NISM IFSCA-01 Exam Pattern
50 marks, 1 hour, negative marking: exactly how IFSCA-01 is scored and passed.
NISM-IFSCA-01 is a single paper of 50 multiple choice questions, each worth 1 mark, to be finished in 60 minutes. You pass with 25 marks, which is 50%. There is no negative marking. Unlike most NISM certifications, it is an online exam taken in a remotely proctored setting, so you do not sit it at a test centre.
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NISM-IFSCA-01 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 50 multiple choice questions |
| Marks per question | 1 |
| Total marks | 50 |
| Duration | 60 minutes (1 hour) |
| Pass mark | 25 marks (50%) |
| Negative marking | None |
| Mode | Online, remotely proctored, no test centre |
| Fee | ₹750 plus taxes (₹885), plus payment gateway charges |
| Certificate validity | 2 years |
| Launched | 27 November 2025 |
How the score is worked out
Your score is the number of correct answers. A wrong answer and a blank both score zero, so nothing is lost by answering. 25 correct answers is a pass, whatever happens on the other 25.
The pass mark applies to the whole paper. The workbook states no minimum score per chapter or per part.
Time per question
60 minutes for 50 questions is 72 seconds each. Because there is no negative marking, make sure every question has an answer before time runs out, even if some are guesses.
Free account, this exam preselected.
How the 50 marks are spread
Weightage from the workbook's syllabus outline. With 1 mark per question, weightage equals marks.
A: AML concepts and scheduled offences
Chapters
1, 4
Marks
8
A: PMLA and the record-keeping rules
Chapters
2, 3
Marks
14
B: IFSCA AML, CFT and KYC guidelines and KYC norms
Chapters
5, 6
Marks
18
B: Enforcement cases
Chapters
7
Marks
4
B: FATF and its recommendations
Chapters
8
Marks
6
Total
Chapters
1 to 8
Marks
50
| Part | Chapters | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A: AML concepts and scheduled offences | 1, 4 | 8 |
| A: PMLA and the record-keeping rules | 2, 3 | 14 |
| B: IFSCA AML, CFT and KYC guidelines and KYC norms | 5, 6 | 18 |
| B: Enforcement cases | 7 | 4 |
| B: FATF and its recommendations | 8 | 6 |
| Total | 1 to 8 | 50 |
Question styles to expect
Going by the workbook's chapter-end sample questions:
- check_circleDirect facts: which authority does what, which report goes to FIU-IND, what a term means
- check_circleTrue or false statements about a rule in the IFSCA guidelines
- check_circleWhich due diligence applies, for example enhanced due diligence for a politically exposed person
- check_circleComparisons between the IFSCA guidelines and those of other Indian regulators
- check_circleThe facts and findings of the enforcement cases in chapter 7, and the FATF standards in chapter 8
What the pattern means for you
Three things follow. First, with no negative marking, leave nothing blank. Second, the IFSCA chapters (5 and 6) carry 18 marks, more than a third of the paper, so they deserve the most time. Third, the bar is 25 out of 50, but the paper is short, so every chapter counts: a 3-mark chapter is 6% of the paper.
The paper is half the length of most NISM exams, and its workbook is shorter too. That makes it a focused exam rather than a light one: the rules it tests are specific, and precise reading matters.
Confirm before you book
These details are from the December 2025 workbook and NISM's NISM-IFSCA-01 course page. NISM can change the pattern, the fee or the delivery mode. Check the course page before you book.
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