Know all about ICSI CS 2022 Professional exam topper- Siddh Jain, AIR 10
ICSI CS 2022 exam topper- Siddh Jain shares his exam-taking and preparation strategy. Know his overall score, attempts and key tips that lead him to road of success.
ICSI CS 2022 Exam Topper
ICSI CS 2022 results for the June session were announced on August 25. In this article meet one of the ICSI CS 2022 toppers of Professional Examination- Siddh Jain who scored All India Rank 10. Siddh believes regular preparation is the only key to success. Based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Siddh completed his graduation (in Commerce) in 2022. Despite a failed attempt in December 2021, Siddh never lost hope and his hard work paid off in June 2022.In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, Siddh shares his preparation & exam-taking strategy for ICS CS 2022 Professional examination.
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Shiksha: Congratulations on scoring AIR 10 in the CS Professional Examination! How are you feeling?
Siddh Jain: I am thrilled. It came as a complete surprise to me and my family. I am really happy and it feels like all the hard work, efforts that I had put in, has finally paid off. The feeling of adding the "CS" prefix at the age of 20 is completely amazing. I just cannot express it in words!
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Shiksha: What is your educational background?
Siddh Jain: I completed my 12th from the commerce stream and scored 80% and post that went to pursue graduation in Bachelor of Commerce from K.P.B. Hinduja College of Commerce, Mumbai and scored 88%.
Q: Can I get into ICSI Delhi with 70%?
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) in Delhi has specific eligibility criteria for applicants. Prospective students must be at least 17 years old and pass the CSEET (Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test). This test is conducted four times a year in January, May, July, and November. After successfully completing the CSEET, candidates are required to register for the CS Executive Programme within six months.
It's worth noting that the percentage obtained in 10+2 does not solely determine admission. As long as the exam is passed in any stream, one still has a chance. However, performing well in the CSEET could greatly enhance one's chances of securing a seat at ICSI Delhi. Admission here depends on merit and seat availability.
Q: What is the entrance exam for ICSI Delhi 2023?
The entrance exam for ICSI Delhi 2023 is the Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test (CSEET). The CSEET is a mandatory entrance exam for admission to the CS program offered by ICSI Delhi. The CSEET exam is conducted four times a year in January, May, July, and November. The upcoming CSEET 2023 exam is scheduled on November 4, 2023. The CSEET exam is conducted in remote proctored mode, and the exam pattern includes four papers, including Business Communication, Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning, Economic and Business Environment, and Current Affairs, Presentation and Communication Skills.
Q: Where is ICSI CS exam conducted?
ICSI CS examinations for CS Executive, Professional is conducted at designated exam centres acroiss various cities in India. The ICSI selects and announced the list of exam centres for each exam session. The number of exam centres and cities may vary from session to session. The ICSI CS exam centres are usually spread across various cities in India to accomodate students from different regions of India. To know the complete list of ICSI CS exam centres region wise, candidates must check the link provided below to know the updated list of exam centres for December 2023 session. Click here to check the ICSI CS exam centres
Only candidates who will fill the ICSI CS application form along with the payment of the application fee will be able to know the alloted exam centre when the admit card is released.
Shiksha: How many attempts you gave for the CS examination? What was your score in CS Professional exam?
Siddh Jain: I passed my Foundation and Executive level at the very first attempt. As a result, I prepared myself for an articleship in December, 2021, with modules 1&2 of Professional. Unfortunately, I did not pass the exam as I got a 39 in Advance Tax Laws.
My father told me, back then, "Everything happens for a reason, and maybe God has something BIG in store!" And today, when I see myself at AIR 10, I believe that dad was 100% correct.
Then I prepared myself for all 3 Modules in June 2022 exams and scored 504 marks out of 900 with all India 2nd highest marks in the Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency paper (70 Marks).
Shiksha: When did you pass the CS executive exam and CSEET/Foundation exam? How was your result?
Siddh Jain: In February 2020, I cleared CS Foundation and scored 294/400. Having then pursued executive exams, I appeared for them in December 2020 and cleared both modules in my 1st Attempt.
Q: Which are the ICSI CS exam centres in East region of India?
Autorities have released the list of ICSI CS exam centres. Check the list of the ICSI CS exam centres in the Eastern region of India: Bhagalpur, Kolkata Zone-I, Bhubaneswar I, Kolkata Zone-II, Bhubaneswar II, Kolkata Zone-III, Bokaro, Kolkata Zone-IV, Dhanbad, Patna, Guwahati, Ranchi, Hooghly, Rourkela, Howrah, Sambalpur, Imphal, Siliguri, and Jamshedpur.
Candidates will be able to enter the ICSI CS exam centre preferences while filling the ICSI CS enrollment form. The enrollment form window will open from August 26, 2023. Only candidates who have registered for ICSI CS Executive or CS Professional programme for December 2023 session will be able to fill the enrollment form.
Q: How many seats are available for the CS programme at ICSI Delhi?
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) in Delhi provides a Company Secretary (CS) programme with a total capacity of *50-100 seats*. This enables a substantial number of students to embark on this esteemed course, focusing on corporate governance and secretarial responsibilities. It's important to note that the admission procedure is competitive, requiring interested candidates to prepare thoroughly. It is advisable to refer to the official ICSI Delhi website or get in touch with them directly for the latest and most accurate information.
Q: What documents are required at CS Executive exam centre?
On the day of the CS Executive examination, candidates must ensure to carry the following documents, failing which candidates will not be permitted to enter the examination hall:
- Admit card
- Any identity proof card issued by the Government authorities:
- Passport
- Driving License
- PAN Card
- UID Card
- Aadhar Card
- Voter I-Card
Candidates must possess the ID card as downloaded from individual online accounts at support.icsi.edu and should be attested by the authorized official of the institute. Candidates must affix their photograph in case the photograph or signature is not available on the CS Executive, Professional admit card. However, candidates must get it attested by the Gazetted member/Officer of ICSI/Principal of a Recognized School/Manager of Nationalised Bank.
Q: When will be CS Executive examination conducted for upcoming session?
ICSI has announced the CS Executive exam dates for June 2025 session. Candidates who are willing to appear for the June 2025 session of CS Executive exam can check the updated schedule below:
Executive Examination (New Syllabus 2022) | Dates |
|---|---|
Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws (Group-1) | 01-June-2025 |
Capital Market and Securities Laws (Group-2) | 02-June-2025 |
Company Law and Practice (Group-1) | 03-June-2025 |
Economic, Commercial and Intellectual Property Laws (Group-2 | 04-June-2025 |
Setting Up of Business, Industrial and Labour Laws (Group-1) | 05-June-2025 |
Tax Laws and Practice (Group-2) | 06-June-2025 |
No Examination | 07-June-2025 |
Corporate Accounting and Financial Management (Group-1) | 08-June-2025 |
Q: When will CS Professional examination be conducted for the upcoming session?
ICSI has announced the CS Professional exam dates 2025 for June session at icsi.edu. Candidates preparing for the CS Professional examination June 2025 can check the updated schedule below:
CS Professional Old Syllabus (2017) | CS Professional New Syllabus (2022) | Exam Dates |
|---|---|---|
Governance, Risk Management, Compliances and Ethics (Module – I) | Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)- Principles and Practice (Group 1) | 01-June-2025 |
Secretarial Audit, Compliance Management and Due Diligence (Module – II) | Strategic Management and Corporate Finance (Group 2) | 02-June-2025 |
Corporate Funding and Listings in Stock Exchanges (Module – III) | Drafting, Pleading and Appearances (Group 1) | 03-June-2025 |
Advanced Tax Laws (Module – I) | Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency | 04-June-2025 |
Corporate Restructuring, Insolvency, Liquidation and Winding – up (Module – II) | Compliance Management, Audit and Due Diligence (Group 1) | 05-June-2025 |
Multidisciplinary Case Studies [Open Book Exam.] (Module – III) | Elective 2 (One out of 5 subjects): [Open book examination] Group 2 Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Corporate Tax Planning Labour Laws and Practice Banking and Insurance- Laws and Practice Insolvency and Bankruptcy- Law and Practice | 06-June-2025 |
No Examination | No Examination | 07-June-2025 |
Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances (Module – I) | Elective 1 (One out of 4 subjects) [Open book exam] Group 1 CSR and Social Governance Internal and Forensic Audit Intellectual property Rights- Law and Practice Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Cyber Security- Law and Practice | 08-June-2025 |
Resolution of Corporate Disputes, Non– Compliances and Remedies (Module – II) | No Examination | 09-June-2025 |
Elective 1 out of below 5 subjects [Open Book Exam.] (Module – III) (i) Banking - Law and Practice (ii) Insurance - Law and Practice (iii) Intellectual Property Rights – Laws and Practices (iv) Labour Laws and Practice (v) Insolvency – Law and Practice
| No Examination | 10-June-2025 |
Shiksha: Which module of CS Professional exam did you find most challenging while preparing?
Siddh Jain: Our Institute has drafted the subjects in such a way that every subject seems interesting and challenging.
Yes, one subject which I felt challenging was Advance Tax Laws due to the vast portion of Income Tax and Customs within it. My belief is that, with some effort, daily practice, and consistency, the subject becomes easier.
Shiksha: What was the difficulty level of CS professional exam?
Siddh Jain: As this is the final level of CS Exams, ICSI expects us to prepare each and every chapter in detail, have proper understanding of provisions and be well versed with the case studies.
The difficulty level is very high as we didn't get holidays in between the papers and the course is very long to revise in one day.
Shiksha: What was your preparation strategy for CS Professional examination? Please elaborate.
Siddh Jain: One thing which is very significant is regular preparation. A better approach is to begin studying around 6 to 7 months before the exam. In addition, it is wise to sit regularly, instead of cramming for exams during the last 2 or 3 months. Make a note of everything you study in these months, so that we can easily review it during the examination. This is because we know that the examination is on consecutive days. Number of times, it happens that you might have read a particular subject and a particular topic earlier. It is possible, however, to miss that particular thing just because you did not have enough time to revise. Keeping a summary of these things is a good idea. As soon as I had completed my syllabus and revision, I searched for past year papers and ICSI guidelines, which helped boost my confidence.
Personally, I prefer to study early in the morning. I woke up at around 6 a.m and I think that is a pretty good time. There is a lot of calm around here. Therefore, that is a good time to study and learn the material.
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Shiksha: Share your subject-wise strategy.
Siddh Jain: For theory subjects, I used to refer to the ICSI Modules along with the bare act, which not only helped me to learn but also helped me to understand the provisions in LODR, 2015; Companies Act, 2013.
For Open Book subjects, understanding of case studies and provisions of law is important rather than just rote learning. I used to revise 5 cases-laws a day regularly.
For the Practical subject of Tax, I concentrated on GST, which carries 60 marks. Daily practice of questions helped me a lot. It wasn’t just the ICSI module that I practiced from. Since CA Final is a common subject, I practiced a lot of questions from that module.
Shiksha: Which are the best books for CS Professional exam preparation?
Siddh Jain: I totally rely and I totally recommend the ICSI modules, even though they are a bit lengthy and everything. Make a summary note of this which would be a lot more helpful than taking any other book which has a kind of summarized writing. So, that’s all what I would like to tell others.
Shiksha: According to you, what is the importance of CS mock tests/sample papers?
Siddh Jain: Practice of at least one sample paper of each subject is necessary before appearing for exams. You can actually solve the paper in 3 hours if you're in an exam-like situation. You may have experienced going blank while attempting the question paper. We must try to avoid this type of situation in the exam by solving papers before exam. Also, it is important to read the guidelines issued by the institute because they help us understand the level of questions and the answers it.
Shiksha: Did the pandemic affect your preparation? If yes, how did you manage stress?
Siddh Jain: Pandemic affected my preparation in a positive way as video lectures became my unconventional source of learning as opposed to traveling to local trains to attend lectures.I used to manage my stress by listening to some soft music. Music is great for calming your mind and de-stressing it.
Shiksha: What was your exam-taking strategy?
Siddh Jain: My exam-taking strategies were:-
- Try and hit the passing line in subjects you’re weak in and for the aggregate score good in your strong areas.
- Make small targets daily, weekly, and monthly. This way you can keep a check on your progress.
- Balance the “Studies vs. Articleship vs. social & personal life”
- Practice of making notes for theory subjects. Especially, for Governance, Audit subject. Learn and frequently revise all the technical words of these 2 subjects and use them in the exam. This will at least help you earn 5+ extra marks.
- Prepare mnemonics and charts/mind map to remember the content easily.
Shiksha: Would you like to recommend some specific focus areas and important tips for future CS aspirants
Siddh Jain: The key tips would be:
- Practice on your weakness daily at least an hour and make your strong subject stronger.
- At a Professional Level, one reading of module is must.
- Reviseconsistently
- Sleeping properly the night before the exams as well as eat well before the exam go a long way in making the mind stable.
- Always attempt your paper completely.
- Have some sought of motivation be it song/ Youtube videos, etc
- Avoid social media like Facebook and Instagram, as it going to benefit Zuckerberg and not you.
At last do not be scared of failure. Failure is, too, beautiful always. Even I have faced failure, the taste of success comes once you have failed.
Whatever happens, it happens for the best. In order to succeed in the CS course you must have faith in yourself, work hard, and work smart.
Shiksha: At last, which are the important skills that one must have while pursuing CS course?
Siddh Jain: This Professional course in CS is designed to test our patience. It is common for people to feel frustrated that they are not passing the exam, while their friends are having a great time. Just wait for the right moment. Commitment, hard work and determination really work. Be Confident, trust your instincts, and follow your heart. All these things pay off in the end.
Always know that there is someone out there who is watching everything. I’ll just say that don’t quit, don’t underestimate yourself. Always believe in yourself.
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