BUSINESS AND MONEY
Company Secretary (CS)
Company law, governance and compliance — the person who keeps a company legally on track.
Facts checked 17/10/2026
- Class 11–12 subjects
- Any stream.
- First degree
- No degree needed, though most also complete a degree.
- Entrance exams
- ICSI's exams: CSEET (entrance), Executive, Professional.
- Licence or registration
- Membership of ICSI (ACS).
What the work is like
Board meetings, company filings, legal compliance, corporate governance, listing rules for public companies.
Professional qualificationRun by Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). You can start after: Class 12 — or any degree. Minimum time: About 3–4 years after Class 12, plus training (our estimate).
The full route: exams, training, registration
- Step 1 · after Class 12 (or while appearing)CSEET entrance test — February, June or October. 4 papers; pass needs 40% in each and 50% overall. A pass is valid for 1 year.
- Step 2Register for the Executive programme within that year and do the one-day orientation.
- Step 3Executive exams (June and December), in 2 groups.
- Step 4 · 1 monthExecutive Development Programme, after passing Executive.
- Step 5 · 21 monthsPractical training in a company or with a practising CS. You can take Professional exams during training.
- Step 6Professional exams (June and December). (reported — check with the official body)
- Step 7 · 1 monthCorporate Leadership Development Programme, with a project and viva.
- Step 8Apply for ICSI membership (ACS).
Already have a degree?
- Graduates and postgraduates (no minimum marks stated), students in the final year of a degree, and CA or CMA Final passers can skip CSEET and register straight for Executive.
- CSEET was restructured from June 2026: now a pen-and-paper exam at test centres, held in February, June and October.
- ICSI has a draft proposal to change the course further; reportedly not affecting the 2026 exams.
Good to know
- No limit on attempts was found in ICSI's rules.
- Executive and Professional registrations are each reported to be valid for 5 years, renewable.
- Pairs well with a law degree (LLB) for company-law careers.
About pay: it varies a lot by city, employer and skill, and changes year to year, so we don't print salary numbers. Ask us in a session and we'll show you current, sourced figures for your case.
Sources: ICSI, restructured CSEET (14 Nov 2025) · ICSI student training guidelines 2024 · Taxmann FAQ on CS Executive
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