1.2 The 12-Unit Curriculum Map and a Study Plan
Key Takeaways
The current official syllabus has 12 units whose published weightages total 100%.
Investor Services and Mutual Fund Scheme Selection are the two largest units at 15% each.
Legal and Regulatory Framework and Scheme Related Information are 10% each; Investment Landscape and NAV/TER/Pricing are 8% each.
Use the official Annexure I unit names and weights; older outlines with financial-planning and model-portfolio units do not match the current syllabus.
Match study time to official weight while still covering every objective in Annexure II.
The Official 12-Unit Blueprint
NISM publishes both the unit names and their weightages in Annexure I for NISM-Series-V-A. The percentages below are official and total 100%. Annexure II supplies the detailed test objectives within each unit.
| Unit | Official name | Weight | Approximate questions in a 100-question exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Investment Landscape | 8% | 8 |
| II | Concept & Role of a Mutual Fund | 6% | 6 |
| III | Legal Structure of Mutual Funds in India | 4% | 4 |
| IV | Legal and Regulatory Framework | 10% | 10 |
| V | Scheme Related Information | 10% | 10 |
| VI | Fund Distribution and Channel Management Practices | 6% | 6 |
| VII | Net Asset Value, Total Expense Ratio and Pricing of Units | 8% | 8 |
| VIII | Taxation | 4% | 4 |
| IX | Investor Services | 15% | 15 |
| X | Risk, Return and Performance of Funds | 7% | 7 |
| XI | Mutual Fund Scheme Performance | 7% | 7 |
| XII | Mutual Fund Scheme Selection | 15% | 15 |
| Total | 100% | 100 |
Because the exam has 100 one-mark questions, the published percentage for a unit also gives the expected mark allocation directly. Treat those counts as blueprint targets, not a guarantee about the order in which questions appear.
Avoid the Superseded Outline
Older material still circulates with units such as Offer Document, Accounting, Valuation & Taxation, Selecting the Right Investment Products for Investors, Helping Investors with Financial Planning, and Recommending Model Portfolios & Financial Plans. Those names and weights do not match the current Annexure I. Use the current 12 units above and check each learning objective against Annexure II.
Where to Concentrate
- Investor Services (15%) and Mutual Fund Scheme Selection (15%) together account for 30 marks.
- Legal and Regulatory Framework (10%) and Scheme Related Information (10%) add another 20 marks.
- Investment Landscape (8%) and NAV, TER and Pricing (8%) are the next-largest units.
- The 4% units still represent four marks each; omitting either Legal Structure or Taxation creates an avoidable gap.
A Defensible Study Sequence
- Build the foundation with Units I–III.
- Study Units IV–VI together so regulation, disclosures, and distribution duties reinforce one another.
- Work through Units VII–VIII with calculations and current tax rules.
- Give substantial time to Unit IX because it is 15% and operationally dense.
- Finish with Units X–XII in sequence: risk and return, performance measurement, then scheme selection.
- Use timed mixed practice only after every official objective has been covered.
When allocating a fixed study budget, multiply total hours by each official percentage, then adjust only for diagnosed weaknesses. Never replace a published blueprint with the number of headings in a workbook.
Which two units carry the largest official NISM-Series-V-A weightages?
Investor Services and Mutual Fund Scheme Selection
Taxation and Legal Structure
Investment Landscape and Fund Distribution
Risk, Return and Performance and Scheme Performance
A prep source uses units called Helping Investors with Financial Planning and Recommending Model Portfolios & Financial Plans. What should a current candidate do?
Use it as the primary blueprint because those are current unit names
Replace it with the current NISM Annexure I and II syllabus
Study only those two units because they carry the most marks
Ignore Annexure II because it contains no test objectives
How should a 50-hour study plan initially reflect the official 15% weight for Investor Services?
About 7.5 hours before adjusting for diagnosed strengths and weaknesses
Exactly 15 hours regardless of prior knowledge
No time because unit weights are unpublished
About 2 hours because it is one of twelve units
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.