Everything You Must Know About ICSI CS Training and Exams

Skills and knowledge are the two major aspects that are needed in making 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 successfully complete the ICSI CS training and examinations in order 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 organizations. 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
• Succor 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 organization. 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 of an ICSI CS Course

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.

• CS Foundation
• CS Executive
• CS Professional

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.

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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: Post passing the Foundation course, students are able to 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.

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 needed 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 time 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.

Details of ICSI CS Exams 2023

Course Name	ICSI CS programme (2023)
Frequency	Exam Level
Year	2023
Monitoring Authority	The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)
Exam level	National level
Official Website for help	Exam Level
Exam To Be Held On	June 2023 and December 2023
Exam Mode	Computer-based mode

Exam Dates for CS Professional 2023

Twice a year the CS professional exams would be conducted. It was conducted mainly in the months of June and December. Post one month after the exam the CS Professional Exam Results would be released.

Exam Events	June Dates	December Dates
Start date for Form Submission Registration (Both Modules)	1st Jun 2022	1st February 2023
Last Date of Form submission Registration for both modules	30th November 2022	31st May 2023
Start Date for registration (Single Module) Exam Date	June 1 to June 10th 2023	1st June 2023
Last date of registration for (Single Module) Exam Date	31st January 2023	31st July 2023
ICSI CS Executive Exam Enrollment Request (Without Late Fee)	26 February to 25th March 2023	26 August to 25th September 2023
ICSI CS Executive Exam Enrollment Request (With Late Fee)	26-Mar to 09-Apr-2023 17th April to 19th April 2023	26th September to 10th October 2023
ICSI CS Enrollment Services: #1. Change of centre #2. Change of module (Students will not be allowed to increase/decrease the number of modules originally enrolled) #3. Change of medium #4.Cancellation of exemption request #5. Resubmission of call for requisite documents for granting exemption on the basis of the higher qualification	10th April to 7th April 2023 19 April to 1st May 2023	To be Notified
Release of CS Executive 2023 Admit Card	22nd May 2023	To be Notified
Declaration of ICSI CS Executive 2023 Result	25 August 2023	25th February 2024

Read Also: How Technology Can Help Company Secretaries Succeed

Exam Dates for CS Professional December 2023

A timetable for the December 2023 Company Secretaries (CS) Examinations has been released by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

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 be applicable 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 in lieu 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 Terms Internship with specified entities	Fifteen months (After passing Executive 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 in order 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	For students to be qualified to appear in the exam for both modules, they must complete this training within six months of submitting an application for the CS executive program.	7 days
EDP or Executive Development Programme	The students who have completed the CS training program prior to the 15 months of training can enroll in this training course, which is the most sought among all.	8 days
Compulsory Computer Training Programme	All the students would be required to take the same course in order to obtain eligibility for the CS executive program.	70 hours
PDP or Professional Development Programme	Such training courses would be needed to be pursued by the candidates for a duration of 15 months of training.	25 hours
Specialized Agency Training	Such training courses would need to be pursued by the candidates for a duration of 15 months of training.	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 are able to 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	Through the finish of the CS Executive or CS professional program, the candidates are able to 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.	3 months

Marking and Syllabus for ICSI CS Exam 2023

Exams will be taken via online modes and the format of the question paper will be objective type written in both Hindi and English Languages. In both Executive and Professional Levels, the marking scheme for each paper is 100 marks. The papers for topics such as Cost and Management Accounting, Tax Laws and Practice and Industrial Labour, Industrial Labour and General Laws will follow OMR modules.

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 CS Course.

How to Apply for ICSI CS Exam 2023?

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:

• The 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 either one of these formats PG/ BMP/ PDF/ JPEG/ PNG/ GIF.
• Max. size of a digital document should be 2 MBs Photos should be between 20kb to 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 Fees for ICSI CS Training

Courses	Fees (₹)
CS Foundation Programme	4,500/-
CS Executive Programme	12,500/- for CPT passed of ICAI/ Commerce Graduates/ Foundation passed of ICAI-CMA
8,500/- for CS Foundation Passed Candidates
10,000/- for non-commerce Students
CS Professional Course	12,000/-

Check out the official announcement by ICSI: Click here

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