SEBI Grade A Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the SEBI Grade A, eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
~$10 (INR 1,000)
Provider
Securities and Exchange Board of India
Validity
Periodic recruitment
Available
India
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
3-5+ years of professional experience typically required
Specific Requirements
- For the General stream in the 2025 cycle: a Master's degree or a postgraduate diploma of at least two years' duration in any discipline, or a Bachelor's degree in Law, or a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, or qualification as a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, Company Secretary or Cost Accountant, from a recognised university or institute.
- Other streams carry their own qualification requirements printed in the vacancy table of the advertisement, covering Legal, Information Technology, Research, Official Language, Engineering (Electrical) and Engineering (Civil).
- Age not exceeding 30 years as on 30 September 2025 for the 2025 cycle, meaning candidates born on or after 1 October 1995.
- Upper age relaxation of five years for SC and ST candidates where posts are reserved, three years for OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates where posts are reserved, ten years for PwBD candidates whether or not the post is reserved, thirteen years for PwBD (OBC) and fifteen years for PwBD (SC or ST), and five years for eligible ex-servicemen.
- A two year postgraduate diploma counts only where it is recognised by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to a Master's degree in that discipline.
- No work experience is required for the General stream. Relevant post-qualification experience carries up to 3.75 interview marks, but only for the Legal, Engineering (Electrical) and Engineering (Civil) streams.
- There is no prior certification requirement and SEBI specifies no minimum percentage of marks for the General stream degree.
Number of Questions
SEBI publishes marks rather than question counts for most papers. Each Phase I paper is worth 100 marks and each Phase II paper is worth 100 marks. The one count SEBI does publish is for the Legal stream Phase II Paper 2, which has 70 multiple choice questions of one mark each plus 3 descriptive questions of 10 marks each.
Duration
Phase I gives 60 minutes for Paper 1 and 40 minutes for Paper 2. Phase II gives 60 minutes for the descriptive English Paper 1 in every stream. Phase II Paper 2 runs 90 minutes for the General stream, 60 minutes of multiple choice plus 60 minutes of descriptive work for the Legal stream, and 180 minutes for the Information Technology stream.
Question Format
Multiple choice questions in Phase I Paper 1 covering General Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Test of Reasoning, Multiple choice questions in Phase I Paper 2 on the stream subject, Descriptive English writing in Phase II Paper 1, framed to assess expression and understanding through precis writing, essay writing and comprehension, Multiple choice questions in Phase II Paper 2 for the General stream on Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act and Economics, Descriptive stream questions typed on the keyboard in Phase II Paper 2 for the Legal stream, with Hindi typing available on Inscript or Remington (GAIL) layouts, Personal interview in Phase III, which the candidate may take in Hindi or English
Passing Requirement
Phase I requires at least 30 percent in Paper 1, 40 percent in Paper 2 and 40 percent in the aggregate. Phase II requires at least 30 percent in Paper 1, 40 percent in Paper 2 and 50 percent in the aggregate, with Paper 1 weighted one third and Paper 2 weighted two thirds. Clearing the cut-off does not guarantee progress past Phase II: SEBI shortlists candidates equalling three times the number of vacancies, in order of merit, for the interview.
How It Is Delivered
Computer based online examination at SEBI-designated test centres. Candidates report well before the time printed on the call letter so the centre can complete Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication, capture biometric data and a photograph, and collect documents. Separate call letters are issued for Phase I and Phase II.
Languages Offered
English, Hindi, since SEBI states that all question papers in both phases, except the test of English, are set bilingually in Hindi and English, Interview may be taken in Hindi or English at the candidate's option
Visit the official Securities and Exchange Board of India certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the SEBI Grade A?
For the General stream in the 2025 cycle: a Master's degree or a postgraduate diploma of at least two years' duration in any discipline, or a Bachelor's degree in Law, or a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, or qualification as a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, Company Secretary or Cost Accountant, from a recognised university or institute.. Other streams carry their own qualification requirements printed in the vacancy table of the advertisement, covering Legal, Information Technology, Research, Official Language, Engineering (Electrical) and Engineering (Civil).. Age not exceeding 30 years as on 30 September 2025 for the 2025 cycle, meaning candidates born on or after 1 October 1995.. Upper age relaxation of five years for SC and ST candidates where posts are reserved, three years for OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates where posts are reserved, ten years for PwBD candidates whether or not the post is reserved, thirteen years for PwBD (OBC) and fifteen years for PwBD (SC or ST), and five years for eligible ex-servicemen.. A two year postgraduate diploma counts only where it is recognised by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to a Master's degree in that discipline.. No work experience is required for the General stream. Relevant post-qualification experience carries up to 3.75 interview marks, but only for the Legal, Engineering (Electrical) and Engineering (Civil) streams.. There is no prior certification requirement and SEBI specifies no minimum percentage of marks for the General stream degree..
How much does the SEBI Grade A cost?
The SEBI Grade A exam costs ~$10 (INR 1,000). This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the SEBI Grade A?
Visit the official Securities and Exchange Board of India certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the SEBI Grade A?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
Ready to prepare for SEBI Grade A?
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