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The Institute in Zimbabwe was incorporated on 1st January 1971 by an Act of Parliament through the Chartered Secretaries (Private) Act, which generally prescribes the operations of the Institute in Zimbabwe, status of its members, relationship with Government and world at large. The local incorporation does not affect the membership status of the Zimbabwe Chartered Secretary. The examination standards and the criteria for membership are the same as those that apply elsewhere in the world. Accordingly, success in the Zimbabwe Institute’s examinations is widely recognised and membership of this Institute confers simultaneous membership of the international body. The Institute is the professional home of members with a high level of competence in business administration, general management, accounting, company secretaryship, taxation and corporate governance. Membership of the Institute is widely recognised internationally and is held in high esteem in the world business community.

Members occupy senior positions in the private and public business sectors. There are two classes of membership of the Institute, ie Fellows and Associates. All qualified members of the Institute are entitled to describe themselves as Chartered Secretaries and use the designatory letters, FCIS or ACIS as appropriate. Fellowship is the senior grade of membership. Another grade, Grad ICSA comprises those who have successfully completed the examinations but have not yet gained sufficient qualifying service for Associateship.

Today there are more than 45 000 qualified Chartered Secretaries throughout the world of whom over 1 600 are in Zimbabwe. Of the more than 30 000 registered students more than 10 000 are in Zimbabwe. Members (i.e. Fellows or Associates) of the Institute are not confined only to serving limited liability companies. The members are also working in a variety of organisations such as agricultural, marketing, industrial development, electrical, transport undertakings, government departments, incorporated associations, trade associations, universities, banks, building societies, insurance companies and all the countless organisations in the world.

In Zimbabwe Chartered Secretaries are also eligible for registration with the Public Accountants and Auditors Board as Public Accountants and once registered may use the designatory letters RPAcc(Z) after their names. Application for registration is made through the Institute.

Examinations PDF Print E-mail

EXAMINATIONS

EXAMINATION ENTRIES
The Institute examinations are held in May and November of each year.
Applications to enter for the examinations must be made on the prescribed forms, which are obtainable from the office in Harare.

Students’ entry forms for the May examination must reach the Harare Office on or before
28 February and for the November examination on or before 31 August.

The forms must be accompanied by the correct examination fee for each subject to be written.  Entry forms with insufficient fees will be returned.

POSTPONMENT OF EXAMINATION ENTRIES

Examination entries will not be postponed except as stated below: 

Refund of Examination Fees

Examination fees are not normally refundable, but consideration will be given to applicants for refunds on medical grounds only at the discretion of the Institute.
a)    A certificate from the doctor is required, stating the nature and duration of the illness of the student.  A covering letter and doctor’s certificate must reach the office not later than the end of the month in which the examination is held (i.e. by the end of May and the end of November).

b)    Notification of postponement will not be accepted by telephone, telegram, or fax.

c)    In all other cases the examination fee will be forfeited if the candidate does not write.

d)    Refunds of examination fees or postponement of examinations will be considered if the candidate withdraws the entry prior to the examination entry cut of date.

EXAMINATION REGULATIONS

It is important that students read and understand examination rules and regulations as they are strictly enforced.  Any variation of the rules is entirely at the Institute’s discretion.  In respect of 1 and 2 below, exemptions should have been obtained before a student registers for the examinations.

The 4 parts of the examination are progressive in their complexity.  Therefore earlier stages must be completed first.  Parts A and B must be completed before attempting Parts C and D respectively.

Any Examination Entry for any subject at Part C (professional programme I) will be rejected unless the student has passed or been exempted from all the subjects at Part A. 

Any Examination Entry for any subject at Part D (Professional Programme II) will be rejected unless the student has passed or been exempted from all the subjects at Part A and Part B. 

Examination Registration
Candidates will not be allowed to register for a subject at a higher level before they have passed a similar subject at a lower level.  For example: Introduction to Accounting must be passed before registration for Financial Accounting is considered.

Any number of examination subjects may be attempted at any one sitting as long as rules 1 and 2, above are complied with.  Students studying part time are advised to take no more than four subjects in a year.

No student will be allowed to write less than two subjects in one setting unless the subject is:

a)    The final subject at Part A, having passed or been exempted from all the other subjects at Part A and B.

b)    The final subject at Part B, having passed or been exempted from all the other subjects at Parts A, B and C.

c)    The final subject required to complete examinations.

Students will be expected to complete the programme of study within a period of ten years from the date of first registration.  Extension may only be allowed in individual cases in circumstances approved by the Institute.

Failure to complete the examinations within the given period will result in Studentship being withdrawn.

Subjects to be taken must be accommodated within the examination time table.  If candidates enter for subjects that clash on the timetable, they may only write one paper and forfeit the second entry fee.

Applications for entry to the examination must be made on the prescribed form which must be received by the office in Harare before the closing date.  Late entries are not accepted.

Any entry form which has not been fully and properly completed will be rejected.

No change in a candidate’s entry will be accepted after the closing date.

If a candidate satisfies the examiners in any subject he or she will be credited with a pass irrespective of performance in any other subject attempted at the same sitting.

Examination candidates are reminded that no aids are allowed into the examination except those designed for Open Book Examinations.  Any candidates found cheating or intending to cheat will have their studentship permanently cancelled.

Students who are writing examinations in subjects which involve the use of statutes will only be examined on the statutes applicable at least six months prior to the examination.
Cellular phones are banned from the examination hall.

Students who arrive thirty minutes after the start of the examination will not be allowed to enter the examination hall.

Students are only allowed to leave the examination hall after the first hour of the examination.

The Institute reserves the right to vary the examination rules as and when it is necessary.

Hats, headgear and inappropriate attire are banned from the examination hall.

EXAMINATION CENTRES

The Institute runs its examinations directly. Examinations may at present be written at any one of the following centres in Zimbabwe:
Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Chitungwiza, Chiredzi, Gweru, Harare, Hwange, Kadoma, Kwekwe, Marondera, Masvingo and Mutare.

Requests to change from one examination centre to another will not be considered after the closing date for entries, unless the candidate has moved permanently a considerable distance.

EXAMINATION RESULTS

Examination results will be communicated to each candidate by post and will not be given over the telephone or by fax.  Every effort is made to ensure that the results are available by 30 June in the case of the May examinations and 31 December in the case of the November examinations.

Candidates cannot be informed of the number of marks they have obtained but in the event of failure they will be given a symbol to indicate the approximate standard of their attempt.

The results letter will carry the following symbols:

MARK            SYMBOL
50%            P

38% to 49%        D     
25% to 37%        E    All these are “FAIL” symbols
Less than 25%        F

Request for remark of candidate’s scripts may be considered at the discretion of the Institute; otherwise the examiners’ decision is final.

Letters will be issued to successful candidates for all completed parts of the examinations.  All finalists will receive a letter from the Institute confirming that they have completed the examinations and listing the subjects passed.

AWARDS

i)    Intermediate Diploma
To obtain an intermediate Diploma a student must have been credited with the subjects in Part A and Part B.  It will be issued on application.  A student must have passed at least two subjects of this Institute.

The Intermediate Diploma is only to prove progress made and does not entitle one to apply for membership of the Institute.

ii)    Professional Programme I - Diploma
The professional Programme diploma is only to prove progress made and does not entitle one to apply for membership.

iii)    Professional Programme II – Graduateship - Diploma
The Graduateship Diploma proves completion of the ICSA examinations and entitles one to apply for membership, subject to one meeting the other conditions for membership.

PRIZES

A prize is available for each subject of the examinations and there are also special prizes for the top three students in the final examination.
No award is made if a certain standard is not reached in the paper.
 

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