The PFRDA Grade A Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2026 have been revised, with key changes in General Stream Paper 2 and the Phase 1 exam pattern. The updated syllabus includes topics such as the PFRDA Act, 2013, Union Budget, Economic Survey, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI and ML), Media, and Marketing and Communication. Phase 1 Paper 1 now has 90 questions instead of 80, while the exam duration remains 60 minutes. Candidates should understand the revised exam pattern and syllabus to plan their preparation effectively and focus on the important topics.
What is the PFRDA Grade A exam pattern?
PFRDA Grade A Exam 2026 has 3 stages: Phase 1, Phase 2, and Interview. Phase 1 has 2 papers covering English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, General Awareness, and stream-specific knowledge and is used for shortlisting.
Phase 2 includes Descriptive English and a 50-question Professional Knowledge paper. Final selection is based on Phase 2 (85%) and Interview (15%).
What has been changed in the PFRDA Grade A exam pattern 2026?
PFRDA Grade A Exam Pattern 2026 has been revised mainly in Phase 1 Paper 1 and the stream structure. Paper 1 now has 90 questions instead of 80, with Reasoning increased from 20 to 30 questions. However, the total marks and exam duration remain unchanged.
What is the PFRDA Grade A officer syllabus?
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus 2026 covers English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and General Awareness in Phase 1, along with stream-specific Professional Knowledge in Paper 2. Phase 2 includes Descriptive English and Professional Knowledge. Candidates who qualify both phases proceed to the Interview, the final stage of the PFRDA Grade A selection process.
| Phase | Paper | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Paper 1 | English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, General Awareness |
| Phase 1 | Paper 2 | Stream-specific Professional Knowledge |
| Phase 2 | Paper 1 | Descriptive English |
| Phase 2 | Paper 2 | Stream-specific Professional Knowledge |
| Phase 3 | Interview | Knowledge, skills and communication |
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 2 exam pattern?
In the PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 exam, a 1/4th mark is deducted for each wrong answer only in Paper 2. Paper 1, which tests Descriptive English, is evaluated only for candidates who qualify in Paper 2, ensuring that candidates with strong stream knowledge are assessed for their writing skills.
| Paper | Streams / Subject | Maximum Marks | No. of Questions | Duration |
| Paper 1 | All Streams: English (Descriptive Test) to test drafting skills, including Precis, Essay and Comprehension | 100 | 3 | 60 minutes |
| Paper 2 | General Stream: MCQs on PFRDA Act, Union Budget & Economic Survey, Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, Pension Sector, Artificial Intelligence/ML, Media, and Marketing & Communication | 100 | 50 | 40 minutes |
| Paper 2 | Specialized Streams: MCQs on subjects related to Research, Actuary and Official Language (Rajbhasha) | 100 | 50 | 40 minutes |
Has the PFRDA Grade A Paper 2 exam pattern changed in 2026?
No, the main change is in the syllabus, not the Paper 2 exam pattern. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 Paper 2 have 50 questions, 100 marks, and 40 minutes. The syllabus has expanded, so candidates need to prepare more topics without any increase in questions or exam time.
What are the major changes in the PFRDA Grade A Paper 2 syllabus of General Stream?
PFRDA Grade A General Stream Paper 2 syllabus has been expanded in 2026. Along with the existing seven subjects, 5 new topics have been added: PFRDA Act, Union Budget and Economic Survey, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Media, and Marketing & Communication.
Also Check: PFRDA Grade A Act 2013 and Amendments
What is the PFRDA Grade A Paper 2 syllabus for General Stream?
The General Stream Paper 2 syllabus is common to both Phase I and Phase II. It covers a wide range of subjects related to commerce, finance, economics, management, pension and other areas mentioned in the official syllabus.
| Section | Major Topics |
|---|---|
| A: PFRDA Act | PFRDA Act, 2013 and amendments |
| B: Union Budget & Economic Survey | – Budget concepts and approach – Broad trends in the Union Budget – Economic Survey |
| C: Commerce & Accountancy | – Accounting system and Accounting Standards – Depreciation and inventories – Revenue recognition and fixed assets – Foreign exchange transactions and investments – Cash flow and fund flow statements – Financial statement and ratio analysis – Share capital, bonus shares, rights shares and ESOP – Buy-back and company final accounts |
| D: Management | – Nature and scope of management – Management processes and planning – Organisation and staffing – Directing and controlling – Leadership and HRD – Motivation, morale and incentives – Communication Attempt PFRDA Grade A Management Quiz for Free |
| E: Finance | • Financial system and regulatory bodies • Financial markets and derivatives • Financial inclusion and alternate sources of finance • PPP and taxation • GST and Finance Commission • Fiscal policy, FRBM and inflation |
| F: Costing | • Cost and management accounting • Methods of costing and standard costing • Marginal costing and budgeting • JIT, Kaizen, 5S and TPM • Six Sigma and BPR |
| G: Companies Act | Companies Act, 2013: Chapters III, IV, VIII, X, XI, XII and XXVII Attempt PFRDA Grade A Companies Act Practice Quiz |
| H: Economics | – Demand and supply – Market structures and national income – Classical and Keynesian approaches – Consumption, investment, multiplier and accelerator – Money and IS-LM model – Inflation, Phillips Curve and business cycles – Balance of Payments and forex – Monetary and fiscal policy – NBFCs |
| I: Pension Sector | – Pension sector in India, retirement schemes, NPS, Atal Pension sector in India – Retirement schemes – National Pension System (NPS) – Atal Pension Yojana – Annuity plans – Basics of investment Also Attempt PFRDA Grade A Pension Sector Practice Quiz |
| J: Artificial Intelligence/ML | – Machine Learning and its types – Supervised and unsupervised learning – Data preprocessing and model evaluation – NLP and sentiment analysis – Overfitting and underfitting – LLMs and Agentic AI – Responsible AI and cross-validation – Reinforcement learning Attempt PFRDA Grade A AI and ML Quiz |
| K: Media | • Micro-targeting and consumer behaviour • Media convergence and VR/AR • Digital divide and audience reception • Cultural representation • Digital entertainment platforms • Social media algorithms and market trends • Global practices and negotiation skills |
| L: Marketing & Communication | – Marketing management and research – Marketing planning and strategies – Types of marketing and product management – Pricing, distribution and promotion mix – Sales and brand management – Digital marketing and financial literacy – Active listening and body language – Verbal clarity and written etiquette – Conflict resolution and feedback – Public speaking and emotional intelligence – Verbal tone and pitch Attempt PFRDA Grade A Marketing and Communication Quiz |
What is the PFRDA Grade A Paper 2 syllabus for the Research Stream?
The Research Stream syllabus focuses on Probability, Statistics, Statistical Inference, Economics and related quantitative areas. The syllabus is common to both Phase 1 and Phase 2.
- Probability Theory
- Descriptive Statistics
- Probability Distributions
- Statistical Inference
- Sampling Techniques
- Testing of Hypothesis
- Economic Statistics
- Time Series Analysis
- Operations Research
- Statistical Quality Control
- Statistical Computing
Candidates should build strong conceptual understanding and practise numerical problems regularly because the stream requires both theoretical and quantitative knowledge.
What is the PFRDA Grade A Paper 2 syllabus for the Official Language stream?
The PFRDA Grade A Official Language (Rajbhasha) syllabus covers questions related to the Government of India’s Official Language Policy, translation, legal terminology, and important pension, administrative, banking, capital market, economics, and social security terminology.
- अंग्रेजी से हिन्दी – पेंशन / प्रशासनिक / बैंकिंग / पूंजी बाजार / अर्थशास्त्र / सामाजिक सुरक्षा शब्दावली (Pension / Administrative / Banking / Capital Market / Economics / Social Security Terminology)
- भारत सरकार की राजभाषा नीति (Official Language Policy of the Govt. of India) से संबंधित प्रश्न
- हिन्दी से अंग्रेजी अनुवाद [शब्द / वाक्यांश / वाक्य / Terms / Phrases / Sentences]
- अंग्रेजी से हिन्दी अनुवाद [शब्द / वाक्यांश / वाक्य / Terms / Phrases / Sentences]
- हिन्दी से अंग्रेजी – विधिक शब्दावली (Legal Terminology)
- अंग्रेजी से हिन्दी – विधिक शब्दावली (Legal Terminology)
- हिन्दी से अंग्रेजी – पेंशन / प्रशासनिक / बैंकिंग / पूंजी बाजार / अर्थशास्त्र / सामाजिक सुरक्षा शब्दावली (Pension / Administrative / Banking / Capital Market / Economics / Social Security Terminology)
What is the PFRDA Grade A Paper 2 syllabus for the Actuarial Stream?
The Actuarial Stream syllabus is divided into two broad parts Insurance and Management.
| Part | Syllabus |
| Part 1: Insurance | • History of Indian Insurance • Principles of Insurance • Risk and Uncertainty • Pooling and Diversification of Risk • Indemnity • Insurable Interest • Legal Foundations of Insurance • Group Insurance • Health Insurance • Pensions • Role of Intermediation in Mobilising Savings • Evolution of Insurance Types • Bancassurance in India • Product Design • Pricing • Distribution • Underwriting • Claims • Investment • Reinsurance • Superannuation Funds • Life Insurance • Annuities • Health Insurance • Liability Risks and Insurance • Valuation and Solvency Requirements • Specialist Insurance Lines • Reinsurance and GIC of India • Compulsory/Reinsurance Sessions and Retention of Risk within India |
| Part 2: Management | • Nature and Scope of Management • Planning • Organisation • Staffing • Directing • Controlling • Role of a Manager • Leadership • Leadership Styles • Leadership Theories • Human Resource Development • Career Planning • Training and Development • Performance Appraisal • Potential Appraisal • Feedback and Performance Counselling • Rewards • Employee Welfare • Motivation • Morale • Incentives • Communication • Communication Channels • Verbal and Non-verbal Communication • Upward, Downward and Lateral Communication • Barriers to Communication • Role of Information Technology • Corporate Governance |
What is the PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 exam pattern?
Phase I is an online Screening Examination consisting of two papers. Paper 1 is common to all streams, while Paper 2 tests the stream-specific syllabus. Both papers carry 100 marks.
What is the PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 Paper 1 pattern?
PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 Paper 1 is common to all streams and covers English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and General Awareness. It has 90 questions to be attempted in 60 minutes, including 30 Reasoning questions, with a 0.25-mark penalty for each wrong answer. Candidates must clear both sectional and overall cutoffs set by PFRDA.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 20 | 25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 25 |
| Test of Reasoning | 30 | 25 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 25 |
| Total | 90 | 100 |
What has changed in PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 Paper 1 in 2026?
The most noticeable change in Phase 1 Paper 1 is the increase in the number of questions. Candidates will now have to attempt 90 questions in 60 minutes, compared with 80 questions in the previous pattern.
| Particular | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 20 questions | 20 questions |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 questions | 20 questions |
| Reasoning | 20 questions | 30 questions |
| General Awareness | 20 questions | 20 questions |
| Total | 80 questions | 90 questions |
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 PFRDA Act, Union Budget & Economic Survey, Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, Pension Sector, Artificial Intelligence/ML, Media, and Marketing & Communication | 100 | 50 |
| Specialized Streams: MCQs on subjects related to Research, Actuary, and Official Language (Rajbhasha) | 100 | 50 |
| Duration | 40 minutes | – |
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
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 3 exam pattern?
Phase 3 of the PFRDA Grade A Exam is the Interview, where candidates shortlisted from Phase 2 are assessed on their communication skills, subject knowledge, analytical ability, and suitability for the role. The interview can be conducted in either Hindi or English, as chosen by the candidate.
- Weightage: Phase 2 carries 85% weightage, while the Interview carries 15% weightage in the final selection.
- Focus Areas: Domain knowledge, pension and financial sector awareness, analytical thinking, and clarity of expression.
- Objective: To assess the candidate’s personality, problem-solving approach, and readiness for the professional role.
The Interview is the final stage of the PFRDA Grade A selection process and contributes 15% to the final score.
What is the PFRDA Grade A selection process 2026?
The PFRDA Grade A 2026 selection process consists of 3 stages Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 Interview. Phase 1 is a screening examination and is used only to shortlist candidates for Phase 2. Phase 2 is the main online examination, while the final stage is the Interview. The final selection is based on the marks obtained in Phase 2 and the Interview.
| Stage | Examination | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Online Screening Examination | Shortlisting for Phase II |
| Phase 2 | Online Examination | Shortlisting for Interview |
| Phase 3 | Interview | Final selection |
When will the PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 and Phase 2 exams be conducted?
The PFRDA Grade A 2026 exam dates have been released along the PFRDA Grade A Notification PDF. Phase 1 will be conducted on 15 October 2026, while Phase 2 will be held on 20 November 2026. Candidates shortlisted for Phase 2 will receive a separate call letter.
| Examination | Date | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 15th October 2026 (Thursday) | Online |
| Phase 2 | 20th November 2026 (Friday) | Online |
| Interview | To be announced | Hindi/English |
Also Check:
| Particulars | Link |
| PFRDA Grade A Practice Quiz | Download PDF |
| PFRDA Grade A Previous Year Papers | Download Now |
| PFRDA Grade A Prep Kit | Download Now |
FAQs
Paper 1 has 90 questions for 100 marks to be completed in 60 minutes.
Paper 1 covers English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and General Awareness.
The General Stream syllabus now includes PFRDA Act, Union Budget and Economic Survey, AI/ML, Media, and Marketing & Communication along with the earlier core subjects.
Yes, one-fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for an incorrect answer in objective papers.
The four streams are General, Research, Actuary, and Official Language (Rajbhasha).
- PFRDA Grade A Cut Off 2026, Previous Year Cut Off Score
- PFRDA Grade A Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2026, Check Revised Details
- PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 Admit Card 2026, Download Hall Ticket PDF
- PFRDA Grade A Result 2026, Download Grade A Scorecard PDF
- PFRDA Grade A Study Material, Preparation Resources for Phase 1 & 2
- Attempt PFRDA Act 2013 Quiz for Grade A Exam & Download PDF
Hi, I’m Aditi. I work as a Content Writer at Oliveboard, where I have been simplifying exam-related content for the past 4 years. I create clear and easy-to-understand guides for JAIIB, CAIIB, and UGC exams. My work includes breaking down notifications, admit cards, and exam updates, as well as preparing study plans and subject-wise strategies.
My goal is to support working professionals in managing their exam preparation alongside a full-time job and to help them achieve career growth.