Skills and knowledge are the two major aspects needed in a career in corporate governance and company law. The comprehensive training program would have been offered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), i.e. the Company Secretary (CS) course, which prepares people with expertise in lawful, secretarial, and governance practices. An individual must complete the ICSI CS training and examinations to become a certified Company Secretary professional. In this article, we’ll examine the core components of ICSI CS Training and Exams, the format of the test, and the value of this certification in the corporate workplace.
Company Secretaries (CS) are essential to the field of corporate governance and professional excellence since they ensure compliance and the efficient operation of organisations. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is the regulating body that oversees the profession and offers prospective company secretaries essential instruction and training. This article will provide you with thorough insight if you are thinking about a career as a CS or want to know more about ICSI and CS training and exams.
Introduction For Company Secretary
CS or Company Secretary is no less than any other reputed position in the corporates. CS in a company is a senior administration manager who looks into the legal and regulatory obligations of the company, ensuring that any decision taken by the board of directors is properly implemented.
Well, to attain a position as a CS in a successful corporate firm, one must duly clear all the CS examinations following the ICSI CS Course.
A CS for a firm is:
- A compliance manager
- In-house legal advisor
- Succour to the Board Of Directors
- The company’s lawmaker and manager
- An expert to reach out with issues related to security laws, capital market and corporate laws.
Table
Domains under the surveillance of a Company Secretary (CS):
- Capital Market and Investor Relations
- Legal and Corporate Governance
- Project planning
- Advisor to Corporate Issues
- Corporate Management as per the policies of the SEBI Act, SCRA and the Depositories Act 1996.
- Exim Policy
- Expertise in financial management
What Does The term ICSI Stand for?
Under the Company Secretaries Act of 1980, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is been created as a statutory professional organisation. The Government of India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs has administrative control over it. ICSI’s main goal is to advance and oversee the profession of corporate secretaries in India. It also administers tests to evaluate the knowledge and abilities of aspirant CS professionals. It establishes the standards for CS education, training, and professional growth.
Stages to become an ICSI Company Secretary Course
The CS Course offered by the Institute of Company Secretary in India (ICSI) has an entailment of three levels, which are required to be attempted by each CS aspirant in order to get qualified and serve as a certified CS.
- Foundation Programme
- Executive Programme
- Professional Programme
Please Note: After clearing the exams, one must go through the period of internship, which will give him the practical experience of his work. The training period should be 4 to 6 months. Once the training is done, the candidate is declared as a professional CS.
The student who wishes to join the course after graduation must complete two stages of Company Secretaryship.
- Executive Programme
- Professional Programme
Foundation Programme can be pursued by 10+2 pass or equivalent students of Arts, Science or Commerce stream (Excluding Fine Arts)
Executive Programme can be pursued by a Graduate of all streams except Fine Arts.
Professional Programme can be pursued only after clearing the Executive Programme of CS Course
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Structure of CS Course
The three phases of the CS course are Foundation, Executive, and Professional. Here is a quick summary of each stage:
- Foundation Course: This is an entry-level course for desiring Company secretaries. It covers topics such as Business Environment and Entrepreneurship, Business Management, Ethics and Communication, Economics and Statistics, and Fundamentals of Accounting and Auditing.
- Executive Programme: After passing the Foundation course, students can register for the Executive Programme. The same stage consists of two modules: Module 1 and Module 2. Module 1 covers subjects like Company Law, Cost and Management Accounting, Tax Laws, and Economic and Commercial Laws. Module 2 focuses on Company Accounts and Auditing Practices, Capital Markets and Securities Laws, and Industrial, Labour, and General Laws.
- Professional Programme: The Professional Programme is the final stage of the CS course. It comprises three modules: Module 1, Module 2, and Module 3. Module 1 contains subjects like Advanced Company Law and Practice, Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management, and Due Diligence. Module 2 covers Financial, Treasury, and Forex Management, Ethics, Governance, and Sustainability, and Advanced Tax Laws and Practice. Module 3 contains subjects such as Drafting, Appearances and Pleadings, Resolution of Corporate Disputes, Non-Compliances and Remedies, and Corporate Restructuring.
| CS Course Eligibility Criteria | Foundation 10+2 (CS Course Details After 12th) Executive-CSEET/Foundation/Graduation Professional-Executive |
| CS Course Fees | Foundation-INR 3600 Executive-INR 7000 Professional-INR 12000 |
Foundation Programme can be pursued by 10+2 pass or equivalent students of Arts, Science or Commerce stream (Excluding Fine Arts)
Executive Programme can be pursued by a Graduate of all streams except Fine Arts.
Professional Programme can be pursued only after clearing the Executive Programme of CS Course
Details of ICSI CS Exams 2025
| Course Name | ICSI Exam |
| Year | 2025 |
| Monitoring Authority | The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) |
| Company Secretary Course Duration | Approximately 4 years Course Duration after Graduation: 2.5 to 5 years |
| CS Course Entrance Exams | CSEET, CS Foundational, CS Executive |
| CS Course Groups | Foundation, Executive, Professional |
| CS Course Admission Process | Test scores at the entrance exam |
| Exam level | National level |
| Official Website for help | Exam Level |
| Exam To Be Held On | June 2025 and December 2025 |
| Exam Mode | Computer-based mode |
| Exam Website | www.icsi.edu |
Admission dates for the CS course: .
Admission to the CS course is open year-round. Examinations are conducted biannually in June and December
| For Foundation Programme | 31st March for appearing in December Examination in the same year |
| 31st March for appearing in the December Examination in the same year | |
| For Executive Programme | 28th February for appearing in both modules in December Exams in the same year |
| 30th September for the June Examination next year | |
| 31st August for appearing in both modules in June Exam in the next year | |
| 30th November for appearing in single module in June Examination in the next year. |
Eligibility Requirements for Company Secretaries Course
| Stage | Qualification | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| Company Secretary Course After 12th | ||
| Foundation/CSEET | Entry-level exam | Passed 10+2 (or equivalent) in any stream except Fine Arts. No minimum percentage is required. CSEET (Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test) is now the mandatory qualifying test for all candidates seeking registration to the Executive Programme. |
| CS after Graduation | ||
| Executive Programme | Second level of CS course | Passed the Foundation Programme or CSEET. Graduates or Post-Graduates (excluding Fine Arts) are eligible for direct entry. |
| Professional Programme | Final level of CS course | Passed the Executive Programme. |
| Company Secretary Diploma Courses | High School | Class 10th |
Training of ICSI:
Along with theoretical information obtained via the course, ICSI emphasizes practical training to help prospective CS professionals build the required skills and competencies. The course is structured into three sections:
- Executive Development Program (EDP): The students are required to perform an EDP of nearly 8 days after passing the Executive Programme. Such a program has the motive to increase their skills in areas like communication, presentation, leadership, and team-building.
- Practical Training: Students must complete a term of practical training after finishing the Executive Programme or Professional Programme. The period of training varies according to the stage of the course. Students acquire hands-on experience in areas such as corporate law, governance, compliance, and secretarial practices by working under the supervision of a practising company secretary or in a company’s secretarial department throughout this course.
- Pre-Examination Training: Students must complete a pre-examination training program run by ICSI before sitting in the Professional Programme examination. This program attempts to give complete exam guidance and preparation.
Read Also: How Technology Can Help Company Secretaries Succeed
Exam Dates for CS Professional 2025 Session
A timetable for the CS Examinations, June and December 2025 Session Company Secretaries (CS) Examinations has been released by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).
Timetable for the CS Examinations, June 2025 Session
Check out the official announcement by ICSI: Click here
Company Secretary Training Programme
MODIFIED TRAINING STRUCTURE FOR THE STUDENTS OF COMPANY SECRETARYSHIP COURSE EFFECTIVE FROM 01ST APRIL, 2014
“The Council, with the approval of the Central Government and after following the due process, is publishing Notification no. 710/1(M)/1 (1410GI/14) dated 01st April 2014 in the Gazette of India, Part III, Section 4 (Extraordinary). The Notification has amended the Company Secretaries Regulations, 1982, to modify the training structure for the students of the Company Secretaryship course.”
The modified training structure shall apply to:-
(i) a student registered to the Executive Programme on or after 1st April 2014; and
(ii) a student registered to the Executive Programme on or before 31st March 2014, if (s)he opts for the modified training structure instead of the earlier structure.
The brief details of the earlier training structure and the modified training structure are as under:
| Components of Training | Earlier Training Structure | Modified Training Structure |
| Computer Training | Seventy hours | Not Applicable |
| Student Induction Programme | Seven days | Not Applicable |
| Executive Development Programme | Eight days | Not Applicable |
Long-term Internship with specified entities | Three years on registration to the Executive Programme; or Two years after passing the Executive Programme; or One year after passing the Professional Programme. | Three years on registration to Executive Programme; or Two years after passing the Executive Programme; or One year after passing the Professional Programme. |
| Professional Development Programme | Twenty-five hours | Not Applicable |
| Training with specialised agency | Fifteen days | Not Applicable |
| Management Skills Orientation Programme | Fifteen days | Fifteen days |
The students would be required to do the training to finish the course of the company secretary. It takes nearly 20 months to finish this training course. See the information below.
| Training type | Description | Duration |
| SIP or Student Introduction Programme | Such training courses would need to be pursued by the candidates for a duration of 15 months of training. | 7 days |
| EDP or Executive Development Programme | The students who have completed the CS training program before the 15 months of training can enrol in this training course, which is the most sought among all. | 8 days |
| Compulsory Computer Training Programme | Such training courses would need to be pursued by the candidates for 15 months of training. | 70 hours |
| PDP or Professional Development Programme | All the students would be required to take the same course to obtain eligibility for the CS executive program. | 25 hours |
| Through the finish of the CS Executive or CS professional program, the candidates can pursue the same course. Students are required to finish their training with organisations that are enrolled with the ICSI Institute or Company Secretary in practice. | Through the finish of the CS Executive or CS professional program, the candidates can pursue the same course. Students are required to finish their training with organisations that are enrolled with the ICSI Institute or Company Secretary in practice. | 15 days |
| MSOP or Management Skills Orientation Programme | This training course is available if the student has been partially or completely excused from training and has registered the documentation required to comply with the 1982 rule. | 15 days |
| Professional or Management Training | Through the finish of the CS Executive or CS professional program, the candidates can pursue the same course. Students are required to finish their training with organizations that are enrolled with the ICSI Institute or Company Secretary in practice. | 15 months |
| Practical Training | Such training courses would need to be pursued by the candidates for 15 months of training. | 3 months |
Marking and Syllabus for ICSI CS Exam 2025
Foundation Programme –
| Papers | Subjects | Marks |
| Paper I | Business Environment and Law | 100 marks |
| Paper-II | Business Management, Ethics and Entrepreneurship | 100 marks |
| Paper III | Business Economics | 100 marks |
| Paper IV | Fundamentals of Accounting and Auditing | 100 marks |
Executive & Professional Programme –
| Executive Programme (Old Syllabus) | Executive Programme (New Syllabus) | Professional Programme (Old Syllabus) | Professional Programme (New Syllabus) |
| Cost and Management Accounting (Module-I) | Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws(Module-I) | Advanced Company Law and Practice (Module –I) | Governance, Risk Management, Compliances and Ethics (Module –I) |
| Tax Laws and Practice (Module-I) | Company Law(Module-I) | Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management and Due Diligence (Module –I) | Advanced Tax Laws(Module –I) |
| Industrial, Labour and General Laws (Module II) | Setting up of Business Entities and Closure (Module-I) | Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency (Module –I) | Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances (Module –I) |
| Company Law(Module-I) | Tax Laws(Module-I) | Information Technology and Systems Audit (Module –II) | Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management and Due Diligence (Module –II) |
| Economic and Commercial Laws (Module-I | Securities Laws and Capital Markets(Module II) | Financial, Treasury and Forex Management (Module –II) | Corporate Restructuring, Insolvency, Liquidation and Winding-up(Module –II) |
| Capital Markets and Securities Laws (Module II) | Company Accounts and Auditing Practices (Module II) | Ethics, Governance and Sustainability (Module –II) | Resolution of Corporate Disputes, Non–Compliances and Remedies (Module –II) |
| Economic, Business and Commercial Laws (Module II) | Financial and Strategic Management(Module II) | Advanced Tax Laws and Practice(Module –III) | Corporate Funding and Listing in Stock Exchanges (Module –III) |
| Financial and Strategic Management(Module-II) | Drafting, Appearances and Pleadings (Module –III) | Multidisciplinary Case Studies (Module –III) | |
| Elective 1 out of below 5 subjects (Module –III) Banking Law and Practice International Business-Laws and Practices Intellectual Property Rights – Law and Practice Insurance Law and Practice Capital, Commodity and Money Market | Elective 1 out of below 8 subjects (Module –III Banking -Law and Practice Intellectual Property Rights –Laws and Practices Insurance -Law and Practice Forensic Audi Direct Tax Laws and Practice Labour Laws and Practice Valuations and Business Modelling Insolvency –Law and Practice |
Eligibility to Apply for CS Exams
- Foundation Programme can be pursued by 10+2 pass or equivalent students of Arts, Science or Commerce stream (Excluding Fine Arts).
- Executive Programmes can be pursued by a Graduate of all streams except Fine Arts.
- Professional Programme can be pursued only after clearing the Executive Programme of the CS Course.
How to Apply for the ICSI CS Exam 2025?
Eligible aspirants from all over the country can apply for registrations online via the institute’s student portal, i.e. “www.icsi.edu”. One may even get guidance from the website related to details of CS training, admission and exams.
Please go through the information extended by the institute before filing the form to avoid any inconvenience. Once the form is successfully submitted, the student will get his/her “Registration Number” via SMS or Email. If not received, one can check his/her registration status by logging into the ICSI Portal and entering the credentials such as Mobile Number, Application Number and Email ID.
Pre-Requisites For Registration:
Apart from other relevant documents, the candidate must keep handy:
- Scanned copies of his passport-sized photograph.
- Roll Number in appearing
- Proof of DOB (qualifying certificate of std. 10th)
- Government Identity Proof (Adhaar Card, Voter ID or ration card, PAN card)
- Ensure that the digital documents are in one of these formats: PG/ BMP/ PDF/ JPEG/ PNG/ GIF.
- The maximum size of a digital document should be 2 MB. Photos should be between 20kb and 50kb, and digital signatures should accumulate between 10kb and 20kb.
Steps to successfully register for the ICSI CS Course
- Go to www.icsi.edu
- Select ‘Online Services from the top bar
- From the drop-down, choose ‘Register for CS Course’
- You will land on the registration page. Students are advised to keep the above-mentioned documents handy with them to complete the information asked in the form.
- Click on the link “Proceed to Register” to proceed.
Application Fee Structure for ICSI CS Course
| Courses | Fees (₹) |
| CS Foundation Programme | 4,500/- |
| CS Executive Programme | 12,500/- for CPT passed of ICAI/ Commerce Graduates/ Foundation passed of ICAI-CMA Rs 10,000/- for Non Commerce Students Rs 8,500/- for CS Foundation passed students |
| CS Professional Course | 12,000/- |
following the Facilities/Guidelines provided for the reference and information of students. The official announcement by ICSI: https://www.icsi.edu/media/webmodules/student/FAQEXAM.pdf
Examination Fees for ICSI CS Course
Examination is conducted twice a year in June and December
| Examination fee | Foundation Programme – Rs. 1200/- Executive Programme – Rs. 1200/- per Module Professional Programme -Rs. 1200/- per Module |
Last date for submission of application for appearing in the examination
- 25th March (with a late fee of Rs. 250/- till 9th April)
- 25th September (with a late fee of Rs. 250/- till 10th October)
Queries Related to ICSI CS 2025 Answered FAQ’s :
Q.1 – When can I apply for the CS Foundation Training?
Ans.1 – The ICSI CS Foundation exam will be held in the month of June. The official notification has been released on the portal. For reference visit the official website of ICSI
Q.2 – I’ve completed my 10+2 and currently pursuing BCom. Am I eligible to pursue the Foundation Course?
Ans.2 – Yes as the min eligibility for pursuing CS Foundation is clearing 10+2 from any stream.
Q.3 – How can one register for the ICSI CS Training?
Ans.3 – one can easily register for ICSI CS Training by visiting the ICSI official website and complete the application process.
Q.4 – When are Executive and Professional examinations held for CS?
Ans.4 – Both the CS Executive and Professional exams will be held in the month of June. Other relevant details are on the website.
Q.5 – Is it possible to skip the Foundation Programme and get admission directly in the Executive Programme?
Ans.5 – Yes, it is possible. However, a Bachelor’s Degree is still a must for the students who wish admission to the Executive Level.
Q.6 – Is there any negative marking in the papers for the Foundation Programme examination?
Ans.6 – No
Q.7 – At any stage during the exam, can students review their answers?
Ans.7 – They can ‘bookmark’ the question to review it at a later stage, before the final submission.
For more official announcement by ICAI: https://www.icsi.edu/media/webmodules/aboutus/courses/CS_Course_01042014.htm
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