Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. To monitor a PDCCH for CA, a UE may receive PDCCH candidates in a plurality of configured component carriers (CCs). In response to a determination that a maximum number of virtual CCs that the UE is capable of monitoring for PDCCH is smaller than a number of the plurality of configured CCs, the UE groups the plurality of configured CCs into CC groups based at least in part on SCS numerologies and PDCCH monitoring configurations corresponding to span patterns within a slot of a DL subframe. The UE determines a maximum number of blind decoding operations and non-overlapped CCEs for each of the CC groups. The UE then monitors at least a first portion of the PDCCH candidates based on the maximum number of blind decoding operations and non-overlapped CCEs for each of the CC groups.