For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, the examinations to test and qualify Chartered Secretaries were conducted in Colombo and the results were announced this week by the Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries in Sri Lanka. Hitherto, students preparing for the examinations to qualify as a Chartered Secretary had to face the examinations of the UK Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

Over the years however, due to the very high comparative cost of foreign examinations, the number of students registering for the examinations of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries of UK dwindled, eventually reaching numbers as low as only 10 students per annum. This resulted in the Associates and Fellow Members of ICSA, UK resident in Sri Lanka getting together and registering their own body to establish a fully fledged local Institute as in the case of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka who also switched over from the UK body (England & Wales) to the local Institute way back in the 1950s.

In the first six months of its existence, the local body received applications from over 50 students to enrol for the examinations. Some of them have been granted exemptions based on their part qualifications in ICSA, UK and also based on other qualifying examinations such as in Accounting and Law.
The indications from the number of ICCS students attending lectures at the Ladies' College Department of Vocational Studies are that there is a great demand for this new examination, the local costs of which are well below the Sterling cost of the UK examinations.

The following students completed the Foundation Level A examinations in October 2010.

Ms. Dimuthu P Silva
Ms. Priyanga P Peiris
Ms. Disna N Jayasinghe
Ms. G G Kalani P Guruge
Ms. P M K Thilini T Gamage
Mr. K Manula Sandaruwan
Ms. Lalana S Rajakaruna
Ms. K G N Gayani Peiris
Ms. Mumtaz Vedanayagam
Ms. Maduwanthi Premadasa