NISM-IFSCA-02B: Security and Cyber Resilience in the GIFT IFSC (Advanced) Mock Test

NISM-IFSCA-02B Certification Course: Examination Objectives, Assessment Structure & Chapter Weightage

The NISM-IFSCA-02B: Certification Course on Cyber Security and Cyber Resilience in the GIFT IFSC (Advanced) serves as a mandatory professional benchmark for key functionaries in the GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). The examination is designed for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), Principal Officers, Designated Officers, Compliance Officers of Regulated Entities (REs), and other designated operational leaders.

Detailed Examination Objectives:

On successful completion of the NISM-IFSCA-02B (Advanced) certification examination, candidates are expected to demonstrate competencies across governance, architecture, operations, and regulatory compliance:

• Evolving Threat Landscape Mastery: Develop an in-depth understanding of advanced cyber security principles, cyber resilience strategies, and modern threat vectors.
• Governance & Architecture Analysis: Evaluate the strategic role of security governance frameworks, enterprise risk management lifecycles, and defence-in-depth security architecture.
• Domain-Specific Control Application: Apply robust cyber security practices across critical operational domains, including asset management, access control, Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM), application security, data protection, physical security, and vulnerability management.
• Security Hygiene & Culture: Evaluate the impact of security awareness programs, role-based training, and organizational cyber hygiene on mitigating human risk.
• Incident Response & Resilience: Assess detection, triage, containment, recovery, and business continuity mechanisms to maintain high operational resilience.
• IFSCA Regulatory Compliance: Interpret and implement cyber security regulations, circulars, audit frameworks, and reporting mandates applicable within GIFT IFSC.
• Emerging Technology Risk Assessment: Analyze emerging security risks linked to frontier technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, quantum computing, and complex supply chain vulnerabilities.
• Practical Scenario Analysis: Gain practical insight into real-world incident response and governance challenges through case studies and practical scenarios.

Comprehensive Assessment Structure:

The examination evaluates candidate proficiency through both factual recall and case-based analysis.

Question Breakdown and Marking Scheme

1. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

   • Number of Questions: 80 questions
   • Marks per Question: 1 mark
   • Sub-total: 80 Marks (80 x 1)

2. Case-Based Questions:

   • Number of Cases: 3 cases (containing a total of 12 questions across all cases)
   • Case Breakdown:
     • 2 cases x 4 questions each x 2 marks per question = 16 Marks
     • 1 case x 4 questions each x 1 mark per question = 4 Marks
   • Sub-total: 20 Marks (16 + 4)

Key Examination Parameters

• Total Marks: 100 Marks
• Examination Duration: 2 Hours (120 minutes)
• Passing Benchmark: 60 Percent (60 marks out of 100)
• Negative Marking: 25 Percent deduction of the marks assigned to a question for every incorrect answer.

Index Table: Syllabus Outline and Chapter Weightage:

The examination covers 14 core chapters, allocating higher weightage to incident response, emerging technology challenges, regulatory frameworks, and data protection.