Short on time? You can still clear the NISM Series XV Research Analyst exam in a month. This 30-day NISM XV study plan is built around active practice and timed mock tests — the two things that move the needle most. Plan on roughly 1 to 1.5 hours a day, with longer sessions on weekends for mock exams.
Before you start
- Register for the exam first — a fixed date creates urgency.
- Get access to a NISM Series XV question bank with explanations so every practice session teaches you something.
- Keep a simple notebook (or use the bookmark/flag feature on ScoreSetu) for tricky concepts.
Week 1 — Foundations and markets
Goal: build the base. Cover the easy, high-scoring topics first to build momentum.
- Days 1–2: Introduction to research analysis, role of the analyst, terminology.
- Days 3–4: Markets and instruments — equity, debt, derivatives basics.
- Days 5–6: Economic analysis — GDP, inflation, interest rates, indicators.
- Day 7: Mini mock on Week 1 topics + revise flagged questions.
By the end of Week 1 you should be comfortable with the vocabulary of the NISM Research Analyst exam.
Week 2 — The financial core
Goal: master the heaviest-weighted topics: financial statements and valuation.
- Days 8–9: Reading financial statements — P&L, balance sheet, cash flow.
- Days 10–11: Financial ratios — profitability, leverage, efficiency, P/E, P/B, ROE.
- Days 12–13: Valuation — DCF, relative valuation, EV/EBITDA, CAGR.
- Day 14: Topic mock on valuation and financial analysis.
These topics carry serious weight in the NISM XV syllabus, so spend extra time here. Practise numerical questions until the formulas are automatic.
Week 3 — Analysis techniques and regulations
Goal: cover industry analysis, technical analysis, corporate actions and the regulatory framework.
- Days 15–16: Industry analysis — Porter's five forces, industry life cycle.
- Days 17–18: Technical analysis — trends, support/resistance, indicators, patterns.
- Days 19–20: Corporate actions — dividends, bonus, splits, buybacks.
- Day 21: SEBI (Research Analysts) Regulations, 2014 + Code of Conduct, then a mixed mini mock.
The SEBI regulations and Code of Conduct are pure scoring topics — memorise the key thresholds (like the 30-day trading restriction) and you bank easy marks.
Week 4 — Mocks, weak areas and revision
Goal: simulate the real exam and close gaps.
- Days 22–24: Full-length NISM Series XV mock tests under timed conditions (100 questions, 2 hours).
- Days 25–27: Review every mock — focus revision on topics where you score below 60%.
- Days 28–29: Behavioural finance, research report writing, and a final full mock.
- Day 30: Last-day revision — flagged questions, formulas, and regulation thresholds only. No new topics.
Mock-test strategy that beats negative marking
Because the exam has 25% negative marking, aim to score 70%+ in mocks so you have a safety buffer. In each mock:
- First pass: answer everything you are sure about.
- Second pass: educated guesses where you can eliminate two options.
- Leave only the genuine no-idea questions blank.
Track your topic-wise accuracy after each mock. The pattern of weak topics tells you exactly where to spend your remaining days.
Last-day revision tips
- Revise only memory hooks, formulas and regulation thresholds — not full chapters.
- Re-attempt your flagged/bookmarked questions one final time.
- Sleep well; a fresh mind handles case-study questions far better.
Want a ready-made plan? ScoreSetu gives you topic sets, last-day revision tests and full-length real-feel mock exams — all built specifically for the NISM Series XV Research Analyst exam.
Follow this 30-day NISM XV preparation plan, stay consistent, and a first-attempt pass is well within reach.