendar and acting on it.
Sources
- Exam Registration Dates and Fees | CAIA Association · caia.org · Retrieved
- Frequently Asked Questions | CAIA Association · caia.org · Retrieved
- Become a Candidate | CAIA Association · caia.org · Retrieved
- Curriculum and Study Tools | CAIA Association · caia.org · Retrieved
