Compliance Management, Audit & Due Diligence – CRACKER is a practice-first, topic-wise solved question bank built to take a CS-Professional student through Paper 3 of Group 1 exactly as the examination tests it. Instead of restating theory, it gathers past CS-Professional questions, sorts them under named sub-topics within each chapter, and answers each one in full—modelling the structure, depth and legal precision an examiner rewards. Three things give it its character: every question is tagged by its sitting and marks, so weight is visible at a glance; the author additionally flags high-yield questions to direct scarce revision time; and the answers are written to the current legal position, absorbing the latest amendments and ICSI standards. Because it is mapped chapter-for-chapter to the ICSI study material, it slots in naturally as the applied, exam-facing companion to conceptual reading—turning a wide, statute-heavy syllabus into a focused, repeatable drill, and closing with the most recent whole paper solved in full.

The Present Publication is the 6th Edition | June 2026, authored by CS Ankush Bansal, with the following noteworthy features:

• [Fully Solved Past Papers] Every previous-exam question answered in full, as per the latest examination pattern
• [Topic-wise Arrangement] Previous-exam questions organised under each chapter’s topics, up to the June 2026 examination
• [Fully Updated Answers] Revised as per the relevant provisions and case laws
• [Marks Distribution & Trend Analysis] Chapter-wise weightage and question trends of past examinations
• [Comparison with Study Material] Chapter-wise mapping of the book to the ICSI study material
• [Layered Question Tagging] Every question carries its sitting and marks (e.g., [Dec. 2025 (5 Marks)], including sub-part splits such as (2+3=5) and (1×5=5)), while the author separately flags questions as [Scoring Question], [Expected Question] and [ICSI Material Question] to signal what to prioritise and where each question comes from
• [Recency-weighted Question Pool] Past questions reach back to 2012 and are integrated topically through the December 2025 sitting, the period the current examiner draws from most
• [Latest Full Paper Solved (June 2026)] A complete, separately set Solved Paper—June 2026 (Suggested Answers) for full-paper practice on the very latest examination
• [Current to the Latest Law] Answers fold in recent changes such as the SEBI (LODR) Third Amendment 2024 (Regulation 24A on secretarial-auditor tenure and material subsidiaries) and the MCA’s decriminalisation/e-adjudication framework
• [Standards & Forms Applied] Answers engage the ICSI Auditing Standards (CSAS-1 to CSAS-4) and statutory forms such as MR-3, MGT-7 and MGT-8, reflecting the standards and instruments a Company Secretary actually applies

The syllabus is organised into two parts mirroring the paper’s mark split:

• Part I — Compliance Management (40 Marks)
  • Compliance Framework
  • Documentation & Maintenance of Records
  • Signing and Certification
  • Legal Framework Governing Company Secretaries
  • Values, Ethics and Professional Conduct
  • Non-Compliances, Penalties and Adjudications
  • Reliefs and Remedies
• Part II — Audit and Due Diligence (60 Marks)
  • Concepts of Various Audits
  • Audit Engagement
  • Audit Principles and Techniques
  • Audit Process and Documentation
  • Forming an Opinion & Reporting
  • Secretarial Audit
  • Internal Audit & Performance Audit
  • Peer Review and Quality Review
  • Due Diligence
• Laws, Standards & Forms Tested
  • Across these chapters the questions test the working knowledge expected of a Company Secretary:
    • The Companies Act 2013 (including its offence, adjudication and audit provisions)
    • The Company Secretaries Act 1980 and its professional-misconduct schedules (Second Schedule, Part I, Clause 7)
    • The SEBI (LODR) Regulations
    • The ICSI Auditing Standards (CSAS-1 to CSAS-4)
    • Secretarial Standard SS-1, and statutory instruments such as Forms MR-3, MGT-7, MGT-8 and AOC-4
    • Both descriptive and practical (problem-based) questions are covered, reflecting the mix the examiner now sets

The book follows a highly functional, exam-centric structure:

• Two-part Architecture — The book follows the paper’s own division and 40:60 weighting: Compliance Management, then Audit & Due Diligence
• Micro-topic Clustering — Within chapters, questions are grouped under named sub-topic headings (for example, in Due Diligence—Types of Due Diligence, Process and Stages of Due Diligence, Factors to be Kept in Mind While Conducting Due Diligence), so a student drills one concept at a time
• Question → Answer Flow — Each question is stated, tagged with its source/marks (or author flag), and immediately followed by a worked answer; differently worded questions on the same point are joined by ‘OR’
• Disciplined Answer Method — Case and practical questions are worked through an issue → legal provision → analysis → conclusion/advice approach (shown explicitly in the June 2026 solved paper, with answers carrying Analysis, Conclusion and Advice sub-headings); comparative material is set out in tables (e.g., the deal-breaker/diluter/cautioner/maker classification), and applicability and numerical problems are solved step-by-step against the relevant thresholds
• Analytical Front Matter & Closing Paper — Three reference tables open the book—Chapter-wise Marks Distribution, Previous Exams Trend Analysis and Chapter-wise Comparison with the Study Material, the first two covering the five recent sittings from June 2024 to June 2026—and the complete June 2026 solved paper closes it, supporting timed, whole-paper revision.

CS Ankush Bansal is a distinguished figure in the legal field, renowned for his extensive knowledge across Corporate, Civil, Criminal, General, and Personal laws. Ankush has made significant contributions to legal academia and practice, with a legal career spanning over eight years. Ankush holds impressive academic credentials, including a CS, B.Com., LL.B., and LL.M. from Delhi University. His scholarly works, widely recognised for their meticulous research and insightful analysis, have become essential readings for professional courses.