Country edition: India
Student Journey Blueprint

How to become a Company Secretary — your road, class by class

Class 8 to working life ·Last checked 25 Oct 2026

The one-line route: Class 12 in any stream → CSEET → CS Executive (7 papers in 2 groups) → 30-day EDP and 21 months' practical training → CS Professional → 30-day CLDP. Graduates skip CSEET. [1] [2] [3]

Pick your class and the road below starts where you stand.

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01 Your road, stage by stage

What to do from your class onward

  1. You are here Class 8 · Class 9

    Reading, writing and numbers

    • The CSEET papers are Business Communication, Fundamentals of Accounting, Economic and Business Environment (written, 3 hours each) and Business Laws and Management (OMR, 2 hours). [1]
    • Write letters, summaries and short essays often — three of the four CSEET papers are written answers.
  2. You are here Class 10

    Any stream works

    • CSEET is open to any Indian national who has passed or is appearing in Class 12 — no stream or percentage rule. [1]
    • Commerce gives you a head start in Accounting and Economics, but Science and Arts students sit the same test.
  3. You are here Class 11 · Class 12

    Register for CSEET in Class 12

    • Registration windows: 1 Nov – 28/29 Feb for the June session, 1 Mar – 30 Jun for October, 1 Jul – 31 Oct for February. [1]
    • Pass with 40% in each paper and 50% overall in one sitting; no exemption or carry-forward of marks, and no negative marking in the OMR paper. [1]
    • CSEET registration is valid 3 years; the result is valid 1 year, so join CS Executive within a year of passing. [1]
  4. You are here In college · Graduated

    Graduates go straight to Executive

    • Exempt from CSEET: graduates and postgraduates, CA Intermediate pass, CMA Final pass, final-year undergraduates (provisionally) and old CS Foundation passers. [1]
    • After passing Executive: 15 days' online EDP (₹2,000) and 15 days' classroom EDP (₹8,000), then 21 months' practical training with a practising Company Secretary or a company. [2]

Your school board

No board, stream or percentage rule: passing or appearing in Class 12 is enough for CSEET. [1]

CBSE, CISCE and state-board certificates count the same for every national exam on this page. Notes for particular state boards are under State rules below.

02 Exam anatomy

The exam, stage by stage

CSEET (restructured from June 2026) → CS Executive → CS Professional · Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)

CSEET papers
4 papers × 100 marks — 3 written (3 h) + 1 OMR (2 h) [1]
Pass rule
40% in each paper and 50% aggregate, in one sitting [1]
Fees
₹7,500 CSEET registration + ₹1,500 exam fee per session [1]
Sessions
February, June and October (first week) [1]
CSEET (restructured from June 2026) → CS Executive → CS Professional stages
StagePapersWho can enterRule
CSEETBusiness Communication · Fundamentals of Accounting · Economic and Business Environment · Business Laws (60) and Management (40, OMR)Class 12 passed or appearingResult valid 1 year
CS ExecutiveGroup 1: Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws; Company Law; Setting Up of Business, Industrial and Labour Laws; Corporate Accounting and Financial Management · Group 2: Capital Market and Securities Laws; Economic, Commercial and IP Laws; Tax LawsCSEET pass, or graduate / CA Inter / CMA FinalJune and December sessions
Training30-day Executive Development Programme, then 21 months' long-term practical trainingCS Executive passMinimum stipend ₹5,000 a month
CS ProfessionalGroup 1: ESG; Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances; Compliance Management, Audit and Due Diligence; Elective 1 · Group 2: Strategic Management and Corporate Finance; Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency; Elective 2CS Executive passThen the 30-day Corporate Leadership Development Programme

Stage table source [1] [3] [2] [4]

  • There is no Foundation stage now: CSEET is the entry test, and old CS Foundation passers are exempt from it. [1]
  • Exam enrolment for CSEET costs ₹1,500 per session, with a ₹250 late fee in the late window. [1]
  • The paper list is for the December 2026 Executive and Professional exams. Check icsi.edu for the study material applicable to your own session. [3]
Open the full exam guide
03 State rules

Rules for all of India — and your state

  • ICSI is one national body: no state quota or domicile rule at any stage. Fee concessions depend on category and region, not on your board. [1]
  • Students from the North-Eastern states, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Himachal Pradesh pay no CSEET registration fee. [1]

State notes we have checked (4 states / UTs)

Gujarat2 notes
  • GSEB — Gujarat State Board: ICSI treats a GSEB HSC like any 10+2 — you can register for CSEET while still appearing in it. [1]
  • CBSE — studying in Gujarat: Any board's Class 12 counts; register for CSEET while appearing in Class XII. [1]
Gujarat exam & career cockpit
Maharashtra1 note
  • MSBSHSE — Maharashtra State Board: Your HSC counts like any 10+2 — register for CSEET while appearing in it. [1]
Maharashtra exam & career cockpit
Uttar Pradesh1 note
  • UPMSP — Uttar Pradesh Board: Your Intermediate counts like any 10+2 — register for CSEET while appearing in it. [1]
Uttar Pradesh exam & career cockpit
West Bengal1 note
  • WBBSE / WBCHSE — West Bengal boards: Your Higher Secondary counts like any 10+2 — register for CSEET while appearing in it. [1]
West Bengal exam & career cockpit

Not in this list? The national route above applies — we found nothing in this career's official rules that changes in your state.

04 Career multiverse

Where this path can take you next

Company Secretary

The full CS career guide.

Explore →

Chartered Accountant

ICAI's audit and tax qualification.

Explore →

Cost and Management Accountant

ICMAI's costing and management route.

Explore →

CA vs CMA vs CS

The three professional courses side by side.

Explore →

Law (LLB)

Corporate law through a law degree.

Explore →

Coaching

CS coaching centres near you.

Explore →
05 Money help

Scholarships, stipends and fee help

Government schemes, professional-body scholarships and paid training on this path. Pick your class above and schemes you have already passed are hidden.

Fee help Open to you now From Class 11

Lower CSEET and CS exam fees

Institute of Company Secretaries of India

50% off for SC / ST and physically handicapped students (registration and exam enrolment); no CSEET registration fee for students from the North-East, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Himachal Pradesh [1]

Who
Students in those categories and regions; others pay ₹7,500 for CSEET registration and ₹1,500 per exam session.
How
Claim it while registering for CSEET on the ICSI portal, with your certificate.
Stipend Open to you now From In college

CS practical training stipend

Your trainer (practising Company Secretary or company), under the ICSI Training Guidelines 2024

At least ₹5,000 a month, also during probation, paid through a bank [2]

Who
CS Executive pass students in the 21-month long-term practical training.
How
Nothing to apply for — it is part of your training terms.
Scholarship Open to you now From Class 11

Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, through your state

Compulsory non-refundable fees (tuition included) plus a yearly academic allowance — the college cannot ask you to pay the fee first [5]

Who
SC students after Class 10 (ITI, diploma, degree and CA/CMA/CS courses count), family income up to ₹2.5 lakh. Separate post-matric schemes exist for ST, OBC and minority students on the same portal.
How
Your state scholarship portal or scholarships.gov.in. The printed guidelines cover 2020-21 to 2025-26; check the 2026-27 rules on the portal.
Scholarship Open to you now From Class 8

National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMSS)

Ministry of Education, through your state

₹1,000 a month, Class 9 to 12 [6]

Who
Class 8 students of government schools who passed Class 7 with 55% (50% SC/ST, as in Nagaland's notice) and clear the state's NMMSS test. Family income limit: see the scheme rules on the National Scholarship Portal.
How
Your state's SCERT announces the test in Class 8; renewals are on scholarships.gov.in.
06 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every number on this page comes from the official files below. Lines with no number are Margdarshan guidance. Rules change every year — open the current notice before you apply.

  1. ICSI — Important Announcement: Restructuring of CSEET, effective June 2026 session (10 Apr 2026) (opens in a new tab) eligibility, exemptions, ₹7,500 + ₹1,500 fees, concessions, registration and enrolment windows, papers and pattern, 40% / 50% pass rule, no negative marking, validity · Last checked 25 Oct 2026
  2. ICSI — Student Training Guidelines, 2024 (in force from 1 Jan 2024) (opens in a new tab) 30-day EDP (₹2,000 online + ₹8,000 classroom), 21 months' long-term training, CLDP after Professional, ₹5,000 minimum monthly stipend · Last checked 25 Oct 2026
  3. ICSI — Study material applicable for December 2026 examination (28 Jul 2026) (opens in a new tab) CS Executive 7 papers in 2 groups, CS Professional papers and electives · Last checked 25 Oct 2026
  4. ICSI — CSEET eligibility and cut-off dates flyer (with CS Executive registration cut-offs) (opens in a new tab) June and December sessions for CS Executive, registration cut-off dates · Last checked 25 Oct 2026
  5. Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment — Post Matric Scholarship for SC students, guidelines 2020-21 to 2025-26 (copy hosted by Goa Social Welfare) (opens in a new tab) ₹2.5 lakh income limit, fees + academic allowance, no pre-payment of fees, CA/ICWA/CS students covered · Last checked 24 Oct 2026
  6. SCERT Nagaland — NMMSS Examination 2027 advertisement (27 Jul 2026) (opens in a new tab) Class 8 eligibility, 55% / 50% Class 7 marks, ₹1,000 a month from Class 9 to 12 (one state's notice of the central scheme) · Last checked 24 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and we will update it.