Our comprehensive SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis 2026 for the 10th January Prelims (Paper 1 & 2) is detailed below. Explore this breakdown to understand the overall difficulty level, section-wise trends, and estimated good attempts.
The SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam was successfully conducted on 10th January 2026 for thousands of candidates competing for 90 vacancies. The total duration of the examination is 1 hour and 40 minutes, featuring a specific sectional timing of 60 minutes for Paper 1 and 40 minutes for Paper 2.
This Shift 1 exam analysis provides essential guidance for aspirants preparing for various banking and regulatory body examinations. Candidates appearing in upcoming shifts or future recruitment cycles should review this detailed analysis to gauge the expected difficulty level and question patterns.
SEBI Grade A Prelims Exam Analysis 2026
Based on trends from previous years, the difficulty level of the SEBI Grade A 2026 Phase 1 exam is rated as moderate. The exam consists of two 100-mark papers conducted online. Paper 1 covers General Awareness (including financial topics), English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability. Candidates must navigate a 30% sectional cut-off in Paper 1, a 40% aggregate cut-off, and a negative marking scheme of 1/4th mark per incorrect answer.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis 2026 Good Attempt
Overall, the SEBI Grade A Prelims (Phase 1) maintained a moderate difficulty level. While Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning were noted for being time-consuming, the English section was relatively straightforward, and General Awareness proved to be the decisive factor for determining the cut-off.
General English
The General English section featured a variety of topics, including Reading Comprehension (focused on Mars exploration), Error Spotting, Double Fillers, Sentence Improvement, and Para Jumbles.
| Topics | No. of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension (Mars Planet) | 5 |
| Error Spotting | 4–5 |
| Double Fillers | 4–5 |
| Sentence Improvement | 3–4 |
| Para Jumble | 4 |
Reasoning
The Reasoning section was assessed as easy to moderate, with a significant number of questions stemming from Puzzles and Seating Arrangement themes.
| Topics | No. of Questions |
| Month + Subject + 6 Persons Puzzle | 4–5 |
| Box + Color Puzzle | 3 |
| Linear Double Row Seating Arrangement | 4–5 |
| Height Based Puzzle | 3–5 |
| Statement Assumption | 3 |
Quantitative Aptitude
The Quantitative Aptitude section presented a moderate challenge. The bulk of the questions were centered on Arithmetic, supplemented by Data Interpretation (DI), Approximation, and Line Graph analysis.
| Topics | No. of Questions |
|---|---|
| Approximation | 5 |
| Wrong Number Series | 4–5 |
| Arithmetic (Profit & Loss, Mixture All., Mensuration, SI/CI, etc.) | 5–6 |
| Line Graph DI | 5 |
| Caselet DI | 5 |
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis 2026 Difficulty Level
Candidates largely reported the overall difficulty of the SEBI Grade A exam as moderate. A detailed breakdown of the section-wise difficulty levels is provided below for your reference.
| Section | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate |
| English Language | Easy to Moderate |
| General Awareness | Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate |
SEBI Grade A Prelims Exam Analysis 2026- Sectional Review
Our experts have compiled a section-wise SEBI Grade A Prelims Exam Analysis for the paper held on 10th January 2026. We examine General Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning, providing insights into the types of questions asked and the corresponding difficulty levels reported by test-takers.
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