The SEBI Grade A is one of the most sought-after examinations as far as aspirants who pursue a career in the Securities and Exchange Board of India are concerned. In this blog, we present a detailed analysis of SEBI Grade A by scanning through past cutoffs, their meaning to future aspirants, and how aspirants should be carefully preparing for this exam. If the SEBI Grade A exam cut off for previous years, especially 2020 and 2022, is studied, then candidates can better understand the competition line and accordingly set ideal points of reference for their SEBI Grade A 2024 cut off.
Understanding previous years’ performance data for SEBI Grade A 2024 Phase 1 and Phase 2 exams will be crucial for the aspirants appearing for the upcoming SEBI Grade A 2024 exams. In this primary analysis of SEBI Grade A cutoffs, the specific focus is on the trend of difficulty levels in the examination and on other areas of concentration depending on the specific phase. In this detailed review of the SEBI Grade A exam, we try to empower hopeful students with their perceptions to better their strategy for the SEBI Grade A exam this year.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis 2020
Cut offs declared by SEBI for SEBI Grade A 2020 were declared on 14th July 2021. While comparing these trends of SEBI Grade A exam previous year cut offs, discrepancies in form and pattern of the exam along with general performance have influenced the performance of aspirants and the resultant cut-offs. This could also be one of the major factors in the SEBI Grade A syllabus, which was defined and structured in clear and defined ways, making it more accessible to candidates for studying in a more coherent and structured manner. This has really augmented the performance of the candidates who sit for this exam. Another reason is that more and more aspirants for central government jobs opt for the SEBI Grade A exam every year. Hence, the number of applicants for this exam has risen, causing an increase in cut-offs for the SEBI Grade A exam.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: General Stream
| Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (AU) | PwBD (VI) | PwBD (HI) |
| 69.24 | 62.26 | 59.58 | 59.58 | 54.88 | 52.65 | 61.13 | 52.05 |
In comparison to the cut-offs in 2017 and 2018, for the General stream, the marks for both Phase 2 and final cut-offs have remained the same. Irrespective of the fact that the exam pattern was different, the cut-offs have remained the same.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: Legal Stream
| Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (HI) |
| 71.07 | 59.80 | 61.79 | 58.07 | 43.10 | 59.48 |
In the Legal stream, there has been a sharp rise in the cut-off. In 2018, the cut-off mark for the unreserved category was 57.18. There can be several reasons for this rise. For example, the standard of assessment may have changed. In 2018, there was a new segment introduced in Phase 1 for Important Regulations for 40 marks.
Another probable reason is that in 2020, there was no sectional cut-off. This may have resulted in an overall rise of cut-off marks. Also, there was no separate paper on the Financial Sector in Phase 2 for specialized streams.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: IT Stream
Take a look at the table below to know the cut-offs for the Information Technology stream for SEBI Grade A 2020.
| Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (VI) | PwBD (HI) |
| 84.67 | 65.20 | 80.00 | 66.06 | No Candidate Qualified | No Candidate Qualified | No Candidate Qualified |
Last year, the cut-off was quite high. In comparison to previous years, there is a steep rise in the cut-off mark. This may be due to a more focused approach and less focus on Finance subjects. Aspirants were able to give more due to their focus on their specialized subjects.
Also, with the number of vacancies increasing and a greater number of applicants, the competition has increased leading to a higher cut-off.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: Research Stream
The cut-offs for the Research Stream are more at par with General Stream. Since there were no vacancies in 2018, the last time the exam was held for this post was in 2017 (excluding exam 2020).
Last year there were only 5 vacancies for which only 4 students were finally selected. So, as you can see, this is a niche segment with a demanding job. A very knowledge-intensive segment for which only highly convincing candidates are considered.
| Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (HI) |
| 69.67 | No Candidate Qualified | No Vacancy | No Vacancy | 52.76 | No Candidate Qualified |
SEBI Grade A Analysis 2022
We will now look at the SEBI Grade A exam cut offs from the year 2022. These cut offs will provide you with an idea of the merit list trends.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: General Stream
| Category | Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (VI) | PwBD (HI) | PwBD (LD) | PwBD (ID & MD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut-Off | 64.82 | 57.58 | 59.00 | 57.32 | 55.87 | 58.75 | 58.85 | 60.58 | 54.60 |
The SEBI Grade A 2022 cut-offs for the General stream indicate higher cut-offs for the Unreserved category (64.82) compared to other reserved categories. Among the PwBD categories, candidates in the PwBD (LD) category had the highest cut-off at 60.58, while the PwBD (ID & MD) category had the lowest at 54.60. The cut-off differences reflect the competition level within each category and the adjustments based on candidate performance and availability.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: Legal Stream
| Category | Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (VI) | PwBD (ID & MD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut-Off | 69.08 | 63.82 | 63.64 | 65.22 | 58.64 | 57.25 | No candidate qualified |
The Legal stream saw the highest cut-off in the Unreserved category at 69.08, showing significant competition. The ST category had a lower cut-off at 58.64, while PwBD (VI) had a cut-off of 57.25. Notably, no candidate qualified in the PwBD (ID & MD) category. This stream generally shows higher cut-offs than the General stream, suggesting higher competition and possibly fewer seats.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: Information Technology Stream
| Category | Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (VI) | PwBD (HI) |
|---|
| Cut-Off | 55.78 | No candidate qualified | No candidate qualified | – | – | – | – |
For the Information Technology stream, only the Unreserved category had qualifying candidates, with a cut-off of 55.78. No candidates qualified in other categories, indicating either limited seats, stringent selection criteria, or low participation in this stream among reserved categories.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: Research Stream
| Category | Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (HI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cut-Off | 71.24 | 68.39 | No Vacancy | 66.39 | No Vacancy | No candidate qualified |
The Research stream exhibits high cut-offs, with the Unreserved category at 71.24 and the OBC (NCL) category closely following at 68.39. The SC category has a cut-off of 66.39. There were no vacancies for EWS and ST categories, and no candidate qualified in the PwBD (HI) category, reflecting the specialized nature and high competitiveness of this stream.
SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Off: Official Language Stream
| Category | Unreserved | OBC (NCL) | EWS | SC | ST | PwBD (HI) |
|---|
| Cut-Off | 78.03 | 77.80 | No Vacancy | – | – | 72.72 |
The Official Language stream had the highest cut-offs across all streams, with the Unreserved and OBC (NCL) categories very close at 78.03 and 77.80, respectively. This indicates intense competition and possibly a small number of seats. For PwBD (HI), the cut-off was slightly lower at 72.72. No vacancies were available for EWS, SC, and ST categories, which may reflect the limited demand or seats in this specialization.
SEBI Grade A 2022 exam cut-offs are a crucial document for preparing aspirants looking forward to cracking the SEBI Grade A exam. Every year, the SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) releases cut-offs corresponding to the Grade A exam it conducts for its recruitment process. This SEBI Grade A cut-off is in fact essential for a candidate who wishes to compare his relative performance across the various streams, namely General, Legal, Information Technology, Research, and Official Language. Considering the fact that SEBI Grade A is indeed the most coveted of government jobs, knowledge of such cut-offs will be useful in strategizing for aspirants preparing for the impending SEBI Grade A 2024 Phase 1 and Phase 2 exams.
The cut-offs for SEBI Grade A 2022 have widely varied for different streams and categories. It reflects the diversity in the skill sets and academic backgrounds of the candidates as well. For example, Legal and Official Language streams have substantially high cut-offs, with the Official Language stream having set a stringent 78.03 for the Unreserved category. Such data points to increased competition at specific specialized streams of the SEBI Grade A exam. Streams like Information Technology have few candidates qualifying through some reserved categories due to unique skill requirements or limited seat availability. Going through the SEBI Grade A exam analysis and understanding the trend in the SEBI Grade A exam cut-off will further help the aspirant prepare for the SEBI Grade A 2024 cut-off expectations.
The SEBI Grade A analysis is very worth reading for the next set of test-takers since it reinforces the fact that this increased popularity as a career destination is going to go hand-in-hand with increased competition. The SEBI Grade A 2022 cut-offs provide a benchmark for all the candidates who are preparing for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the SEBI Grade A 2024 exams, hence directing those candidates towards setting appropriate and realistic targets for preparation and improving on strategies. This cut-off trend witnessed from year to year helps the aspirants to draw a road map so that their study efforts can take proper alignment with these changing standards of the SEBI Grade A exam and achieve success in such a high recruitment process.
Why Should You Review SEBI Grade A Exam Cut Offs?
There are several benefits of analyzing previous year’s cut-offs. These are applicable for both candidates who have previously taken the exam or have not. Either way, read below to learn about how you can shape your study plan to ensure you clear this exam with flying colours.
- It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses. This way, you can make a study plan that will help you work on your shortcomings.
- For those who have given the exams before, you can compare the results/cut-offs with your own result to understand which section(s) were lacking.
- It can help you understand the standard of assessment. This will help you understand what has changed and what has not.
- Use this article, and video embedded below, to devise your preparation strategy.
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