Checked 30 September 2026. From the ICSI restructuring announcement (10.04.2026), the CSEET FAQ (listed 08.09.2026), the student-services FAQ (updated 18.09.2026) and ICSI result releases, read 30 September 2026. ICSI documents disagree on some dates; each disagreement is printed below.
For six years CSEET was the easy part of becoming a Company Secretary: a short objective test on a computer, taken at home under remote proctoring, held several times a year. That is over. ICSI restructured CSEET "effective from June 2026 session". The last remote-proctored CSEET was the January 2026 session, and from June 2026 CSEET is a four-day, centre-based, pen-and-paper exam: three subjective 100-mark papers and one OMR paper, with a new pass rule of 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate in one sitting. This guide sets the old and new tests side by side, explains which rules apply to whom, and lists the dates that now matter.
ICSI restructuring announcement (10.04.2026), CSEET FAQ and June 2026 result announcement.
Old vs new, feature by feature
| What | Before (to January 2026) | Now (from June 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Remote proctored | At designated exam centres "across different cities in India" (FAQ); Dubai is available as an overseas centre at a surcharge |
| Papers | Four objective sections (our earlier record) | Business Communication, Fundamentals of Accounting, Economic and Business Environment (subjective, 3 h each); Business Laws and Management (OMR, 2 h) |
| Length | One sitting | Four days; October 2026 ran 1, 3, 5 and 6 October |
| Sessions | January, May, July, November in 2024 and 2025 (ICSI result releases) | February, June, October, first week of the month |
| Pass rule | Not restated (no longer applies) | 40% in each paper and 50% aggregate in one sitting; no exemption or carry forward of marks |
| Registration fee | Not restated (no longer applies) | Rs 7,500, including the Student Induction Programme and online classes |
| Exam fee | Not restated | Rs 1,500 per session |
| Mandatory step | None found | One-day Student Induction Programme within one month of registration, before you can enrol for an exam |
| Registration validity | Not restated | 3 years from the month of registration, with any number of sittings inside it |
| Result validity | Not restated | 1 year from the result; register for CS Executive within it |
| Marksheet | Not restated | E-marksheet only; no physical copy |
Sources: ICSI restructuring announcement (10.04.2026) sections B to Q; CSEET FAQ; SIP announcement; October 2026 time table; ICSI result press releases. We describe the old test only where an ICSI document supports it; where we have no ICSI text for an old rule we say so rather than guess.
- 16 December 2025
Registrations from this date fall under the restructured CSEET (CSEET FAQ). Students registering from this date must also complete the Student Induction Programme. - 10 and 12 January 2026
The last CSEET in remote proctored mode (ICSI January 2026 result release; the FAQ gives 10 January). - 20 January 2026
January 2026 result declared: 80.5% of candidates passed, the highest rate in any ICSI release we found. - 28 February 2026
Last date to register for the June 2026 sitting (announcement of 10.04.2026 and ICSI important dates for 2026). - 10 April 2026
Date printed on the version of the restructuring announcement on ICSI's site today. - 1 to 4 June 2026
First centre-based sitting, four papers (result announcement). - 15 July 2026
June 2026 result declared at 2 PM; verification of marks open 16 July to 5 August. - 1, 3, 5 and 6 October 2026
Second centre-based sitting (time table). E-admit cards posted 23 September. - 31 October 2026
Last date to register for the February 2027 sitting (ICSI Restructured CSEET page and important dates). - 15 November 2026
October 2026 result due, per ICSI's cut-off dates flyer and student-services FAQ (see the result-date conflict in our registration guide).
Amber: the remote-proctored era. Green: the restructured, centre-based test. Dates from ICSI documents listed under Sources.
Why the date on the announcement looks late
The version of the restructuring announcement on ICSI's site is dated 10 April 2026. Yet the FAQ says the restructured test applies to candidates registering on or after 16 December 2025, and ICSI's own result release of 20 January 2026 already announced the restructured June 2026 test. Our reading: the restructuring was decided and applied from December 2025, and the April document is the consolidated announcement now on the site. Nothing in it changes the June 2026 start.
Where other pages get this wrong
ICSI's January 2026 release gave a different June registration deadline from the one ICSI later used.
Commonly published instead: The 20 January 2026 result release said candidates for the restructured June 2026 test "may register upto 15th February, 2026".
ICSI's announcement of 10.04.2026 and its important dates for 2026 both give 28 February 2026 as the last date to register for June 2026 (conflict C10, our finding). The June 2026 sitting was held on 1 to 4 June, which matches the release's "1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th June". The deadline has passed, so this matters only for reading old pages.
Which rules apply to you
The switch was not overnight for everyone. ICSI's documents give three positions:
| Your situation | What ICSI says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| You passed CSEET in the January 2026 remote session | You may register for CS Executive within one year of the January 2026 result, without paying the exemption fee | Restructuring announcement, section B |
| You passed an earlier remote session | The announcement does not name earlier sessions. The general rule is that a CSEET result is valid for one year from the date of declaration | Restructuring announcement, section M (our reading applies it to earlier passes) |
| You registered for CSEET on or after 16 December 2025 | The restructured test applies to you; complete the Student Induction Programme within a month and before enrolling | CSEET FAQ question 1; SIP announcement |
| You registered under the old scheme and had not passed by January 2026 | Not found. We found no ICSI statement on how such registrations carry over. Ask ICSI before paying anything | None found (30 September 2026) |
| You are a graduate, final-year student, CS Foundation, CA Intermediate or CMA Final pass | You are exempt from CSEET and may register for CS Executive directly | Restructuring announcement, section D (see our exemption guide) |
Which CSEET rules apply to me?
What did not change
CSEET is still the entrance to the CS Executive Programme, and passing it (or being exempt) is still a condition of Executive registration under Regulation 20(1) of the Company Secretaries Regulations, 1982. The Regulations leave the "manner, mode and eligibility" of the test to ICSI's Council. Our reading: that is why the switch to a centre-based exam needed a Council announcement rather than an amendment to the Regulations. It is still open only to Indian nationals, and it still leads, after the Executive and Professional stages and training, to ICSI membership.
What changes for how you study
Our reading of what the new format rewards
- Writing speed and structure. Three papers of three hours each are written answers. Practise complete answers against the clock.
- Accountancy. Fundamentals of Accounting is a full 100-mark paper and the pass rule needs 40 in it. Students without commerce in school should start it first.
- Stamina. Four papers over about a week (1 to 6 October in 2026). Plan revision for the gaps between papers.
- Consistency across papers. One weak paper under 40 fails the whole sitting, however well the others go. Nothing carries forward to the next attempt.
- Travel. You now go to a centre. ICSI does not allow a change of centre within the same city, and centre changes to another city cost Rs 250 each in the change window.
ICSI time table, restructuring announcement and October 2026 enrolment announcement.
What the pass rates suggest so far
Under the remote format the share of candidates passing rose from 55.81% (January 2024) to 80.5% in the last remote sitting (January 2026), per ICSI's result releases. ICSI has not published a pass percentage for the first centre-based sitting in any document we found. Careers360 reports 67.59% for June 2026. If that figure is right, roughly one candidate in three failed the first new-format sitting, against about one in five in January 2026 (our arithmetic). The full series is in our pass-marks guide.
The June 2026 figure is not from ICSI; the paler bar marks it as reported. No ICSI release for June 2026 had appeared by 30 September 2026.
Dates that matter next
| Date | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15 November 2026 | October 2026 result due | ICSI cut-off dates flyer and student-services FAQ (the CSEET FAQ says "last week of November"; the announcement says "latest by" November) |
| 31 October 2026 | Last date to register for the February 2027 sitting | ICSI Restructured CSEET page; important dates for 2026 |
| 16 November to 15 December 2026 | February 2027 enrolment (late fee to 20 December) | ICSI important dates for 2026 |
| 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 | February 2027 change window (centre changes) | ICSI important dates for 2026 |
| First week of February 2027 | February 2027 CSEET | February 2027 flyer; announcement |
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). Every rule below is quoted or summarised from ICSI documents, and ICSI decides every individual case.
Is CSEET online or offline now?
Offline. From the June 2026 session CSEET is held at designated exam centres in Indian cities, with Dubai as an overseas option. The last remote-proctored CSEET was the January 2026 session.
Can I take CSEET from home?
No. Home-based remote proctoring ended with the January 2026 session.
I passed CSEET in January 2026. Do I need to take the new test?
No. ICSI says January 2026 passers may register for the CS Executive Programme within one year of their result without paying the exemption fee.
How many times a year is the new CSEET held?
Three: in the first week of February, June and October.
Why is the pass rate lower now?
ICSI has not published a June 2026 pass percentage. Careers360 reports 67.59%, against 80.5% in the last remote sitting. The new test has three written papers, a full accounting paper and a 40% minimum in every paper, but ICSI has given no explanation of its own.
Does the new pass rule allow carrying marks forward?
No. You must get 40% in each paper and 50% in aggregate in one sitting, and ICSI says there is no exemption or carry forward of marks.
I registered before 16 December 2025 and have not passed. What happens?
We found no ICSI statement on this. Contact ICSI through support.icsi.edu or the helpdesk on 0120-4522000 before paying any new fee.
Is the Student Induction Programme compulsory?
Yes, for students registered from 16 December 2025. It is a one-day programme to be completed within one month of registration, and ICSI will not let you enrol for a sitting without it.
Sources
- official — ICSI — Announcement: Restructuring of CSEET, effective from the June 2026 session (dated 10.04.2026, PDF)
- official — ICSI — FAQs on Restructured CSEET (listed 08-09-2026, PDF)
- official — ICSI — Student services FAQs, Part 1 on CSEET (updated 18.09.2026, PDF)
- official — ICSI — CSEET June 2026 session result announcement (PDF)
- official — ICSI — Verification of marks, CSEET June 2026 session (PDF)
- official — ICSI — CSEET October 2026 session time table (PDF)
- official — ICSI — E-Admit Card, October 2026 CSEET (PDF)
- official — ICSI — Introduction of the Student Induction Programme for CSEET (PDF)
- official — ICSI — Important dates for 2026 (PDF)
- official — ICSI — Company Secretaries Regulations, 1982, Regulation 20 (ICSI book, PDF)
- official — ICSI — Restructured CSEET page and latest updates (read 30 September 2026)
- official — ICSI — CSEET eligibility and cut-off dates flyer (PDF)
- official — ICSI — Important announcement for CSEET October 2026 examination (dated 16-07-2026, PDF)
- official — ICSI press release — Result of CSEET January 2026 session (declared 20 January 2026, PDF)
- official — ICSI press release — Result of CSEET January 2024 session (declared 19 January 2024, PDF)
- reported — Careers360 — CSEET pass percentage (reports 67.59% for June 2026; not an ICSI document)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
