NISM Series XVII Exam Pattern
100 marks, 2 hours, negative marking: exactly how Series XVII is scored and passed.
The NISM Series XVII paper has 100 multiple choice questions of 1 mark each, for 100 marks, and you get 120 minutes. You pass with 60 marks. A wrong answer costs 25% of the question's marks, so 0.25 is deducted for each one.
The exam is computer-based, booked through NISM's certification portal.
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The paper at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 multiple choice |
| Marks per question | 1 |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Duration | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Pass mark | 60 out of 100 (60%) |
| Negative marking | 25% of a question's marks, so 0.25 per wrong answer |
| Unanswered question | 0, no deduction |
| Format | Computer-based, booked through NISM's certification portal |
| Fee | ₹1,500 plus payment gateway charges |
| Certificate validity | 3 years |
How the 100 marks are split by chapter
Each chapter's weightage, from the June 2025 workbook, is also its share of the 100 questions.
| Chapter | Marks |
|---|---|
| 1. Fundamental Concepts in Retirement Planning | 5 |
| 2. Financial Markets and Investment Products | 10 |
| 3. Retirement Planning | 15 |
| 4. Retirement Planning Products: National Pension System | 20 |
| 5. Evaluating Fund Performance and Fund Selection | 10 |
| 6. Retirement Planning Products: Other Investment Products | 8 |
| 7. Retirement Planning Strategies | 12 |
| 8. Special Situations in Retirement | 10 |
| 9. Regulations and Regulators | 10 |
Timing
120 minutes for 100 questions is 72 seconds each. The syllabus includes calculations: present and future value, the corpus needed at retirement, the monthly saving to reach it, or a return measure such as CAGR. The workbook works these examples with Excel's PV, FV and PMT functions. Questions on a rule or a definition you know take far less than 72 seconds, which leaves time for the calculations.
A practical approach is to go through the paper once answering everything you are sure of, mark the rest, and come back to them with the time you have saved.
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What the pass mark means in practice
The pass mark is a net score, after deductions. Every wrong answer costs you the 1 mark you did not earn plus the 0.25 deducted. If you attempt all 100 questions you need 68 correct to reach 60: 68 marks minus 32 x 0.25 = 60.
Leaving a question blank costs nothing, but it also earns nothing. The trade off between guessing and leaving blanks is worked through on the negative marking page for this exam.
Check NISM before you book
These details follow NISM's exam page and the June 2025 workbook. NISM can change the pattern, fee or workbook version, so confirm on the exam page before you book a slot.
FAQs
How many questions are there in NISM Series XVII?expand_more
100 multiple choice questions, each worth 1 mark.
What is the passing mark for NISM Series XVII?expand_more
60 out of 100, counted after negative marking is applied.
Is there negative marking in NISM Series XVII?expand_more
Yes. 25% of a question's marks is deducted for a wrong answer, which is 0.25 per question. Blank answers are not penalised.
How long is the NISM Series XVII exam?expand_more
120 minutes for 100 questions.
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