NABARD, the full form of which is National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development conducts a recruitment process every year and selects candidates based on prelims and mains tests followed by an interview. These exams test candidates’ problem-solving skills, and knowledge of current affairs, economic and social issues, and agriculture. Read on to find out all about what is NABARD exam and the selection process in detail.
What is NABARD Exam?
The NABARD Exam recruits candidates for various posts, such as Assistant Manager (Grade A) and Manager (Grade B). It is focused on selecting individuals who will work in areas related to agriculture, rural development, and other financial services. The exam is conducted in three phases: Prelims (objective) Mains (descriptive and objective), and an Interview.
The NABARD Grade B post of a manager is a step above the Grade A assistant manager. So, the NABARD exam for Grade B consists of an additional analytical test on Development Economics, Statistics, Finance, and Management.
NABARD Recruitment 2025
NABARD Grade A Notification 2025 is yet to be announced. The notification is released in the month of July each year, followed by the release of the admit card the next month and the exam in the following month. The notification has details of the NABARD vacancies, eligibility, relaxation limits, guidelines for the application process, important documents needed, and the key areas of exam. Interested candidates should review the official NABARD recruitment 2025 notification to learn about the selection process.
NABARD Grade A Selection Process – Eligibility
To be eligible for the NABARD Grade A Selection Process through the Prelims Exam, Mains Exam, and Interview round, you must first know if you match the eligibility criteria for taking the exam.
- To sit for the NABARD Grade A Exam, you must be a graduate.
- You should be between the age of 21 and 30 years.
- You must have a minimum of 60% marks (55% for SC/ST/PwBD) in Bachelor’s or a postgraduate degree with at least 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD) from a recognized university.
- Any graduate with the required marks can apply for the NABARD Grade A exam.
NABARD Grade A Selection Process 2025
A three-tiered selection process is followed for the final selection. All the stages of the NABARD Grade A Selection Process 2025 are:
- Preliminary Exam: Phase 1 of the NABARD Grade A Selection Process consists of 8 subjects. These are Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, Computer Knowledge, Decision Making, English, ESI, and ARD with a focus on Rural India. A total of 200 questions will be asked for 200 marks. The total duration of the exam is 120 minutes.
- Mains Exam: The mains exam is divided into two papers i.e. Paper 1 & Paper 2. Paper 1 will be of General English and Paper 2 will be of ESI & ARD. Paper 1 will be online descriptive & paper 2 will be both objective & descriptive type.
- Interview: This is the final stage of the NABARD Grade A Selection Process 2025. The interview stage consists of 50 marks.

NABARD Grade A Selection Process 2025 – Phase 1
The below table consists of the detailed NABARD Grade A 2025 Selection Process for Prelims/Phase 1.
i) Qualifying Section – Test of Reasoning, English Language, Computer Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude & Decision Making
ii) Merit Section – General Awareness, Economic & Social Issues (with focus on Rural India), Agriculture & Rural Development with Emphasis on Rural India.
Name of the Test | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks |
Test of Reasoning | 20 | 20 |
English Language | 30 | 30 |
Computer Knowledge | 20 | 20 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 20 |
Decision Making | 10 | 10 |
General Awareness | 20 | 20 |
ESI | 40 | 40 |
ARD | 40 | 40 |
Total | 200 | 200 |
The calling ratio to qualify for the main examination will be 1:25.
Is There Negative Marking in NABARD Grade A Prelims?
Yes, there is negative marking in the NABARD Grade A Prelims exam. For every incorrect answer, 0.25 marks are deducted from the total score. This is applicable only to the objective type questions in the Prelims. Therefore, candidates must answer carefully to avoid losing marks due to incorrect answers.
NABARD Grade A Mains Exam Pattern
Only those candidates who qualify the prelims are eligible for the mains. Check out the post wise mains exam pattern below. Also note some common points for all posts.
- Descriptive Answers are to be typed using a keyboard either in English or Hindi (Remington and Inscript keyboards).
- In Paper 2 Descriptive portion, the candidates have to attempt 4 questions out of 6 questions. In these 4 questions, 2 questions attempted must be of 15 marks and 2 questions of 10 marks.
- On the completion of the mains exam, a psychometric test will be conducted. This test is mandatory.
NABARD Grade A Mains Exam Pattern (Generalist Officers)
For the post of Generalist Officer, below is the exam pattern. Also note a few points from the section below:
- The maximum marks for paper 1 (English) is 100 marks. Marks for paper 2 (ESI &ARD Objective & Descriptive) is 50 marks each.
- In paper 1, only 3 questions will be asked.
- In paper 2, 30 questions will be asked for objective part and 6 questions will be asked for descriptive part.
Paper | Subject | Time |
Paper I | General English (Descriptive) | 90 Min |
Paper II | ESI & ARD (Objective) | 30 Min |
Paper II | ESI & ARD (Descriptive) | 90 Min |
NABARD Grade A Mains Exam Pattern (Specialist Officers & Rajbhasha)
For the post of Specialist Officer, below is the exam pattern. In Paper 2 Objective paper, some questions may carry 2 marks each and some questions may carry 1 mark each. Also, the number of questions for General English are 3, and for stream specific, it is 30 for objective part and 6 for descriptive part.
Paper | Subject | Marks | Time |
Paper I | General English (Descriptive) | 100 | 90 Min |
Paper II | Stream Specific (Objective) | 50 | 30 Min |
Paper II | Stream Specific (Descriptive) | 50 | 90 Min |
The calling ratio to qualify for the interview round will be 1:3.
NABARD Grade A Selection Process 2025 – Marking Scheme
For every wrong answer marked, 1/4th of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty in Phase I and Phase II. Cut-offs in Phase I and Phase II may be applied in two stages: (i) On scores in individual tests, and (ii) On Total Scores.
NABARD Grade A Final Selection 2025
The final selection and ranking of the applicants for the post of Assistant Manager in Grade ‘A’ (RDBS/Rajbhasha) will be based on their performance in the Phase II Main Examination and Interview, taken together.
NABARD Grade A Selection Process 2025 FAQs
Yes, the last stage of the selection process consists of an Interview round. The interview will be 50 marks.
There are three stages namely, Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam, and Interview.
Well, there is no limit on the number of attempts.
Yes, 1/4th of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as negative markings in Phases 1 & 2.
Reasoning, English Language, Computer Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude & Decision Making are the sections that are qualifying in nature.
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