2026 year label: understand the recruitment cycle

Choose the stream before choosing a booklist. The General-stream common subjects overlap with other regulatory exams, while Legal, IT, Research, Official Language and engineering streams require their own specialist preparation.

Phase I pattern and qualifying rules

Paper	Coverage	Marks / time	Minimum in the reference notice
1	General awareness, English, quantitative aptitude and reasoning	100 / 60 minutes	30%
2	General: seven common subjects; other streams: specialist subject	100 / 40 minutes	40%
Aggregate	Both papers	Screening stage	40%

Wrong objective answers attract a penalty of one-fourth of the marks assigned to the question. Phase I marks are used for shortlisting, not final merit. Minimum qualification is not a safe-score prediction.

Phase II: stream-wise formats

All streams have English descriptive Paper 1: 100 marks, 60 minutes, with one-third weight. The February 2026 handout allocates essay 30, precis 30 and comprehension 40 marks.

Paper 2 stream	Verified format	Time
General	100 MCQs, 100 marks	90 minutes
Legal	70 MCQs plus three descriptive answers; 100 marks	60 minutes objective + 60 minutes descriptive
Information Technology	100 questions assessing specialist applied skills; 100 marks	180 minutes
Research	Five descriptive answers across financial markets, economics and statistics; 100 marks	120 minutes
Official Language	Eight translation/noting task types; 100 marks	90 minutes
Electrical / Civil engineering	50 MCQs, 100 marks	40 minutes

Paper 2 carries two-thirds weight. The reference notice sets minimums of 30% in Paper 1, 40% in Paper 2 and a weighted aggregate of 50%, with merit-based interview shortlisting. MCQs in Paper 2 have one-fourth negative marking. The final Phase II/interview weighting is 85:15; Legal and the two engineering streams have specific relevant-experience provisions within the interview component. Read those conditions if they apply to you.

General stream: seven-subject syllabus map

Subject	Priority areas	Required practice
Commerce and accountancy	Accounting standards, statements, cash flow, ratios and capital transactions	Journal adjustments, cash-flow classification and interpretation
Management	Functions, leadership, HRD, motivation and communication	Theory comparisons and workplace cases
Finance	Regulators, markets, instruments, derivatives and financial-sector developments	Distinguish instruments, risks and participant roles
Costing	Cost concepts, methods, marginal/standard costing, budgets and efficiency	Contribution, break-even, variance and decision problems
Companies Act	Prescribed chapters on capital, deposits, dividends, accounts, audit, directors and meetings	Provision–authority–condition–exception cards
Economics	Demand/supply, market structures, national income, money, inflation, cycles and policy	Graphs, mechanisms and short numericals
Current links	Budget, markets, financial inclusion and relevant regulatory updates	Connect an update to a syllabus concept

The current-links row is a study integration method, not an additional official subject. For law, use the exact chapters prescribed in the annexure and the relevant amended text.

High-yield study priorities and worked examples

CrackTarget recommends first securing accountancy/costing numericals, management comparisons and core finance/economics concepts, then using repeated law revision and timed mixed papers. This sequence is a study recommendation, not a fixed question-weightage claim.

Break-even calculation

Selling price is ₹500 per unit, variable cost ₹300 and fixed cost ₹1,20,000. Find break-even units and the contribution at 800 units.

Suggested approach: Contribution per unit = 500 − 300 = ₹200. Break-even output = 1,20,000 ÷ 200 = 600 units. At 800 units total contribution is ₹1,60,000; profit before any other specified items is ₹40,000. Do not divide fixed cost by selling price.

Bond price and yield

Why may an existing fixed-coupon bond’s price fall when comparable market yields rise?

Suggested approach: Its fixed cash flows become less attractive relative to newly available yields. A lower price raises the return to a new buyer. The size of the response depends on maturity, cash-flow structure and risk; this is not a statement that every bond changes by the same percentage.

Specialist streams: adapt the method

Stream	Preparation approach	Do not assume
Legal	Read the prescribed laws and securities regulations; practise both objective and analytical legal answers.	That Phase II is only MCQ.
IT	Practise logic, debugging, dry runs, syntax and data analysis in the notified format.	That the General-stream timing applies.
Research	Practise typed analytical answers and calculations in economics, financial markets and statistics.	That recalling definitions is enough for a practical descriptive paper.
Official Language	Build technical/legal vocabulary and practise both translation directions plus office notings.	That literal word replacement preserves meaning.
Engineering	Map every specialist syllabus unit; practise timed technical MCQs.	That the General subject list substitutes for the technical paper.

Six-week preparation cycle

Week	Main target	Practice
1	Diagnostic, accounting foundations and economics	A baseline test; one English task
2	Cash flow, ratios, costing and finance	Daily numericals; one subject sectional
3	Management and prescribed company law	Comparison cards; spaced law recall
4	Remaining syllabus and current regulatory links	Two mixed papers; two English sessions
5	Timed Phase II preparation in your stream format	Two complete simulations with full review
6	Error repair, recall and interview foundations if relevant	Reattempt errors; refine a concise market-awareness file

For each mock, record losses from concept gaps, law recall, arithmetic, misreading and time management. Repair the largest repeated loss first. Test-taking strategy should follow your measured accuracy rather than a promised number of attempts.

Weighted-score example

Suppose English is 60/100 and Paper 2 is 75/100. The weighted Phase II score is 60 × 1/3 + 75 × 2/3 = 70/100. A high specialist score does not remove a separate English minimum. This example explains the arithmetic; it is not a selection prediction.

Practice questions with explanations

Attempt each question before opening the answer. These are CrackTarget practice questions.

Q1. In the verified February 2026 handout, General-stream Paper 2 has:

• A. 50 questions in 40 minutes
• B. 100 questions in 90 minutes
• C. Only an essay
• D. 100 questions in 180 minutes

Answer and explanation

B. The General-stream format is 100 MCQs for 100 marks in 90 minutes.

Q2. Fixed cost is ₹60,000 and contribution per unit ₹150. Break-even output is:

• A. 300
• B. 400
• C. 450
• D. 600

Answer and explanation

B. 60,000 ÷ 150 = 400 units.

Q3. A candidate meets the aggregate minimum but misses a separate paper minimum. The aggregate alone:

• A. Always guarantees interview
• B. Does not override the separate qualifying condition
• C. Cancels negative marking
• D. Changes the syllabus

Answer and explanation

B. Both separate and aggregate conditions must be met, followed by the applicable shortlisting rules.

Q4. Which stream has a descriptive specialist paper in the verified reference?

• A. Research
• B. General only
• C. Electrical only
• D. Civil only

Answer and explanation

A. Research Paper 2 tests drafting and practical subject knowledge descriptively.

Q5. A secondary-market share purchase normally transfers money:

• A. To the issuing company in every case
• B. From the buyer to the selling investor through market arrangements
• C. To RBI as tax
• D. To DICGC as deposit insurance

Answer and explanation

B. A secondary trade transfers an existing security; a fresh primary issue raises funds for the issuer.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a 2026 guide cite a 2025 advertisement?

The verified recruitment is titled 2025 and its examinations took place in 2026. Keeping both labels prevents confusion.

Is General-stream Paper 2 still the older 50-question format?

No. The verified February 2026 handout specifies 100 questions in 90 minutes.

Does this page give an official topic-wise prediction?

No. Study priorities are editorial; the official annexure defines the syllabus.

Official sources and further reading

The dates and notice-year labels above matter. Check the issuing authority for later amendments; study priorities and model answers are CrackTarget recommendations.

• SEBI: official careers and vacancies
• SEBI: 2025 Officer Grade A recruitment advertisement
• SEBI: February 2026 Phase II information handout
• OpenStax: content theories of motivation
• RBI: Master Directions, with amendment dates

Continue your preparation

• Finance & Management for RBI Grade B: Management Theories Priority List
• RBI Grade B Descriptive Paper Strategy: Essay, Precis & Answer Writing
• Banking Awareness & Financial Inclusion for RBI, SEBI & NABARD
• PFRDA Grade A 2026: Stream-wise Preparation Guide