CS Professional Exam Guide 2025

CS Professional is the final level in the Company Secretary course which is designed to equip students in corporate governance and compliance. This stage tests both conceptual clarity and practical application through comprehensive papers, including open-book electives on specialized topics. Therefore, it is imperative for a student to know about the exam details of the level.

Exam Structure

The CS Professional exam consists of 7 papers divided into 2 groups with 3 papers + 1 elective in Group 1 and 2 papers + 1 elective in Group 2. Each paper is 3 hours long and worth 100 marks. Candidates must score at least 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate to pass. The exams are descriptive, and the elective papers are open-book.

Modules

The modules of CS Professional across both groups are as follows :

PAPER NUMBER	GROUP - 1 SUBJECTS
1	Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – Principles & Practice Part I – Governance and Sustainability Part II – Risk Management Part III- Environment & Sustainability Reporting
2	Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances Part I - Drafting and Conveyancing Part II - Pleadings and Appearances
3	Compliance Management, Audit & Due Diligence Part I – Compliance Management Part II – Audit & Due Diligence
4	Elective 1 (Select one Paper out of 4 Elective Papers)

Elective Papers 1

Paper Number	Elective Subjects
4.1	CSR & Social Governance Part I – Corporate Social Responsibility Part II – Social Governance
4.2	Internal and Forensic Audit Part I – Internal Audit Part II – Forensic Audit
4.3	Intellectual Property Rights – Law & Practice
4.4	Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Cyber Security – Laws & Practice
4.5	Advanced Direct Tax Laws & Practice – Laws & Practice

PAPER NUMBER	GROUP - 2 SUBJECTS
5	Strategic Management & Corporate Finance Part I – Strategic Management Part II – Corporate Finance
6	Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency Part I – Corporate Restructuring Part II – Valuation Part III – Insolvency, Liquidation & Winding up
7	Elective 2 (Select one Paper out of 5 Elective Papers)

Elective Papers 2

Paper Number	Elective Subjects	Marks
7.1	Arbitration, Mediation & Conciliation Part I – Arbitration & Conciliation Part II – Mediation	70 30
7.2	Goods and Services Tax (GST) & Corporate Tax Planning Part I – Goods and Services Tax (GST) Part II – Corporate Tax Planning	70 30
7.3	Labour Laws & Practice	100
7.4	Banking & Insurance – Laws & Practice Part I – Banking Laws Part II – Insurance Laws	50 50
7.5	Insolvency and Bankruptcy – Law & Practice	100

Exam Format

The each paper of CS prthe ofessional is 3 hours long and carries 100 marks. Students are required to score a minimum of 40% to pass the respective paper and 50% of the aggregate marks to clear the respective group.

· The exams are conducted offline at designated exam centres.

· The elective papers are open-book

Duration

The CS Professional is 6 months long, with exams being conducted twice a year on June and December.

Passing Criteria

Each paper carries 100 marks. Candidates must score at least 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate to pass.

Registration

1. Go to www.icsi.edu

2. Click on “ONLINE SERVICES” and navigate to “Student Portal”

3. LOGIN, then put your User Name & Password (Your full Registration Number is your user name & Password, you can create your own)

4. Navigate to “Module > Student Service > Professional Registration request”

5. Select the optional papers for both groups.

6. Choose the payment gateway and make a payment

Fees

The fees for CS Professional are as follows :

FEE TYPE	AMOUNT
Educational fee - Professional	19,000
Subscription to Chartered Secretary	500 (optional)
Pre-exam test fee - Professional	1000

CS Professional Exam 2025: Subjects, Modules, Fees & Passing Criteria

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