CS Professional · December 2025 · Paper 7.1
CS Professional Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation December 2025: paper analysis
Our own analysis of the official paper, as of 12 October 2026. The questions and answers belong to ICSI; read them on ICSI's website.
Chapter-wise marks
Where the marks were in this paper (out of 100; internal-choice alternatives not double counted).
What each question tested
In our words, by question number. Open the official paper for the full question.
| Q | Marks | Tests | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(a) | 5 | General conditions typically found in pharmaceutical research, development and supply contracts | Commercial Transactions |
| 1(b) | 5 | Essential contents of a notice invoking arbitration under the Act and institutional rules | Arbitral Proceedings, Pleadings and Evidence |
| 1(c) | 5 | Grounds to challenge an arbitrator for justifiable doubts on independence due to prior ties | Challenge to Award and Appeals |
| 1(d) | 5 | Drafting an agreement to refer an existing dispute to an arbitral tribunal | Arbitration: Introduction, Agreements and its Institutions |
| 1(e) | 5 | Drafting components of an affidavit supporting a court application to appoint an arbitrator | Arbitration Procedure, Appointment of an Arbitrator and Other Aspects |
| 2(a) | 5 | Resolving conflicting court-jurisdiction and foreign-seated arbitration clauses in an international contract, with case law | Conceptual Framework of International Commercial Arbitration |
| 2(b) | 5 | Whether a writ petition is an earlier application under section 42, in statutory highway arbitration | Arbitration: Introduction, Agreements and its Institutions |
| 2(c) | 5 | Effect of serious fraud allegations on arbitrability and the arbitration agreement, with case law | Arbitration: Introduction, Agreements and its Institutions |
| 3(a) | 5 | Binding a non-signatory to an arbitration agreement through conduct in negotiation and performance | Arbitration: Introduction, Agreements and its Institutions |
| 3(b) | 5 | Whether courts can modify arbitral awards under sections 34 and 37, per the constitution bench ruling | Challenge to Award and Appeals |
| 3(c) | 5 | Termination of proceedings under section 32(2)(c) when the claimant stops attending hearings | Arbitral Proceedings, Pleadings and Evidence |
| 4(a) | 5 | Key features of fast track arbitration under section 29B | Emerging Aspects: Fast Track and Virtual Arbitration |
| 4(b) | 5 | Section 8 reference to arbitration when an IBC section 7 petition is pending, with case law | Arbitration: Introduction, Agreements and its Institutions |
| 4(c) | 5 | Objection of insufficient stamping at the section 11 appointment stage, with case law | Arbitration Procedure, Appointment of an Arbitrator and Other Aspects |
| 4A(i) | 5 | Investor claim against a broker for unauthorised derivative trades in stock exchange arbitration | Arbitration under Investors' Grievances Redressal Mechanism of Stock Exchanges |
| 4A(ii) | 5 | Grounds for removal of a member of the Arbitration Council of India | Arbitration: Introduction, Agreements and its Institutions |
| 4A(iii) | 5 | Conditions for enforcing Geneva Convention awards under section 57 and grounds for refusal | International Law of Arbitration |
| 5(a) | 7 | Drafting a mediation agreement for an online mediation of a commercial software dispute | Mediation: An Introduction and its Process along with Rules |
| 5(b) | 4 | Concept of e-mediation with its benefits and challenges | International and Emerging Aspects under Mediation Law |
| 5(c) | 4 | Distinction between ad hoc and institutional mediation | Various Modes and Scope of Mediation including Role of Mediation in other ADR Domains |
| 6(a) | 5 | Med-Arb and Arb-Med hybrid processes explained | Various Modes and Scope of Mediation including Role of Mediation in other ADR Domains |
| 6(b) | 5 | Practical difficulties faced by mediators and drafting issues in section 89 CPC | Mediation: An Introduction and its Process along with Rules |
| 6(c) | 5 | Use of co-mediation by a diverse panel for a workplace dispute | Various Modes and Scope of Mediation including Role of Mediation in other ADR Domains |
| 6A(i) | 5 | Judicial considerations in motor accident compensation claims | Various Modes and Scope of Mediation including Role of Mediation in other ADR Domains |
| 6A(ii) | 5 | Benefits and limitations of AI-powered tools in mediation | International and Emerging Aspects under Mediation Law |
| 6A(iii) | 5 | Steps to prepare for and conduct a commercial negotiation with a supplier | Negotiation Skills and Communication |
What stood out
- Arbitration (Part I, Q1 to Q4) carried 70 marks; mediation, negotiation and allied ADR (Part II, Q5 and Q6) carried 30.
- Two integrated case studies anchored the paper: Q1 (25 marks) on a pharma contract dispute covering notice, challenge to arbitrator and drafting, and Q5 (15 marks) on online mediation.
- Drafting featured in three parts (submission agreement, supporting affidavit, mediation agreement), worth 17 marks together.
- Recent Supreme Court rulings were central: modification of awards, non-signatories, unstamped agreements, fraud and arbitrability, and section 8 versus IBC proceedings.
- The Introduction and Agreements chapter was the most tested (6 entries), while the two conciliation chapters were not tested at all.
Practise the chapters that carried the marks
Arbitration: Introduction, Agreements and its Institutions, Various Modes and Scope of Mediation including Role of Mediation in other ADR Domains, Mediation: An Introduction and its Process along with Rules: study guides and practice questions in the CS Professional format.