Company Secretary (CS): Full Form, Admission 2024, Fees, Syllabus, Exams, Career & Scope

29 January,2024  |  By Brainwonders

The Company Secretary (CS) course is a distinguished professional qualification program arming individuals with the knowledge and expertise required to emerge as crucial advisors to legal, financial, and governance companies. A certified Company Secretary (CS) assumes responsibility for the legal intricacies of a business entity, overseeing tasks such as maintaining and auditing tax returns, record-keeping, advising the board of directors on financial matters, and ensuring adherence to legal and statutory regulations.

Candidates must have at least a class 10+2 qualification to enrol in the Company Secretary (CS) course. Noteworthy institutions offering the Company Secretary program include Shyam Lal College, SRM Chennai, the Directorate of Distance Education, and Alagappa University. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) plays a pivotal role in regulating and upholding the Company Secretary profession. ICSI extends training and education to numerous aspiring Company Secretaries, boasting an enrollment of over 65,000 members and approximately 2,50,000 students.

Company Secretary Course Details: Highlights

With the right motivation, individuals can explore promising technical opportunities in the field of Company Secretary. Opting for CS is highly esteemed in the realms of accounting and business, offering access to diverse career paths such as stock exchange, corporate affairs divisions, financial auditing industries, legal boards, or governmental authorities.

Students interested in delving into the comprehensive details of the CS course can continue reading below:

Who is Company Secretary (CS)?

The Company Secretary is the one who is responsible for providing administrative support regarding the majors of how the company can be directed, organised and managed in order to achieve its goals. Company Secretaries look after the company's law, also in order to take care of the company's legal aspects, ensuring the company's compliance with the legal and financial regulations. It is the CS who is wholly responsible for managing the company's statutory requirements and also looks after the execution of the decisions made by the company authorities. The CS is in charge of upholding the company's corporate governance standards. 

What is Company Secretary (CS) Course?

Company Secretaries also function as in-house accountants, and graduates of this profession have access to various job roles such as Legal Advisor, Human Resource Manager, Legal Supervisor, and Executive Assistant. CS students can pursue this course through distance education.

The Institution of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), mandated by the Company Secretaries Act of 1980, plays a crucial role in the training and regulation of Company Secretaries in India. Currently, ICSI boasts a membership of over 60,000 individuals and has more than 2,50,000 students registered with its institution. By the new UGC standards, the position of Company Secretary is considered equivalent to a postgraduate degree.

Levels of Company Secretary Course

The CS programme offered by the ICSI includes three levels:

Why Company Secretary (CS) Course? 

• Commencing their career journey, Company Secretary can establish themselves as an independent professional, offering services encompassing Corporate governance, legal and secretarial matters, Corporate reorganization, and assistance with Foreign partnerships and joint ventures.
• Upon completion of the CS program, graduates can venture into roles involving Project management, Financial management, Investor relations, Capital market dealings, and services related to Corporate consulting.
• An attractive aspect of pursuing a career as a Company Secretary is the potential for a lucrative salary, with professionals in this field in India earning an average annual pay of 6 lakh.
• The profession of Company Secretary is widely respected. It equips individuals for roles in legal affairs, corporate governance, reorganizations, joint ventures, partnerships, project planning, investor relations, corporate advisory services, and various other business sectors. Additionally, these professionals can contribute their expertise to educational institutions or multinational corporations.

Who Can Pursue Company Secretary (CS) Course?

• Individuals with a business background aspiring to excel in a renowned industry may find pursuing a career as a Company Secretary (CS) a favourable choice.
• Aspiring candidates possessing robust inner resilience and intellectual merit are encouraged to apply for the Company Secretary course, given the significant value these qualities hold in the role of a Company Secretary (CS).
• Prospective students looking to enrol in this course should possess various desirable skill sets, including practical interpersonal skills, adept time management, strong teamwork capabilities, expertise in corporate law, precise planning abilities, and an excellent command of spoken and written English.

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Company Secretary (CS) Eligibility Criteria

Any student who aspires to become a certified Company Secretary must fulfil the given eligibility criteria to pursue the course:

• To register for the initial level (Foundation Programme or CSEET) of the Company Secretary course, the minimum qualification required is to have passed Class 12 in any stream (excluding Fine Arts) from a recognized university or its equivalent.
• Individuals aspiring to pursue CS after completing their graduation need to complete only two levels: Executive Programme and Professional Programme.
• Graduates, post-graduates (excluding Fine Arts), or individuals who have successfully cleared the Foundation level of CA and Cost Accounting course by ICWAI have the option to directly enroll in the CS Executive level.

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Company Secretary Exams 2024

• ICSI's Company Secretary program enrollment is open year-round, and examinations are conducted bi-annually in June and December. Prospective candidates can apply based on their preferred examination month.

• Those aiming to take the Foundation Programme exam in December (same year) must complete their enrollment by March 31. For those intending to participate in the June exam the following year, enrollment must be completed by September 30.

• Individuals looking to join CS at the Executive Programme level need to enroll by February 28 to be eligible for both modules in the December exam of the same year or by August 31 for both modules in the June exam the following year.

• For those intending to appear in a single module in the June Examination the next year, enrollment in the Executive Programme must be completed by November 30.

• Successful completion of the Foundation/Executive/Professional examination is achieved by securing a minimum of 40 percent in aggregate in each paper and 50 percent in aggregate across all subjects in a single sitting.

The profession of a Company Secretary demands analytical skills, keen observation, and attention to detail. While the three-level CS course provides candidates with the necessary skills and training, it is advisable to consider enrolling in the course only after carefully assessing one's ability to handle analytical tasks and responsibilities related to financial assessments and auditing.

Company Secretary (CS) Course Syllabus with Subjects

CS Foundation Program Syllabus

CS Executive Program Syllabus

CS Professional Program Syllabus

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Company Secretary (CS) Average Salary

Company Secretary salaries in India range from 2.7 Lakhs to 17.3 Lakhs per year, with an average yearly income of 6.2 Lakhs. Estimated salaries are based on 7.1k salaries paid to Company Secretaries.

Company Secretary (CS) Scope & Career Opportunities 

Once you complete the Company Secretary course, you will have several job prospects available for you in the corporate world. Certification Services, Valuation, Insolvency & Bankruptcy, GST, Intellectual Property Rights, Representation Services, and Mediation and Conciliation areas offer tremendous opportunities in India. 

Many international companies have been established in India, requiring company secretaries to handle various legal work. As a result, we can easily conclude that CS is required in any organisation to oversee the legal aspects of the organisation. 

Legal and analytical duties necessitate firm secretaries. Below are some significant company secretary responsibilities.

• ONGC, Deloitte, KPMG, PWC, Oil India Limited, Jaypee Group, Punjab National Bank Ltd, Bestech India Pvt Ltd, HCL Technologies Ltd, etc., hire company secretaries in critical capacities.
• Company secretaries have significant administrative jobs in firms with a stock exchange listing and those with a board, council, and commissions.
• This is true in the US, Canada, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Africa, etc., where company secretaries play major responsibilities.
• The ICSI-ICSA MOU allows corporate secretaries to work under specified conditions.