CS - Foundation Programme : Course Structure

ICSI • CS (2008) • FP : Foundation Programme • Course Structure

Course Level Name/Identification

CS - FP : Company Secretaries - Foundation Programme

This is the identification for the first/lowest/starting level of the CS course conducted by the ICSI.

This is the Lowest level at which a student can start pursuing the CS i.e. Company Secretaries course.

This is the entry level course for any student intending to take up the CS course after their 10 + 2 or intermediate.

Course Duration

Minimum - 8 months

It is the period starting from the time the student gets registered for the course, to the time the student completes the coaching and other formalities required for being eligible for appearing at the main examination at this level.

Since the main examinations are conducted once every six months only, the actual time gap between registration and appearing at the main examination may be more than 8 months.

Register on	Eligible by	First Exam	Time Spent
31^st March	1^st December	December	8 months
31^st December	1^st August	December	11 months

Exam Frequency

The main/final examinations for the CS FP level are conducted twice every year generally on specified dates which do not change, except under extraordinary circumstances.

June Examination
First Week of June
[2^nd to 5^th – 2 pm to 5 pm].
December Examination
Last Week of December
[30^th to 2^nd January – 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm].

Minimum Requirements : Age, Academic Qualifications

Minimum Age

There is no stipulation as to the minimum age required for registering for the course.

Note

It should be noted that, for registering for the subsequent level a candidate should have completed 17 years age on the date of making application for registration.

Minimum Academic/Educational Qualifications

A pass at the 10 + 2 (Senior secondary/intermediate) examination of a Board/University recognised by the Central Government or State Government.

Candidates who have appeared at the 10+2 (intermediate) examination and are confident of getting through the exam, can register provisionally.

Group (MPC/MEC/BiPC ...)

There is no stipulation as to the group that a student should have taken up at the 10 + 2 examination. Students of all groups are eligible for taking up the CS (Company Secretaries) course at the FP (Foundation Programme) level.

Medium (English, Hindi, ... )

There is no stipulation as to the medium that a student should have taken up at the 10 + 2 examination. Students of all mediums are eligible for taking up the CS FP level.

Note

This course is available only in English and Hindi media.

Minimum Percentage (%)

There is no stipulation as to the minimum percentage that a student should have got at the 10 + 2 examination. Just a pass at the examination is sufficient.

Are Supplementary Passed Candidates Eligible?

There is no restriction of any sort on the eligibility of supplementary passed candidates in taking up CS FP (company secretaries foundation programme) level. The minimum academic qualification required is just a pass at the 10 + 2 level.

A candidate can pursue the course even if he/she is a supplementary passed candidate at the 10 + 2 (senior secondary/intermediate) level.

Pursuing along with 10 + 2 or Intermediate

Can start only after 10 + 2

The course at this level is designed for being pursued by the students along with their Graduation after their 10 + 2 (senior secondary/intermediate). Pursuing this course along with 10 + 2 (intermediate/senior secondary) is not a possibility.

Provisional Registration - For starting immediately after 10 + 2 Exams

A student who has appeared for the 10 + 2 (senior secondary/intermediate) examination may apply for CS FP (company secretaries foundation programme) level course provisionally, thereby starting the pursuit of this course even before the results of the 10 + 2 or intermediate examinations are out.

The candidate should be able to provide the results of the qualifying examination (10 + 2/senior secondary/intermediate) within 6 months of such registration, failing which the registration would get canceled.

Note

This is useful for students writing their exams in March/April as students registering before March 31^st can appear at the following December examination.

Pursuing along with Formal Graduation Courses

Pursuing along with Graduation

There is no restriction with regard to pursuance of CS FP (company secretaries foundation programme) level along with any other course i.e. any graduation course or diploma course. It is designed for being pursued along with Graduation after their 10 + 2 (senior secondary/intermediate).

A student on passing the CS FP level would be taking up the CS EP level. The course at the both these levels can be pursued along with graduation/post-graduation courses.

Pursuing along with B.Sc | B.Tech | M.B.B.S | ...

Since the course is basically commerce oriented, the best bet is a student doing this course along with formal B.Com course of any university.

However this is not a requirement/compulsion. Even students doing their Graduation course in the science stream, can pursue this course along with their graduation (i.e. B.Sc). Even students doing engineering, medicine etc can also pursue this course along with their graduation courses.

These would be useful to those who are capable of building their own enterprises in their profession like corporate hospitals etc.

Are Graduates required to take up this level?

Graduates are not required to take up this level. They can start their pursuit of the CS course at the CS EP (company secretaries executive programme) level directly.

The CS FP level is thus the entry level only for those students who intend to take up the course after their 10 + 2 (intermediate/senior secondary) i.e. along with their graduation.

The admission requirements for the CS EP (Company Secretaries Executive Programme) level of the course stipulates that the student should have qualified in either CS FP (Company Secretaries Foundation Programme) or should be a Graduate.

Course Structure Pattern

The CS FP (Company Secretaries Foundation Programme) level course consists of only theoretical examinations. There are 7 subjects arranged into 4 papers of 100 marks each.

Starting after
Inter/(10 + 2)

Foundation Programme
[7 subjects arranged into
4 papers of 100 marks each.]
↓

Starting after
Graduation/(10 + 2 + 3)

Executive Programme
[11 subjects arranged into 2 modules
of 3 papers of 100 marks each.]
↓
Professional Programme
[15 subjects arranged into 4 modules
of 2 papers of 100 marks each.]
↓
Licenciate ICSI
Temporary Status till membership is acquired.
(This is not a kind of membership)
↓
Pre Membership Training [16 months]
The training includes

TOP - Training Orientation Programme for 5 days
ADP - Academic Development Programme for 25 hours
SMTP - Secretarial Modular Training Programme for 15 days

↓
Associate Membership
↓
Post Qualification Courses [Optional]

A student has to get through the papers at this level and thereby pass the foundation programme level to be eligible to go to the next level (Executive Programme) of the course.

Pass Marks

To pass/qualify at the examination a student has to obtain a minimum of 40% in each paper and an aggregate of 50% in all the papers together, failing which the student has to reappear in all the papers again.

Exemptions

Wherein the student has failed the examination but has obtained high marks in one or more papers as specified, there are certain exemptions from appearing in that paper.