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SEBI Grade A IT Officer PYQ 2026 | 100+ Memory-Based Phase 2 Mains Questions with Answers
Memory-Based PYQ · Mains (Phase 2)

SEBI Grade A IT Officer Previous Year Questions (PYQ)

100+ memory-based SEBI Grade A IT Officer Mains questions with verified answers — grouped topic-wise across Sorting, Searching, Hashing, Trees, Graphs, OOP (C++/Java/Python) and DBMS. The exact question style that decides your Phase 2 Paper 2 score.

100+ memory-based questions Verified answers Topic-wise grouped By an IIT Madras alumnus

Quick Answer

What the SEBI IT Officer Mains actually tests

The SEBI Grade A IT Officer Phase 2 Paper 2 is a technical Computer Science paper. Memory-based questions show it is dominated by Data Structures & Algorithms and Object-Oriented Programming, with steady weight on DBMS and complexity analysis. Below is what recent aspirants recalled.

Sorting & Complexity
Bubble, Insertion, Selection, Merge, Quick — worst/average cases, stability, recurrences
Searching & Hashing
Binary/interpolation search, KMP, Rabin–Karp, separate chaining, load factor
Trees & Graphs
AVL height, traversals, BST reconstruction, adjacency matrix, Euler's formula, MST
OOP: C++, Java, Python
Virtual/pure-virtual functions, inheritance, encapsulation, string methods, slicing
DBMS & Indexing
B-Tree indexing, JSON handling, dense-graph representation choices
Negative Marking
−1/4th per wrong answer in both phases — accuracy matters as much as speed

Exam Structure

SEBI Grade A IT Officer exam pattern

Phase 1 · Screening
Two papers · 100 marks each

Paper 1 (common): English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness. Paper 2 (IT): stream-specific MCQs. Qualifying only.

Phase 2 · Mains
Two papers · 100 marks each

Paper 1: Descriptive English. Paper 2 (IT): technical CS — logic flow, debugging, dry-run outputs, DSA, OOP, DBMS. This is where PYQ practice matters most.

Phase 3 · Interview
Final merit = Phase 2 : Interview

Weightage of 85:15 decides the final list. Negative marking of −¼ applies across both online phases.

Pattern based on the latest available SEBI Grade A notification cycle. Always confirm details against the official SEBI notification when it is released.

Memory-Based Question Bank

SEBI IT Officer Mains PYQs — solved & topic-wise

Reconstructed from candidates who appeared in the SEBI Grade A IT Officer Mains. Attempt each question first, then verify. Answers are marked in orange.

01 · Sorting Algorithms
Q. Insertion Sort works how?
✓ Inserts each element into its correct position in the sorted part.
Q. Selection Sort works how?
✓ Repeatedly selects the minimum from the unsorted part and swaps it in.
Q. Is Merge Sort stable?
✓ Yes.
Q. Why prefer Merge Sort over Quick Sort?
✓ Stability + guaranteed O(n log n) time.
Q. Worst-case time complexity of Quick Sort?
✓ O(n²).
Q. When does Quick Sort reach its worst case?
✓ When the pivot is always the smallest/largest element (unbalanced partitions).
Q. Average time complexity of Bubble Sort?
✓ O(n²).
Q. Time complexity of Merge Sort?
✓ O(n log n).
Q. Recurrence relation of Merge Sort?
✓ T(n) = 2T(n/2) + O(n).
Q. Bubble Sort comparisons (given case)?
✓ 14.
02 · Searching & Complexity Analysis
Q. Time complexity of Binary Search?
✓ O(log n).
Q. Best search for uniformly distributed data?
✓ Interpolation Search.
Q. Best search for a large sorted random-access array?
✓ Binary Search.
Q. Time complexity of nested loops (N × N/2)?
✓ O(N²).
Q. Strassen's matrix multiplication complexity?
✓ O(n^log₂7) ≈ O(n^2.81).
Q. Algorithm used in plagiarism detection?
✓ Rabin–Karp.
Q. Which algorithm uses the LPS array?
✓ KMP (Knuth–Morris–Pratt).
Q. Key property of Dynamic Programming?
✓ Optimal Substructure.
Q. Technique used to solve Sudoku / N-Queen?
✓ Backtracking.
Q. N-Queen valid-placement condition?
✓ No two queens share the same row, column, or diagonal.
03 · Hashing & Hash Tables
Q. Which hashing technique uses a linked list?
✓ Separate Chaining.
Q. Load factor formula in Separate Chaining?
✓ α = n / m (can be > 1).
Q. Hash table best-case search time?
✓ O(1).
Q. Why are range queries slow in a Hash Table?
✓ Order is not maintained → O(n) for range queries.
04 · Stacks, Queues & Linked Lists
Q. DFS uses which data structure?
✓ Stack.
Q. Stack operations?
✓ Push, Pop, Peek.
Q. In infix→postfix conversion, what happens on a lower-precedence operator?
✓ Pop higher-precedence operators until stack top has lower precedence or '(' is found.
Q. Queue operations?
✓ Enqueue, Dequeue, Front.
Q. Java class that implements a Queue?
✓ LinkedList.
Q. Time complexity to insert at the beginning of a linked list?
✓ O(1).
05 · Trees (BST, AVL, B-Tree)
Q. Max height of an AVL tree with 12 nodes?
✓ 4. (In general, AVL height is O(log n) ≈ 1.44·log₂(n+2).)
Q. What does 2^(k+1) − 1 represent?
✓ Maximum number of nodes in a binary tree of height k.
Q. Binary tree with N nodes → number of edges?
✓ N − 1.
Q. Strict/full binary tree with 8 leaves → total nodes?
✓ 15.
Q. Tree with balance factor −1, 0, or 1 at every node?
✓ AVL Tree.
Q. Data structure used for database indexing?
✓ B-Tree.
Q. Post-order traversal order?
✓ Left → Right → Root.
Q. Preorder BST 16, 11, 13, 12, 17, 20, 21 → Postorder?
✓ 12, 13, 11, 21, 20, 17, 16.
Q. For which structure is BFS traversal unique?
✓ Binary Tree.
06 · Graphs & Graph Theory
Q. Best representation for a dense graph?
✓ Adjacency Matrix.
Q. 5-regular graph with 6 vertices → edges?
✓ 15. (Edges = (5×6)/2.)
Q. Planar graph with E = 30, F = 20 → vertices?
✓ 12. (Euler's formula: V − E + F = 2.)
Q. Graph with indegree zero for all vertices?
✓ Edgeless (Null) graph.
Q. What is a regular graph?
✓ A graph where every vertex has the same degree.
Q. On what principle does Prim's MST work?
✓ Greedy — repeatedly adds the nearest vertex not yet in the MST.
07 · OOP — C++ & Java
Q. A virtual function in C++ is used for?
✓ Runtime polymorphism.
Q. Pure virtual function in C++?
✓ Declared with = 0; makes the class abstract and can be overridden in derived classes.
Q. Encapsulation means?
✓ Binding data and the methods operating on it together.
Q. Which is NOT part of OOP?
✓ Data composition (the four pillars are abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism).
Q. Principle of good software design?
✓ High cohesion, low coupling.
Q. Does Java support multiple inheritance?
✓ Only through interfaces.
Q. Java 8 interface keyword allowing concrete methods (backward compatibility)?
✓ default.
Q. What is a Java Anonymous Inner Class?
✓ An unnamed class for a one-time implementation of an interface or subclass.
Q. Hierarchical inheritance?
✓ One base class, multiple derived classes.
Q. Static method in base & derived, called via base reference — which runs?
✓ The parent class static method executes (static methods are not overridden).
08 · Strings & Language Functions (C / C++ / Java)
Q. C++ substring function?
✓ substr().
Q. C++ string length function?
✓ length() / size().
Q. C string length function?
✓ strlen().
Q. C function for first occurrence of a character in a string?
✓ strchr().
Q. Java method to find a substring's index?
✓ indexOf().
09 · Arrays, Python & JSON
Q. How is a 1D array stored in C memory?
✓ Contiguously.
Q. a[3][4]: third element of the first row?
✓ a[0][2].
Q. Java 2D array — column length of a row?
✓ array[row].length.
Q. Python slicing example syntax?
✓ abc[1:4].
Q. Python list slicing time complexity for a slice of size k?
✓ O(k).
Q. Which quotes are used for Python multiline strings?
✓ Triple quotes (''' or """).
Q. Python constructor method?
✓ __init__().
Q. Parent & child share a method name; child object calls it (Python) — result?
✓ The child class method is called.
Q. JSON converted to a string in Python?
✓ json.dumps().
Q. json.dumps() returns what type?
✓ str.

Disclaimer: These are memory-based questions reconstructed by aspirants for practice purposes. They are not official SEBI question papers. Answers are provided to the best of our knowledge; always cross-verify concepts.

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Where to Focus

Topic weightage from memory-based PYQs

DSA — Sorting, Searching, Trees, Graphs, Hashing~55%
OOP — C++, Java, Python~25%
Complexity & Algorithm Design (DP, Backtracking, String matching)~12%
DBMS / Indexing / JSON~8%

Indicative distribution based on memory-based recall — not an official weightage.

Your Mentor

Prepared by an IIT Madras alumnus who trains SEBI IT aspirants

PW
Piyush Wairale

M.Tech, IIT Madras · Founder & CEO, PiyushAI Edtech

Piyush is an M.Tech graduate from IIT Madras (2021) and a former instructor at the IIT Madras BS Degree Programme. Through his platform he has trained 20,000+ students for SEBI Grade A IT, SBI SO, IBPS SO, ISRO, BARC and other PSU IT exams, with structured DSA, OOP and DBMS coverage mapped directly to each exam's pattern.

M.Tech, IIT Madras Microsoft Learn Educator AWS Academy Educator NPTEL Educator 20,000+ students trained

FAQ

SEBI IT Officer PYQ — common questions

What is the exam pattern of the SEBI Grade A IT Officer exam?

Three stages: Phase 1 (screening, two papers of 100 marks), Phase 2 Mains (Descriptive English + IT specialised Paper 2), and an Interview. Negative marking of 1/4th applies in both phases; final merit uses a Phase 2 : Interview ratio of 85:15.

What topics dominate the SEBI IT Officer Mains?

Memory-based PYQs show Data Structures & Algorithms (sorting, searching, hashing, trees, graphs) and Object-Oriented Programming across C++, Java and Python are dominant, with DBMS, indexing and complexity analysis also appearing.

Are SEBI IT Officer previous year papers officially released?

No. SEBI does not officially release IT Officer question papers. The questions here are memory-based — reconstructed by candidates — for practice and to understand the topic distribution and difficulty.

Is there negative marking in the SEBI Grade A IT Officer exam?

Yes — one-fourth (1/4th) of the marks for each question is deducted for a wrong answer, in both Phase 1 and Phase 2.

How should I use these PYQs to prepare?

Attempt each question first, then verify the answer and revise the concept behind it. Pair this bank with Piyush Wairale's SEBI Grade A IT Officer Test Series & Notes (IT Stream) — full-length mock tests plus C++/Java/Python coding practice for structured coverage of DSA, OOP and DBMS.

Turn these PYQs into a rank.

Get the full SEBI Grade A IT Officer Test Series & Notes (IT Stream) — structured DSA, OOP and DBMS theory, C++/Java/Python coding practice, plus mock tests modelled on the real Phase 1 & Phase 2 pattern. Just ₹1,999.

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