Accountants and Lawyers CPD

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) is the qualifying body for company secretaries and administrators and a leading authority on corporate governance.

In today’s business environment, the company secretary’s expertise in law, corporate social responsibility and corporate governance is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. 52,000 ICSA members and candidates in over 70 countries have chosen to seek qualification as a Chartered Secretary.

Why become a Chartered Secretary?

• The Chartered Secretary qualification enables you to work as a company secretary as well as an accountant or lawyer, thus expanding your career options and employability
• Your CPD requirement is fully accounted for and undertaking the qualification will enable you to maintain and develop your business and financial knowledge and gain new skills that complement your current level of expertise
• Undertaking the qualification can increase your earning capacity. The average salary of a company secretary heading a department in a FTSE 100 is £167,697 and in other Plcs the average is £93,957 (Source: Chambers & Partners Salary Survey 2006/07)
• In an increasingly regulatory environment, directors are often required to have knowledge of legal and regulatory issues. The breadth and depth of the ICSA qualification gives you the skills to handle any aspect of corporate administration.

Am I eligible?

Lawyers and Accountants with over 5 years post qualification experience are eligible for the fast-track scheme. Details as follows:

Pass two modules to achieve the qualification – Corporate Secretarial Practice and Case study.
To be eligible you must have been qualified for five years or more and have five years appropriate experience e.g.

• Company secretarial and legal work
• Corporate governance
• Financial management
• Administration and accounting
• General management and administration
• Pensions
• Insurance

There is a special package price for this scheme of £1,275.The package price includes a non-refundable registration fee, a one year annual subscription fee, exemption fees and one exam entry for both of the applicable modules. 

Less than 5 years post-qualification experience:

Lawyers have to sit Governance, Financial Decision Making, Corporate Secretarial Practice and CSQS case study.

Accountants have to sit Governance, Corporate Law, Corporate Secretarial Practice and CSQS case study.

How do I apply?

Step by step process http://www.icsa.org.uk/join-us/study-to-be-a-chartered-secretary/how-to-register