NISM Series V-A exam-day guide
NISM Series V-A · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Original valid photo ID
Carry the original of an accepted government photo ID (PAN card, Aadhaar, passport, driving licence or voter ID). Photocopies, scans on a phone or expired documents are generally not accepted. Confirm the exact list of accepted IDs with the test provider before the exam.
Printed exam appointment confirmation / admit card
Download and print the appointment confirmation from your NISM candidate login. Keep a soft copy on your registered email as backup, but assume the centre will ask for a physical copy.
Name-match check
The name on your ID must match the name in your registration. If there is a spelling difference, a maiden/married name change, or an initials-only entry, contact the provider in advance to get it corrected rather than discovering it at the gate.
Confirmed reporting time and centre address
Note the reporting time (usually well before the scheduled start) and the full centre address. Do a map check the day before and plan to arrive with buffer for traffic, security checks and document verification.
Travel and backup plan
Identify the nearest metro/station or parking, and keep a second route in mind. Being late is the most common avoidable reason candidates are refused entry.
Registered mobile number and email accessible
Keep the phone number and email used at registration available for OTPs or last-minute communication from the provider. Keep the phone switched off and stored as instructed once inside the premises.
No electronic gadgets in the test hall
Mobile phones, smartwatches, fitness bands, Bluetooth devices, earbuds, calculators and notes are prohibited inside the hall. The centre may provide a locker or ask you to leave items outside; confirm the arrangement with the provider.
Know the calculator position in advance
Expect no physical calculator. If an on-screen calculator is available in the test interface, use it; confirm the policy with the provider. Practise the few numerical areas (NAV, exit load, expense ratio, returns, ratios) so you can do simple arithmetic mentally or on rough work if permitted.
Rough paper and pen
Many centres issue rough sheets on request and collect them back at the end; some do not. Confirm with the provider what is allowed, and do not bring your own stationery unless told it is permitted.
Spectacles / medication if needed
Bring your prescription glasses if you use them for screen reading. If you need medication or a specific accommodation, request it from the provider well before exam day.
Light, water and a normal meal before leaving
There is typically no food or drink permitted at the desk, so eat sensibly beforehand and stay hydrated before you enter. Confirm the centre's rules on carrying a water bottle.
Remote-proctored setup, if applicable
If you have registered for an online proctored delivery instead of a test centre, complete the mandatory system check (webcam, microphone, browser, bandwidth), use a quiet well-lit room, clear the desk, and keep your ID ready for the room scan. Confirm remote availability and technical requirements with the provider.
Plan the day
Re-download and print the appointment confirmation; verify the centre address, reporting time and ID requirements. Report any name or ID discrepancy to the provider immediately.
Do one full timed mock of 100 questions in 120 minutes under exam-like conditions (no phone, no notes). Review only the explanations for questions you got wrong - do not start a new topic.
Make a one-page revision sheet of the areas you keep missing: expense ratio and exit load limits, total expense ratio disclosure, NAV computation and cut-off timing, equity vs debt taxation and indexation, KYC/AML and distributor commission disclosures, and the risk-return ratios (standard deviation, beta, Sharpe, Treynor, alpha, information ratio).
Second timed mock or sectional practice. Target a comfortable margin above the pass mark rather than a bare pass, since exam-day nerves typically cost a few marks.
Skim only your one-page sheet and the syllabus headings; confirm coverage of all units, including the legal/regulatory and investor-services units that candidates often skip.
Pack the bag: printed confirmation, original photo ID, spectacles, travel money/card. Leave prohibited items at home so there is nothing to surrender at the gate.
Confirm travel logistics, set two alarms, and sleep at a normal hour. Do not study past midnight - recall is worse when sleep-deprived.
Eat a normal meal, re-check you have the ID and printed confirmation, and leave early enough to reach the centre about 30 minutes before the reporting time (confirm the exact reporting window with the provider).
Complete ID verification and any photograph/biometric capture, note your seat number, and listen to or read the invigilator's instructions. Switch the phone off and hand it over or store it as directed.
Read the instructions, check the question count and countdown timer, and confirm how to mark, review and submit. Note whether the interface offers a calculator and a review/flag option.
Work at roughly 70 seconds per question. Answer every question you can, flag the long numerical or ambiguous ones and move on; do not sink five minutes into one calculation early.
Return to flagged questions, re-read the stems for 'not', 'except', 'least' and 'most appropriate', and make sure no question is left blank unless the provider confirms negative marking applies.
Submit deliberately, confirm the submission prompt, and note the acknowledgement. Collect your score report/printout if one is issued, and keep it with your records.
Rules to check
Carry the original government photo ID used at registration. Expired documents, photocopies and images on a phone are generally rejected - confirm the accepted ID list with the test provider.
The name, date of birth and photograph on your ID must match your registration. A material mismatch can result in refusal of entry, so get corrections done before exam day.
Arrive by the reporting time. Centres commonly deny entry to late candidates once the test has started; the exact grace period is a provider policy - confirm it with the provider.
Mobile phones, smartwatches, calculators, notes and any unauthorised material are not allowed in the test hall. Follow the storage instructions exactly; possession inside the hall can be treated as malpractice.
There is usually no authorised break during the examination once it has begun; leaving the hall typically requires an escort and may not stop your timer. Confirm the break and restroom policy with the provider.
The paper is 100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes with one mark per question, and the commonly stated qualifying score is 50%. Negative-marking and pass-mark policies can change - verify both in the current NISM information bulletin for Series V-A before you sit.
Do not guess blindly if negative marking applies; if the provider confirms there is none, answer every question, because an unanswered question is always worth zero.
Impersonation, communication with other candidates, or use of unauthorised aids leads to cancellation of the result and possible debarment from future NISM examinations.
Keep your score report and, once issued, your certificate safely. Employers and compliance teams ask for them, and the certificate's validity period and renewal route should be confirmed with NISM at the time of passing.