The SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam is scheduled to be held on 10 January 2026. Based on a detailed analysis of the SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exams conducted in 2023 and 2024, the difficulty level of the 2025–26 Phase 1 exam is expected to be moderate.
Questions are likely to be asked from topics such as blood relations, quadratic equations, and the arithmetic section, with the specialized stream also expected to be of moderate difficulty. In this blog, we have provided a detailed analysis covering the overall difficulty level, section-wise distribution, and expected good attempts to help aspirants prepare more effectively.
SEBI Grade A Difficulty Level, 10th January 2026
The SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam comprises two papers. Paper 1 is common for all streams and covers questions from General Awareness (including the financial sector), English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning. Phase 1 Paper 2 is of 100 marks and is based on the stream selected by the candidates. The overall difficulty level, as per candidate feedback, will be updated after the exam.
| Sections | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning | TBA |
| Quantitative Aptitude | TBA |
| General Awareness with question related to Financial Sector | TBA |
| English | TBA |
| Professional Knowledge – General Stream: (Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act and Economics) | TBA |
| Legal Stream | TBA |
| IT Stream | TBA |
| Electrical Engineering Stream | TBA |
| Civil Engineering Stream | TBA |
| Research Stream | TBA |
| Official Language Stream | TBA |
| Overall | TBA |
SEBI Grade A Good Attempts, 10th January 2026
Based on aspirants’ reviews, the expected number of good attempts for each section will be updated after the 10th January 2026 exam. These figures help aspirants understand the exam level and plan their cutoff expectations.
| Sections | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning | TBA |
| Quantitative Aptitude | TBA |
| General Awareness with question related to Financial Sector | TBA |
| English | TBA |
| Professional Knowledge – General Stream: (Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act and Economics) | TBA |
| Legal Stream | TBA |
| IT Stream | TBA |
| Electrical Engineering Stream | TBA |
| Civil Engineering Stream | TBA |
| Research Stream | TBA |
| Official Language Stream | TBA |
| Overall | TBA |
SEBI Grade A Section Wise Exam Analysis
The detailed section wise SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis has been updated in the subsections below, check them out.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis – Reasoning Ability
The topics from which SEBI Grade A Phase 1 questions were asked in the Reasoning section will be updated on 10th January 2026 based on candidates’ reviews.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis – Quantitative Aptitude
The topics from which SEBI Grade A Phase 1 questions were asked in the Quantitative Aptitude section will be updated on 10th January 2026 based on candidates’ reviews.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis – General Awareness
The topics from which SEBI Grade A Phase 1 questions were asked in the General Awareness section will be updated on 10th January 2026 based on candidates’ reviews.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis – English
The topics from which SEBI Grade A Phase 1 questions were asked in the English section will be updated on 10th January 2026 based on candidates’ reviews.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis – Stream Specific
The topics from which SEBI Grade A Phase 1 questions were asked in the Stream Specific section will be updated on 10 January 2026 based on candidates’ reviews.
| Sections | Difficulty Level |
| Professional Knowledge – General Stream: (Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act and Economics) | TBA |
| Legal Stream | TBA |
| IT Stream | TBA |
| Electrical Engineering Stream | TBA |
| Civil Engineering Stream | TBA |
| Research Stream | TBA |
| Official Language Stream | TBA |
| Overall | TBA |
SEBI Grade A Phase 1 Exam Comparison – Key Insights & Trends
The SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam has shown a largely stable difficulty pattern over recent years, with minor shifts in subject focus and topic weightage. While the overall level remains Easy to Moderate / Moderate, the exam increasingly tests conceptual clarity, time management, and topic prioritisation rather than surprise difficulty.
In the subsection below we have provided a clear comparison of trends observed across 2023 and 2024 Phase 1 exams.
SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam difficulty trend
The SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam has been mostly the same in difficulty over the years, with no sudden or major changes. The paper is not very tough, but it checks how well candidates can manage time, stay accurate, and choose the right questions.
In recent exams, sections like Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude have become more time-taking, which means good time management now plays an important role in clearing the exam.
| Year | Overall Difficulty Level | Key Observation |
| 2023 | Easy to Moderate | Balanced paper with predictable topics |
| 2024 | Moderate | Slightly more time-consuming sections |
Reasoning Ability difficulty trend in SEBI Grade A phase 1
The Reasoning section has remained moderate overall, but the time required to solve questions has increased. The focus is clearly on set-based questions rather than individual ones.
| Year | Difficulty Level | Key Trend |
| 2023 | Easy to Moderate | Mix of puzzles and standalone questions |
| 2024 | Moderate | More lengthy seating arrangement sets |
- Seating Arrangement and Puzzles dominate.
- Fewer direct questions like syllogism and inequality.
- Time management is critical.
Quantitative Aptitude difficulty trend in SEBI Grade A phase 1
Quantitative Aptitude continues to test concept clarity with calculation speed. While the difficulty is not high, questions are often lengthy and set-based.
| Year | Difficulty Level | Key Trend |
| 2023 | Easy to Moderate | Balanced arithmetic and series |
| 2024 | Moderate | DI sets take more time |
- Data Interpretation has high weightage.
- Number Series questions are more tricky.
- Arithmetic topics appear selectively.
English Language difficulty trend in SEBI Grade A phase 1
English has been the most stable and scoring section over the years. The difficulty level has not changed significantly.
| Year | Difficulty Level | Key Trend |
| 2023 | Easy to Moderate | Grammar and vocabulary focus |
| 2024 | Easy to Moderate | RC with direct questions |
- Reading Comprehension remains important.
- Grammar-based questions dominate.
- Fewer surprise question types.
General Awareness difficulty trend in SEBI Grade A phase 1
General Awareness has shifted towards finance-oriented and recent current affairs, making revision consistency important.
| Year | Difficulty Level | Key Trend |
| 2023 | Easy to Moderate | Broad CA coverage |
| 2024 | Moderate | More finance-linked questions |
- Last 3–6 months current affairs are crucial.
- Government schemes appear regularly.
- Questions are factual and direct.
Professional Knowledge difficulty trend in SEBI Grade A phase 1
Professional Knowledge papers are conceptual rather than tricky, with difficulty varying slightly by stream.
| Stream | 2023 Difficulty | 2024 Difficulty | Trend |
| Legal | Moderate | – | Law concepts tested directly |
| General Stream | – | Easy to Moderate | Static topics dominate |
- Questions focus on basic concepts.
- Fewer numerical or case-based questions.
- Static subjects have consistent weightage.
Topic trends observed in SEBI Grade A phase 1
Some topics in the SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam appear almost every year and carry higher weight, while a few topics are asked less frequently or irregularly. Knowing this pattern helps candidates focus more on important areas and avoid spending too much time on low-priority topics. The table below shows a clear comparison.
| Topic Category | Section | Important Topics | Exam Trend |
| High-Weight & Repeating Topic | Reasoning Ability | Seating Arrangement, Puzzles | Asked almost every year |
| High-Weight & Repeating Topic | Quantitative Aptitude | Data Interpretation, Number Series | Consistent and time-taking |
| High-Weight & Repeating Topic | English Language | Reading Comprehension, Grammar | Stable and scoring |
| High-Weight & Repeating Topic | General Awareness | Government Schemes, Finance Current Affairs | Frequently asked |
| High-Weight & Repeating Topic | Professional Knowledge | Core concepts of Finance, Management, Law | Concept-based focus |
| Less Asked Topic | Reasoning Ability | Syllogism, Inequality | Asked rarely in recent exams |
| Less Asked Topic | English Language | Cloze Test, Idioms & Phrases | Inconsistent appearance |
| Less Asked Topic | Professional Knowledge | Deep numerical accounting problems | Reduced weightage |
Also Check: SEBI Grade A Phase 2 Exam Date
SEBI Grade A Previous Year Exam Analysis
The SEBI Grade A phase 1 exam was successfully conducted on 27th July 2024 and we did the complete exam analysis right after the conduction of the exam. In the sections below, you will find the difficulty level and section wise questions, so check it out.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis 2024 – Difficulty Level
The overall difficulty level was Moderate to Difficult. Some sections were straightforward while in others, they had to face challenges. Here is a brief overview:
| Sections | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning | Difficult |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Difficult |
| General Awareness | Moderate to Difficult |
| English | Moderate to Difficult |
| Professional Knowledge General Stream (Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act and Economics) | Moderate |
| Legal Stream | Easy to Moderate |
| IT Stream | Easy to Moderate |
| Electrical Engineering Stream | Easy to Moderate |
| Research Stream | Easy to Moderate |
| Official Language Stream | Easy to Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate |
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SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis – Section Wise
The detailed section wise SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis has been updated in the subsections below, check them out.
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis: Reasoning Ability
Some questions were time taking and lengthy. Overall it was moderate.
- Blood Relation – 3 questions
- Linear Seating Arrangement With Vegetable Variable
- Data Sufficiency – 2 questions
- Alphanumeric Series – 2 questions
- Square Seating Arrangement
- Puzzle
- Word Pairing
- Circular Seating Arrangement
- Linear Seating Arrangement (Uncertain Number of Persons)
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SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis: Quantitative Aptitude
Overall, the QA section was moderate.
- Quadratic Equation – 4
- Wrong Number Series- 4
- Tabular Data Interpretation
- Caselet DI
- Arithmetic
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis: General Awareness
The current events from the preceding six months were focussed. Overall it was easy to moderate.
- Stagflation
- FIFA World Cup
- Nelson Mandela Award
- Banking Awareness
- World Trade Organization
- Travel and Tourism Index – Not among the Top 5 Countries
- REITS
- National Saving Certificate – Maximum Limit
- Women’s World Cup
- Full Form of SID
- South Africa Nobel Prize in India – Film Director
- Celebrity Brand Valuation Report
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis: English
The English Language section was easy to moderate.
- Reading Comprehension
- Sentence Rearrangement
- Double Fillers-3-4 Questions
SEBI Grade A Exam Analysis – Management
The difficulty level was moderate.
- Performance Improvement
- Scheduling – When to Start and When to Stop
- School of Management
- Cultural Barrier
- Potential Appraisal
- Organizing
- Management Transformation
- A Leader Who Listens to Everyone
- Upskilling and Reskilling
FAQs
The SEBI Grade A Phase 1 exam is scheduled to be held on 10 January 2026.
Based on previous years, the overall difficulty level is expected to be moderate.
Phase 1 consists of two papers Paper 1 (common) and Paper 2 (stream-specific).
Paper 1 includes Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, and General Awareness (Financial Sector).
The stream-specific (Paper 2) is expected to be of moderate difficulty, varying slightly by stream.
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