ICSB CS Professional study guide
ICSB CS Professional · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ICSB Certified Professional - often written as ICSB CS Professional - is a corporate-secretary credential aimed at people who govern, advise, or administer companies rather than at general management candidates. It suits sitting and aspiring company secretaries, governance and compliance officers, board support staff, in-house counsel, and finance professionals who work directly with boards. The ICSB CS Professional study guide has 7 sections and about 1,800 words.
01Governance and Boardroom Practice
Governance is about how authority is exercised, not merely how it is documented. A candidate must be able to distinguish the board's direction-setting role (strategy, risk appetite, values) from management's execution role.
283 words, about 1 min02Company Law and Regulatory Compliance
Candidates must understand the company as a separate legal person, limited liability, corporate capacity, and the division between shareholders and directors. Know the constitution (articles/memorandum), how it binds the company and members, and how it can be altered.
280 words, about 1 min03Corporate Secretarial Practice and Records
Understand the secretary as guardian of process: convening meetings, advising on procedure, maintaining statutory registers, and ensuring filings are timely. Know the distinction between the statutory registers (members, directors, secretaries, charges, beneficial owners) and minute books , and the retention periods and inspection rights attaching to each.
250 words, about 1 min04Corporate Governance Codes and Standards
Governance codes set expectations on board composition, independence, committees, remuneration and disclosure. Candidates must understand the comply-or-explain model versus rules-based regimes, and how listing rules may incorporate a code by reference.
243 words, about 1 min05Risk Management and Internal Control
The board sets risk appetite; management operates the risk management system; internal audit provides independent assurance. Understand the three lines model (operational management, risk and compliance functions, internal audit) and why independence of the third line matters.
253 words, about 1 min06Ethics, Professional Conduct, and Anti-Corruption
Candidates must understand integrity, objectivity, confidentiality, competence and professional behaviour as professional obligations. Know how ethical dilemmas are resolved: identify the issue, gather facts, consider stakeholders and rules, consult, decide, and document.
239 words, about 1 min07Shareholder Relations and Stakeholder Engagement
Understand shareholder rights: to receive notice, attend, speak, vote, appoint proxies, and requisition meetings or resolutions within statutory thresholds. Know the difference between ordinary and special business, and how institutional investors engage through stewardship codes.
252 words, about 1 min