CS

Company Secretary (CS) Overview

Company Secretary (CS) is a professional course that can be pursued after completing 10+2 or Graduation from recognized institutions. To enroll in the Company Secretary course after 10+2, one has to undergo the Company Secretary Foundation Program (8 months) followed by the Company Secretary Executive Program (9 months), and finally the Company Secretary Professional Program (15 months). However, aspirants can also complete the course in 2 years if they have completed their graduation in the relevant stream. In such a case, they do not have to complete the CSEET

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) offers a Company Secretary course. Generally, a company secretary is tasked with handling the legal affairs of the organization with which they are associated. CS professionals prepare, maintain, and evaluate legal documents for a company, including tax returns and compliance forms.

The Company Secretary course consists of three stages of examinations and training. Company Secretary jobs are well-paying because they provide lucrative opportunities and prestigious profiles like those of Company Registrars, Legal Advisors, Chief Administrative Officers, Corporate Planners, Corporate Policy Makers, etc. Fees for the CS course range between INR 4 LPA and 5 LPA.

CS Coaching
CS Coaching

Company Secretary Course Highlights

Below are some highlights related to the company secretary course:

  • The Company Secretary program is a 2–3-year course offered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) to aspirants who have completed their 10+2 or graduated from a recognized institute. The time duration for each company secretary course stage is mentioned below:
    1. Company Secretary Foundation Program: 8 months (replaced by CSEET examination in 2020)
    2. Company Secretary Executive Program: 9 months
    3. Company Secretary Professional Program: 15 months
  • Aspirants can complete the company secretary course in 2 years as well if they have completed their graduation from a recognized university because graduate candidates can skip the company secretary foundation program.
  • The University Grants Commission has provided the ICSI Company Secretary (CS) course a status that is equivalent to a postgraduate degree.
  • 10+2 students are required to pass three levels of the ICSI Company Secretary (CS) program i.e Company Secretary Foundational, Company Secretary Executive, and Company Secretary Professional to become a company secretary in India whereas candidates who have completed their graduation are required to complete only two levels i.e Company Secretary Executive and Company Secretary Professional to become a company secretary in India.
  • The ICSI Company Secretary CS entrance exam is offered online and offline twice a year in June and December.
  • The Company Secretary CSEET (Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test) is a mandatory exam that every aspirant is required to undergo if they want to take admitted to the Company Secretary Executive Program. ICSI Company Secretary (CS) Foundation examination has been ceased by ICSI since February 2020.

CS Eligibility Criteria

According to the ICSI Company Secretary program structure, eligibility criteria are divided into three sections. The Company Secretary eligibility criteria for Company Secretary foundation, Company Secretary executive, and the Company Secretary professional course is mentioned below:

ICSI Company Secretary Foundation Course Eligibility Criteria

All the company secretary aspirants must have passed a 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board. There’s no minimum percentage required by ICSI for students who have completed their 10+2 or an equivalent examination from a recognized board for the ICSI Company Secretary foundation program. CSEET examination has now replaced the ICSI Company Secretary Foundation program since February 2020.

ICSI Company Secretary Executive Course Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the ICSI Company Secretary Executive course, all the candidates must pass CSEET (Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test) examination and they must be of 17 years of age or above. It’s important to note that all the aspirants must have completed their 10+2 or equivalent examination to be eligible for the CSEET examination.

ICSI Company Secretary Professional Course Eligibility Criteria

Candidates willing to take admission into the ICSI Company Secretary professional course must successfully pass the ICSI Company Secretary Executive examination.

How many Courses are there in ICSI Company Secretary Program?

The ICSI Company Secretary curricula are divided into three different programs, which are as follows:

  • CS Foundation Program:
    ICSI Company Secretary Foundation course is the first step in your journey to becoming a company secretary. The foundation program lasts not more than eight months and comprises four papers which include business environment and law, business economics, fundamentals of accounting and auditing, and business management, ethics, and entrepreneurship. Students who have passed the 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board are eligible to apply for the ICSI Company Secretary foundation course.
    Note: The CSEET examination has replaced the ICSI Company Secretary foundation program since February 2020.
  • CS Executive Program:
    You can take admitted into the ICSI Company Secretary Executive program after passing the CSEET examination which is mandatory for all students who are willing to take admitted into the ICSI Company Secretary Executive course. You are eligible to apply for the CSEET (Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test) examination if you are appearing/ completed your 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board. The subjects to study for the CSEET examination are Business Communication, Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning, Economic and Business Environment, and Current Affairs and viva voce. The CSEET exam is conducted in a remote proctored manner. Candidates are also required to complete 2 years of mandatory internship in a specified firm after the completion of the Company Secretary Executive program. The graduate and postgraduate students who earlier got admission directly into the Company Secretary Executive program must now mandatorily qualify CSEET exam to be eligible to take admission into the ICSI Company Secretary Executive course.
  • Professional Program:
    Candidates will be eligible to take admission into the ICSI Company Secretary Professional program once they have completed their ICSI Company Secretary Executive course which spans 9 months. This is the last ICSI Company Secretary program that needs to be completed by each candidate to become a bonafide company secretary. The Company Secretary professional program spans 15 months after which all the candidates are mandatorily required to complete long-term internships with specified companies.