NIMB EDU
On ICSI’s own fees, the full CS journey costs about Rs 94,000 if you start with the entrance test (CSEET) and about Rs 90,000 if you are a graduate entering the Executive Programme directly, assuming you pass every exam at the first attempt. Of that, about Rs 54,000 and Rs 50,000 is registration, exam fees and orientation, and about Rs 40,000 is the Executive Development Programme (EDP) and Corporate Leadership Development Programme (CLDP), which most fee pages omit. Coaching, which ICSI does not price, is extra.
Search results quote very different totals for the same course, mostly because they mix old and new schedules. ICSI restructured CSEET from the June 2026 session, and its registration fee is now Rs 7,500. This page uses ICSI’s fee-structure PDF, the restructured CSEET announcement and the training guidelines, all read in October 2026. For eligibility, papers and training rules, see the CS course guide; for pay, company secretary salary in India.
What is the total fee for the CS course?
The registration and exam total is about Rs 54,000 on the CSEET route and Rs 50,000 on direct entry, without the optional journal. Each failed attempt adds exam fees. The table shows how the figures are built.
| Item | CSEET route | Direct entry (graduates) |
|---|---|---|
| CSEET registration (includes induction and online classes) | 7,500 | Not needed |
| CSEET exam fee, one session | 1,500 | Not needed |
| Executive Programme registration package | 18,400 | 23,400 |
| Executive exams, both groups (1,500 each) | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| Professional Programme package | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Professional exams, both groups (1,800 each) | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| Total | 54,000 | 50,000 |
The totals are our addition of ICSI’s figures. The sources are ICSI’s fee structure and its restructured CSEET announcement. The optional Rs 500 journal subscription at Executive registration would make them Rs 54,500 and Rs 50,500. Fees are as read on 23 October 2026, and ICSI revises them, so check the portal before paying.
What does CSEET cost?
CSEET costs Rs 7,500 to register and Rs 1,500 for each exam session. The registration fee includes the one-day Student Induction Programme and the online classes. Registration is valid for three years, and you pay it only once however many sessions you sit (ICSI CSEET FAQ).
A late fee of Rs 250 applies if you enrol after the normal window. For the February 2027 session the normal window runs from 16 November to 15 December 2026 and the late window to 20 December (ICSI dates for 2026). The Dubai centre adds US$ 100, and ICSI does not refund CSEET fees except for double payment. Many pages still quote Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000 or Rs 4,500 for CSEET, which do not match ICSI’s current schedule.
What does the Executive Programme cost?
The Executive Programme package is Rs 18,400 for CSEET passers and CS Foundation passers, and Rs 23,400 for graduates entering directly, before the optional Rs 500 journal. The extra Rs 5,000 for direct entry is the CSEET exemption fee.
| Head | Through CSEET | Direct entry |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Education fee | 12,900 | 12,900 |
| CSEET exemption fee | Nil | 5,000 |
| Pre-exam test fee | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Three-day orientation programme | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| Chartered Secretary journal, one year (optional) | 500 | 500 |
| Total with journal | 18,900 | 23,900 |
ICSI’s course brochure lists the same package as Rs 18,400 and Rs 23,400 without the journal. Direct admission is open to graduates, postgraduates, CA Intermediate and CMA Final passers, and to final-year students provisionally.
What does the Professional Programme cost?
The Professional Programme costs Rs 20,000: a Rs 19,000 education fee and a Rs 1,000 pre-examination test fee. The registration fee for this stage is nil. You can register once you have passed both Executive groups under the same syllabus (ICSI student-services FAQ).
How much are the exam fees and other charges?
Executive exams cost Rs 1,500 per group and Professional exams Rs 1,800 per group, effective from the December 2024 session. Taking both groups together costs Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,600. The next sitting is from 21 to 28 December 2026 (ICSI result announcement).
| Charge | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Late fee for the exam form | 250 | After the normal enrolment window |
| Change of centre, module, medium or elective | 250 per change | On request |
| Registration de novo | 2,000 | Within two years of the earlier registration expiring |
| Registration de novo, late | 3,000 | After two years, up to five years from expiry |
| Continuation of registration | 1,000 a year | Professional passed, training still pending |
| Paper-wise exemption on a higher qualification | 1,000 per paper | For example ICMAI Final or an LL.B. with 50% |
Registration for Executive and Professional is valid for five years (ICSI FAQ). A retake costs exam fees, not registration: retaking one CSEET session, one Executive group and one Professional group once each adds Rs 4,800 (1,500 plus 1,500 plus 1,800, our arithmetic).
What do the training programmes cost?
The EDP and CLDP together cost Rs 40,000 on top of the registration and exam fees. ICSI’s guidelines for each programme state the fee, and these figures are not in the main fee-structure sheet, which is why most fee guides miss them.
| Programme | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Student Induction Programme (1 day) | 500 | Already inside the CSEET registration fee |
| Three Days Orientation Programme | 2,500 | Already inside the Executive registration package |
| Executive Development Programme, 15 days online | 2,000 | Paid on the Stimulate portal |
| Executive Development Programme, 15 days classroom | 8,000 | Includes refreshments, working lunch and Rs 300 of study material |
| Corporate Leadership Development Programme, Phase I (15 days, non-residential) | 10,000 | Includes lunch, refreshments and a kit |
| Corporate Leadership Development Programme, Phase II (15 days, residential) | 20,000 | Includes stay and meals |
| EDP and CLDP together | 40,000 | Our addition of the four fees above |
Sources are ICSI’s guidelines for the EDP, CLDP, TDOP and SIP. The guidelines say the fees apply “unless otherwise prescribed from time to time”, and the classroom programmes are run on a self-sustained basis, so confirm the amount when the batch opens. If you cancel a batch, the office carries the fee forward or refunds it with 10% deducted.
Some students take a different CLDP route. A student with full exemption from training, or who passed the Professional Programme at least five years before applying, can take an online CLDP for Rs 50,000 (30 days) or Rs 30,000 (15 days, for students already enrolled in an online CLDP before March 2025). A student exempted from training pays an exemption processing fee of Rs 20,000, of which 80% is refunded if ICSI finds the student ineligible (ICSI exemption guidelines).
| Item | CSEET route | Direct entry (graduates) |
|---|---|---|
| Registration, exams and orientation (first table) | 54,000 | 50,000 |
| EDP (online plus classroom) | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| CLDP (Phase I plus Phase II) | 30,000 | 30,000 |
| Total | 94,000 | 90,000 |
This is our arithmetic, not an ICSI figure. It leaves out the optional journal, coaching, travel and stay for the classroom programmes, and membership fees.
What do coaching and study material cost?
ICSI does not price private coaching, so no official figure exists. What ICSI provides is the study material at registration, free online classes for CSEET students, and online master and doubt-clearing classes for Executive and Professional. Classroom teaching at its regional offices and chapters is charged at what the FAQ calls a “very nominal fee”, without a published amount. Totals of Rs 1 lakh or more online usually add private coaching. If you buy it, ask for the fee per stage, what is included, the refund terms, and whether the batch covers the restructured CSEET and Syllabus 2022.
Are there fee concessions and scholarships?
Yes. ICSI gives concessions to specified groups and runs merit and merit-cum-means scholarship schemes. In the fee structure, SC/ST students get 50% off CSEET fees, Executive and Professional registration, and exam fees. Persons with disabilities get 50% off CSEET, pay only the Rs 2,000 Executive registration fee at that stage, and get 75% off Executive and Professional exam fees. Several regional, service and income-based categories get 50% to 100% at Executive registration only.
ICSI’s documents show different CSEET concession percentages for some categories (Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, for example), so confirm yours on the registration portal. Scholarship schemes are on ICSI’s merit scholarship and merit-cum-means assistance pages, and we have not quoted their amounts.
Does the training stipend offset the cost?
Only partly. ICSI’s training guidelines set a minimum stipend of Rs 5,000 a month “or as determined by the Council”, payable from the first month, for the 21 months (ICSI training guidelines). Over that period the minimum is about Rs 1,05,000 (our arithmetic), which can cover the registration and exam fees but not the whole Rs 90,000 to Rs 94,000 once the EDP and leadership programme are added, because the EDP comes before training and the CLDP after it. Employers may pay above the minimum.
When do you pay what, and what does membership cost?
Most of the cost arrives in lumps at the start of each stage: Rs 7,500 and Rs 1,500 for CSEET, Rs 18,400 at Executive registration, Rs 10,000 for the EDP after the Executive pass, Rs 20,000 at Professional registration, exam fees at each sitting, and Rs 30,000 for the CLDP after the Professional pass and training. ICSI’s fee documents mention no instalment scheme for CS, unlike ICMAI’s for CMA, and we could not find an ICSI rule for it. Pay through the SMASH portal by card, net banking or Canara Bank challan. If you pay twice, write to ICSI’s Directorate of Student Services for a refund of the excess.
Once you qualify, you pay a yearly fee. For FY 2026-27, ICSI lists Rs 2,950 for an Associate and Rs 3,540 for a Fellow with the physical Chartered Secretary journal, and Rs 2,360 and Rs 2,950 if you opt out, all including 18% GST. A Certificate of Practice costs Rs 2,360 a year, and members aged 70 or more get a 75% concession (ICSI notice for FY 2026-27). We could not open a current ICSI page for the one-time entrance fee, so we quote none.
Is exemption cheaper than sitting the exam?
Slightly, if you hold the right qualification. A paper-wise exemption costs Rs 1,000 a paper, where an exam costs Rs 1,500 per Executive group or Rs 1,800 per Professional group. ICSI grants exemption on an LL.B. (50% or more) for Executive Paper 1 and on ICMAI Final for several Executive and Professional papers (ICSI exemption notice). The fee saving is small, but skipping a paper you might otherwise fail is the larger gain.
Is the CS course worth the money?
ICSI’s fees are modest next to most professional degrees. The larger costs are time and repeating a stage: in the June 2026 results the Executive pass rates reported by TaxGuru were 17.41% and 22.19% by group (more in the main guide). To compare, read CA course fees, CMA course fees and CA vs CS vs CMA vs ACCA. For other routes, see every option after 12th commerce, and if you are a graduate, the options after B.Com compared or which accounting course to take.
Frequently asked questions
What is the total fee of the CS course in India?
About Rs 94,000 from CSEET and Rs 90,000 for direct entry at first attempt, adding ICSI’s registration, exam, EDP and leadership programme fees (our addition). Registration and exams alone are about Rs 54,000 and Rs 50,000. Coaching is extra.
What is the CSEET fee?
Rs 7,500 at registration, including the induction programme and online classes, plus Rs 1,500 for each exam session. Registration is valid for three years.
What is the CS Executive fee?
Rs 18,400 through CSEET and Rs 23,400 for direct entry, before an optional Rs 500 journal. Exams cost Rs 1,500 per group.
What is the CS Professional fee?
Rs 20,000, made up of a Rs 19,000 education fee and a Rs 1,000 pre-exam test fee. Exams cost Rs 1,800 per group.
How much does the CS Executive Development Programme (EDP) cost?
Rs 10,000 in total: Rs 2,000 for the 15-day online part and Rs 8,000 for the 15-day classroom part, per ICSI’s EDP guidelines.
How much is the CLDP fee?
Rs 10,000 for Phase I and Rs 20,000 for Phase II, so Rs 30,000, unless ICSI prescribes otherwise. Online CLDP options for specified groups cost Rs 30,000 or Rs 50,000.
Is there a CS scholarship?
Yes. ICSI has merit and merit-cum-means schemes, and fee concessions for SC/ST students, students with disabilities and several regional and service categories.
Is CSEET fee refundable?
No. ICSI states that CSEET fees are not refunded under any circumstances, including ineligibility, except for double payment.
Do graduates pay less than Class 12 students?
About Rs 4,000 less in total on the figures above. Graduates skip the Rs 9,000 of CSEET payments but pay a Rs 5,000 exemption fee.
Can I pay the CS fee in instalments?
We found no instalment scheme in ICSI’s fee documents. Each stage’s fee is payable at registration through the SMASH portal.
What is the annual ACS membership fee?
For FY 2026-27, ICSI lists Rs 2,950 for an Associate with the physical journal and Rs 2,360 if you opt out, including GST.
Still deciding?
Fees are only one input. If you are weighing CS against CA, CMA, a degree or a shorter course, talk it through with a counsellor first. See career counselling, or call 9212008787 or message us on WhatsApp.
