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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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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:
|
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) |
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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.
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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-
- ACB Group of Companies
- Punjab National Bank
- Monolith Industries Limited
- Shri Lal Mahal Ltd
- Glocal Healthcare Systems Pvt. Ltd
- Parsvnath Infra ltd
- Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Limited
- Janalakshmi Financial Services Pvt. Ltd
- Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited
- DaVita Care (India) Pvt. Limited
- Jaypee Group
- SNG & Partners
