Students appearing in the CS Executive Examination and CS Professional Examination often seek clarity on paper-wise exemption and passing requirements after claiming exemption. These rules are prescribed under the Company Secretaries Regulations, 1982.
What is Paper-Wise CS Exemption Rule?
Paper-wise CS Exemption Rule is that if a student secures 60% or more marks in a subject but fails the group or module, the student is exempted from appearing in that subject in the next attempt.
The candidate does not need to write that paper again and must appear only in the remaining papers of that group or module.
Conditions for Claiming CS Exemption Rule (60% Rule)
Exemptions on the basis of securing 60% or more marks are granted under two distinct conditions under the Company Secretaries Regulations, 1982.
First Condition
A candidate who:
- Appears in all the subjects of a group for which he or she was enrolled,
- Secures 60% or more marks in any subject,
- Secures at least 25% marks in each of the remaining subjects, and
- Fails the group overall
shall be exempted from the subject(s) in which 60% or more marks were secured in any subsequent examination.
Illustration
Suppose a group contains 4 papers of 100 marks each.
| Paper | Marks |
| Paper 1 | 62 |
| Paper 2 | 32 |
| Paper 3 | 44 |
| Paper 4 | 38 |
The student fails the group, but since Paper 1 has 60 or more marks, Paper 1 becomes exempted.
In the next attempt the student will appear only for Paper 2, Paper 3 and Paper 4.
Passing Requirement in the Next Attempt
In the next attempt the student is appearing for 3 papers (300 marks total). Therefore:
- The student must secure minimum 40 marks in each paper, and
- Must obtain 50% aggregate of the remaining papers.
This means the student must score 150 marks out of 300.
Importantly, the student does not need to score 50 marks in each paper individually. Only the overall aggregate of 150 with minimum 40 in each paper is required. This is a major relief for students attempting the remaining papers.
Second Condition
A candidate who:
- Appears in all papers of the group or module,
- Does not already have any exemption,
- Fails in only one paper, and
- Secures minimum 60% of the total marks of the remaining papers
will be granted exemption in all the remaining papers.
Here 60% means the average of the remaining papers must be at least 60%.
The candidate must then reappear only in the paper in which he or she had failed. If the candidate scores 50% in that paper in a subsequent examination, the module will be declared passed.
Illustration
Suppose a module contains 4 papers of 100 marks each.
| Paper | Marks |
| Paper 1 | 55 |
| Paper 2 | 55 |
| Paper 3 | 70 |
| Paper 4 | 34 |
The student has failed only Paper 4.
Now calculate the average of the remaining three papers:
55 + 55 + 70 = 180
Average = 180 ÷ 3 = 60%
Since the average of the remaining three papers is 60%, the student will receive exemption in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3.
In the next attempt the student will appear only for Paper 4.
If the student scores 50 or more marks in Paper 4, the entire module will be declared passed.
Marks Requirement When Availing CS Exemption Rule
When a candidate appears in the next examination after claiming exemption:
- The candidate must secure at least 40% marks in each of the remaining papers, and
- Must obtain 50% average in the remaining papers in order to pass the group or module.
Is CS Exemption Rule Automatic or Do Students Need to Apply?
Students do not need to apply separately for exemption.
If a candidate satisfies the exemption conditions (for example 60% or more marks in a paper with at least 25% in the other papers), the exemption is granted automatically by ICSI.
The exemption will appear in the student’s account on the ICSI SMASH Portal.
Students can check it by:
- Logging into the ICSI SMASH portal
- Opening the Examination / Result details section
- Viewing the exemption status for the relevant paper
The exempted subject will be clearly marked as “Exempted” in the student’s examination record.
Get in Touch with Jahangir Tutorials for Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test, CS Executive and CS Professional Classes now.
Official Source
Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) – FAQ on Paper-Wise Exemption under the Company Secretaries Regulations, 1982
https://www.icsi.edu/media/website/Faq_exemption.pdf
Related Resource
Students preparing for CS Executive and CS Professional examinations can also explore structured guidance and exam-oriented preparation at:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is the exemption rule in CS Executive and CS Professional?
If a student secures 60% or more marks in a paper but fails the group, that paper becomes exempted and does not need to be written again in the next attempt.
2. What marks are required after claiming exemption?
The candidate must obtain minimum 40% marks in each remaining paper and 50% aggregate of the remaining papers.
3. Are exemption marks counted again in the next attempt?
No. The marks of the paper in which exemption was obtained are not counted again while calculating the result of the remaining papers.
4. Does the same exemption rule apply to CS Executive and CS Professional?
Yes. The same paper-wise exemption rules apply to both programmes under the Company Secretaries Regulations.
5. Do students need to apply separately for exemption?
No. Exemptions are granted automatically by ICSI if the candidate meets the required criteria.
6. Where can students check their exemption status?
Students can check exemption status in their ICSI SMASH Portal under the examination or result section.
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