NISM Series XXI-B Registration & Exam Dates
There is no annual Series XXI-B exam date. Registration is continuous and you pick your own slot. Here is how it works.
There is no exam date for NISM Series XXI-B. NISM runs the Portfolio Managers Certification Examination on demand through the year. You book your own slot at a test centre through NISM's certification portal. The fee is ₹3,000, inclusive of GST, payment gateway charges extra, as NISM words it.
The certificate is valid for 3 years. SEBI requires it of the principal officer of a portfolio manager and of employees who take fund management decisions. Anyone else may take it; NISM states no educational qualification for registering.
Who must hold the Series XXI-B certificate
NISM's exam page says the exam is for principal officers and other employees of portfolio management services (PMS) firms. Its CPE page quotes the SEBI notification of September 7, 2021 that created the mandate. The associated persons who must pass XXI-B are:
- check_circlethe principal officer of a SEBI-registered portfolio manager
- check_circleemployees of the portfolio manager who have decision-making authority related to fund management
XXI-A is a different exam
Series XXI-A is the PMS Distributors exam, for people who sell PMS products. Series XXI-B is for the people who run the money. Passing one does not count for the other.
Registration facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | ₹3,000, inclusive of GST, payment gateway charges extra (NISM's wording) |
| Exam date | None. On-demand slots, booked by you |
| Where to register | NISM's certification portal, linked from the Series XXI-B page on NISM's website |
| Mode | Computer-based at a NISM test centre. XXI-B is not a remote-proctored exam |
| PAN | Must be entered or updated in your registration details, or no passing certificate is issued |
| Validity | 3 years from the date of the examination |
| Renewal | CPE or eCPE in the 12 months before expiry, or re-take the exam |
| Reschedule | On your own through the portal, up to four days before the scheduled date, at most twice |
How to register, step by step
- 1
Open the registration portal
Use the 'Register for Certification Exam' link on NISM's Series XXI-B page. One portal 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, so add it now.
- 3
Choose NISM-Series-XXI-B: Portfolio Managers Certification Examination
XXI-A and XXI-B sit next to each other on the list. NISM does not accommodate a change of module after you enrol.
- 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.
- 5
Pay online
₹3,000 plus the payment gateway's own charge. If your card is debited but the enrolment fails, or you are charged twice, NISM refunds the exam fee; it does not refund the gateway charge.
- 6
Save the confirmation and carry ID
Carry the identity proof the portal names. Reporting time and conduct rules are in NISM's candidate instructions.
Free account, this exam preselected.
Searching for the XXI-B exam date?
There is none to find. NISM has no annual or quarterly sitting for portfolio managers. The date is whichever slot you book.
Validity and renewal through CPE or eCPE
A Series XXI-B certificate runs for 3 years from the date of the examination. NISM's XXI-B CPE page says a holder whose certificate has not yet expired can revalidate it for three more years from the expiry date by completing the Series XXI-B Portfolio Managers Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programme during the 12 months before expiry. CPE is a one-day classroom programme of about six hours with a test at the end. eCPE is the online version: pre-recorded sessions of three to five hours plus an evaluation test, taken on a laptop or desktop with a webcam.
The other route is to re-take the XXI-B exam before the old certificate expires. CPE revalidation is open only while the certificate is still valid.
NISM's CPE page also says an associated person in the Principal or the Grandfather category can obtain a first certificate by completing the XXI-B CPE programme instead of the exam. NISM defines both categories in the eligibility criteria linked from that page. Everyone else sits the exam.
If you do not pass, or cannot attend
After a failed attempt, book a fresh slot on the same portal and pay the fee again. NISM's XXI-B pages do not set out a rule on the number of attempts or the gap between them. The fee for the failed sitting is not refunded.
If you cannot attend, move the slot yourself at least four days before the date. NISM allows at most two reschedules. A candidate who neither reschedules nor turns up forfeits the fee.
XXI-B deducts 25% of the marks assigned to a question for a wrong answer: 0.25 on a 1-mark MCQ and 0.5 on a 2-mark case question. The exam-pattern page explains the arithmetic.
How the paper uses the word 'registration'
Do not confuse your exam registration with the portfolio manager's registration. Chapter VII of the syllabus covers how a portfolio manager registers with SEBI under the SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations 2020. A question on 'registration requirements' means SEBI's conditions for the firm, never the NISM portal process on this page.
FAQs
What is the NISM Series XXI-B registration fee?expand_more
₹3,000, inclusive of GST, payment gateway charges extra. That is how NISM's exam page states it. It is paid online when you book a slot and is not refunded if you fail or do not turn up.
Can I take the NISM XXI-B exam from home?expand_more
No. Series XXI-B is a test-centre exam. NISM marks only a few modules as remote proctored, and portfolio managers is not one of them. You choose a centre and a slot on the portal.
Is NISM Series XXI-B mandatory, and for whom?expand_more
Yes, under SEBI's notification of September 7, 2021, for the principal officer of a SEBI-registered portfolio manager and for employees with decision-making authority related to fund management. For everyone else, including PMS distributors, it is voluntary. Distributors have their own exam, Series XXI-A.
How many attempts does NISM allow for XXI-B?expand_more
NISM's XXI-B pages do not set out an attempt limit or a waiting period. After a failed attempt you book a new slot on the same portal.
How long is the XXI-B 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 the XXI-B CPE (one day, classroom) or eCPE (online), or by passing the exam again. Once the certificate has expired, only the exam route remains.
Next steps
Create a free accountStart now, before you pay NISM ₹3,000.