Key Takeaways
- The PFRDA Grade A exam consists of three phases: an online screening exam, a descriptive exam, and an interview.
- Phase I includes multiple-choice questions on English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness.
- Phase II assesses specialized knowledge in candidates’ chosen streams with weightage of 85% toward final selection.
- Candidates should familiarize themselves with the PFRDA Grade A syllabus, covering both basic skills and advanced knowledge relevant to the sector.
- The interview evaluates communication skills and domain knowledge, contributing 15% to the final score.
The PFRDA Grade A exam is a three-stage selection process, and the notification for the same is expected to be released soon. Once the notification is released, the Phase 1 exam is likely to be held within 60 days, giving candidates very little time to prepare. Aspirants interested in appearing for the exam should start their preparation early to cover the entire syllabus. In this blog, we have provided the PFRDA Grade A exam pattern along with a detailed, section-wise syllabus.
What is the PFRDA Grade A exam pattern?
The PFRDA Grade A exam follows a structured pattern to evaluate candidates thoroughly. The exam consists of three phases: Phase I, Phase II and Phase III. Phase I is an online examination comprising multiple-choice questions covering topics such as English Language, Reasoning, General Awareness, etc. Phase II includes an online examination that focuses on Professional Knowledge and carries significant weightage in the final selection. The Phase III is the Interview.
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 1 paper 1 exam pattern?
The PFRDA Grade A exam, Paper 1 exam is common for all streams and tests basic skills like English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and General Awareness. It checks your basic knowledge needed for roles in the pension and financial sector. The paper has equal weight for all sections and must be completed within 60 minutes, so good time management is important.
| Streams / Subject | Maximum Marks | No. of Questions |
| English Language | 25 | 20 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 20 |
| Test of Reasoning | 25 | 20 |
| General Awareness (including some questions related to Financial Sector) | 25 | 20 |
| Total | 100 | 80 |
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 1 paper 2 exam pattern?
Paper 2 is stream-specific and focuses on professional knowledge in your chosen stream. This paper evaluates your understanding of specialized subjects related to your career domain.
| Streams / Subject | Maximum Marks | No. of Questions |
| General Stream: MCQs on subjects Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, and Pension Sector | 100 | 50 |
| Specialized Streams: MCQs on subjects related to Information Technology, Finance & Accounts, Research (Economics), Legal, and Official Language (Rajbhasha) | 100 | 50 |
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 2 exam pattern?
In the PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 exam, negative marking of 1/4th marks applies only to Paper 2 for wrong answers. Paper 1 (descriptive English) is evaluated only for candidates who qualify in Paper 2. This ensures that only those with good stream knowledge are assessed for their writing skills.
| Papers | Streams/ Subject | Maximum Marks | No. of Questions | Duration |
| Paper 1 | All Streams: English (Descriptive Test) to test the drafting skills {Precis/Essay/Comprehension} | 100 | 3 | 60 minutes |
| Paper 2 | General Stream: MCQs on subjects Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics and Pension Sector. | 100 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Paper 2 | MCQs on Specialised subjects related to stream: Information Technology, Finance and Accounts Research (Economics), Legal and Official Language (Rajbhasha) | 100 | 50 | 40 minutes |
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 3 exam pattern?
The phase 3 of the PFRDA Grade A exam is the Interview round. Candidates who will clear the Phase 2 will be shortlisted for this stage, where their communication skills, subject knowledge, and overall suitability for the role are assessed. The interview can be conducted in Hindi or English, depending on the candidate’s preference.
- Weightage: Phase II marks contribute 85% to the final selection, while the interview carries 15% weightage.
- Focus Areas: Domain knowledge, understanding of the pension and financial sector, analytical thinking, and clarity of expression.
- Objective: To evaluate the candidate’s personality, problem-solving approach, and readiness for the professional role.
The interview is the final stage of the selection process and plays an important role in determining the candidate’s overall score for final selection.
What is the selection process for PFRDA Grade A officers?
The PFRDA Grade A selection process has three stages. Phase 1 is an online objective test used for shortlisting candidates. Phase 2 is a descriptive and stream-specific online exam, followed by Phase 3, which is the interview.
The final selection is based on marks from Phase II and the interview. Phase II carries 85% weight, while the interview has 15% weight. Marks from Phase I are not included in the final result.
| Phase | Purpose | Key Points |
| Phase I | Screening Exam | Objective-type MCQs; used only for shortlisting; negative marking 0.25 per wrong answer |
| Phase II | Main Exam | Combination of descriptive and MCQs; shortlisting for Phase III; carries 85% weightage for final selection |
| Phase III | Interview | Assesses personality, communication, and suitability; carries 15% weightage |
Free practice quiz for PFRDA Grade A exam exam
PFRDA Grade A preparation becomes easier with regular quizzes and downloadable PDFs. These resources help in revising pension regulation, MSME finance, and important banking concepts in a structured manner.
| Exam | Practice Quiz Link |
| PFRDA Grade A Practice Quiz | Download Now |
What is the PFRDA Grade A officer syllabus ?
The PFRDA Grade A syllabus has been curated to test both the basic skills and professional knowledge. Phase 1 focuses on common subjects like English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness, which are essential for any aspirant. Phase 2 evaluates your understanding of specialized subjects based on your chosen stream. Finally, Phase 3 is the interview round, assessing candidates domain knowledge, analytical skills, and communication.
| Phase | Paper | Subjects / Topics | Stream |
| Phase I | Paper 1 | English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, General Awareness (including Finance) | All Streams |
| Phase I | Paper 2 | Professional Knowledge | General Stream & Specialized Streams (IT, Finance & Accounts, Research, Legal, Official Language) |
| Phase II | Paper 1 | Descriptive English: Precis, Essay, Comprehension | All Streams (evaluated only if Paper 2 is qualified) |
| Phase II | Paper 2 | Professional Knowledge MCQs | General Stream & Specialized Streams (IT, Finance & Accounts, Research, Legal, Official Language) |
| Phase III | Interview | Domain knowledge, analytical skills, communication | All Streams |
What are the topics covered under PFRDA Grade A syllabus?
For the professional knowledge, the stream wise syllabus is common for both phases. Similarly, the syllabus for Paper 1 of Phase 1 is common for all streams. Check out the detailed syllabus below:
What is the PFRDA Grade A syllabus for the English section?
Check out the PFRDA Grade A English Syllabus below:
- Reading comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Cloze test
- Fillers
- Sentence rearrangement
- Error detection
- Phrase replacement
- Sentence improvement
What is the PFRDA Grade A syllabus for the Reasoning section?
Check out the PFRDA Grade A Reasoning Syllabus below:
- Blood Relation
- Puzzles
- Seating Arrangement
- Direction & distance
- Input output
- Coding decoding
- Syllogism
- Alphanumeric series
- Inequality
What is the syllabus for the Quantitative Aptitude section?
Check out the PFRDA Grade A Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus below:
- Data Interpretation (Bar Graph, Line Chart, Tabular, Caselet, Radar/Web, Pie Chart)
- Inequalities (Quadratic Equations)
- Number Series
- Approximation and Simplification
- Data Sufficiency
- Miscellaneous – Arithmetic Problems (HCF and LCM, Profit and Loss, SI & CI, Problem on Ages, Work and Time, Speed Distance and Time, Probability, Mensuration, Permutation and Combination, Average, Ratio and Proportion, Partnership, Problems on Boats and Stream, Problems on Trains, Mixture and Allegation, Pipes and Cisterns.
What is the PFRDA Grade A syllabus for General Awareness section?
Check out the PFRDA Grade A General Awareness Syllabus below:
- Current affairs
- Questions related to Finance Sector
- Awards & honours
- Summits & conferences
- Index
- Economic affairs
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Paper 2 – General Stream (Common for both phases)
The details of the PFRDA Grade A paper 2 syllabus for the general stream are as follows:
| Section | Topics Covered |
| A. Commerce & Accountancy | • Accounting as a financial system • Accounting Standards (Depreciation, Inventories, Revenue, Fixed Assets, Forex, Investments) • Cash Flow & Fund Flow Statements • Financial Statement & Ratio Analysis • Share Capital Transactions (Bonus, Rights) • ESOP & Buy-back • Final Accounts of Companies |
| B. Management | • Nature and scope of management • Functions: Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Controlling • Role of Manager • Leadership styles and theories • HRD concepts and goals • Motivation, morale, incentives • Communication types, channels, barriers, IT role |
| C. Finance | • Financial system and regulatory bodies • Financial markets: Forex, Money, Bond, Equity • Basics of derivatives (Forward, Futures, Swap) • Financial inclusion and technology • PPP and alternate finance • Taxes, GST, FRBM • Inflation (WPI, CPI) |
| D. Costing | • Basics of cost and management accounting • Methods: Unit, Job, Batch, Contract, Process costing • Cost control: Standard costing, Marginal costing, Budgeting • Lean systems: JIT, Kaizen, 5S, TPM, Six Sigma • Process innovation & BPR |
| E. Companies Act | • Companies Act, 2013 • Chapters III, IV, VIII, X, XI, XII, XXVII |
| F. Economics | • Demand & Supply, Market structures • National income concepts • Keynesian & Classical theories • IS-LM, Inflation, Phillips Curve • Business cycles • BoP, Forex market • Monetary & Fiscal policy |
| G. Pension Sector | • Pension sector in India • Retirement schemes • National Pension System • Atal Pension Yojana • Annuity plans • Basics of investment |
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Paper 2 – Information Technology (Common for both Phases)
Check out the syllabus below:
| Topic | Details |
| Database Concepts | ER‐model. Relational model: relational algebra, tuple calculus, Integrity constraints, normal forms. File organization, indexing (e.g., B and B+ trees), Transactions and concurrency control. |
| SQL Queries | Select, view, truncate, delete, update, alter, Inner join, different types of outer joins, use of aggregate functions, Union, intersection, except, in and exist clauses, nested queries |
| Programming Concepts (Java /C C++) | Program control (iteration, recursion, Functions), Scope of variables, Binding of variables & functions, Parameter passing, Functional and Logic Programming, OOPS Concepts, Inheritance, Class and object, Constructors, Functions, Exception Handling |
| Data Analytics Languages (Python / R) | Regex, Slicing, Data reshaping, Dataframes, Dictionaries and Sets, File Management, Classes and Functions, Data Mining, Lists, Importing and exporting data, charts and graphs |
| Algorithms for problem solving | Tree and graph traversals, connected components,Spanning trees, Shortest paths; hashing, Sorting, Searching; Design techniques (Greedy, DynamicProgramming, Divide- and-conquer) |
| NetworkingConcepts | ISO/OSI stack, LAN Technologies (Ethernet, Tokenring), TCP/UDP, IP, Basic concepts of switches, gateways, and routers, Application layer protocols (DNS, SMTP, POP, FTP, HTTP), Firewalls |
| Information & Cyber SecurityConcepts | Cyber Attacks, Software Development Security, Network security, Authentication, CIA – Confidentiality,Integrity and Availability, Network Audit, Systems Audit |
| Data warehousing | Data Extraction, Data Cleaning, Data Transformation,Data Loading, Metadata, Data Cube, Data Mart, Data Models, |
| Shell Programming | Shell Scripting Basics, Shell Variables, Shell Script Arguments, If Statement, Loop, Return, Basic UNIX commands |
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Paper 2 – Research (Economics) (Common for both phases)
The details of the Paper 2 syllabus for Research (Economics), which is common for both phases, are as follows:
- Economics: Demand and Supply, Market Structures, National Income, Determination of output and employment, Investment Function, Multiplier and Accelerator, Demand and Supply for Money, IS – LM, Inflation and Phillips Curve, Business Cycles, Inflation, Monetary and Fiscal Policy, Banking Functions, Public Goods, Tax & Non-Tax Revenue, Direct & Indirect Taxes, Fiscal Balance, Public Debt, Public Budget and Foreign Trade and Balance of Payments.
- Statistics and Econometrics: Measures of Central tendency & dispersions, Correlation, Sampling methods, Sampling Distribution, Statistical Inferences, Hypothesis testing, Regression Analysis, Panel Data Analysis, Time Series Properties and Analysis.
- Financial Institutions and Markets: Asymmetric Information, Market Model, Market Efficiency, Money, Credit and Capital Markets, Primary Market, Secondary Market, Commodity Markets, Mutual Funds, Stock Exchanges, Credit Rating Agencies, Pension And Insurance Markets, Foreign Exchange Markets, Role of International Financial Institutions, IS, IMF & World Bank.
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Paper 2 – Legal Stream (Common for both phases)
The details of the Paper 2 syllabus for legal, which is common for both phases, are as follows:
- PFRDA Act, 2013,
- IRDAI Act, 1999,
- SEBI Act, 1992
- Constitution of India –Preamble, Part I, Part III, Part IV, Part IVA, Part V, Part VI, Part VIII, Part IXA, Part IXB, Part XI, Part XII, Part XIII, Part XIV, Part XIVA, Part XX,
- Law of Contracts –Indian Contract Act, 1872 (Chapters I to VI and VIII to X), Indian Partnership Act, 1932, Specific Relief Act, 1963,
- Criminal Law –Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Chapters I, II, III, IV, V, VA, VI, IX, XVII, XXI, XXII,
XXIII); Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, - Law of Evidence –Indian Evidence Act, 1872,
- Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 –Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VII, Schedule-I,
- Administrative Law and Principles of Natural Justice,
- Jurisprudence and Interpretation of Statutes,
- Important Latin terms and maxims,
- Law of Torts and Consumer Protection Act, 2019,
- Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 –Part I, Part III, Part IV,
- Transfer of Property Act, 1882 –Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter V,
- Law of Trusts –Parties to a Trust Deed and Duties of Trustees,
- Corporate Law –Companies Act, 2013 (Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter V, Chapter VII, Chapter VIII, Chapter IX, Chapter X, Chapter XI, Chapter XII, Chapter XIII, Chapter XV, Chapter XVI, Chapter XXVII, Chapter XXVIII, Chapter XXIX); Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008; Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Part I, Part II),
- Taxation –General principles
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Paper 2 – Finance and Accounts (Common for both Phases)
The details of the Paper 2 syllabus for finance and accounts, which is common for both phases, are as follows:
- The Basic Financial Statement
Trial Balance
o Balance Sheet
o Cash flow statement
o Income Statement - Analysis of Financial Statement Ratio
- Break Even Analysis
- IND AS
- Standard on Auditing
- Cost accounting concepts (basics)
o Marginal costing
o Cost volume profit analysis
o Cost sheet
o Forecasting - Management accounting
o Cost of capital
o Capital structure
o Capital budgeting
o Sources of finance - Corporate accounting
- Business law
o Negotiable instruments
o Contract act
o Partnership act
o Company law (Go through all these laws with amendments) - Income Tax Act
- GST
- Knowledge of IT and Digital Transaction
- Compliance of KYC Norms
- Financial System : Role and Functions of Regulatory bodies in Financial Sector.
- Financial Markets: Primary and Secondary Markets (Forex, Money, Bond, Equity, etc.), functions, instruments, recent developments.
- General Topics
a) Basics of Derivatives: Forward, Futures and Swap
b) Recent Developments in the Financial Sector
c) Financial Inclusion- use of technology
d) Alternate source of finance, private and social cost-benefit, Public-Private Partnership
e) Direct and Indirect taxes; Non-tax sources of Revenue, Finance Commission, Fiscal Policy, Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM),
f) Inflation: Definition, trends, estimates, consequences, and remedies (control): WPI, CPI – components and trends.
g) Economics: Capital market, Money market, Micro and macro economics concepts and Updates related to money market and RBI policies
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Paper 2 – Official Language (Rajbhasha) (Common for both Phases)
The details of the Paper 2 syllabus for official language Rajbhasha, which is common for both phases, are as follows:
- भारत सरकार की राजभाषा नीतत (Official Language Policy of the Govt. of India) सेसंबंधित प्रश्न
- हिन्दी सेअंग्रेजी अनुवाद [शब्द / वाक्ांश / वाक् / Terms / Phrases / Sentences]
- अंग्रेजी सेहिन्दी अनुवाद [शब्द / वाक्ांश / वाक् / Terms / Phrases / Sentences]
- हिन्दी सेअंग्रेजी – ववधिक शब्दावली (Legal Terminology)
- अंग्रेजी सेहिन्दी – ववधिक शब्दावली (Legal Terminology)
- हिन्दी सेअंग्रेजी – पेंशन / प्रशासतनक / बकैंकंग / प ंजी बाजार / अर्थशास्त्र / सामाजजक सुरक्षा शब्दावली (Pension / Administrative / Banking / Capital Market / Economics / Social Security Terminology)
- अंग्रेजी सेहिन्दी – पेंशन / प्रशासतनक / बकैंकंग / प ंजी बाजार / अर्थशास्त्र / सामाजजक सुरक्षा शब्दावली (Pension / Administrative / Banking / Capital Market / Economics / Social Security Terminology)
FAQs
The exam comprises three phases out of which Phase I and Phase II are online exams. Phase I consists of multiple-choice questions, while Phase II includes an objective test and a descriptive paper.
Yes, the Phase I & Phase II exams are divided into two papers each.
Phase I covers subjects like General Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning, along with Professional Knowledge related to the field/ stream.
The Professional Knowledge section assesses candidates on their domain-specific knowledge.
Yes, after clearing Phase II, candidates are shortlisted for an interview round as part of the final selection process.
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