NISM exam is conducted for diverse certifications in shared reserves, subordinates, venture advisors, securities advertise, shipper managing an account etc. These exams can be taken by anybody over 18 a long time of age to confirm their monetary ability related to security markets.

The National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) exam is conducted by security market participants and intermediates that are mandated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The School of Certification of Intermediaries develops certification examinations for NISM. The NISM examinations as mandated by SEBI regulations, 2007. These tests are delivered through test administrators across 150 Indian cities. Some of the NISM certification exams are also available via Remote Proctored Mode.
Exam Pattern
- Time duration: 2 hours.
- Negative marking: ¼ or 25% of the marks assigned to a question
- No negative marking: NISM-Series-V-A, NISM Series XII, and NISM-Series-V-B certification examination
Exam Syllabus
Each NISM course has a different examination syllabus that NISM has elaborately provided on its website. To check the detailed NISM certificate course syllabus, navigate in the following manner.
- Visit the official NISM website.
- Click on the ‘Certifications’ link provided in the blue banner.
- Now, click on ‘Certification Examinations’.
- Here, all certifications will be listed. Click on the desired certification to view the detailed syllabus of the exam (as shown in the above image). One such syllabus can be viewed on nism.ac.in/curriculum-currency-derivatives.
Marking Scheme
Certificate | Total Questions | Total Marks |
NISM-Series-I | 100 | 100 (1 mark per question) |
NISM-Series-II-A | 100 | 100 (1 mark per question) |
NISM-Series-II-B | 100 | 100 (1 mark per question) |
NISM-Series-V-B | 50 | 50 (1 mark per question) |
NISM-Series-V-C | 75 MCQs (50 MCQ consisting of 1 mark each and 25 MCQs consisting of 2 marks each) | 100 (1 mark per question) |
NISM-Series-VI | 100 | 100 (1 mark per question) |
NISM-Series-X-A | 135 questions ( 90 MCQs + 45 case-based questions) | 150 (60 marks for 9 case-based questions) and 90 marks for MCQs (1 mark per MCQ) |
NISM Series-X-B | 120 (90 MCQs + 6 cases x 5 questions per case) | 150 (90 questions carrying 1 mark each and 30 case-based questions carrying 2 marks each) |
NISM-Series-XIII | 150 | 150 (1 mark per question) |
Examination Eligibility
- Age limit: At least 18 years but no upper limit
- Educational Qualification: Not specified
NISM Remote Proctored Exam
NISM farther proctored exam is a web exam that can be endeavored from a area other than the physical test centers. Recordings are recorded and depictions are taken amid the live checking of the candidate during the NISM examination. Typically surveyed afterward on amid evaluation. For taking this mode of NISM exam, candidates require the taking after:
- Windows OS-based laptop/ desktop
- Stable internet connectivity (minimum bandwidth required: 512 kbps)
- Webcam and microphone
Exam Procedure
In this section, you will learn about the complete NISM certificate exam procedure.
- Windows OS-based laptop/ desktop
- Stable internet connectivity (minimum bandwidth required: 512 kbps)
- Webcam and microphone
1. Registration
To sit in the NISM exam, you will have to first register through an online portal. To do so, click on the ‘related links’ tab and click on ‘Register for Certification Exam’. Here, you will have to submit your details including your email id, personal details, PAN, proof of address, contact information, and professional details.
2. Enrolment Process
After you have completed the registration process, you can choose the exam that you wish to take. You can select the testing Centre, exam date, and time slot on the NISM Online Certification System. Fill in the enrolment form and submit it. This completes the enrolment process. Do note that enrolment is only valid for 180 days.
3. Taking NISM Certification Examination
Choose a certification as per your career choice and requirement. According to the NISM, the following details will be applicable for the year 2022. These include the maximum marks, passing marks, negative marking, fees, and NISM exam duration.
4. Issuance of NISM Certificate
You will only get a soft copy of the certificate within 15 working days. No hard copy is provided. This certificate is valid for a time period of 3 years. Passing students will get one certificate per NISM exam. Only those students who have provided PAN details will be issued the certificate after the verification of the details by NISM against the Income Tax database. In case, you were unable to submit PAN details during registration, can submit the PAN details by sending a scanned image of your PAN card on the email id provided by NISM on its portal.
NISM Exam Certificate
You can get your certificate revalidated 12 months before the date of expiry of the NISM certificate. The certificate is revalidated for a period of 3 years. This revalidation process can be done in one of the following two ways.

- Get your certificate to revalidate once you successfully complete the CPE programs specified by NISM.
- Pass the relevant NISM exam before the expiry date of the certificate.
About CPE Programmes
- Format: classroom
- Duration: 1 day (approximately 6 hours)
- Exam: at the end of the day
- Purpose: Revalidation or issuance of a new certificate that is valid for 3 years
About eCPE Programs
- Mode: Online with pre-recorded videos
- Duration: four sessions each ranging from 2-5 hours
- Completion: Evaluation test and filling up of the feedback form.
Prerequisities for eCPE Programs
- Webcam and microphone enabled system with at least 8GB of RAM and i3 dual core 2.2 Ghz 5th Generation or equivalent/higher processor.
- Stable internet connection (minimum speed: 2 Mbps download speed)
- Browser requirement: Latest Google Chrome (version 80 and above) only after installing Supported browser: HirePro Remote Proctoring Chrome Extension
- Inaccessible through: Browsers (Firefox Mozilla, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer) and mobile phone.