Master Corporate Governance & Legal Strategy
The Company Secretary (CS) course, offered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), trains students in corporate law, governance, compliance, and secretarial practices. CS professionals play a vital role in ensuring legal and ethical management in businesses, especially in boardrooms and regulatory filings.
It’s a perfect course for students with an interest in law, corporate structures, and regulatory frameworks.
The current CS Course Structure
The Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test (CSEET)
The Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test (CSEET) is an entrance exam administered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) for students seeking admission to the second stage i.e CS Executive It serves as the entry point to the CS career.
- Eligibility: Passed Class 10th (provisional), appear after Class 12th.
- Subjects: Business Communication,
Legal aptitude & logical reasoning, Economics & business environment,
current affairs & Quantitative aptitude - Exam Schedule: CSEET is conducted four times a year, in January, May, July, and November.
- Pattern of exam: Computer-based Test (CBT) conducted in MCQ pattern
- Negative marking: No
- Passing Criteria: 40% marks in each paper and 50% marks in the aggregate.
- Registration Fees: Rs.2,000
CS Executive
CS Executive is a second stage of CS course. It covers detailed knowledge of corporate and securities laws, tax laws, corporate accounting and capital market tools.
- Eligibility: CSEET PASS or via direct entry – means Graduates /postgraduates
- Subjects: Executive is divided into two groups:
- Group 1
Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws
Company Law and Practice
Setting Up of Business, Industrial and Labour Laws
Corporate Accounting and Financial Management - Group 2
Capital Market and Securities Laws
Economics, Commercial & Intellectual Property Laws
Tax Laws & Practice
- Group 1
- Exam Schedule: CS Executive is conducted four times a year, in January, May, July, and November.
- Exam Pattern: CS Executive exam is an offline center based exam and it’s a combination of objective & descriptive questions.
- Negative Marking: No
- Passing criteria: 40% marks in each paper and 50% marks in the aggregate.
- Registration Fees: Rs. 18,400 For CSEET pass & Rs. 23,400 for others
CS Professional
CS Professional is the third and final stage of the Company Secretary (CS) course. It is a professional-level course that builds upon the knowledge gained in the CS Executive stage, leading to the designation of a Company Secretary.
- Eligibility: CS Executive Pass
- Subjects: 7 subjects in CS Professional such as Environmental, social & Governance principles, Drafting, pleadings & appearances, corporate restructuring & finance
- Exam Schedule: CS Professional is conducted four times a year, in January, May, July, and November.
- Pattern of Exam: Descriptive
- Negative Marking: No
- Passing Criteria: 40% marks in each paper and 50% marks in the aggregate.
- Registration Fees: Rs. 20,000
CS Course: Comparative Information
| Details | CSEET | CS Executive | CS Professional |
| Eligibility | Passed Class 10th (provisional), appear after Class 12th. | CSEET Pass/ CA Foundation Pass/ Graduates from any stream | CS Executive clear |
| Exam Schedule | 4 times in a year | 2 times in a year – June & December | |
| No of papers | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Exam Pattern | Computer Based Test (CBT) conducted in MCQ pattern | Objective & descriptive | Objective & descriptive |
| Negative marking | No | No | No |
| Passing criteria | 40% marks in each paper and 50% marks in the aggregate. | ||
| Fees | Rs. 2,000 | Rs. 18,400 For CSEET pass & Rs. 23,400 for others | Rs. 20,000 |