All You Need to Know About Company Secretary; Preparation Tips, Scope and Job Opportunities

Company Secretary (CS) is one of the most important positions in a company and one of the most difficult exams to pass. Graduates in a wide range of sectors and industries can apply for Company Secretary jobs in India. Because of the relevance and demand for the course and job roles, graduates have a plethora of CS job opportunities.

He or she acts as a conscience seeker for the company, and the right strategy is required to ace the exam. As a result, before beginning your Company Secretary preparation, you should have a solid understanding of how to prepare for the CS exam based on the most recent syllabus.

Why Go After CS?

1) Being a CS requires a lot of work, but it also provides a lot of trust, respect, and credibility, and it has its advantages.

2) For beginners, being a company secretary is a highly esteemed title that attests to a person's legal and managerial proficiency in handling business issues.

3) CS engages with the company's top management, such as the MD, CEO, or Board of Directors, and is relied upon to provide legal counsel regarding corporate matters.

4) CS often specialises in corporate law and is a key player in developing and putting into practice company governance standards. They become an important member of the management team of the company as a result.

Exam Pattern

Three tiers of tests are there for the corporate secretary exam, which follows an eight-month Foundation Programme, Executive Programme, and Professional Programme. The minimum time required to complete a CS programme is 2.5 years for graduates and 3.5 years for 10+2 students.

According to experts and top performers from prior years, it is preferable to begin studying at least six months before the exam's start date. You'll have enough time to go over each topic in depth.

Tips for Preparation

Understand your CS syllabus and exam structure

Knowing the CS exam format and the most recent CS syllabus is necessary if you wish to succeed on the CS exam. For instance, you should be aware that the Foundation Program exam consists of four papers if you are preparing for the CS Foundation Program. The areas of English and Business Communication, Economics and Statistics, Financial Accounting, and Elements of Business Laws and Management are all covered in the exam.

Practice with question papers from prior years

When preparing for the CS Exam, it is crucial to pay close attention to the papers from the previous year. In exams, similar questions can appear again and again.
Therefore, it will be very helpful for you to practice last year's papers to gain a sense of how the questions with the same subject might be sculpted into different forms.

Make a schedule

If you want to prepare for the CS exam, make a proper timetable to cover all topics.
Begin with a difficult topic and try to build as broad a foundation as possible.
You can easily create a detailed concept on that topic this way. It will also assist you in scoring higher on the final exam.

Ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the CS Study Material

For candidates preparing for the CS Executive exam, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) provides study material.
Examine those study materials as well as some reference books recommended by experts. Because everything is correlated, conceptual understanding and correlations among various topics are the best strategies to employ when preparing for theoretical topics. Focus on understanding and analysing the topic rather than memorising it.

Setting goals

Set attainable goals for the day. Do not set goals that are impossible to achieve.
It will only add to the exam burden and will be of no use. Candidates must attempt to complete the entire syllabus at least three months before the main exam. A month and a half should be set aside for revision. During the revision phase, only go over the previously completed chapters and concentrate on improving the weaknesses.