NISM Series XIX-C Registration & Exam Dates
There is no annual Series XIX-C exam date. Registration is continuous and you pick your own slot. Here is how it works.
There is no exam date for NISM Series XIX-C. NISM runs the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Certification Examination on demand through the year. You create an account on NISM's certification portal, pick a test centre and a slot, pay the fee and sit the paper that day. The fee is ₹3,000, payment gateway charges extra, as NISM words it. The exam page says nothing about GST.
The certificate is valid for 3 years. SEBI requires at least one key personnel in the key investment team of every AIF manager to hold it. Anyone else may take it; NISM states no degree or experience condition.
Who must hold the XIX-C certificate
Regulation 4(g)(i) of the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012 makes it an eligibility condition for AIF registration that the manager's key investment team has at least one key personnel with the certification SEBI specifies. From May 10, 2024, that certification is NISM Series XIX-C.
Applications to register an AIF or launch a scheme filed after May 10, 2024 must meet the condition at filing. Existing schemes, and applications pending on that date, had until May 9, 2025. Compliance is confirmed in the manager's Compliance Test Report. The rule asks for one key personnel per manager, not the whole team.
Registration facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | ₹3,000, payment gateway charges extra (NISM's wording; nothing stated about GST) |
| Exam date | None. On-demand slots, booked by you |
| Where to register | NISM's certification portal |
| Mode | Computer-based at a NISM test centre. XIX-C is not a remote-proctored exam |
| PAN | Required for the passing certificate; NISM's FAQ lets you furnish it after the exam |
| Validity | 3 years from the date of the examination |
| Renewal | eCPE in the 12 months before expiry (available from February 6, 2026), or pass the exam again before expiry |
| Reschedule | On your own through the portal, up to four days before the slot; at most two reschedules |
How to register, step by step
- 1
Open the registration portal
Use the 'Register for Certification Exam' link on NISM's Series XIX-C page. One account covers every NISM exam.
- 2
Create or update your candidate profile
Enter your name exactly as on your identity proof, and your PAN. NISM issues the passing certificate only to candidates whose PAN is on record.
- 3
Choose NISM Series XIX-C: Alternative Investment Fund Managers Certification Examination
The portal also lists XIX-A, XIX-B, XIX-D and XIX-E. NISM allows no change of module after enrolment, so check the code before paying.
- 4
Pick a test centre, date and time slot
Only slots with free seats appear. Four days before the exam is the last point at which you can move the slot yourself, and NISM allows two reschedules in all.
- 5
Pay online
₹3,000 plus the payment gateway's own charge. If your account is debited but the enrolment fails, or you are charged twice, NISM refunds the exam fee. It does not refund the transaction charge.
- 6
Keep the confirmation and carry ID
Carry the identity proof the portal names. A no-show forfeits the fee.
Free account, this exam preselected.
Searching for the XIX-C exam date?
There is none. The date is whichever slot you book. If a scheme launch filing is coming up, book early enough to allow a second attempt, because the certification is checked at filing.
Validity and renewal through eCPE
A XIX-C certificate runs for 3 years from the date of the examination. Until January 2026 the only renewal route was to pass the exam again before expiry. NISM's circular of January 30, 2026 specified an online CPE (eCPE) programme for XIX-C, available from February 6, 2026. Complete it in the 12 months before expiry and the certificate is revalidated for three years from the expiry date.
NISM lists no classroom CPE for XIX-C, only the eCPE: pre-recorded sessions of three to five hours and an evaluation test, taken on a laptop or desktop with a webcam. Once the certificate expires, only the exam route is left.
If you do not pass
After a failed attempt, book a fresh slot on the portal and pay the fee again. NISM's XIX-C pages do not set out a rule on the number of attempts or the gap between them. There is no re-evaluation, so the score you see is final.
XIX-C deducts 25% of a question's marks for a wrong answer: 0.25 on a 1-mark MCQ and 0.5 on a 2-mark case question.
How the paper uses the words 'registration' and 'eligibility'
Do not confuse your exam registration with the AIF's registration. The syllabus covers how a fund registers with SEBI under the AIF Regulations. A question on 'eligibility criteria for registration' means SEBI's conditions for the fund and its manager, including the key investment team's certification under Regulation 4(g), never the NISM portal process.
FAQs
What is the NISM Series XIX-C registration fee?expand_more
₹3,000, payment gateway charges extra. That is how NISM's exam page states it, and its FAQ says "Rupees Three Thousand only". The page does not mention GST. The fee is paid online on NISM's certification portal when you book a slot.
Is NISM XIX-C mandatory, and for whom?expand_more
Yes, for AIF managers. Since May 10, 2024, at least one key personnel in the key investment team of the manager of an AIF must have passed XIX-C. It is an eligibility condition for registering an AIF or launching a scheme; existing schemes had until May 9, 2025. Other team members, distributors and students may take it voluntarily.
Can I take the NISM XIX-C exam from home?expand_more
No. XIX-C is a test-centre exam. NISM marks only a few modules as remote proctored, and AIF Managers is not one of them. You choose a centre and a slot on the portal. The eCPE renewal programme, by contrast, is taken online.
What happens if I fail NISM XIX-C?expand_more
You can book another slot on the portal and pay the fee again. NISM's XIX-C pages do not set out an attempt or waiting rule, and no re-evaluation is available. The fee for the failed sitting is not refunded.
How long is the XIX-C certificate valid, and how do I renew it?expand_more
3 years from the date of the examination. Renew in the 12 months before expiry by completing NISM's XIX-C eCPE programme (online, available from February 6, 2026), or by passing the exam again before the old certificate expires. Once it has expired, only the exam route remains.
Next steps
Create a free accountStart now, before you pay NISM ₹3,000.