Welcome to ICSA

All you need to know about becoming a Chartered Secretary

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

2 Welcome to icsa
 Contents

Contents
What is a Chartered Secretary?
What does a Chartered Secretary do?
What salary can a Chartered Secretary expect?
pages 4–5

Welcome to ICSA
What sort of people join ICSA?
How do I become a Chartered Secretary?
What is the ICSA qualifying scheme?
pages 6–7

Which modules do I need to study?

How can I study?
How long does the qualification take?
How much will it cost me?
What support will I get during my study?
pages 8–9

What is the Membership journey?

What are the benefits of Membership?

pages 10–11

Frequently asked questions

page 13

How to register
page 14

www.icsa.org.uk 3
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

What is a Chartered What does a Chartered

Secretary?
Chartered Secretaries are high-ranking professionals with a
broad base of skills unique among the professions. Trained in
corporate law, finance, governance, company secretaryship
and management, Chartered Secretaries are the focal point
for independent advice about the conduct of business,
governance and compliance. Highly valued by employers,
they are key players with the skills, vision and values to take
their organisations forward.
Qualifying as a Chartered Secretary opens up a wealth of
career opportunities – across sectors, internationally, within
organisations and in practice.
Chartered Secretaries work in a number of different careers and
across a variety of sectors including corporate, not-for-profit
and charity. Some work as company secretaries for FTSE 100
companies earning an average base salary of over £190,000.*
Others have roles such as chief executive, chairman, director
of legal services or in-house counsel, or they work in practice
offering business and legal services to a range of clients.
Secretary do?
The specific responsibilities of a Chartered Secretary vary
depending upon the level of the job role, the size of the
organisation and the sector in which it operates. However,
responsibilities may include:
 advising the board on effective decision-making, legal and
regulatory matters and risk management;
 developing and managing strategies to ensure compliance
with legal and statutory requirements;
 identifying areas for improved corporate governance;
 implementing changes in relevant legislation;
 managing board, shareholder and trustee communications,
reports and meetings;
 liaising with auditors, lawyers and tax advisers;
 leading on issues essential to business performance such
as negotiation of contracts, finance, accounting, insurance
and property; and
 interpreting and advising on financial reporting.

With the opportunity to work overseas using an internationally

recognised qualification, becoming a Chartered Secretary is a
passport to a challenging, versatile and well-rewarded career.

What salary can a Average base salary for a company secretary*

Chartered Secretary
Category of employer Average salary
FTSE 100 £193,105

expect? FTSE 250

Other PLCs
£114,030
£95,680

Salaries vary greatly depending on job role and organisation type. Private t/o £1bn+ £107,782
As a guide, a fully qualified Chartered Secretary working in the Private t/o £250m – £1bn £85,243
private sector earns anything between £56,000 and £193,000 on Private t/o under £250m £66,218
average with top company secretaries for a FTSE 100 company Charity/not-for-profit £56,523
earning up to £335,000 basic.* Salaries within the charity/not-for-
*Information taken from Chambers and Partners Salary Survey 2009–2010
profit sectors tend to be lower.

A company secretarial assistant earns on average between

£30,000 and £35,000 with top roles offering over £43,000.*
Some of our students start their career in a secretarial assistant
role and study for the ICSA qualification at the same time, so they
gain valuable professional experience as well as earning an income
and gaining a professional qualification.

4 Welcome to icsa
 Charles Brown FCIS is company secretary
at Experian plc and a Fellow of ICSA:
‘Being a Chartered Secretary equips me with a qualification that
is specific to the role of company secretary. I enjoy the variety,
the level of interaction and exposure at the most senior levels
of the company and the unique role and insights you receive
as company secretary and trusted adviser to the chairman, CEO
and board. Being a company secretary is a unique role that can
offer you significant exposure and reward (equivalent to senior
lawyers and accountants) at the pinnacle of your career. Even as a
trainee. I was regularly interacting with main board directors, an
opportunity which was not available to any other trainees from
other professions within the organisation. This is a profession that
has offered me the opportunity of significant career progression
at a relatively young age.’
Bernadette Barber FCIS runs her own
freelance company secretarial consultancy
business and is a Fellow of ICSA:
‘My company offers company secretarial and governance services
to organisations in the private, public and third sectors.
I undertake one-off projects as well as performing on-going
roles for my clients. This can include advising on governance
structures, servicing board meetings or undertaking corporate
changes for my clients. A Chartered Secretary has access to
many different career paths because they develop wide-ranging
and flexible skills.’
www.icsa.org.uk 5
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
Welcome to ICSA
ICSA (The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators)
is the international qualifying and Membership body for the
Chartered Secretary profession and the world’s leading authority
on corporate governance.
What sort of people join ICSA?
The profession of Chartered Secretary attracts a wide variety
of people. Many of our Members were previously working in
the legal professions or as accountants. Many join us as new
graduates who are looking for a diverse and rewarding career
and want to fast-track their route to the boardroom. Some
people are already working in entry-level roles in corporate
governance and want to take their career to the next step.
Whatever your situation, we can support you in becoming
a Chartered Secretary and starting a career in an exciting,
challenging and rewarding profession.
Whilst people entering the profession are from all sorts of
backgrounds with varying levels of education and experience,
there are some skills that all our Members share:
6 Welcome to icsa
We support our students through their studies and support our
Members throughout their careers. By influencing government and
regulators and working with our Members, we lead in shaping the
governance agenda and promoting the best practice essential for
organisational performance.
 a keen interest in business and the legal and regulatory
environment within which it operates;
 strong strategic instincts;
 an ability to absorb and digest technical knowledge;
 highly developed numeracy and literacy skills;
 the confidence to communicate with and influence
stakeholders at all levels, including board members
and shareholders;
 impeccable organisational skills;
 an ability to focus on detail and work to a high level of
accuracy while balancing competing priorities; and
 well-developed integrity and a belief in the importance
of transparency.
How do I become a Chartered Secretary?
The first stage to becoming a Chartered Secretary is to study the
qualifying scheme and pass the relevant exams. Once you have
successfully completed the exams and paid your graduate fee, you
will be given the grade Graduate and designated the title GradICSA
which you can use after your name.
To become a full Member of ICSA and a Chartered Secretary, you also
need to demonstrate a certain level of professional experience. Many
students study while they work and are able to gain their professional
experience at the same time as studying. Full details on becoming a full
Member can be found on page 10.

What is the ICSA qualifying scheme?

ICSA’s Chartered Secretary qualifying scheme is one of the broadest- Part 1 modules
based professional qualifications, equipping you for a variety of  Financial accounting
different career paths.  Corporate law
 Strategic and operations management
Valued worldwide by employers, this highly marketable qualification  Management accounting
comprises of two parts, each with four modules. You may need to
study all eight modules or, depending on your existing qualifications, Part 2 modules
you may be exempt from some modules.  Corporate governance
 Corporate secretaryship
 Corporate administration
 Corporate financial management

Assessment for each module is via an exam. Exams are held in June
and November. For more details on exact dates and exam centres
please visit www.icsa.org.uk/study.

Craig Hunter FCIS is managing

director of VERSEC Limited,
an award winning company
secretarial solutions provider.
He is also a member of the
board of British Swimming and
the England Chef de Mission
for the XIX Commonwealth Games, Delhi 2010.
Craig is a Fellow of ICSA:

‘I would definitely recommend the ICSA qualification.

The diverse nature of the training helped to
prepare me for all manners of challenges. It’s a
great qualification and is a passport to future
success. Being a Chartered Secretary means great
opportunities careerwise.’

www.icsa.org.uk 7
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

Which modules do
I need to study?
If you already have a related degree (e.g.
accountancy, law or finance) or a relevant
professional qualification (such as CIMA,
ACCA, ICAEW, CIPFA or Law Society), you
may be exempt from certain modules.

For example, a CIMA qualified accountant

may only need to study four of the modules.
A recent law graduate with a recognised Rob Bellhouse FCIS is company secretary of
qualification may also only need to do four Lonmin Plc and a Fellow of ICSA:
modules, although these may be different to
those that an accountant would study.

To find out which modules you need to study,

contact our student support team who will be
able to advise you on a programme to suit your
qualifications. Alternatively, visit our website
for more information.
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7580 4741
E-mail: studentsupport@icsa.co.uk
Website: www.icsa.org.uk/study
‘Having enough accounting knowledge to talk to the accountants, enough
tax knowledge to talk to the tax guys and enough law knowledge to talk to
lawyers, has been invaluable. Doing all my training on the job was the perfect
way to learn. At 24, I was effectively secretary of a mid-FTSE 250 construction
company and learned a vast amount in the process. Becoming a Chartered
Secretary is a fast-track way of reaching the boardroom of the company, and
becoming part of the senior management team.’

8 Welcome to icsa
 How can I study?
You can study for the ICSA qualification via a variety of routes:
 self-study;
 distance learning delivered by independent tuition providers;
 part-time attendance at classes delivered by independent
tuition providers; or
 full-time attendance on collaborative Masters courses at partner
universities. These post-graduate collaborative courses mean you
gain the University’s post-graduate award in addition to the ICSA
Graduate status (GradICSA).
For details of tuition providers and collaborative Masters courses
please visit www.icsa.org.uk.
How much will it cost me?
The registration fee for each module covers a full study package
and includes registration onto the programme, provision of the study
text, access to online student support and entry to the first attempt
at the examination.
Fee
per module £600 (€740)
Once you have passed the exams, you will need to pay an annual fee:
Annual graduate and Membership fees
Graduate £245
Associate £245
Fellow £275
The above fees are valid until 31 July 2010. Reduced fees are
available to students studying in selected countries outside the EU.
See www.icsa.org.uk/study for details. Full fees information,
including fees for late entry and re-sits etc., can be found on
www.icsa.org.uk.
You need to pay the above module fee, if you are learning via self-
study or via one of our tuition providers. If you plan on studying with
one of our providers, please contact them directly for the additional
tuition fees.
Costs for learning via of our collaborative university Masters courses
vary. Please contact your chosen university for details.
How long does the
qualification take?
Due to the flexibility of study options available, the timeframe in
which the status of GradICSA is achieved can vary. However, if
you study both parts of the professional programme, qualification
typically takes between one and three years. Once you achieve
GradICSA status and you can demonstrate relevant work experience,
you can apply for full Associate Member status (see page 10).
What support will I get
during my study?
The fee for each module includes the cost of a specialist study text.
The texts are designed to provide comprehensive coverage of each
syllabus, and include a range of tests and practice questions and
answers to support study.
As a student of ICSA you will also be kept up-to-date with all the
latest news and information; you will receive monthly copies of the
industry-leading Chartered Secretary magazine as well as regular
student e-newsletters. You will have access to online support, including
study tips and guidance, support on how to answer exam questions,
previous exam papers and additional practice questions and answers.
You will be able to meet other students and practising Chartered
Secretaries via our network of branches and groups. We also offer
discounted access to our events and training courses. In addition,
you will be notified of any work placements which employers may
provide to help you gain valuable professional experience, should
you need it.
www.icsa.org.uk 9
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
What is the Membership journey?
At ICSA we value the relationship we have with our Members
and we are committed to supporting your career and
development and promoting the Chartered Secretary profession.
Making the most of being a Chartered Secretary and enhancing
your knowledge and skills will help you drive your own career
and personal development. We are here to help you throughout
your career, encouraging progression and providing the tools
and professional support you need to do your job.
Passing your exams and obtaining the Graduate grade is the
first step on your Membership journey. You can become a full
Member of ICSA and a Chartered Secretary by becoming an
Associate Member:
 To achieve the Associate grade (ACIS) you must be able to
demonstrate a minimum of six years’ relevant professional
experience. This can be reduced by up to three years for
graduates and holders of other relevant qualifications.
What are the benefits of Membership?
A Chartered professional status can help you open the door to a
new and varied career. When you join us some of the benefits you
will receive are:
 n enhanced professional identity
A Technical help and support
 By becoming a full Member of ICSA you will receive
Chartered status which is recognised internationally and,
from 2010, will be officially classified by the UK’s Office
of National Statistics (ONS).
 upport for your career progression
S
 As a Member you will receive support for your CPD. You
will also be able to attend a variety of targeted training
courses (with a 10 per cent Membership discount). In addition,
you will have access to our recruitment service helping you
to secure new job roles and ensure your CV and interview
technique is up-to-the-minute.
 he latest news and information
T in shaping the policy agenda and evoking change. You will
 You will receive monthly copies of ICSA’s industry-leading
Chartered Secretary magazine. This contains news and features
on subjects of professional interest as well as a wide selection
10 Welcome to icsa
Many Chartered Secretaries study while in employment,
which can count towards Associate status.
The most senior Chartered Secretaries are our Fellows:
 To achieve Fellowship (FCIS) you must demonstrate career
progression to a senior level in a top organisation with at
least eight years’ relevant work experience or equivalent.
Many of our Members work with us to help promote the
profession. Some join us at career and recruitment events to
speak to prospective students, others offer work placements or
trainee programmes to students. Members also get involved in
contributing to debates and issues, responding to consultations
and joining working parties to consider legislation changes.
As a Member of ICSA and a qualified Chartered Secretary you
will have access to the skills, knowledge and support you need
throughout your lifelong career.
of job advertisements. You can also sign up to receive our
weekly Newswire updates, which help to keep you up-to-date
with the latest news and regulatory developments.
 You will have access to a dedicated telephone enquiry service
providing technical advice on a range of subjects to help you
throughout your career. You will also have access to specialist
software for company secretaries and board performance
evaluation services.
Networking opportunities
 You will be able to join Member, sector and regional
groups as well as attend a range conferences and events
(at discounted prices).
 collective voice
A
 As a Member you will have a platform to share your voice
be able to participate in consultation activities and exercise
your voice to support, inform and influence legal and
regulatory frameworks.
 Anthony Panayiotis Michael FCIS is
director and company secretary to a
US Bank in Jersey and a Fellow of ICSA:

‘If you are studying for the ICSA examinations, make sure that
you see your studies through to the end. I believe that once you
are qualified, this will open up many career opportunities. The
qualification itself is recognised worldwide and people know
when they are dealing with a Chartered Secretary that we have
a broad depth of knowledge. The versatility of the qualification
enables you to work in almost any field of your choice.’

www.icsa.org.uk 11
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

12 Welcome to icsa
Frequently asked questions
How do I register with ICSA?
For full details of how to register, please see page 14.

What are the payment methods accepted by the Institute?

The Institute accepts payment by cheque, credit/debit card and bankers draft. All examination
entries must be accompanied by the relevant payment. If your company is paying for your
examinations, you should take a copy of the exam entry form and the student fee sheet to your
finance department. This should be sufficient for your finance department to raise the relevant
cheque. We cannot process any application without the correct payment. All payments must be
in Sterling, although students from the Republic of Ireland can opt to pay in Euros.

What is the closing date for registering for each module?

You must register for each module you wish to study. Closing dates for registering are
as follows:

 1 April for the Summer (June) examination session

 1 October for the Winter (November) examination session

Once I’ve sent my application, what confirmation should I expect to receive?

Once your application has been processed, we will send you a letter confirming the module
you have registered for, the examination centre and the examination session. Around four to
six weeks before the examination date we will send you an admission slip which will confirm
the date, time and precise location of your exam.

Once I have registered, how long will it be before I receive my study text?
If you live in the UK, you should receive your study text within ten working days of the date
your registration was processed. If you live overseas, it may take up to four weeks. We will
usually send materials overseas by courier and therefore please ensure you supply an address at
which your text can be signed for. If you live in Ghana, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Nigeria or Uganda,
you will need to collect your study material from your local ICSA office.

How long should I take to study each module?

How long you need to take to study each module will depend on your own abilities and
circumstances. However, the average student will require three to six months to understand a
module and to be prepared enough to sit the examinations.

I’ve just sat my examination. How long will it be until I receive my results?
You should allow up to nine weeks after your examination for your results. Results are mailed
on the relevant release date and are also available online on the release date.

I do not believe my examination results are correct, how can I appeal for a remark?
The Institute does not remark papers, however, you can request and pay for a Script Report
where the Chief Marker will review your paper and give a report as to the reason why you
received that mark. Please note this is not a remarking exercise.

Can I view past examination papers online?

Yes. Past papers are available around a week after the examination session. Suggested answers
to these questions are usually available up to three months later.

www.icsa.org.uk 13
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

How to register
If you want to register for self-study or distance learning, please follow the four stages below:

STAGE 1: Decide which modules to study

If you have a degree or professional qualification, establish how many modules you need to study either by visiting www.icsa.org.uk/
study or by contacting our student support team. The team can also offer guidance on the order in which to study the modules. You
will also want to decide whether to study one module at a time or two at once.

Phone: +44 (0) 20 7580 4741

E-mail: studentsupport@icsa.co.uk
Website: www.icsa.org.uk/study

If you don’t have a degree or professional qualification, contact our student support team who will be able to advise you on other study
you may need to do prior to starting the qualifying scheme.

STAGE 2: Complete registration forms

Complete the enclosed registration form and also the exam entry form. If you are planning on studying two modules at once, you
should complete two exam entry forms.

STAGE 3: Organise payment

If you are paying by credit or debit card, complete the enclosed payment form. Alternatively, you can pay by cheque, made payable
to ICSA.

The fees information is on page 9. You need to pay £600 (€740) per module, so if you are studying two modules at once, you should
pay £1,200 (€1,480). All students must pay in Sterling, other than those living in the Republic of Ireland, who can pay in Euros.
(These fees are valid until 31 July 2010).

STAGE 4: Send forms and payment

Send your completed forms along with your payment to:

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

16 Park Crescent
London
W1B 1AH
United Kingdom

Please note that we cannot register you until we receive payment.

If you wish to study on a post-graduate collaborative course with one of our partner universities, please contact us for the
relevant details and forms.

14 Welcome to icsa
www.icsa.org.uk 15
The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA)
16 Park Crescent
London
W1B 1AH
United Kingdom

Phone: +44 (0) 20 7580 4741

Fax: +44 (0) 20 7323 1132
E-mail: studentsupport@icsa.co.uk
Website: www.icsa.org.uk