Why does it take so long to train as a company secretary?

Why does it take so long to train as a company secretary? In fact, it doesn’t take as long as you might think. It depends on the option you choose. Ultimately, different timeframes represent different goals; the challenge is deciding which one is right for you. 

Here’s an example: the Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme from the Chartered Governance Institute (CGIUKI) stands in contrast to the Diploma in Company Secretary from The Corporate Governance Institute (TCGI). While the former is a broad professional pathway that rises to postgraduate level and can lead towards chartered status, the latter is a focused Level 5 diploma designed to build practical company-secretarial and governance capability. 

Here, different timeframes mean different desired outcomes, not evidence that one programme has simply “compressed” the other.

CGIUKI says its full seven-subject Qualifying Programme typically takes between two and five years. The total for each individual depends on entry route, exemptions and study pace. Each module requires around 200 hours of study, exams take place in June and November, and CGIUKI recommends no more than two exams per sitting.

TCGI’s Diploma in Company Secretary contains 30+ contact hours across ten modules. Most delegates will complete it in eight to twelve weeks of focused study, with six months of platform access. It is fully online and self-paced, with two graded online assessments.

The main reason is that each qualification has a different “destination”. 

CGIUK’s route covers company law, compliance and administration, finance and corporate governance at Level 6, followed by strategy, risk and boardroom dynamics at Level 7. Successful completion leads first to GradCG status, while professional experience and membership progression are then relevant to chartered status.

Ultimately, this is time spent pursuing a broader and higher-level professional pathway. It can be the right investment for someone determined to pursue a senior career in a listed-company secretariat or to obtain chartered professional status. 

Across my work with directors and governance professionals at TCGI, the recurring question is not simply “Which qualification is longest?” It is “What do I need to be able to do next?”

A focused diploma will often be the more proportionate first step when you need to understand statutory compliance, board and committee processes, minutes and meetings, financial literacy, risk, stakeholders and the evolving Company Secretary role, especially if chartered status has not been a target for you in the short or medium term. 

For example, the shorter route could be right for you if:

• You are entering or moving into a company-secretarial or board-support position.
• You already work in law, finance, compliance, administration or governance and need Company Secretary capabilities. 
• You want learning that can be applied during your current role.
• You may consider the chartered pathway later, after testing the role and your career direction.

This will always depend on your personal circumstances and goals. TCGI’s Diploma in Company Secretary is not a replacement route to CGIUKI chartered status. Equally, a two-to-four-year programme is not necessary for every person who needs practical Company Secretary knowledge.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to purpose: choose CGIUKI when the broader chartered pathway is the goal; consider TCGI’s Diploma in Company Secretary when focused, flexible and practically applicable company-secretary education is the immediate need.

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

Legal and professional note: Qualification and appointment requirements differ by jurisdiction, company type and employer. Neither course guarantees eligibility for every appointment or employment outcome.

• Diploma in Company Secretary
• What does it mean to have Chartered Status?