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Q.The market where existing securities are traded is known as : (A) Both Primary and Secondary Market (B) Primary Market (C) Secondary Market (D) Money Market

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2026MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★est
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The market where existing securities are traded is the Secondary Market. The Primary Market is for new issues, while the Secondary Market handles subsequent trading among investors.

The question tests a fundamental distinction in financial markets: the difference between where securities are created and where they are traded afterwards. Many students confuse these two, so let’s build the concept from the ground up.

Think of a company issuing shares for the first time — say, through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). That first sale happens in the Primary Market. The company receives the money, and the securities enter the hands of initial investors. Once that’s done, those shares don’t just disappear. Investors who bought them may want to sell later, and new investors may want to buy. That subsequent trading — between investors, without the company being directly involved — takes place in the Secondary Market.

So the key idea is simple:

  • Primary Market = new securities are issued (first-time sale).
  • Secondary Market = existing securities are traded (resale).

Now let’s apply this to the options given.

  1. Option (B) Primary Market — This is where new securities are issued for the first time. The company or government raises fresh capital here. Existing securities are not traded here; they are created here. So this is incorrect.

  2. Option (C) Secondary Market — This is exactly the market for trading securities that already exist. Stock exchanges like the BSE, NSE, or NYSE are secondary markets. When you buy a share of Reliance from another investor, you’re in the secondary market. This matches the description perfectly.

  3. Option (A) Both Primary and Secondary Market — This would be true only if the question said “where securities are traded” without the word “existing.” But the word “existing” is crucial — it excludes the primary market, which only handles new issues. So this is wrong. …

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