Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme
Become a Chartered Secretary or Governance Professional
Become a Chartered Secretary or Governance Professional
Chartered status is the benchmark for company secretaries and governance professionals. It shows that you have the knowledge, skills and experience to take on a job with significant and wide-ranging responsibilities. In larger organisations, this may be within the secretariat or governance team or as part of a professional services team. In medium and smaller organisations, this may be in the sole governance or company secretarial role.
Anyone is eligible to apply, but the programme rises to Level 7 (equivalent to postgraduate degree level) in the final stages. Our students include experienced professionals on the fast track, company secretaries using their experience, and individuals from law or finance transferring to governance roles.
The full programme can take up to five years to complete, although we offer alternative routes of entry for those with relevant education or professional experience. For example, a professional with 5+ years of relevant experience may achieve accreditation within one year via the Fast Track Professional entry.
The programme is divided into two levels, Part One and Part Two.
Students with a law, finance or governance background may be able to start at Part One at
Level 6 (equivalent to final year undergraduate level). You complete your learning at Part Two at Level 7 (equivalent to postgraduate degree level), developing commercial understanding through the study of risk, strategy and board dynamics.
You can view the full syllabus here.
We offer alternative routes of entry for students based on their relevant qualifications or experience.
There are six main routes into the qualifying programme:
We carefully assesses applications for all exemptions and successful applicants can significantly streamline their studies. Find your best route and full exemption details on our Entry Routes page.
Once you know your route through the qualifying programme, you can register for the course, pay your initial fees and begin your studies. We recommend the use of an Institute-registered tuition partner, though some students choose to self-study.
We work with a variety of tuition partners and we strongly recommend our students take tuition. They can be used on a module by module basis and offer options that include distance learning and face-to-face classes. In addition to higher student pass rates, the benefits include:
The cost of tuition is typically £350 – £600 per module depending on the tuition provider you choose and the services they offer.
You prepare for each exam yourself, using the facilities provided as part of your student membership. These include:
Find out more about how you study for the Qualifying Programme and how it is assessed on our FAQs page.
Undertaking the Qualifying Programme is a big decision. It’s important to consider how it will fit into your existing lifestyle and career.
Costs can vary significantly from student to student. While everyone pays for registration, exam fees and membership, a student’s route and tuition choice can make a big difference to the investment required.
The following table provides a summary of typical costs, but while the full fees apply for students in the UK, EU and Crown Dependencies, those in many other countries pay reduced rates.
UK and | Reduced rate | ||
---|---|---|---|
Registration | One-off fee | £140 | £77 |
Student membership | Annual fee – full year (1 Aug – 31 July) | £190 | £135 |
Annual fee – half year (1 Feb – 31 July) | £95 | £67.50 | |
Module fees | Exam entry | £230 | £157 |
Exemption or re-sit | £230 | £157 | |
Study text books | Per exam module | £45 | |
Optional tuition | Per exam module, depending on provider | £350 – £600 | |
Fast Track Professional | Initial registration fee, one year student membership fee, all exemption fees and one exam entry per module | £1,885 | £1,255 |
Find out more about our fees on our FAQs page.
These are not small considerations, but you are not alone. Becoming a student member with The Chartered Governance Institute gives you access to expert support and guidance a long with a range of other benefits.
*Health Service Governance exam in June only.
Achieving Chartered status requires both knowledge and experience. By passing the qualifying programme, you will become a Graduate member of The Institute, allowing the use of the post-nominal GradCG to signify your expertise.
Is for all those studying for our qualifications.
Is for those who have either achieved all four Part One modules on the Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme, or have passed one of our Certificate or Diploma qualifications. Affiliated members use the post-nominals CG (Affiliated).
Is for those who have completed the qualifying programme or postgraduate equivalent and are working towards the experience required for Chartered membership. Graduates use the post-nominals GradCG.
Is the first level of Chartered membership, for those who have achieved GradCG status and have six years’ relevant work experience (this can be reduced to three if you hold a degree). Associate members use the post-nominals ACIS and the professional designation of Chartered Secretary.
Is the highest level of Chartered member for those who have achieved GradCG status and have eight years’ relevant work experience, three of which are in a senior position. Fellows use the post-nominals FCIS and the professional designation of Chartered Secretary or Chartered Governance Professional.
For enquiries regarding student membership and studying with us please contact the Membership Team or read the FAQs: