Home  >  News & Articles  >  How to Become a Company Secretary 2024: Course Duration, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Pattern, ICSI, Recruiters

Nikita Parmar

Updated on 04th January, 2024 , 4 min read

How to Become a Company Secretary 2024: Course Duration, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exam Pattern, ICSI, Recruiters

What is a Company Secretary (CS)?

The job of the Company Secretary (CS) is one of the most crucial in a company. A competent company secretary is in charge of a company's or individual's legal aspects. A controller is responsible for keeping and analyzing the company's tax returns, preserving records, alerting the board of directors to the company's financial health, and ensuring compliance with legal and statutory standards. To work professionally as a company secretary, an individual must go through professional training and pass examinations.

What is ICSI?

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) regulates and maintains company secretary laws. ICSI provides training and instruction to thousands of aspiring company secretaries. At present, ICSI has over 50,000 members and about 4,00,000 students on its rolls.

Company Secretary Course Levels

There are three levels in the Company Secretary Courses, which are as follows-

Foundation Program

Executive Program

Professional Program

How to Become a Company Secretary (CS)?

The following steps can be followed to become a company secretary-

Company Secretary Eligibility

Earlier, the Company Secretary courses were recommended to main students coming from a commerce background. However, nowadays, candidates with any stream in class 10+2 and a knack for hard work and determination to achieve in the profession are qualified to pursue a career as a company secretary. 

  1. Step 1: Students must take the ICSI Foundation course after Class 12. The foundation course lasts for 8 months. The foundation course must be completed within 3 years of admission. Students who have completed the ICSI Foundation Course may enroll in the ICSI Intermediate Course. Graduates and postgraduates (except those students enrolled in Fine Arts) can, however, enroll directly in the Intermediate course without first completing the Foundation course. Students who pass the ICSI Intermediate course are qualified for the last step of the ICSI course, which is the Final.
  2. Step 2: The most significant step for students taking courses in Company Secretary is training. During the intermediate level and following the final level exams of the Company Secretary course, students must participate in short-term training programs. 
  3. Final Steps: After completing an Intermediate or Final level course, practical training is required to achieve an ICAI Associate Membership. These students are qualified for the position of Associate Company Secretary after successfully completing practical training and the final level ICSI course. A Company Secretary's career begins only after obtaining eligibility as an Associate Company Secretary. 

Related Article: Best Courses after B.com.

Company Secretary Course Details

The duration, of each level in the Company Secretary Course varies from each level. For specific details, check the table below-

CS Courses 

CS Duration

CS Fees (INR)

CS Professional 

10 Months 

Rs. 12k

CS Executive

9 Months 

Rs. 7k

CS Foundation

8 Months 

Rs. 3.6k

ICSI Syllabus 2024

CS Foundation Syllabus

The Syllabus for the CS Foundation Programme comprises 4 papers-

Paper 1 

Business Communication

Paper 2

Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning

Paper 3 

Economic and Business Environment

Paper 4

Current Affairs, Presentation and Communication Skills

CS Executive Syllabus

The Syllabus for the CS Executive Programme comprises, open-book,on8 papers-

MODULE 1

MODULE 2

Jurisprudence, Interpretation & General Laws 

Corporate & Management Accounting 

Company Law 

Securities Laws & Capital Markets

Setting up of Business Entities and Closure 

Economic, Business and Commercial Laws 

Tax Laws

Financial and Strategic Management

CS Professional Syllabus

It is the last stage of the CS course. A student is required to complete the CS Professional Program within the valid period of his/her registration. It can only be pursued after clearing the CS Executive program. 

MODULE 1

MODULE 2

MODULE 3

Governance, Risk Management, Compliances and Ethics

Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management and Due Diligence 

Corporate Funding & Listings in Stock Exchanges 

Advanced Tax Laws 

Corporate Restructuring, Insolvency, Liquidation & Winding-up 

Multidisciplinary Case Studies (The examination for this paper will be an open book examination) 

Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances 

Resolution of Corporate Disputes, Non-Compliances & Remedies  

Electives 1 paper out of below 8 papers:

  1. Banking – Law & Practice 
  2. Insurance– Law & Practice 
  3. Intellectual Property Rights– Laws and Practices 
  4. Forensic Audit
  5. Direct Tax Law & Practice 
  6. Labour Laws & Practice 
  7. Valuations & Business Modelling
  8. Insolvency – Law and Practice

ICSI Exam Pattern 2024

Exam pattern of CS Exam: CSEET 2024

The following table gives details about the exam pattern of CSEET-

Particulars 

Details

No. of Questions 

120 

Duration of Exam 

120 Minutes 

Mode of Exam 

Online/remote proctored mode

Type of Questions 

MCQs

No. of Papers 

Paper I- Business Communication

Paper II- Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning

Paper III- Economic & Business Environment

Paper IV- Current Affairs, Presentation, and Communication Skills

Exam pattern of CS Executive 2024

The following table gives details about the exam pattern for CS Executive 2023-

Particulars 

Details

No. of Questions 

50 in each paper 

Duration of Exam 

3 Hours (180 Minutes)

Medium of Exam

English or Hindi

Mode of Exam 

Offline

Type of Exam 

Subjective

No. of Papers 

8

Negative Marking 

None

Maximum Marks

100 for each paper (+2 for each correct answer)

Exam pattern of CS Professional 2024

The following table gives details about the exam pattern for CS Professional 2022-

Particulars 

Details

No. of Questions 

50 in each paper 

Duration of Exam 

3 Hours (180 Minutes)

Medium of Exam

English or Hindi

Mode of Exam 

Offline

Type of Exam 

Objective and Subjective

Qualifying Marks 

Minimum 40% marks in each paper

50% marks on average of all subjects

Negative Marking 

None

Maximum Marks

100 for each paper (+2 for each correct answer)

Related Course: CMA Course, Eligibility, Fees, Jobs, Salary & Scope.

Career Prospects after Qualifying for CS Exam 2024

A company secretary (CS) is one of the company's key officials. They manage the company's records, file tax returns, and advise the Board of Directors on their legal responsibilities to ensure that enterprises conform to statutory regulations. The job of candidates who pass the CS Exam begins as soon as a corporation is created. However, the real duty of a company secretary differs from one firm to the next. Company secretaries are also needed in company law boards, numerous government offices, and the Department of Company Affairs, among other places. Top companies provide competitive compensation packages to corporate secretaries. After receiving a certificate of practice, a company secretary can also establish their own consulting firm. Companies with a paid-up share capital of Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 2 crores must hire/ employ a company secretary to provide corporate compliance certifications. Because a company secretary has extensive knowledge of a wide variety of disciplines, they can work as lecturers/visiting faculty in a variety of academic institutions.

Read Article: CA Salary

Top Recruiters for Company Secretary

A company secretary is always in demand. Here is a list of companies that are regularly in need of a professional company secretary-

  1. ACB Group of Companies
  2. Punjab National Bank
  3. Monolith Industries Limited
  4. Shri Lal Mahal Ltd
  5. Glocal Healthcare Systems Pvt. Ltd
  6. Parsvnath Infra ltd
  7. Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Limited
  8. Janalakshmi Financial Services Pvt. Ltd
  9. Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited
  10. DaVita Care (India) Pvt. Limited
  11. Jaypee Group
  12. SNG & Partners

Was this Article Helpful/Relevant or did you get what you were looking for ?

👎234

Similar Articles

JoSAA Counselling 2024

By - Avantika Bhardwaj 2024-04-25 04:22:38 , 18 min read
Read More

Frequently Asked Questions

How many attempts are allowed for company secretary courses?

Ans. For CS executives, 10 attempts are allowed. For CS Foundation, 6 attempts are allowed, while 10 attempts are allowed for CS Professional.

What is CS’s full form?

Ans. Company Secretary provides services in the following areas- 1. Secretarial and corporate governance services 2. Advisory and representation services in the area of corporate law. 3. Services in Management. 4. Services for the Financial Markets.

Who can become a Company Secretary?

Ans. The minimum eligibility requirement for the foundation course for training as a company secretary is 10+2 or an equivalent examination. Graduates or postgraduates in commerce, or any other discipline except fine arts, are allowed to skip the foundation course and enroll directly for the intermediate examination. This exemption is also extended to those who have passed out of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountancy or the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

When is the CS Exam held?

Ans. Examinations are held in June and December every year.

Is there any provision regarding IT training exemption in CS for CA students?

Ans. Yes, if you have completed IT training under the CA course, you need not to do the same under the CS course but you need to clear an IT training exam held by ICSI.

Is there any provision regarding IT training exemption in CS for CA students?

Ans. Yes, if you have completed IT training under the CA course, you need not to do the same under the CS course but you need to clear an IT training exam held by ICSI.

Similar College

Course Offered

MBA

Fees for 2 years

₹ 909000

Avg. Package

₹ 8.7 LPA

Highest Package

₹ 12 LPA

Course Offered

MBA

Fees for 2 years

₹ 909000

Avg. Package

₹ 6.0 LPA

Highest Package

₹ 7.70 LPA

Check Eligibility   Free 1:1 Counselling