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100+ Free NISM Series XVI Practice Questions

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Key Facts: NISM Series XVI Exam

100 questions

The exam has 100 one-mark multiple-choice questions for 100 marks

NISM - Series XVI Commodity Derivatives

2 hours

Candidates have 120 minutes to complete the examination

NISM - Series XVI Commodity Derivatives

60%

The passing score is 60 marks out of 100

NISM - Series XVI Commodity Derivatives

25%

Negative marking of 25% applies to each question answered wrongly

NISM - Series XVI Commodity Derivatives

Rs 1,500

The examination fee is Rs 1,500 plus payment-gateway charges

NISM - Series XVI Commodity Derivatives

3 years

The certificate is valid for three years from the date of passing

NISM - Series XVI Commodity Derivatives

10 units

The syllabus spans ten units from commodity markets to code of conduct

NISM - Test Objectives for Series XVI

2015

SEBI became the commodity derivatives regulator when the FMC merged into it in 2015

SEBI / NISM - Series XVI workbook

The NISM-Series-XVI: Commodity Derivatives Certification Examination is a SEBI-mandated certification for approved users and sales personnel in the commodity derivatives segment of recognised stock exchanges. It consists of 100 one-mark multiple-choice questions to be completed in 2 hours, with a passing score of 60% and negative marking of 25% per wrong answer. The fee is Rs 1,500 and the certificate is valid for three years. The syllabus spans ten units: commodity markets, commodity indices, futures, options, uses of derivatives, trading mechanism, clearing/settlement/risk management, the legal-regulatory environment, accounting/taxation and code of conduct. This 100-question bank provides original practice across all ten units with explained answers.

Sample NISM Series XVI Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your NISM Series XVI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which Indian regulator became responsible for the commodity derivatives markets after September 2015?
A.Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
B.Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
C.Forward Markets Commission (FMC)
D.Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Explanation: The Forward Markets Commission (FMC) was merged into SEBI on 28 September 2015, after which SEBI became the regulator for commodity derivatives. Commodity derivatives were brought under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act framework.
2In a spot market for commodities, delivery and payment typically take place:
A.At a fixed future date several months later
B.Immediately or within a very short settlement period
C.Only at the option of the seller
D.Never, as spot contracts are cash-settled only
Explanation: A spot (cash) market involves immediate or near-immediate exchange of the commodity for payment, within a short settlement cycle. This is in contrast to derivatives markets, where settlement is deferred to a future date.
3Which of the following is a key economic function performed by commodity derivatives markets?
A.Eliminating all price volatility in commodities
B.Price discovery and price risk management
C.Guaranteeing profits to all participants
D.Setting the minimum support price for crops
Explanation: Commodity derivatives markets perform two core economic functions: price discovery (aggregating information into a transparent price) and price risk management (allowing hedgers to transfer price risk). They do not remove volatility or guarantee profits.
4Which of the following is the largest commodity derivatives exchange in India by traded volume, especially in non-agricultural commodities?
A.MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange)
B.NCDEX (National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange)
C.ICEX (Indian Commodity Exchange)
D.BSE Bullion Exchange
Explanation: MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange of India) is the largest commodity derivatives exchange in India and dominates trading in bullion, metals and energy. NCDEX is the leading exchange for agricultural commodities.
5A farmer who sells futures contracts to lock in a price for a crop he will harvest later is best described as a:
A.Speculator
B.Hedger
C.Arbitrageur
D.Market maker
Explanation: A hedger uses derivatives to reduce or offset an existing or anticipated price risk in the physical commodity. The farmer has a long position in the physical crop and sells futures to lock in a price, which is a classic short hedge.
6Which entity in the commodity market ecosystem is responsible for storing physical commodities and issuing electronic warehouse receipts?
A.Clearing corporation
B.Warehouse / warehouse service provider
C.Depository participant
D.Stock broker
Explanation: Warehouses (warehouse service providers) store the physical commodity and issue warehouse receipts, now usually in electronic form via repositories, which can be used for delivery against derivatives contracts. Warehousing is regulated to ensure quality and quantity assurance.
7Bullion in the context of Indian commodity derivatives markets refers primarily to:
A.Crude oil and natural gas
B.Gold and silver
C.Copper and aluminium
D.Guar seed and chana
Explanation: Bullion refers to precious metals, principally gold and silver, which are among the most actively traded commodities on MCX. Crude oil and natural gas are energy commodities; copper and aluminium are base metals; guar and chana are agricultural commodities.
8Which of the following is generally considered an agricultural commodity traded on Indian derivatives exchanges?
A.Nickel
B.Crude oil
C.Cotton
D.Natural gas
Explanation: Cotton is an agricultural commodity actively traded on Indian commodity derivatives exchanges. Nickel is a base metal, while crude oil and natural gas are energy commodities.
9An 'approved user' or 'sales personnel' of a trading member in the commodity derivatives segment is primarily required to obtain the NISM Series XVI certification in order to:
A.Open a demat account
B.Meet SEBI's minimum knowledge benchmark for the role
C.Become a director of a stock exchange
D.Manage a mutual fund scheme
Explanation: The NISM Series XVI certification establishes a common minimum knowledge benchmark required by SEBI for approved users and sales personnel of trading members in the commodity derivatives segment of a recognised stock exchange.
10Compared with the physical (spot) market, a commodity derivatives market improves market efficiency mainly by:
A.Removing the need for any physical commodity to exist
B.Providing a transparent, forward-looking price and a venue to transfer price risk
C.Guaranteeing a fixed government price to producers
D.Preventing all imports and exports of commodities
Explanation: Derivatives markets aggregate information from many participants into transparent, forward-looking prices and let those who do not want price risk transfer it to those willing to bear it. This improves price discovery and risk allocation in the wider economy.

About the NISM Series XVI Exam

The NISM-Series-XVI: Commodity Derivatives Certification Examination creates a common minimum knowledge benchmark for associated persons functioning as approved users and sales personnel of trading members in the commodity derivatives segment of a recognised stock exchange. The examination tests understanding of commodity markets, commodity futures and options, the uses of commodity derivatives for hedging, speculation and arbitrage, the trading mechanism, and the clearing, settlement, risk-management and warehousing arrangements operated by exchanges and clearing corporations. It also covers the legal and regulatory environment under SEBI, which became the regulator for commodity derivatives following the 2015 merger of the Forward Markets Commission into SEBI, together with accounting, taxation, code of conduct and investor protection. The exam has 100 one-mark multiple-choice questions to be completed in two hours, requires 60% to pass and applies 25% negative marking.

Assessment

100 multiple-choice questions of 1 mark each, totalling 100 marks, across ten units from introduction to commodity markets through code of conduct and investor protection.

Time Limit

2 hours (120 minutes).

Passing Score

60% (60 marks out of 100), with negative marking of 25% of the marks assigned to each question.

Exam Fee

Rs 1,500 plus payment-gateway charges; the certificate is valid for three years. (National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM), established by SEBI.)

NISM Series XVI Exam Content Outline

10%

Introduction to Commodity Markets

History of commodity trading in India and globally, the evolution of commodity exchanges, electronic and physical spot markets, the economic functions of derivatives, major commodities traded, market participants and the broader commodity-market ecosystem including warehouses and assayers.

5%

Commodity Indices

What commodity indices are and how they are constructed, important Indian and international commodity indices, and trading and uses of derivatives on commodity indices.

15%

Commodity Futures

Features and payoff of futures contracts, the cost-of-carry pricing model, basis and basis risk, convergence of spot and futures prices at expiry, contango and backwardation, and how commodity futures differ from forwards.

15%

Commodity Options

Call and put options, premium, moneyness, intrinsic and time value, payoff profiles, option Greeks (delta, gamma, theta, vega, rho), options on commodity futures and basic option strategies.

15%

Uses of Commodity Derivatives

Hedging with long and short positions, basis risk in hedging, speculation, arbitrage and spreads, the selection of contracts for trading and the trading costs that participants incur.

10%

Trading Mechanism

Exchange membership, order types and trading parameters, contract specifications, price bands, position limits and the role of trading members and authorised persons.

15%

Clearing, Settlement and Risk Management

The role of the clearing corporation and novation, the margining system including SPAN initial margin and Extreme Loss Margin, mark-to-market settlement, daily and final settlement, delivery and warehousing, and the Settlement Guarantee Fund.

5%

Legal and Regulatory Environment

SEBI as the regulator of commodity derivatives following the 2015 merger of the Forward Markets Commission into SEBI under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, exchange and clearing-corporation regulations and investor grievance mechanisms.

5%

Accounting and Taxation

Accounting for commodity-derivative trades including mark-to-market entries, and important tax aspects such as treatment of gains as business income or speculation and applicable transaction taxes.

5%

Code of Conduct and Investor Protection Measures

Code of conduct for trading members and approved users, investor protection measures, grievance redressal, arbitration and the investor protection fund.

How to Pass the NISM Series XVI Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 60% (60 marks out of 100), with negative marking of 25% of the marks assigned to each question.
  • Assessment: 100 multiple-choice questions of 1 mark each, totalling 100 marks, across ten units from introduction to commodity markets through code of conduct and investor protection.
  • Time limit: 2 hours (120 minutes).
  • Exam fee: Rs 1,500 plus payment-gateway charges; the certificate is valid for three years.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

NISM Series XVI Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study the official NISM Series XVI workbook unit by unit; the exam questions map directly to the ten units and their published weightings.
2Master cost-of-carry pricing, basis and the convergence of spot and futures prices, as the Commodity Futures unit carries a heavy 15% weight.
3Practise option payoffs, moneyness and the Greeks (delta, gamma, theta, vega) because Commodity Options is another 15% unit.
4Because there is 25% negative marking, skip questions you are genuinely unsure about rather than guessing blindly.
5Memorise the margining vocabulary, including SPAN initial margin, Extreme Loss Margin, mark-to-market and the role of the clearing corporation and Settlement Guarantee Fund.
6Remember the regulatory milestone that SEBI took over commodity derivatives when the Forward Markets Commission merged into it in September 2015.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the NISM Series XVI exam and how long is it?

The examination has 100 multiple-choice questions of 1 mark each, for a total of 100 marks, and must be completed within 2 hours (120 minutes).

What is the passing score for NISM Series XVI?

Candidates must score 60% (60 marks out of 100) to pass. There is negative marking of 25% of the marks assigned to each question, so wrong answers reduce your score.

What does the NISM Series XVI certification cover?

It covers commodity markets, commodity indices, futures and options, uses of derivatives such as hedging and arbitrage, the trading mechanism, clearing, settlement and risk management, the SEBI regulatory framework, accounting and taxation, and code of conduct.

Who needs the NISM Series XVI certification?

SEBI requires associated persons acting as approved users and sales personnel of trading members in the commodity derivatives segment of a recognised stock exchange to hold this certification.

Who regulates commodity derivatives in India?

SEBI regulates commodity derivatives. The Forward Markets Commission was merged into SEBI in September 2015, bringing commodity derivatives under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act framework.

How much does the exam cost and how long is the certificate valid?

The examination fee is Rs 1,500 plus payment-gateway charges, and the certificate is valid for three years from the date of passing. Validity can be extended through the CPE programme.