CSEET 2026 — Complete CS Executive Entrance Test Course

The CS Executive Entrance Test is the entry point to the Company Secretary qualification conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. Clearing it admits you to the CS Executive programme, the second of the three stages leading to membership. CSEET is a fully multiple-choice, remote proctored test of 200 marks in 120 minutes, covering four papers of 35 questions each — Business Communication, Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning, Economic and Business Environment, and Current Affairs — 140 questions in total. The viva voce component used in earlier cycles has been removed. Two features should shape how you prepare. First, there is no negative marking at all, which makes the correct strategy unambiguous: submit with all 140 questions answered. Second, qualifying requires 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate — both conditions together. That second rule is what makes Current Affairs consequential. It is a full quarter of the exam and the paper candidates most often treat as unpreparable, yet a score below 40% in it fails the entire attempt regardless of how well the other three went. ICSI runs CSEET three times a year, in February, June and October, and a scorecard remains valid for one year. That frequency makes it a low-risk exam to attempt — but it also means cutoffs are met by preparation rather than by luck, since a candidate can simply take it again. Eligibility & who can join: • Candidates who have passed Class 12 (or an equivalent examination) may register for and appear in CSEET. • Students appearing in Class 12 may also register, subject to submitting proof of passing within the period ICSI prescribes. • Certain candidates are exempt from CSEET and may enter the Executive programme directly — including graduates and postgraduates meeting the prescribed criteria, and candidates who have passed the CA or CMA final examinations, subject to ICSI's current rules. • There is no upper age limit and no cap on the number of attempts; the test is held three times a year. • Always confirm eligibility, exemption categories and registration cut-off dates against the official announcements at icsi.edu. How the course is structured: The course is taught paper by paper, with time allocated to reflect that all four papers carry equal marks and equal 40% floors — an unusual structure that rewards balance far more than specialisation. Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning comes first and runs longest, because it is the least familiar to school leavers and the most teachable from zero. Business Communication and Economic and Business Environment follow, both highly learnable from a defined syllabus. Current Affairs runs as a continuous track from the first week rather than as end-stage revision, because it is a quarter of the exam with its own 40% floor and cannot be compressed into a final fortnight. With no negative marking anywhere, every mock is taken with all 140 questions answered. ICSI holds CSEET in February, June and October; always confirm dates against the official notification.