ICSI CS Exam Registration 2026: Dates, Eligibility, Fees, Application Process & Important Details

Students planning to pursue the Company Secretary (CS) course in 2026 need to keep a close watch on ICSI registration and examination-enrolment deadlines. This guide walks you through everything CSEET, CS Executive, and CS Professional aspirants need to know about registration for the 2026 cycle — dates, fees, eligibility, and the exact steps to apply.

What Is the CS Course and Who Conducts It?

The Company Secretary (CS) course is a professional qualification for individuals aiming to work in corporate governance, compliance, and company law. It is administered by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), a statutory body constituted under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980, and the sole recognised body in India for awarding the CS qualification.

The CS course has three progressive stages:

1. CSEET (CS Executive Entrance Test) — the entry-level qualifying test
2. CS Executive Programme — the intermediate stage
3. CS Professional Programme — the final stage 

Each stage has its own registration window, exam enrolment deadline, and fee structure, and these can easily get confused if you’re not tracking the official calendar. A missed enrolment date, an expired registration, or a skipped mandatory test (like the pre-exam test) can push your attempt back by an entire session. That’s why it pays to bookmark the ICSI website and check dates before you assume anything based on last year’s schedule.

ICSI CS Exam Registration 2026 – Overview

Note: ICSI periodically revises its exam calendar and fee structure – the most recent fee revision took effect from 15 April 2026. Always cross-check current figures on the official website before submitting any payment.

ICSI CS Exam Registration 2026 – Important Dates

Because CSEET, CS Executive, and CS Professional run on different (and sometimes overlapping) timelines, here’s a session-wise breakdown. As of now (September 2026), the CS Executive & Professional December 2026 session and the CSEET October 2026 session are the two active cycles students should focus on, with the June 2027 registration window also open for new entrants.

CS Executive & Professional – December 2026 Exam Session

CSEET – October 2026 Session (Recently Concluded Cycle)

New Registration for CS Executive – June 2027 Session

Important: Dates for future sessions (like June 2027) are based on ICSI’s typical pattern and may be revised. Similarly, the next CSEET session after October 2026 will be notified separately — a February 2027 CSEET window has already been indicated by ICSI. Students should treat all “expected” dates as provisional and verify the final notification on icsi.edu before making any decision.

CS Eligibility Criteria 2026

CSEET Eligibility

• Candidates must have passed or be appearing in the Class 12 (10+2) examination from a recognised board, in any stream.
• There is generally no upper age limit prescribed for appearing in CSEET, though candidates should confirm the current age-related instructions in the official CSEET notification for their session, as these details are occasionally updated.
• Students awaiting their Class 12 results can register provisionally, subject to producing proof of having passed within the time frame specified by ICSI.

CS Executive Programme Eligibility

There are two routes into CS Executive:

Route 1 – Through CSEET: Candidates who have successfully cleared CSEET are eligible to register for the Executive Programme.

Route 2 – Direct Entry (CSEET-exempt categories): The following categories can register directly, without appearing for CSEET, subject to payment of a CSEET exemption fee:

• Graduates or Postgraduates (in any discipline except Fine Arts) from a recognised university
• Candidates who have passed the CS Foundation Programme
• Candidates who have cleared the ICAI (Chartered Accountancy) Final examination
• Candidates who have cleared the ICMAI (Cost Accountancy) Final examination

All CS Executive students registering from 1 February 2026 onward must also complete the mandatory Three Days Orientation Programme (TDOP). Additionally, students under the current (2022) Executive syllabus must clear a mandatory Pre-Examination Test before they can enrol for the main exam.

CS Professional Programme Eligibility

• Candidates must have successfully passed both modules/groups of the CS Executive Programme.
• There is no separate entrance test for Professional — passing Executive is itself the qualifying criterion.
• Students whose Executive registration or Professional registration has lapsed can look into ICSI’s Registration De Novo or Re-Registration provisions rather than starting over from scratch.

ICSI CS Fee Structure 2026 (Effective from 15 April 2026)

Fees vary by stage and by the entry route you take. Below is the current fee structure as per ICSI’s official schedule.

CSEET Fees

CS Executive Registration Fees (One-Time, Payable at Registration)

CS Professional Registration Fees (After Passing CS Executive)

Exam Form (Enrolment) Fees – Payable for Every Attempt

Fee Concessions

ICSI offers concessions on registration and/or examination fees for several categories, including SC/ST candidates, persons with disabilities, students from Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and the North-Eastern states, wards of ICSI staff, and Economically Backward Section (EBS) candidates, among others. Concession percentages vary by category and by fee head — refer to the detailed fee notification on icsi.edu to check what applies to you.

Fees are revised periodically by ICSI. The figures above reflect the schedule effective 15 April 2026 — always confirm the latest amount on the official ICSI fee page before making a payment.

Step-by-Step Registration Process

1. Visit the official ICSI website at icsi.edu and navigate to “Online Services,” or go directly to the Student Portal at smash.icsi.edu.
2. New candidates should click on the relevant registration link (CSEET / Executive / Professional) and create a fresh login; existing students should log in using their existing registration credentials.
3. Fill in personal and educational details accurately – name, date of birth, contact details, qualifying examination details, and category (General/SC/ST/PH, etc.).
4. Upload the required documents (see checklist below) in the specified format and size.
5. Make the online payment for the applicable registration fee and note down the transaction ID generated.
6. Preview and confirm your application before final submission – corrections after submission are often chargeable or restricted.
7. Download and save the acknowledgment/registration confirmation for your records.
8. Once registered, complete the separate exam enrolment (exam form) for your target session within the enrolment window – registration and exam enrolment are two distinct steps.

Documents Typically Required

• Recent passport-size photograph and scanned signature (as per specified dimensions)
• Proof of date of birth (e.g., Class 10 certificate)
• Class 12 mark sheet/certificate (or proof of appearing, for provisional CSEET registration)
• Graduation/Post-graduation certificate and mark sheet (for direct-entry candidates)
• Category certificate, where a fee concession is being claimed (SC/ST, PH, EBS, domicile certificate, etc.)
• Valid identity proof (Aadhaar, PAN, or passport)
• CSEET scorecard/roll number (for CS Executive registration through the CSEET route)

Document requirements can vary slightly by category and session, so always check the checklist in the specific registration notification you’re applying under.

Important Instructions for Students

• Registration and exam enrolment are separate steps. Registering for a programme does not automatically enrol you for an upcoming exam – you must fill a separate exam form within its own deadline.
• The Pre-Examination Test is mandatory for CS Executive students under the current syllabus and must be cleared before the exam form deadline for a given session – don’t leave this to the last week.
• Registration validity is time-bound (generally five years for Executive and Professional registrations), after which you may need to apply for Registration De Novo or Re-Registration.
• Late fees add up quickly – a missed “without late fee” deadline typically means an extra ₹250, and missing the final late-fee window altogether means waiting for the next session.
• Keep every acknowledgment, payment receipt, and transaction ID until your admission to the exam is fully confirmed.
• Concessions must be claimed with valid supporting documents at the time of registration; they are usually not applied retroactively.
• Because ICSI periodically revises fees, dates, and syllabus-related requirements (as it did with the fee structure in April 2026), always cross-check the current notification on icsi.edu rather than relying on last year’s numbers.

Final Word

Whether you’re just starting out with CSEET, moving into CS Executive, or preparing for the CS Professional Programme, the biggest risk to your CS journey usually isn’t the syllabus – it’s missing a date on the ICSI calendar. Keep this guide handy as a quick reference, but treat the official ICSI website as the final word on any date, fee, or eligibility detail before you register or make a payment.

This article is intended for general guidance only. ICSI dates, fees, and eligibility norms are subject to change; please verify all details on the official website (icsi.edu) before applying.

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