Examination Objectives
Know the basics of social auditing, Code of conduct of Social Auditors.
Understand the general concepts related to social stock exchange, social audit and social impact assessment.
Know the Social Impact Reporting disclosures and regulations.
Assessment Structure
The examination should be completed in 2 hours. The passing score for the examination is 60. There shall be negative marking of 25 percent of the marks assigned to a question.
Type of Questions | Number of Questions | Marks per Question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
Multiple Choice Questions | 85 | 1 | 85 |
Case-based Questions | 3 cases x 5 qns | 1 | 15 |
Test Details
Name of Module: NISM Series XXIII: Social Auditors Certification Examination ~ 85 multiple-choice and 3 case-based/caselet questions (each case having 5 questions) totaling to 100 marks.
* Negative marking: 25% of the marks assigned to the question.
Payment Gateway Charges extra.
# Passing Certificate will be issued only to those candidates who have furnished/ updated their Income Tax Permanent Account Number (PAN) in their registration details.
Who should take it, and the path to empanelment
The exam suits professionals who want to sign off social audits on the SSE; for a CA firm, it sits naturally alongside existing assurance work. NISM sets the eligibility:
Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries or Cost Accountants with a valid Certificate of Practice
UGC postgraduates with three years in the development sector
UGC graduates with six years in the development sector
Passing the exam is only half the path; to be empanelled as a Social Auditor you must also register with a Self-Regulatory Organisation (ICAI's ISAI, ICMAI's SAO, or ICSI's IISA). The pull behind it is structural: every NPO that raises on the SSE must file an annual impact report audited by a registered Social Auditor, and as more NPOs list and corporate CSR money flows in, that requirement scales with them.
Who this is for
Chartered Accountants (CA), Company Secretaries (CS), Cost Accountants (CMA), NGO consultants and social-impact professionals, provided they meet the NISM eligibility set out above.
After passing the exam, what next?
Passing NISM Series XXIII is step one. To be empanelled as a Social Auditor who can take on SSE assignments, you must then register with a Self-Regulatory Organisation: ICAI's ISAI, ICMAI's SAO, or ICSI's IISA. The certification establishes your competence; the SRO registration enrols you as a recognised Social Auditor for assignments tied to social audit standards on the SSE. For the wider picture of how this role fits the exchange, see our overview of the Social Stock Exchange. Requirements can change, so confirm the current eligibility, exam pattern and registration steps with NISM and the relevant SRO before acting.
NISM certification vs SRO empanelment
These are two separate things, and they are often confused. The NISM Series XXIII exam is the certification: it confirms you have the knowledge to act as a Social Auditor. SRO empanelment is the separate registration, through ICAI's ISAI, ICMAI's SAO, or ICSI's IISA, that lets you actually sign social audits. You need both: the NISM certification alone does not authorise you to sign, and you cannot register with an SRO as a Social Auditor without it. If you are looking at this in the context of an NPO's listing, see our SSE registration step by step guide. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm the current position with the relevant SRO and SEBI before acting.