Company Secretary course details in brief: the CS qualification is awarded by ICSI, a statutory body, in three exam stages, CSEET, CS Executive and CS Professional, followed by 21 months of practical training. You can start right after Class 12 through CSEET, while graduates go straight to CS Executive. ICSI's registration fees add up to roughly Rs 46,000, plus exam fees.
Last updated: October 2026. Rules and fees below come from ICSI's official student pages, its restructured CSEET announcement of April 2026 and its fee schedule.
What a Company Secretary does and who awards the qualification
A Company Secretary handles a company's legal and governance compliance: board and shareholder meetings, filings, securities law, corporate restructuring and governance. The qualification is awarded by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), set up under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 and working under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. ICSI reports over 79,000 members and 250,000 students.
Demand is tied to law. According to ICSI, Rule 8A of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 requires every private company with paid-up share capital of Rs 10 crore or more to appoint a whole-time company secretary, and in July 2026 ICSI asked the ministry to extend this to companies with borrowings above Rs 50 crore.
Company Secretary course details after 12th: the CSEET
The CS Executive Entrance Test (CSEET) is the entry point for Class 12 students. ICSI restructured it from the June 2026 session:
Who can take it: Indian nationals who have passed or are appearing in Class 12
Sessions: three a year, in the first week of February, June and October, at test centres
Papers: Business Communication; Fundamentals of Accounting; Economic and Business Environment (each 100 marks, written answers, 3 hours); and Business Laws and Management (100 marks, OMR, 2 hours, no negative marking)
Passing: at least 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate in one sitting
Before the exam you must complete a one-day Student Induction Programme; registration is valid for three years, and after passing you must register for CS Executive within a year
Registration for the February 2027 CSEET closes on 31 October 2026. Details are on ICSI's restructured CSEET page.
Who can skip CSEET
ICSI allows direct entry to CS Executive for graduates and postgraduates, CA Intermediate passes, CMA Final passes, CS Foundation passes, and final-year students of three-year degrees (on provisional registration). Direct-entry students pay an extra Rs 5,000 CSEET exemption fee.
Company Secretary course subjects
CS Executive: 7 papers in 2 groups
Group I: Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws; Company Law and Practice; Setting up of Business, Industrial and Labour Laws; Corporate Accounting and Financial Management
Group II: Capital Market and Securities Laws; Economic, Commercial and Intellectual Property Laws; Tax Laws and Practice
CS Professional: 7 papers in 2 groups
Group I: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Principles and Practice; Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances; Compliance Management, Audit and Due Diligence; one elective (CSR and Social Governance, Internal and Forensic Audit, Intellectual Property Rights, AI, Data Analytics and Cyber Security Laws, Advanced Tax Laws, or IFSCA Regulations and Compliance)
Group II: Strategic Management and Corporate Finance; Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency; one elective (Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation, GST and Corporate Tax Planning, Labour Laws, Banking and Insurance Laws, or Insolvency and Bankruptcy Law)
Executive and Professional exams are held in June and December. How early you register decides whether you can write one group or both in the next session.
Training before membership
21 months of long-term practical training, starting after you pass CS Executive and complete a one-month Executive Development Programme; trainees receive a stipend of at least Rs 5,000 a month
A Three Days Orientation Programme at the Executive stage
A 30-day Corporate Leadership Development Programme before membership
CS course fees (ICSI fee schedule, 2026)
CSEET registration: Rs 7,500 (includes the induction programme and online classes), plus Rs 1,500 exam fee per attempt
CS Executive registration: Rs 18,900 after CSEET, or Rs 23,900 for direct entry (including the Rs 5,000 exemption fee); both include an optional Rs 500 journal
CS Professional registration: Rs 20,000
Exam fees: Rs 1,500 per Executive group and Rs 1,800 per Professional group
Adding the registration fees, a student starting after Class 12 pays about Rs 46,400 (7,500 + 18,900 + 20,000) before exam fees, books and coaching. ICSI offers concessions: 50% on CSEET registration for SC/ST and PwD students and for students from the North-Eastern states and some other regions, and 50% on Executive registration for SC/ST students and for EWS students with family income up to Rs 3 lakh. Check the current list on ICSI's fee structure page.
CS course duration
ICSI does not publish a single course duration. Working through its exam calendar, a student who starts after Class 12 and clears every stage at the first attempt can expect roughly three and a half to four years to membership, including the 21 months of training, and much of it runs alongside a degree. Graduates who enter directly at CS Executive save the CSEET stage.
B.Com CS full form: not the same as the CS qualification
B.Com CS usually means B.Com (Corporate Secretaryship), a three-year university degree with subjects such as company law and secretarial practice. Bharathiar University, for example, runs B.Com Corporate Secretaryship with Computer Applications and states that it prepares students for the Company Secretaryship programme. The degree does not make you a Company Secretary; you still need ICSI's exams and training. As a graduate, though, you can enter CS Executive directly. See our B.Com Corporate Secretaryship course page.
Who should choose CS
Choose CS if you enjoy law, compliance and governance more than accounting, and want a corporate legal-compliance career.
Pair it with a degree: many students combine CS with a B.Com or an online B.Com; our B.Com Honours guide covers that degree.
Compare first: our guides to CMA course details, ACCA course duration and what to do after B.Com set out the other professional routes.
Keep these Company Secretary course details handy when you plan: the calendar and registration cut-offs decide how fast you can move, so register early at each stage.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the CS course after 12th?
Yes. Class 12 students, and those appearing in Class 12, can register for CSEET, the entry stage of the CS course. CSEET is held three times a year, in February, June and October.
Can graduates skip CSEET?
Yes. ICSI lets graduates and postgraduates register directly for CS Executive by paying a Rs 5,000 CSEET exemption fee along with the Executive registration fee.
What is the total fee for the CS course?
ICSI's registration fees are Rs 7,500 for CSEET, Rs 18,900 for Executive and Rs 20,000 for Professional, about Rs 46,400 in total, plus exam fees for each attempt.
Is B.Com CS the same as Company Secretary?
No. B.Com CS is a university degree in Corporate Secretaryship. To become a Company Secretary you must pass ICSI's exams, complete its training and take membership.
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