SEBI Grade A 2026 Mains Difficulty Level – Honest Expert Review

(Phase II Descriptive English | 21 February 2026)

Every year after SEBI Mains, aspirants ask one question:

“Sir, was the paper tough?”

Let’s give an honest, expert-level answer — without hype, without fear-building.

📊 Overall Paper Snapshot

  • Total Marks: 100
  • Total Time: 60 Minutes
  • Sections: Essay (30) + Precis (30) + Comprehension (40)
  • Nature: Policy-oriented, analytical, contemporary

This was not a vocabulary test.
It was a regulatory mindset test.

📝 Section-Wise Difficulty Analysis

1️⃣ Essay Section (30 Marks)

Topics Included:

  • Social media & public policy
  • Fast commerce & economic growth
  • Rail vs Air transportation
  • Indian leadership in global posts

🎯 Difficulty Level: Moderate

The topics were:

✔ Contemporary
✔ Policy-relevant
✔ Argument-based

They were not abstract or philosophical.
However, scoring depended heavily on:

  • Structure (Intro–Body–Conclusion)
  • Balance in arguments
  • Word discipline (250–270 words)

👉 Candidates with structured practice found it manageable.
👉 Unstructured writers struggled under time pressure.

2️⃣ Precis Section (30 Marks)

Theme: US–China Trade Agreement & India’s Structural Position

🎯 Difficulty Level: Moderate to Slightly Analytical

Why?

  • Trade diplomacy requires clarity of thought
  • Passage had multiple layers (global + strategic + India impact)
  • Compression demand was high

The real challenge was:

Maintaining flow in 150 words without losing the India reform angle.

Candidates who wrote in one paragraph or retained data likely lost marks.

3️⃣ Reading Comprehension (40 Marks)

Theme: Water Consumption Crisis in Data Centers & AI Growth

🎯 Difficulty Level: Moderate–High

This section required:

  • Conceptual clarity
  • Environmental-policy understanding
  • Structured 4–6 line answers
  • No fluff

It was not difficult in language,
but difficult in articulation precision.

Many aspirants over-wrote answers and ran out of time.

⏱ The Real Difficulty: Time Pressure

The paper itself was not extremely tough.

But the 60-minute constraint made it intense.

You had to:

  • Think
  • Structure
  • Write
  • Maintain word discipline
  • Stay calm

All within one hour.

This is where differentiation happened.

📈 Compared to Previous Years

Parameter202420252026
Policy DepthModerateModerateHigh
Sustainability FocusLowMediumHigh
Trade & Global EconomyMediumMediumHigh
Analytical RequirementMediumHighHigh

Clear trend:
SEBI is moving towards policy maturity + sustainability awareness + economic reasoning.

🧠 What This Means for Cut-Off

The paper was:

  • Not easy
  • Not brutal
  • Balanced but time-sensitive

Expected outcome:

👉 Average scores will cluster
👉 Structured writers will pull ahead
👉 Precis discipline will be major differentiator

🚀 Honest Conclusion

SEBI Grade A 2026 Mains was:

Moderately difficult on content.
Highly differentiating on structure and time control.

If you prepared with:

✔ 3-paragraph precis discipline
✔ 250-word essay structure
✔ 70-word RC clarity
✔ Timed full mock practice

You were well aligned.

If not — the paper exposed structural gaps.

📌 Bank Whizz Expert Takeaway

SEBI is no longer testing English.
SEBI is testing:

  • Regulatory thinking
  • Policy awareness
  • Sustainability understanding
  • Analytical compression skill

Your preparation must evolve accordingly.