SEBI Grade A Syllabus 2026: Phase 1 and Phase 2 Topics

The SEBI Grade A syllabus covers a common Phase I paper on General Awareness, English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning, a stream-specific subject paper in both phases, and a descriptive English paper in Phase II. Knowing which subjects belong to which paper helps you divide your time sensibly.

SEBI names the papers and subjects in its notification but does not publish a detailed topic-wise syllabus. The topic lists below are built from the official subject names and from the kind of questions asked in earlier cycles. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list. The upcoming notification may add or change subjects, so verify it on https://www.sebi.gov.in once it is out.

Table of Contents

• SEBI Grade A syllabus at a glance

• Key points to know before you start

• Phase I Paper 1 syllabus

• Phase I Paper 2 syllabus (General stream)

• Phase II syllabus

• Syllabus for other streams

• Overlap between Phase I and Phase II

• Interview preparation

• How to cover the syllabus

SEBI Grade A syllabus at a glance

The table shows the structure as reported for the last cycle. The marks and timing are explained further on the SEBI Grade A exam pattern page.

Key points to know before you start

• No official topic list: Third-party syllabus pages differ in detail. Where they disagree, trust the notification and the questions of previous years.

• The stream paper carries the rank: Phase I is qualifying, and Phase II marks decide merit, so the stream subjects deserve the larger share of your time.

• Financial awareness is the scoring edge: The General Awareness section leans toward finance, regulation and the economy rather than general static facts.

• Older pages mislead: Some pages still list an earlier pattern. Follow the current notification.

Phase I Paper 1 syllabus

This is a combined paper across four areas, common to all streams. Practise it in timed sets, because the time per question is short.

General Awareness

Questions are mostly about the financial world and current events of the last several months.

• Current affairs: National and international events, appointments, awards, summits, reports and indices.

• Financial sector awareness: SEBI, RBI, IRDAI, PFRDA and other regulators; their roles, recent circulars and reforms.

• Economy and markets: Union Budget, inflation, GDP data, monetary policy, stock market terms, mutual funds, bonds and derivatives basics.

• Organisations and schemes: International financial institutions, government schemes related to finance and their headquarters or heads.

English Language

• Reading comprehension: Passages on economy, policy and society.

• Grammar and usage: Error spotting, sentence correction, fill in the blanks, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech.

• Sentence structure: Para jumbles, sentence connectors, paragraph completion and cloze test.

• Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases.

Quantitative Aptitude

Data interpretation and arithmetic word problems usually take the most time, so build calculation speed early.

Reasoning Ability

• Puzzles and seating arrangements: Linear, circular and floor-based sets, which take the longest to solve.

• Verbal reasoning: Syllogisms, inequalities, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking.

• Coding and series: Coding-decoding, alphanumeric series, machine input-output.

• Logical reasoning: Statements and assumptions, data sufficiency, course of action.

Phase I Paper 2 syllabus (General stream)

The General stream paper tests six subject areas. The same areas appear in Phase II Paper 2, where the questions are usually deeper and more applied. The checklist below shows what to cover in each.

If your degree is in commerce or economics, you will find some of these familiar. Candidates from law, engineering or other backgrounds should plan extra weeks for accountancy and costing, because they need practice rather than reading alone.

Phase II syllabus

Paper 1: Descriptive English

This paper is typed on the keyboard, so typing speed and structure matter as much as language.

Paper 2: Stream-specific subjects

For the General stream the subject areas are the same six listed above. Expect questions that apply concepts rather than test definitions, such as short numerical problems in costing and accountancy, or case-style questions on regulation and markets. Current developments in the Indian financial system, such as recent SEBI reforms and Budget announcements, also appear in this paper.

Syllabus for other streams

Legal, IT, Research, Official Language and Engineering streams have their own Paper 2 content. The notification lists the exact subjects, and these should be treated as the base for your checklist.

Treat this table as indicative, because it is based on the general nature of each stream and on third-party summaries, not on a topic list published by SEBI.

Overlap between Phase I and Phase II

You do not need two separate preparations. The stream subjects overlap, and so do language skills.

Interview preparation

SEBI does not publish a syllabus for the interview. Panels have typically focused on your stream subject, your educational background, current developments in financial markets and regulation, and your reasons for choosing SEBI. Keep notes on recent SEBI actions and market reforms, and be ready to explain your stream subjects in simple language.

How to cover the syllabus

A phased plan keeps preparation manageable. The weeks below are a guide for a candidate starting about six months before Phase I.

1. Weeks 1 to 8: Build concepts in the stream subjects, one subject at a time, and read financial news daily. Start monthly current-affairs notes.

2. Weeks 9 to 14: Add Quant, Reasoning and English practice. Take topic-wise tests for each subject after finishing it.

3. Weeks 15 to 20: Begin typed essay and precis practice. Take sectional tests under timed conditions and revise from your error log.

4. Final weeks: Attempt full-length mocks, analyse each one on the same day, and revise short notes.