B.Com VS CS: Which is a Better Option After Class 12?

The different types of B.Com courses available for students are Bachelor of Commerce Course - General, Bachelor of Commerce Course - Honours or BCom Honours, Bachelor of Commerce Course - Online, Bachelor of Commerce Course - Distance and Bachelor of Commerce Course - Abroad. 

A CS graduate can work as an Assistance to the Board of Directors, Company Secretary, Legal Advisor, Principal Secretary, Corporate Policymaker, Arbitration and Conciliation, Corporate Restructuring, Foreign Collaborations and Joint Ventures, Project Planning, etc. The top recruiters of CS candidates are KPMG, Deloitte, ONGC, HCL Technologies Ltd., Jaypee Group and Punjab National Bank.

As the CS course consist of 3 sections, the different subjects taught to the students are Business Communication, Legal Aptitude and Logical Reasoning, Current Affairs and Viva Voce (Viva Voce announcement yet to be done by ICSI), Economic and Business Environment, Business Correspondence, Business Communication, Essentials of Good English, Common Business Terminology, Indian Contract Act and Law of Torts, Indian Constitution, Company Law, Company Secretaries Legislation, Legal Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Listening Skills, Written Communication Skills, Demand, Supply, and Forms of Competition, Indian Union Budget, National Income Accounting and Related Budgets, Indian Union Budgets, Indian Economy, Business Environment, Company Law, Jurisprudence, Interpretation and General Laws, Setting of Business Entities and their Closure, Tax Laws and Regulations, Corporate and Management Accounting, etc. 

In total, there are 3 Company Secretary programs within the ICSI Company Secretary curriculum, the Company Secretary Foundation, the Company Secretary Executive, and the Company Secretary Professional program. The Foundation course is the first step toward the journey of becoming a company secretary and the program lasts not more than eight months and comprises four papers which contain business environment and law, business economics, fundamentals of accounting and auditing, and business management, ethics, and entrepreneurship. Candidates can take admission into the Executive program after passing the CSEET examination. You can only take the CSEET (Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test) examination if you are appearing/ completed your Class 12th or equivalent examination from a recognized board. To take admission into the CS Professional program, candidates have to clear the Executive examination. The professional program lasts for 15 months after which all the candidates are mandatorily required to complete long-term internships with specified companies.

B.Com graduates have good career options available to them after completing their graduation. Some of the jobs available for B.Com graduates are Financial Analyst, Tax Consultant, Auditor, Banker, Business Consultant, Financial Analyst, Investment Banker, Human Resource, etc. Various sectors offer jobs to candidates who have completed their graduation in B.Com. Different sectors where B.Com graduates can find jobs are Finance, Accounts, Law, Taxation, Operations, Management, etc. Companies like Accenture, Capgemini, Wipro, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Cognizant and more hire B.Com graduates. 

You can take up B.Com if you have completed Class 12th preferably in Commerce Stream from a recognised board with at least 45% aggregate marks. The minimum percentage required for B.Com admissions depends upon the college in which candidates seek admission. Delhi University provides admissions to candidates in B.Com courses with a percentage of 95% to 99%, whereas some colleges grant admission to students who have a percentage range of 50% to 70%. Keep in mind that colleges give more preference to students who have completed their Class XII in Commerce stream. You might have to appear for entrance exams as some colleges conduct entrance examinations for the B.Com course. 

Candidates opt for Company Secretary (CS) because it’s a highly rewarding profession with a plethora of job opportunities and excellent career growth along with a high-paying salary. As a CS, you will be directly working with the senior management of a company, and your job duties and commitments would be to handle tax returns, ensure compensations are paid off on time to the shareholders and manage financial and other legal regulations. Candidates having excellent legal skills, solid communication skills, good critical thinking, and problem-solving skills must study CS. 

If you are interested in making a career in the management field, banking sector and commerce field then you should definitely opt for the B.Com course. B.Com offers lucrative career choices and if you want to join top companies or want to start your own business, then choose B.Com after your 10+2. Some of the exciting jobs that you can do after graduation are Bankers, Insurance Advisors, Auditors, Accountants, Financial Advisors, etc. You can also do M.Com or study CA or do MBA after your graduation. 

The B.Com course is offered to the students for a duration of 3 years that can be pursued right after completing Class 12.  The important subjects that are taught to the students are Human Resources, Business Law, Decision Analysis, Economics, Logistics Management, Labour Relations, Industrial Psychology, Management Science, Accounting, Marketing, Politics & Public Policy, Econometrics, Auditing, Taxation, Insurance, Banking, Transport Economics, Communication, Computer Applications & IT, Entrepreneurship and many more.

The CS course is divided into 3 sections, the Company Secretary foundation, the Company Secretary executive, and the Company Secretary professional course. For the Company Secretary foundation, candidates must have passed a 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board however, aspirants from Arts, Commerce and Science streams are considered eligible while Fine Arts students are not allowed for the programme. For the Company Secretary executive program, candidates must be 17 years of age and above with a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university. Graduates from all streams except Fine Arts are not considered eligible. The Company Secretary professional course can only be pursued by those candidates who have cleared the Executive Programme.