The NABARD Grade A exam date 2025 has been released in the official notification PDF. The phase 1 exam has been scheduled to be held on 20th December 2025, and the phase 2 (Mains) exam is scheduled for 25th January 2026. In this blog, we have provided all the details about the NABARD Grade A 2025 exam dates for Phase 1, Phase 2, and more.
What is the NABARD Grade A exam date 2025?
The NABARD Grade A exam follows a three-stage selection process, with the phase 1 exam scheduled to be held on 20th December 2025. Those who clear the Phase 1 cut-off can appear for phase 2 (Mains), which will be held on 25th January 2026. Candidates who qualify the Mains cut-off will be called for the final stage, which includes the Psychometric Test and Interview.
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When is the NABARD Grade A phase 1 exam scheduled?
The NABARD Grade A phase 1 exam 2025 is scheduled to be held on 20th December 2025 (Saturday).
When is the NABARD Grade A phase 2 exam scheduled?
The phase 2 exam is scheduled to be held on 25th January 2026 (Sunday). Only the candidates who are shortlisted based on the Phase 1 result will be eligible to appear for the Phase 2 (Mains) exam.
NABARD Exam Date Overview
According to the official notification, the NABARD Grade A 2025 exam will be held in multiple phases. The phase I (Preliminary) exam for all disciplines, including RDBS, Legal, and Protocol & Security, is scheduled on 20th December 2025. The phase II (Mains) exam for RDBS and Legal disciplines will take place on 25th January 2026. Dates for Phase III (Psychometric Test) will be announced later on the official NABARD website.
| Event | Dates |
|---|
| Online Application & Fee Payment | 8th November 2025 – 30th November 2025 |
| Phase I (Preliminary Exam) – RDBS / Legal / Protocol & Security | 20th December 2025 |
| Phase II (Mains Exam) – RDBS / Legal | 25th January 2026 |
| Phase III (Psychometric Test) | To be Notified |
| Interview | To be notified after the Psychometric Test |
| Note: NABARD reserves the right to change or modify the examination dates if necessary. |
What is the selection process for NABARD Grade A?
The NABARD Grade A selection process differs slightly depending on the post. For RDBS and Legal posts, the recruitment involves four stages: preliminary exam, mains exam, psychometric test, and interview. However, for the Protocol & Security Service (P&SS) post, candidates are selected through an online examination followed by a psychometric test and interview.
What is the NABARD Grade A (RDBS/Legal) selection process?
The NABARD Grade A (RDBS/Legal) selection process consists of multiple stages designed to assess a candidate's knowledge, skills, and overall suitability for the role. It begins with phase I, an objective-type exam covering reasoning, English, quant, decision-making, computer knowledge, general awareness, ESI, and ARD.
Candidates shortlisted from phase I appear for phase II, which includes both descriptive and objective papers based on the Generalist, Specialist, or Legal stream. After this, candidates must take a psychometric Test that evaluates behavioural and cognitive abilities. The final stage is the Interview, where shortlisted candidates are assessed for their communication, subject understanding, and fitness for the job. The details of the selection process are as follows:
| Phase | Details | Type / Mode | Marks / Duration | Important Points |
|---|
| Phase I | 8 Sections: Reasoning, English, Computer Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude, Decision Making, General Awareness, Economic & Social Issues (focus on Rural India), and Agriculture & Rural Development (focus on Rural India). | Objective | 200 Marks / 120 Minutes | - Qualifying Sections: Reasoning, English, Computer, Quant, Decision Making.
- Merit Sections: General Awareness, ESI, ARD.
- Shortlisting for Mains based on marks scored in Merit Sections. |
| Phase II | Conducted separately for Generalist, Specialist, and Legal streams. | Descriptive + Objective | Total 200 Marks | Paper I – General English: Descriptive (3 Qs – 100 Marks – 90 mins)
Paper II –
• Generalist: ESI & ARD
• Specialist: Stream-Specific
• Legal: Stream-Specific
Includes Objective (30 Qs – 50 Marks – 30 mins) + Descriptive (4 Qs – 50 Marks – 90 mins). |
Phase III (Psychometric Test) | Mandatory test assessing behavioral and cognitive abilities. | MCQ Based | 90 Minutes | Must be attempted to qualify for the Interview stage. |
Phase IV (Interview) | Final interaction round assessing overall suitability for the role. | Face-to-Face / Online | 50 Marks | Conducted in English or Hindi (as opted by the candidate). |
What is the NABARD Grade A (Protocol & Security Service) selection process?
The NABARD Grade A P&SS Cadre selection process is conducted in three stages to evaluate a candidate's knowledge, behavior, and overall suitability for the role. The process starts with an online examination, where candidates are tested on reasoning, English, General Awareness (with a focus on the banking sector), and professional knowledge.
Those who qualify move to the psychometric test, which helps assess behavioural and cognitive traits essential for the post. The final stage is the Interview, where candidates are evaluated on their personality, professional experience, and fitness for the position. The details of the selection process are as follows:
| Phase | Stage | Details | Type / Mode | Marks / Duration |
|---|
| Phase I | Online Examination | Consists of four sections:
1. Test of Reasoning – 50 Qs (50 Marks)
2. English Language – 50 Qs (25 Marks)
3. General Awareness (with special reference to Banking Industry) – 50 Qs (50 Marks)
4. Professional Knowledge – 50 Qs (75 Marks) | Objective | Total 200 Marks / 120 Minutes |
| Phase II | Psychometric Test | Assessment of behavioral and cognitive traits. | MCQ Based | 90 Minutes |
| Phase III | Interview | Conducted to evaluate personality, experience, and suitability for the role. | Face-to-Face / Online | 50 Marks |
Note:
NABARD reserves the right to increase the minimum experience criteria for shortlisting P&SS candidates for the Interview.
No descriptive paper is conducted for the P&SS post.
Additional information for all posts
Some important details for candidates preparing to appear for the NABARD Grade A exam are as follows:
- Negative Marking: ¼ mark will be deducted for each wrong answer in Objective Papers of both phase I and II.
- Language Options: All exams and interviews can be attempted in English or Hindi (except the English Language section).
- Shortlisting Ratios: For mains, candidates are shortlisted up to a 1:25 ratio based on preliminary Exam results, and for the Interview, up to a 1:3 ratio based on Mains results.
- Final Merit List: Prepared based on combined marks of mains (phase II) and Interview (phase IV) for RDBS/Legal, and Online Exam + Interview for P&SS.
What is the tie-breaking rule for the NABARD Grade A exam?
In case of a tie, candidates with higher marks in the mains examination are given preference. If the tie still persists, the candidate with a higher educational qualification or higher graduation marks is ranked higher. If a tie continues even after these criteria, the older candidate is placed higher in merit.
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NABARD Grade A Admit Card
The NABARD Grade A Phase 1 exam is scheduled to be held on 20th December 2025, and the hall ticket is expected to be released in early December 2025. Candidates are advised to keep an eye on this article for the latest updates on the NABARD Grade A admit card release.
NABARD Grade A Exam Centre List
The NABARD Grade A 2025 notification provides the complete list of exam centres for both Phase 1 and Phase 2. Candidates must carefully choose one centre for each phase while filling out the application form, as the centres cannot be changed later. The allotment is done on a first-come, first-served basis, so if a preferred centre is already full, candidates will have to select another available option. It is also possible that the Phase 2 centre may differ from the Phase 1 centre, depending on the choices made. NABARD may revise or change exam centres if required. All confirmed details, including the exam dates and the allotted centre, will be clearly mentioned in the official notification and the admit card.
NABARD Grade A prelims exam centre list
The NABARD Grade A prelims exam has been scheduled to be held on 20th December 2025 across various cities in India. Here's a state-wise list of Prelims exam centres:
| State/UT | Exam Cities |
|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Srikakulam, Guntur/Vijayawada, Kadapa, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Vishakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kakinada, Vizianagaram |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun |
| Assam | Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar | Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Purnea |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh-Mohali |
| Chhattisgarh | Bilaspur, Durg-Bhilai, Raipur |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar, Anand, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara |
| Haryana | Hisar, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Ambala |
| Himachal Pradesh | Hamirpur, Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Kangra |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Samba, Jammu, Srinagar |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru, Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Mangalore, Mysore, Shimoga, Udupi |
| Kerala | Alappuzha, Ernakulam/Kochi, Kannur, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam |
| Madhya Pradesh | Ujjain, Sagar, Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Satna |
| Maharashtra | Aurangabad, Amravati, Kolhapur, Mumbai/Navi Mumbai/Thane/MMR, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Chandrapur, Solapur, Dhule, Ratnagiri |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Delhi | Delhi-NCR |
| Odisha | Balasore, Berhampur (Ganjam), Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Rourkela |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Punjab | Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur, Hanumangarh, Bharatpur |
| Sikkim | Gangtok-Bardang |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Erode, Virudhunagar |
| Telangana | Hyderabad/Secunderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Mahbubnagar |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Aligarh, Prayagraj, Bareilly, Faizabad, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Noida, Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Roorkee, Dehradun, Haldwani |
| West Bengal | Asansol, Durgapur, Hooghly, Kalyani, Kolkata/Greater Kolkata, Siliguri |
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NABARD Grade A mains exam centre list
Candidates appearing for the mains exam must be aware of their allotted NABARD Grade A Mains exam centre well before the NABARD Grade A Exam Date. Centres are assigned based on the candidate's preference and availability, and complete details will be provided on the admit card.
| S.No. | City | S.No. | City |
|---|
| 1 | Ahmedabad / Gandhinagar | 12 | Lucknow |
| 2 | Bengaluru | 13 | Mumbai / Navi Mumbai / Thane / MMR |
| 3 | Bhopal | 14 | Delhi - NCR |
| 4 | Bhubaneswar | 15 | Patna |
| 5 | Chandigarh - Mohali | 16 | Pune |
| 6 | Chennai | 17 | Raipur |
| 7 | Guwahati | 18 | Ranchi |
| 8 | Hyderabad / Secunderabad | 19 | Shillong |
| 9 | Jaipur | 20 | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 10 | Jammu | 21 | Srinagar |
| 11 | Kolkata | - | - |
If you're preparing for the NABARD Grade A exam, it's essential to stay updated about the exam dates and your chosen centre. Knowing your exam location early can help you plan better.
NABARD Grade A Exam Date - Key Takeaways
Here's a Key Takeaway Table for the NABARD Grade A Apply Online 2025 section:
| Key Points | Details |
|---|
| Application Start Date | 8th to 30th November 2025 |
| Last Date to Apply | 30th November 2025 |
| Application Mode | Online only via official NABARD website |
| Application Fee | ₹850 (General/OBC/EWS) ₹150 (SC/ST/PwBD) – non-refundable |
| Documents Required | Passport-size photo, scanned signature, left thumb impression, handwritten declaration, valid photo ID proof |
| Handwritten Declaration Format | Candidate must write in their own handwriting (text will be provided in notification) |
| Pre-Exam Training | Available for SC/ST/OBC candidates on request; application to be submitted separately before deadline |
| Phase 1 (Prelims) Exam Date | 20th December 2025 |
| Phase 2 (Mains) Exam Date | 25th January 2026 |
| Interview Date | To be updated (expected Dec March/April 2026) |
| Admit Card Release | 7–10 days before respective exam dates |
| Exam Mode | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Number of Phases | - Phase 1 (Prelims)
- Phase 2 (Mains)
- Psychometric test and Interview
|
| Negative Marking | 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer in objective tests |
| Apply Online Link | Activated |
