ICSI CS Executive & Professional Question Papers and Suggested Answers
If you are writing CS Executive or CS Professional in December 2026, your most useful free resource is the set of past question papers and answers that ICSI itself publishes. Students usually call them "ICSI suggested answers". ICSI's own name for them is Guideline Answers, so look for that label on the website.
This guide covers where to download them officially, what each PDF has, which attempts are available, and how to use them in the three months left before the exam.
ICSI Suggested Answers vs Question Papers: What Is the Difference?
ICSI puts out two separate resources:
- Question papers: the actual papers set in a session, one file per subject. ICSI lists them under "Previous Sessions QPs".
- Guideline Answers: ICSI's model answers for the same session. Each PDF prints every question in full and then gives the answer below it, so you can study from it without a separate question paper.
For practice, the question paper is better, because you see the paper exactly as it appeared in the hall. For checking your answers, use the Guideline Answers.
Where to Download ICSI Suggested Answers Officially
ICSI redesigned its website, so many old links you will find on blogs and Telegram groups now show a "Page Not Found" error. As of September 2026, these are the working official pages.
Guideline Answers (suggested answers)
- Go to the ICSI Guideline Answers page. You can also reach it from the Academic Portal, under "Guideline Answers - Executive and Professional Programme".
- Pick the session (for example, June 2026).
- Choose Executive Programme (Syllabus 2022) or Professional Programme (Syllabus 2022).
- Download the Group 1 or Group 2 PDF. There is one PDF per group, and it covers every paper in that group.
Question papers
- Go to Examination > Previous Sessions QPs on icsi.edu.
- Open the session you need, for example "Question Paper June 2026".
- Each subject has its own "Click to Download" link, shown with its paper code. For example, Company Law and Practice is code 522.
Both resources are free, and you don't need to log in. Only download from icsi.edu. Copies on other sites can be old or incomplete, or from the wrong syllabus.
Which Attempts Are Available?
We checked the ICSI pages on 22 September 2026:
- Guideline Answers: the latest is June 2026. The Executive and Professional (Syllabus 2022) PDFs for both groups are dated 09-09-2026. The archive runs from June 2026 back to June 2015 (no June 2020 set is listed).
- Question papers: these sessions are listed: June 2026, December 2025, June 2025, December 2024, June 2024, December 2023 and June 2023. There are also a few older sessions from 2011 to 2013.
The June 2026 question paper page includes CSEET, Executive Programme (Syllabus 2022) and Professional Programme (Syllabus 2022).
Tip: For Dec 2026, stick to the Syllabus 2022 papers from December 2023 onwards. Older papers can still help with concepts, but the syllabus, paper structure and laws have changed.
What Is Inside an ICSI Guideline Answers PDF?
Take the June 2026 Executive Group 1 PDF as an example:
- A contents page listing the four Group 1 papers: Jurisprudence, Interpretation & General Laws; Company Law & Practice; Setting Up of Business, Industrial & Labour Laws; and Corporate Accounting and Financial Management.
- The paper header for each subject, showing time allowed, maximum marks, total questions and instructions.
- Every question in full, including case studies, followed by ICSI's answer.
- Alternative questions. Some questions have an "A" version (for example Q.4 or Q.4A), so the answers cover both choices.
- A disclaimer. ICSI says the answers are based on the laws and rules applicable when they were prepared, and should be treated as indicative rather than exhaustive. It also asks readers to cross-check with the original source.
- The amendment cut-off rule. For the December session, amendments to laws apply up to 31 May of that calendar year. For the June session, they apply up to 30 November of the previous calendar year.
For Dec 2026, this means amendments up to 31 May 2026 are examinable. An answer written for an older session may not include later changes. Read it alongside the current study material and ICSI's supplements.
Exam Pattern Basics: CS Executive and CS Professional
These points come from the June 2026 Guideline Answers and ICSI's December 2026 time table.
CS Executive (Syllabus 2022)
- Group 1 (4 papers): Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws; Company Law and Practice; Setting Up of Business, Industrial and Labour Laws; Corporate Accounting and Financial Management.
- Group 2 (3 papers): Capital Market and Securities Laws; Economic, Commercial and Intellectual Property Laws; Tax Laws and Practice.
- Each paper is worth 100 marks and lasts 3 hours. The June 2026 papers had 6 questions, with the instruction "Answer ALL questions" (some questions have an alternative).
CS Professional (Syllabus 2022)
- Group 1: ESG – Principles and Practice; Drafting, Pleadings and Appearances; Compliance Management, Audit and Due Diligence; plus one elective from six options.
- Group 2: Strategic Management and Corporate Finance; Corporate Restructuring, Valuation and Insolvency; plus one elective from five options.
- Each paper is worth 100 marks and lasts 3 hours, with 6 questions to answer. ICSI's December 2026 time table marks both electives as Open Book Exam.
December 2026 timing
According to ICSI's time table, the December 2026 exams run from 21 to 28 December 2026 (no exam on 25 December). Papers are from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM, and the first 15 minutes (2:00 to 2:15 PM) are reading time. Check your admit card and the latest ICSI notice before exam day.
How to Use ICSI Suggested Answers for Dec 2026 Prep
Reading the answers is useful, but you will get much more out of them if you write your own answer first. Here is a simple plan for the weeks left.
Step 1: Finish the concept revision first (now to late October)
Use past papers alongside your revision, chapter by chapter. After you finish a chapter, find the questions on it in the last three or four papers and see how ICSI asks it. It might be a straight theory question, a case study or a practical problem.
Step 2: Write, then compare
- Attempt the question on paper, timed. As a rough guide, allow about 1.8 minutes per mark (180 minutes ÷ 100 marks).
- Only then open the Guideline Answer.
- Mark what you missed: the section number, the case law, the correct conclusion, or the steps in a numerical.
Step 3: Build a "repeat topics" list
Keep a one-page list for each paper of topics that come up in more than one session. Revise these more than once. It is not a guarantee of what will come, but it tells you what the examiners like to test.
Step 4: Full papers in exam conditions (November to mid-December)
From November, do at least one full paper per subject, in one sitting, 2:00 to 5:15 PM, the same slot as the real exam. This builds writing speed and shows you where you lose time.
Step 5: Update for amendments
Before you learn an answer from an older paper, check that the law has not changed since. Remember the cut-off for Dec 2026 is 31 May 2026.
For Professional electives
The electives are open book, but that does not mean easy. Past papers show that ICSI asks application-based questions, where you have to find the right provision quickly and apply it. Practise finding provisions in your book against the clock.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Downloading papers from the old Syllabus 2017 when you are on Syllabus 2022.
- Treating the Guideline Answer as the only correct answer. ICSI itself calls it indicative.
- Reading answers without writing any, which gives you a false sense of being prepared.
- Skipping the numerical paper (Corporate Accounting and Financial Management at Executive level) because the theory papers feel more urgent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are ICSI suggested answers and Guideline Answers the same thing?
Yes. "Suggested answers" is what students commonly call them. ICSI publishes them as "Guideline Answers" on its website.
Where can I download ICSI suggested answers for June 2026?
They are on the ICSI Guideline Answers page (icsi.edu/guideline-answers). Select June 2026, then Executive or Professional Programme (Syllabus 2022), and download the Group 1 or Group 2 PDF.
Do the Guideline Answers include the questions?
Yes. Each question is printed in full before its answer, so you can use the PDF on its own. You can also download the original question papers separately from the "Previous Sessions QPs" page.
Are the ICSI Guideline Answers free?
Yes. We could download them from icsi.edu without logging in or paying anything.
Will the December 2026 Guideline Answers be released?
ICSI has released answers for past sessions. For example, the June 2026 set is dated 9 September 2026. ICSI has not announced a date for the December 2026 set, so keep an eye on the Guideline Answers page.
Can I rely only on old answers for the Dec 2026 exam?
No. Laws change, and for Dec 2026 amendments up to 31 May 2026 apply. Use old answers to learn how questions are framed, and take the current law from the latest study material and supplements.
How a Test Series Can Help
Past papers show you what ICSI asks. A test series adds what self-study can't give you: someone checking your answers. With the CS Executive test series or CS Professional test series on Gradehunt, you write chapter-wise or full-syllabus papers in exam conditions. Your answer sheets are then evaluated in detail, so you can see where you lose marks on presentation, section references or working notes. Once you have practised with past papers, this is a good way to test how ready you are before December.
Sources
- ICSI – Guideline Answers (Executive and Professional Programme; June 2026 Group 1 and 2 PDFs are linked from this page): https://www.icsi.edu/guideline-answers
- ICSI – Academic Portal: https://www.icsi.edu/academic-portal
- ICSI – Previous Sessions Question Papers: https://www.icsi.edu/examination/previous-sessions-qps
- ICSI – Question Paper June 2026: https://www.icsi.edu/media/webmodules/icsiweb/QuestionPapers_June_2026.html
- ICSI – Time Table for CS Examinations, December 2026 Session: https://icsis3-console.kreate-cloud.com:9002/icsi-prod/media/cms_uploads/cs-main-exam-time-table-dec-26.pdf
- Business Standard – ICSI announces CS Executive, Professional exam dates for December 2026: https://www.business-standard.com/amp/education/news/icsi-announces-cs-executive-professional-exam-dates-for-december-2026-nc-126060900382_1.html
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