SEBI Grade A Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2025
The SEBI Grade A exam is one of the top-level examinations, as it provides an opportunity to serve in one of the largest financial organizations in India. Regarded as one of the top governing bodies of India, SEBI gives this chance to start as an Assistant Manager in this highly reputed government agency and work your way up. With the end of the current SEBI Grade A exam cycle, aspirants who did not appear for the exams this year can start preparing for the 2025 recruitment cycle. The 2025 exam cycle will begin once the SEBI Grade A Notification is released. After that, prospective applicants should review the details and prepare for the 2025 recruitment process. In order to excel in the SEBI Grade A exam 2025, the key is to understand and thoroughly prepare for each subject. To start with, it is important to go through the SEBI Grade A exam pattern and syllabus in detail, which is provided below.
Having a list of good books is greatly recommended to aid in your preparation for the exam. Even if the SEBI Grade A 2025 notification is not yet out, aspirants can begin preparing for the exam. When the new notification for 2025 is released, all the important exam details that aspirants neeed to prepare will be there in it But aspirants can begin working on their exam preparation right now. That's why aspirants should refer to the SEBI Grade A exam pattern and syllabus outlined below. since that is necessary for effective preparation for the SEBI Grade A exam . There is no doubt that only by understanding the exam pattern and covering the syllabus topics comprehensively with a proper study plan can assure your chances of success.
The selection process as notified in the short notification by SEBI consists of :
Phase 1 - Online Exam (Objective):
Phase 2 - Online Exam (Objective + Descriptive):
Phase 3 - Interview:
Let’s now look at the SEBI Grade A exam pattern and syllabus in detail below.
SEBI Grade A Phase 1 Exam Pattern 2025
As mentioned earlier, SEBI will release the official notification of SEBI Grade A exam 2025 after the current exam cycle is officially closed. This means that aspirants will have access to all the important details of the exam like the SEBI Grade A Eligilbility Criteria and other exam details.The notification will provide all the important details of the exam pattern and syllabus which is expected to remain unchanged in the coming year as well. The SEBI Grade A exam usually consist of two papers in Phase 1, which will be objective in nature. This will be a qualifying exam with multiple-choice questions.
Paper 1 is common for all streams, while Paper 2 will be stream-specific. Please refer to the table below:
| Stream / Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration(minutes) | Cut Off(%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | |||
| All Streams: Multiple choice questions on the subjects viz. General Awareness (including some questions related to Financial Sector of easy to moderate difficulty level), English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Test of Reasoning. | 100 | 60 | 30% |
| Paper 2 | |||
| General Stream: Multiple choice questions on subjects Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act and Economics. | 100 | 40 | 40% |
| Legal, Information Technology, Official Language Stream: Multiple choice questions on Specialized subject related to stream. | |||
| Research Stream :- Multiple choice questions on subjects Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Finance and Commerce. | |||
| Aggregate Cut off | 40% | ||
Please note:
There will be a minimum cut-off percentage criterion in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 of Phase 1.
The cut-off for Paper 1 is a minimum of 30%, while for Paper 2, it was a minimum of 40%.
There is no sectional cut-off in Phase 1.
Candidates must score a separate cut-off in each paper to qualify for Phase 2.
Phase 1: Paper 1 Syllabus 2025
It is very important to have a good understanding of the SEBI Grade A exam syllabus in order to qualify for each stage of the recruitment process. Phase 1 of the SEBI Grade A exam comprises two papers - Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 is common for all streams and covers a wide range of subjects.
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | Simplification and approximation, Number Series, Quadratic Equation, Number System / HCF & LCM, Ratio and Proportion, Average, Partnership, Ages, Percentage, Profit & Loss, Time, Speed & Distance, Problems on Trains, Boat and Stream, Time & Work / Pipes and Cisterns, Simple and Compound Interest, Mixture & Allegations, Permutation and Combination, Probability, Data Interpretation (DI), Caselet DI and Data Sufficiency |
| English | Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Passage Making, Error Spotting, Jumble Words, Sentence Framing, Fill in the blanks |
| General Awareness | Monetary Policies, Banking and Financial Awareness, Economic Terms, Current Affairs, Static GK, Financial and Economic News, Government Schemes. Agreement & Deals, Banking Terms- rates & processes, National Institutions, BeePedia |
| Reasoning | Puzzles, Seating Arrangement- Circular, Square & Linear, Data Sufficiency, Directions and Distance, Coding Decoding, Blood relations, Inequality, Syllogism, Machine input and output, Verbal Reasoning, Ordering and Ranking, Arrangement and Pattern, Scheduling, Distance and Direction, Ranking |
The SEBI Grade A 2025 is not yet out but aspirants can take a close look at the recently concluded exam notification and syllabus provided by SEBI so that they can begin preparing for the exam.
Paper 2: Phase 1 and Phase 2 (General) 2025
Starting the preparation by reviewing the SEBI Grade A syllabus in detail can serve as a stepping stone for better success.
Here is the detailed syllabus for SEBI Grade A Paper 2 for Phase 1 and Phase 2, as per the recent exam syllabus:
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Commerce & Accountancy |
|
| Management |
|
| Finance |
|
| Costing | Overview of Cost and Management Accounting - Introduction to Cost and Management Accounting, Objectives and Scope of Cost and Management Accounting, Methods of Costing - Single Output/ Unit Costing, Job Costing, Batch Costing, Contract Costing, Process/ Operation Costing, Costing of Service Sectors, Basics of Cost Control and Analysis -
|
| Companies Act | The Companies Act, 2013 – Specific reference to Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter VIII, Chapter X, Chapter XI, Chapter XII and Chapter XXVII. |
| Economics | Demand and Supply, Market Structures, National Income: Concepts and Measurement, Classical & Keynesian Approach Determination of output and employment, Consumption Function, Investment Function, Multiplier and Accelerator, Demand and Supply for Money , IS – LM, Inflation and Phillips Curve, Business Cycles, Balance of Payments, Foreign Exchange Markets, Inflation, Monetary and Fiscal Policy, Non-banking Financial Institutions. |
Paper 2: Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Legal)
The SEBI Grade A Legal Paper 2 consists of questions from specialized subjects. You must be aware of the detailed syllabus of SEBI Legal Officer stream Paper 2 for both phases before you commence your preparation.
Paper 2: Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Research)
We have dedicated specialist pages for various streams from where you can get the detailed SEBI Grade A syllabus for the Research stream. The syllabus aims to evaluate the candidate's ability to apply research-based insights to make informed decisions and recommendations in the securities market.
Paper 2: Phase 1 and Phase 2 (Official Language)
The SEBI Grade A Officer syllabus for Paper 2 of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Official Language stream is provided below. This section examines the candidate's command over language, writing skills, and their ability to accurately understand and interpret passages in order to convey information effectively in both languages.
| Official Language Stream |
|---|
| भारत सरकार की राजभाषा नीति (Official Language Policy of the Govt. of India) से सम्बन्धी प्रश्न |
| हिंदी से अंग्रेजी अनुवाद [शब्द / वाक्यांश / वाक्य / Terms / Phrases / Sentences] |
| अंग्रेजी से हिंदी अनुवाद [शब्द / वाक्यांश / वाक्य / Terms / Phrases / Sentences] |
| हिंदी से हिंदी - विधिक शब्दावली (Legal Terminology) |
| अंग्रेजी से हिंदी - विधिक शब्दावली (Legal Terminology) |
| हिंदी से अंग्रेजी – प्रशाशनिक / बैंकिंग / पूँजी बाजार सम्बन्धी शब्दावली (Administrative / Banking / Capital Market Terminology) |
| अंग्रेजी से हिंदी - प्रशाशनिक / बैंकिंग / पूँजी बाजार सम्बन्धी शब्दावली (Administrative / Banking / Capital Market Terminology) |
| अनुवाद - शब्दों, वाक्यों, वाक्यांशों, और पैराग्राफ का अंग्रेज़ी से हिंदी और हिंदी से अंग्रेज़ी मे अनुवाद |
SEBI Grade A Phase 2 Exam Pattern 2025
The SEBI Grade A Phase 2 is also conducted online and again has 2 parts, Paper 1 common for all streams consisting of Descriptive English, which evaluates the candidate’s proficiency in writing skills and reading comprehension. Paper 2 will be stream specific and intends to assess the subject knowledge with stream-specific questions.
It is important to score well more than the sectional and overall cut-off in this phase of SEBI Grade A exam, as the marks will be considered along with the Interview score to prepare the final selection list.
| Stream / Subject | Maximum Marks | Duration(minutes) | Cut Off(%) | Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | ||||
| All streams: English (Descriptive Test) to test the drafting skills | 100 | 60 | 30 | 1/3rd |
| Paper 2 | ||||
| General Stream: Multiple choice questions on subjects Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act and Economics. | 100 | 40 | 40 | 2/3rd |
| Legal and Official Language stream: Multiple choice questions on Specialized subject related to stream. | ||||
| Research Stream: Multiple choice questions on subjects Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Finance and Commerce. | ||||
| Information Technology Stream: Coding Test (Languages: C++/JAVA/Python) | 100 | 180 | 40 | 2/3rd |
Important points to note
New Hall Tickets will be issued for SEBI Grade A Phase 2.
Paper 1 and Paper 2 will be conducted in various shifts, with timings mentioned in the Hall Ticket.
Candidates need to secure separate cut-offs in each paper and an overall aggregate cut-off of 50% in Phase 2.
SEBI Grade A Phase 2 Syllabus
Phase 2 is the second stage of the SEBI Grade A exam. It is expected to comprise two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 will be common for all streams, while Paper 2 is specific to each stream. Please note that the full syllabus for Paper 1 has been given below to help you prepare.
The last released notification will give you all the information you need on the SEBI Grade A syllabus. You can refer to the syllabus and exam pattern while you strategize your exam preparation in great detail. Doing this will assist you in starting your preparation in advance and familiarizing yourself with the relevant subjects.
SEBI Grade A Phase 2 Syllabus: Paper 1
In Paper 1 of SEBI Grade A Phase 2, you will have to showcase your writing skills. This part will be held in English language only. You will be assessed on the basis of precise writing, essay writing and reading comprehension. This paper will be common for all the streams. To help you with SEBI Grade A Phase 2- Paper 1 preparation, we have provided the syllabus of Phase 2- Paper 1. Refer to the table for complete details of the SEBI Grade A Phase 2 syllabus.
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| English Writing Skills | Precis Writing/ Essay Writing/ Reading Comprehension |
We invite you to also check out the free demo SEBI Grade A course to analyse the quality of our study material. To avail of this facility, you need to first log in to ixamBee and register yourself.
SEBI Grade A Interview
The Interview shall be the final stage of the selection process and those candidates who complete the Phase 1 and Phase 2 stages will move on to this part. The Interview can be taken in English or Hindi, as per the candidate’s convenience. The marks obtained in the interview stage will be included towards the final result. The Phase 2 marks will make up for 85% and the Interview marks will make up the rest 15% of the total score, to draw up the final merit list.
However, SEBI may change the selection process and criteria and so candidates should visit the official website of SEBI for any updates.
We know that SEBI Grade A Interview will be a decisive step in your selection journey and hence needs a professional touch in this particular stage. Hence, ixambee provides a SEBI Grade A Interview Course (Legal), specifically for those aiming to become SEBI Grade A Law officers.
SEBI Grade A Marking Scheme 2025
In Phase 1, both Paper 1 and Paper 2 consist of objective-type questions. Similarly, in Phase 2, Paper 1 is a Descriptive English Test, while Paper 2 is objective type. The SEBI Grade A exam marking scheme involves awarding marks for correct answers and imposing penalties for wrong answers as given in the table below.
SEBI Grade A Marking Scheme
| SEBI Grade A Marking Scheme | Considered Marks |
|---|---|
| For wrong answers |
|
| For not attempted | 0 (no marks) |
The negative marking system prevents random guessing and make sure candidates with proper knowledge of the subject score well.
SEBI Grade A Exam Language
The SEBI Grade A exam conducts both the objective and descriptive tests in an online mode. All the questions in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 exams, except for the Test of English Language in Phase 1 and the Descriptive Test of English in Phase 2, are presented in a bilingual format, i.e. available in both English and Hindi languages.
SEBI Grade A Exam Preparation Tips and Strategies
Understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus: Learn about the SEBI Grade A exam format and what topics it covers. Use this information to make a study plan with enough time for each topic.
Practice and practice more: Solving SEBI Grade A mock tests and SEBI Grade A previous year papers regularly will help you get used to the exam style, manage your time better, and find areas where you need to improve.
Understand the Basics: Focus on understanding basic ideas about Finance, Economics, and the Securities Market. Knowing these well helps you answer questions better.
Keep Up with the Current Affairs: Stay updated on the recent financial news, important economic changes, and rules. Reading news every day helps you answer questions about current events. You can use ixambee’s Beepedia for the latest updates and facts.
Ready-to-Refer Notes: Make short and organized study notes with key points, formulas, and important ideas, as you cover each topic. Look at these notes often for quick review.
Manage Your Time: Since the SEBI Grade A exam is timed, practice time management during mock tests and practice questions. Plan how much time to spend on each section to do well.
Subject-Specific Study Techniques & Resources for SEBI Grade A Exam
Finance and Management: Understand the basics of finance and management, with financial concepts like balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. Be thorough with management principles, organizational behaviour, and various models and theories related to management.
Securities Market: Studying market operations and products is essential to excel in this subject. Understanding how stock markets work and the role of various stakeholders will prove beneficial. Gain knowledge about stock exchanges, securities regulations, mutual funds, and financial instruments.
English Language: To master the English Language section, work on improving grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and essay writing skills. Practice grammar rules, learn new words and phrases, and solve comprehension passages regularly.
Quantitative Aptitude: This section requires working wonders with your numerical skills. Practice topics like arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data interpretation. Focus on building speed and accuracy in calculations.
General Awareness: Get to know more about current affairs, economics, and financial news. Develop a habit of reading newspapers, magazines, or online news channels. Recommended resources for this section include newspapers like The Hindu, financial newspapers like Economic Times, and magazines like Pratiyogita Darpan. Additionally, websites like Investopedia and SEBI's official website can provide valuable information.
You can consider the following tips to manage your time well:
- Break down the syllabus to smaller topics and subtopics to get a clear picture of what needs to be covered.
- Plan your study hours evenly throughout the week to ensure that subtopics get covered under each topic.
- Identify the topics that carry more weightage or those that you find more challenging and give them enough time and focus.
- Dedicate fixed time periods for each subject, to ensure you don’t waste too much time on any particular topic.
- Active learning techniques like making notes or teaching others will help you remember the points more effectively.
- Don’t forget to take short breaks while studying, as it is important to refresh your mind to manage time effectively. This can stop you from getting too tired and help you stay focused for a longer period.
Remember, working hard, staying focused, and planning well are important for doing well in the SEBI Grade A exam.
SEBI Grade A Important Books
It is very important to resort to proper books and study materials, whenever preparing for highly competitive exams like SEBI Grade A. Take time to research and choose the right books before you start studying for the exam. To assist you in your preparation, we've compiled a list of important books for the SEBI Grade A exam that can be beneficial for your SEBI Grade A exam preparation.
| Paper | Books | Author/Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Securities Markets | Capital Markets & Securities Laws | N.S.Zad |
| Economic and Social Issues | Indian Economy | Uma Kapila or Mishra Puri |
| Indian Economy | Ramesh Singh | |
| Sociology | CN Shankar Rao | |
| Finance & Management | Financial Management | Prasanna Chandra or IM Pandey |
| Indian Financial System | Bharti Pathak | |
| Principles & Practise of Management | LM Prasad / Sultan Chand & Sons | |
| Organisational Behaviour | SP Robins | |
| Principles of Management | Harold Kootz & Cyril J.O’Donnell / McGraw Hills | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Quicker Mathematics | BSC Publications |
| Quantitative Aptitude | RS Agarwal | |
| Class Notes | SS Bharti | |
| Reasoning Ability | A modern approach to verbal & Non-verbal reasoning | R.S. Agarwal |
| Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | S.Chand | |
| Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | Arihant Publication | |
| English Language | English Grammar | Wren & Martin |
| Word power made easy | Norman Lewis | |
| Descriptive General English | SP Bakshi | |
| General Awareness | Lucent GK Knowledge | Lucent Publication |
| BeePedia | ixamBee | |
| English Descriptive | Descriptive English | S.P. BAKSHI |
| 151 Essays | S.C Gupta | |
| Letter writing | S.C Gupta | |
| Indian Economic Since Independence | Uma Kapila | Academic Foundation |
| Business Law Including Company Law | SS Gulshan | New Age International Publishers |
SEBI Grade A Free Mock Test
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SEBI Grade A Online Course
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