SEBI Grade A Syllabus 2025
The SEBI Grade A syllabus has two main stages — Phase 1 and Phase 2 — and then an interview round.
Although SEBI provides a basic outline of topics in its official notification, it’s quite general and doesn’t go into much detail. That’s why candidates need to look beyond the official list and understand the syllabus in depth to prepare more effectively.
SEBI Grade A Phase 1 Syllabus: Important Topics to Cover
Phase 1 is where your SEBI exam journey begins. It might look simple at first, but it’s more important than it seems. A lot of serious aspirants get stuck here because they take it lightly.
This stage has 2 papers. The first one is just qualifying, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore it. You still need to clear the minimum marks.
The second paper carries more weight. It tests how well you understand the core subjects of the SEBI Grade A exam. Both papers are objective in nature.
SEBI Grade A Phase 1 Syllabus: Paper 1
The purpose of SEBI Grade A Paper 1 is to test your general aptitude and overall awareness.
Even though it’s only a qualifying paper, it’s not as simple as it sounds. The questions are fast-paced, time-sensitive, and can be tricky if you’re not confident with your basics.
Here’s a detailed look at the subject-wise syllabus for Paper 1.
1. SEBI Grade A General Awareness (GA) Syllabus
- National News: MoUs, summits, and major events related to India.
- International: Summits and conferences held abroad.
- Financial & Economics News
- Financial Awareness: SEBI and SEBI notification and regulations
- Defence: Military exercises, drills, and major updates related to the defence sector of India
- Days in News: Major events or days, along with its date and theme
- Persons in News: Obituaries, appointments, and retirements
- Sports: Major tournaments and its winners
- Science, Technology, and Space
- Awards and Honours
- Environment
- Banking and Economy Related News
- Reports and Government Schemes
- Books and Authors
- Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers
- National Parks and Sanctuaries
- Airport Locations, Stadiums
- Organisations’ Headquarters
- Banks’ Headquarters and Taglines
- Power Plants in India
- Indian Dance Forms
- Countries Capitals and their Currencies
- Important Days
2. SEBI Grade A English Syllabus
- Grammar
- Error Spotting
- Sentence Improvement
- Comprehension Ability
- Comprehension passage
- Cloze test
- Rearrangement
- Para jumbles
- Double Fillers
- Vocabulary – Synonyms, Antonyms, One-word Substitution, Phrasal Verbs
3. SEBI Grade A Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
- Ratio and Proportion
- Percentage
- Profit and Loss
- Simple and Compound Interest
- Average and Ages
- Time and Work
- Pipes and Cistern
- Time and Distance
- Mixture and Alligation
- Series and Quadratic Equation
- Mathematical Inequalities
- Number Series
- Data Interpretation
- Simplification/Approximation
- Quantity Comparisons
- Data Sufficiency
- Partnership
4. SEBI Grade A Reasoning Ability Syllabus
- Alphanumeric Series
- Coding and Decoding
- Syllogism
- Direction Sense
- Inequality
- Ranking and Order
- Blood Relation
- Puzzles
- Seating Arrangement
- Input-Output
- Critical Reasoning
- Questions Based on Data Sufficiency
SEBI Grade A Phase 1 Syllabus: Paper 2
SEBI Grade A Phase 1 Paper 2 is the one most candidates worry about — and that’s completely fair. It’s not just a qualifying test; the marks you score here actually count toward your final selection. So if you’re aiming for a top rank, this paper deserves your full attention.
At first glance, the syllabus can look overwhelming — it includes subjects like Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, and Economics. Sounds like a lot, right?
But once you start studying, you’ll notice that many topics overlap. Concepts connect with each other, and the same ideas show up under different names. With consistent effort, it all starts to make sense and feels much more manageable.
1. SEBI Grade A Commerce and Accountancy Syllabus
- Accounting as a Financial Information System.
- Accounting Standards With Specific Reference to Accounting for Depreciation, Inventories, Revenue Recognition, Fixed Assets, Foreign Exchange Transactions, and Investments.
- Cash Flow Statement, Fund Flow Statement, Financial Statement Analysis; Ratio Analysis.
- Accounting for Share Capital Transactions Including Bonus Shares and Right Shares.
- Employees Stock Option and Buyback of Securities.
- Preparation and Presentation of Company Final Accounts.
Important Note: Some topics from Commerce and Accountancy may not be clearly listed in the official syllabus, but they’re still very important for the exam. These include:
- Introduction to Accountancy
- Theory Base of Accounting
- Recording Transaction Part 1
- Recording Transaction Part 2
- Trial Balance and Bills of Exchange
2. SEBI Grade A Management Syllabus
- Management: Its Nature and Scope; the Management Processes. Planning, Organization, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling.
- The Role of a Manager in an Organization. Leadership: The Tasks of a Leader.
- Leadership Styles: Leadership Theories; a Successful Leader Versus an Effective Leader.
- Human Resource Development: Concept of HRD; Goals of HRD
- Motivation, Morale, and Incentives: Theories of Motivation; How Managers Motivate; Concept of Morale; Factors Determining Morale; Role of Incentives in Building Up Morale.
- Communication: Steps in the Communication Process; Communication Channels; Oral Versus Written Communication; Verbal Versus Non-verbal Communication; Upward, Downward and Lateral Communication; Barriers to Communication, Role of Information Technology.
3. SEBI Grade A Finance Syllabus
- Financial System: Role and Functions of Regulatory Bodies in the Financial Sector.
- Financial Markets: Primary and Secondary Markets (Forex, Money, Bond, Equity, Etc.), Functions, Instruments, and Recent Developments.
- General Topics
- Basics of Derivatives: Forward, Futures, and Swap
- Recent Developments in the Financial Sector
- Financial Inclusion: Use of Technology
- Alternate Source of Finance, Private and Social Cost-benefit, Public-private Partnership
- Direct and Indirect Taxes: Non-tax Sources of Revenue, GST, Finance Commission, Fiscal Policy, Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act(FRBM),
- Inflation: Definition, Trends, Estimates, Consequences, and Remedies (Control): WPI, CPI-components, and Trends
4. SEBI Grade A Costing Syllabus
- 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, and Costing of Service Sectors.
- Basics of Cost Control and Analysis: (a) Standard Costing, (b) Marginal Costing, (c) Budget, and Budgetary Control.
- Lean System and Innovation:
- Introduction to Lean System
- Just-in-Time (JIT)
- Kaizen Costing
- 5 Ss
- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
- Cellular Manufacturing/ One-Piece Flow Production Systems
- Six Sigma (SS)
- Introduction to Process Innovation and Business Process Re-engineering(BPR)
5. SEBI Grade A Companies Act Syllabus
- The Companies Act, 2013: Specific Reference to Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter VIII, Chapter X, Chapter XI, Chapter XII, and Chapter XXVII.
Important Note: There are some topics of Companies Act that are not explicitly mentioned in the syllabus but are important from the exam point of view. These topics are:
- Chapter IX Companies Act: Accounts of Company
- Chapter XIII Companies Act: Remuneration of Managerial Personnel
- Chapter I of Companies Act: Basics of Companies Act
6. SEBI Grade A Economics Syllabus
- Demand and Supply, Market Structures, National Income: Concepts and Measurement, Classical Vs 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
SEBI Grade A Phase 2 Syllabus
Phase 2 is where the real challenge begins. The competition gets tougher, and the exam expects a deeper understanding of concepts.
Just like Phase 1, there are two papers here as well.
Paper 1 tests your writing skills. It’s an English descriptive paper that includes an essay, comprehension, and précis writing. The goal is to see how clearly and effectively you can express your ideas in writing.
Paper 2 checks your knowledge of core subjects — Commerce, Accountancy, Finance, Management, Costing, Companies Act, and Economics.
Let’s take a closer look at the syllabus for both papers.
SEBI Grade A Phase 2 Syllabus: Paper 1 (Descriptive English)
Paper 1 of Phase 2 is the English Descriptive Paper, where you’ll need to write on topics related to current affairs, social issues, finance, or the economy.
The aim isn’t to use complicated words or sound overly formal — it’s to write clearly, logically, and with a professional tone. This paper tests your ability to think critically and express your ideas well, which means regular practice is far more useful than memorization.
There’s no fixed syllabus mentioned in the official notification, but the paper generally includes three sections:
1. Essay Writing
You’ll get 4–5 topics and have to write one essay of about 200 words. Some past topics include:
- Importance of Teamwork in an Organization
- Pros and Cons of Mergers and Acquisitions of Companies
- Role of Technology in Detecting and Preventing Financial Fraud
- Fake News and How to Identify It
2. Precis Writing
You’ll be given a passage of 400–600 words and must summarize it in about 170–180 words. The passages usually come from reputed sources like LiveMint, The Hindu, The Economic Times, or Forbes.
3. Reading Comprehension
You’ll read a passage (400–600 words) and answer 5 questions based on it. These passages also come from similar publications, but the questions are framed by SEBI itself.
SEBI Grade A Phase 2 Syllabus: Paper 2
The syllabus for Paper 2 is the same in both Phase 1 and Phase 2. However, the questions in Phase 2 are more challenging and test your understanding at a deeper level.
Conclusion
If you’ve made it this far, take a moment to breathe. The SEBI Grade A syllabus may look huge, and it really does cover a lot — but it’s absolutely doable.
Once you start preparing the right way, you’ll see how everything connects. Concepts that seem difficult at first begin to link together, and your understanding grows with every topic you study.
The key is consistency, not speed. Pick one subject at a time and stay with it. Even studying for 2 focused hours a day can make a big difference when done regularly.
You don’t have to master every single topic — you just need to be strong enough to clear the cutoff and smart enough to focus on what actually matters.
At C4S Courses, we help you do exactly that. With structured lessons, expert guidance, and topic-wise clarity, your SEBI Grade A preparation becomes focused and manageable.
So, don’t let the syllabus scare you — let it motivate you.
If others have cleared this exam, so can you. Stay consistent, trust the process, and take it one topic at a time, one day at a time.
Let’s begin your SEBI Grade A journey — and conquer it, together with C4S Courses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can we complete the SEBI Grade A mains syllabus between Phase 1 and Phase 2?
Yes. Finish Paper 2 first (since it’s the same as Phase 1) so that the 25–30 days between phases can be used to focus on Paper 1 (descriptive English) and revision. C4S Courses gives a clear plan to manage this efficiently.
2. How to cover the SEBI Grade A syllabus?
Follow a structured approach: one subject at a time, focus on high-weightage topics, and practice regularly. C4S Courses provides topic-wise guidance, study plans, and practice sessions.
3. Is the SEBI and RBI Grade B syllabus the same?
There’s some overlap in Economics, Finance, and Regulatory topics, but they are not identical. C4S Courses offers separate strategies for each exam.
4. How many papers are in SEBI Grade A?
Two phases, each with two papers:
- Phase 1: Paper 1 (qualifying) & Paper 2 (core subjects)
- Phase 2: Paper 1 (descriptive English) & Paper 2 (core subjects)
5. Is the SEBI Grade A exam tough?
It’s challenging but manageable with the right strategy. C4S Courses helps simplify topics, practice smartly, and focus on scoring high.
6. Can an average student crack the SEBI Grade A exam?
Yes! Consistency, smart preparation, and focused practice are key. C4S Courses equips even average students to cover the syllabus effectively and clear the exam confidently.
