Why do company secretary qualifications cost so differently?

Why do company secretary qualifications cost so differently? There are reasons, and this guide will give you a thorough explanation.

Take, for example, the Diploma in Company Secretary (DipCoSec/CCSP) from The Corporate Governance Institute TCGI: It currently costs €3,995 including VAT, learning materials, assessments and certification. Everything – except supplementary membership and exam resits – comes bundled into a single package. 

By contrast, the Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland (CGIUKI) publishes its fees, component by component, in GBP, and tuition is normally purchased separately. With such different fee structures, it’s only prudent to show what’s included rather than place two headline numbers side by side.

As of October 2026, when this article was written, UK and EU students at CGIUKI face the following costs: a £200 registration fee, £240 annual student membership, £320 per module or exemption, and £60 per study text. 

The seven-subject programme can typically take two to four years. CGIUKI also strongly recommends tuition, which it says normally costs £350–£600 per module.

Using those published figures, seven modules, seven study texts, registration and two years of student membership total approximately £3,340, excluding any tuition or resits that might need to recur later.  From this, adding typical tuition produces an indicative total of about £5,790–£7,540. A four-year completion period would add two further annual membership fees. 

It’s important to remember that this is an illustration, not a universal quote. In reality, costs per individual are likely to change depending on exemptions, fast-track entry, reduced-country rates, timing and provider choices. 

An alternate option, CGIUKI’s fast-track professional route, has a separate published all-inclusive price of £2,650 for eligible experienced professionals. However, this route should not be compared with the full seven-module calculation.

TCGI’s DipCoSec fee comes in at €3,995. It includes VAT, ten online modules, learning materials, two graded assessments and certification. Delegates receive six months of access to the materials to complete their assignments. TCGI offers payment in full or four monthly instalments without added interest, although module release conditions apply to the instalment plan.

Price is a huge part of the total “cost” when it comes to governance educational programmes. Another part, however, is time spent. Anyone studying to be a company secretary – and this person will likely be a busy professional already – should look at time spent for a realistic picture. How many study hours should they devote? How much time away from work? When and how frequently are exams? All of it should be added into financial costings.

For an employer, the relevant question is return on learning investment: does the employee require a broad Level 6/7 chartered pathway, or focused Level 5 CoSec capability that can be developed over a shorter period?

That’s the kicker: Neither has universally better value because they do not sell the same destination. CGIUKI may represent better value when chartered status and a broad postgraduate-level pathway are required. DipCoSec may represent better value when the learner wants practical company-secretarial capability, predictable inclusive pricing and a self-paced route.

In my work with TCGI learners and employers, the most useful discipline is to define the role first, then price the education required for that role. Buying more qualification than the role needs can be inefficient; buying less than the employer or statutory context requires can be equally costly.

View the DipCoSec/CCSP course, download the brochure, book a consultation or enrol online.

Price note: Fees were checked in September 2026. They may change. GPB and EUR prices should not be directly compared without stating the exchange rate and date used.