CS Professional Subjects

Considered among the most valued member of an organisation, Company Secretaries are responsible for the effective administration of the company. They act as an important link between the various stakeholders, regulatory authorities, governments, and members of the board of an organisation. They are also responsible for carrying out duties such as endorsing legal requirements, communicating with numerous officials, maintaining records, responding to the correspondences of the board, etc. Being the in-house legal expert, a specialist in corporate laws, capital markets, security laws, and corporate governance, a company secretary’s job profile requires specific skills and an ample amount of knowledge. Thus, there are different CS professional subjects that train individuals to become professionals. Let us look at the different levels of CS professional subjects in this blog. 

Particulars	Details
Mode of CS Executive Exam	Offline i.e. pen paper-based
Total Duration	3 hours
No. of Modules	Three modules (new syllabus)
Total Papers	9 (8 compulsory and 1 elective)
Marking Scheme	Two marks for each correct answerNo negative marking
No. of Questions	50 questions per paper
Nature of Questions	Descriptive (Paper 8 and 9 are open-book exams)

Download- CA Professional Subjects: New Syllabus PDF

Also Read: Duties of a CS Professional

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Different Levels of CS Professional Subjects 

Since company secretaries are expected to handle a wide range of responsibilities, there are different levels of courses and subjects offered to prepare potential candidates in an organic manner. The different levels of CS professional subjects offered are: 

• Foundation Course: The foundation courses are structured to provide the basic knowledge and skills required. This level is compulsory for the potential candidates as this is the first step in pursuing a career as a company secretary. 

• Executive Program: This program begins with the completion of the foundation course and admission to these courses is provided based on the performance in the earlier program. Written exams, as well as group discussions, are held to determine the merit of potential candidates for this program. 

• Professional Program: This level is considered one of the toughest ones. It is also the final stage of studies for future company secretaries. The subjects are complex and usually divided into 3 modules with the 3rd module offering 2 core subjects and 1 elective. Through this blog, we provide a little insight into subjects.

Also Read: CS Executive Syllabus 

CS Professional Subjects: New Syllabus

Having discussed different levels of CS education, let us have a look at the different CS professional subjects of the new and old syllabi. Let us take into consideration the new syllabus of the CS professional-

Module 1 (3 Papers)

• Advanced Tax Laws
• Drafting, Pleading And Appearances
• Governance, Risk Management, Compliances And Ethics

Module 2 (3 Papers)

• Resolution Of Corporate Disputes
• Corporate Restructuring
• Secretarial Audit

Module 3 (3 Papers)

• Multidisciplinary Case Studies
• Corporate Fundings & Listings In Stock Exchanges
• Elective

List of elective subjects-

• Intellectual Property Rights – Laws And Practice
• Insolvency – Law And Practice
• Direct Tax Law & Practice
• Valuations & Business Modelling
• Labour Laws & Practice
• Insurance Law And Practice
• Banking Law And Practice
• Forensic Audit

CS Professional Subjects: Old Syllabus

The professional program generally lasts for about 15 months offers different kinds of specialisation to train candidates for specific job roles. The CS professional program covers nine papers which come under 3 modules. While different institutes might have differently named subjects or even related subjects, generally the CS professional subjects include:

Subjects in Module 1

• Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management and Due Diligence 
• Advanced Company Law and Practice 
• Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency 

Subjects in Module 2

• Ethics, Governance and Sustainability 
• Financial, Treasury and Forex Management 
• Information Technology and Systems Audit 

Subjects in Module 3

• Drafting, Appearances and Pleadings 
• Advanced Tax Laws and Practice

Any of the electives from-

• Capital, Commodity and Money Market 
• Intellectual Property Rights- Law and Practice
• Banking Law and Practice 
• International Business- Law and Practices 
• Insurance Law and Practice
• Forensic Audit
• Direct Tax Law and Practice
• Labour Laws and Practice
• Valuations and Business

CS professional subjects equip young students into experts. Candidates start earning right after completion of the course. The intense curriculum of the course enables them to perform well under extreme conditions as well. 

Career Prospects after CS Professional Subjects 

After completion of CS professional subjects, students are free to choose a career path for themselves. There are numerous job profiles in this line of career. Some of the job profile options available are: 

• Company Registrar
• Corporate Policymaker 
• Principal Secretary 
• Chairman 
• Corporate Planner 
• Investor Capital Market Relations 
• Assistance to the Board of Directors 
• Legal Advisor 
• Managing Director
• Contents Coordinator 
• Administrative Secretary 
• Chief Administrative Officer 
• Administrative Assistant 

Having listed down different job profiles, let us have a look at various employment areas where these job profiles are fruitful. 

Eligibility Criteria

There are three stages to clear for an aspiring company secretary candidate. The three stages include Foundation, Intermediate and Final. The eligibility criteria are mentioned below:

• After completing class 12, students must take up the ICSI Foundation Course. The course is spread over a span of eight months. It is essential to qualify for the course within three years of admission.
• Once students complete the ICSI Foundation Course they can enrol in ICSI Intermediate Course. 
• Once students have cleared the ICSI Intermediate course they are eligible to enrol in the last stage of the ICSI course which is the final course. 
• The next step is to undergo training. Students after completing the final level of the course should undergo short-term training. 
• The practical training acquired by training during the intermediate level and after the final level helps to obtain the Associate membership of ICAI. 
• Once the successful training is complete of students, they are eligible to become Associate Company Secretary.
• The main path of the career of a company secretary only begins after they are eligible as Associate Company Secretary. 

Also Read: Steps to Become a Company Secretary

Employment Areas after CS Professional Subjects

Company secretaries usually find themselves being recruited in the below-mentioned employment areas: 

• Stock Exchanges 
• Financial Institutions
• Department of Company Affairs 
• Financial Management 
• Company Secretary Ship Consultancy Firms
• Company Law Boards
• Banks

Books for A Company Secretary

Mentioned below are some important books aspiring company secretaries can refer to. They are:

• Tax Laws and Practice By Sangeet Kedia
• Company Law By Sangeet Kedia
• Taxman Company Accounts and Auditing by NS Zad
• Cost and Management Accounting by NS Zad
• CS Executive Company Law by NS Zad
• Economic and Commercial Laws by Tejpal Seth

FAQs

Hopefully, this blog gave you a better understanding of CS professional subjects and careers. If you want to uplift your career by pursuing higher education from universities abroad, contact Leverage Edu for expert guidance and support.