NABARD Grade A syllabus: The NABARD Grade A syllabus PDF consists of two main phases: Prelims and Mains. Prelims are 200 objective-type questions in which the last three sections, ARD, GA, and ESI are merit sections. The Mains paper is both objective and descriptive in which your knowledge of English, ESI, and ARD is tested. It is worth 100 marks and 120 minutes long. Find detailed NABARD syllabus PDF and exam pattern in this post.
NABARD Grade A Syllabus & Exam Pattern
NABARD Grade A Syllabus & NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern remain the same almost every year. This year the vacancies are expected to be released for 17 disciplines. The selection process involves prelims, mains, psychometric test and finally interview. Knowing the NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025 is extremely important to bifurcate which topics can be kept at least priority.
Particulars | Important Information |
Organisation | National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) |
Posts Name | Grade A / Assistant Manager |
Category | Syllabus |
Selection Process | Prelims, Mains, Interview |
Types of Questions | Prelims- Objective Mains- Objective & Descriptive |
Duration | Prelims- 120 minutes Mains- 90 minutes each paper |
Negative Marking | Prelims & Mains- 0.25 Marks |
Official website | NABARD |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF
For detailed preparation, candidates are advised to download the NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF, which includes a comprehensive list of topics, subtopics, and exam patterns. Below are the NABARD Grade A Phase 2 Syllabus PDFs:
Subjects | Download PDFs |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF for ESI | Download Here |
NABARD Agriculture Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Chartered Accountant Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF for Finance | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A IT Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Animal Husbandry Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF for Fisheries | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Food Processing Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Forestry Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Plantation & Horticulture Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF for Geo Informatics | Download Here |
NABARD Development Management Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Statistics Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF for Civil Engineering | Download Here |
NABARD Environmental Engineering Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD HR Management Syllabus PDF | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus PDF for Rajbhasa | Download Here |
NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern 2025
All the details regarding the exam pattern and syllabus will be released in NABARD Grade A Notification. We have tried to cover the NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern for both phases in the below subsections in a crisp and short form.
NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern – Prelims
Reasoning, English, Computer, Quantitative Aptitude, and Decision Making sections are qualifying in nature and the other 3 sections i.e. GA, ESI & ARD sections are merit sections. Check out some more important information on NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern below for Prelims:
- Duration: Composite Time of 120 Minutes
- Nature of Exam: Bilingual (Except English Language)
- Marking Scheme: 1/4th mark of that question will be deducted for every wrong answer.
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 |
NABARD Phase 2 Exam Pattern 2025
The candidates who will clear the NABARD Grade A Prelims Exam will be able to sit for the Mains Exam. Phase 2 is considered tough and the subjects are common so it is advisable that candidates must start covering the NABARD Grade A Syllabus for Phase 2 along with Phase 1. Also check out some of the common points in NABARD Phase 2 Pattern for both the 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 Exam Pattern (Generalist Officers)
This is the post for which maximum applications are sent to NABARD which is why the competition level becomes fierce. For the post of Generalist Officer, check out the NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern 2025 below:
- The maximum marks for paper 1 (English) are 100 marks. Marks for paper 2 (ESI &ARD Objective & Descriptive) are 50 marks each.
- In paper 1, only 3 questions are asked.
- In paper 2, 30 questions are asked for objective part and 6 questions are 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 Exam Pattern (Specialist Officers & Rajbhasha)
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 |
NOTE: After the conduction of the mains exam, a psychometric test will be conducted. The psychometric test will be MCQ based for 90 minutes duration.
NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern 2025 – Interview
Candidates who get the minimum qualifying sectional cut offs, and the overall cut offs can progress to NABARD Grade A and NABARD Grade B Interview. The interview will be conducted for 50 marks. Candidate may opt for an interview either in Hindi or English. The calling ratio to qualify for the interview would be a maximum of 1:3.
NABARD Grade B interviews is worth 75 marks. You can give it in your chosen language, English or Hindi. You will be asked questions related to your background, conceptual understanding, logical problem-solving ability, and leadership skills.
Negative Marking in NABARD Grade A
Some aspirants remain confused about the NABARD Grade A Negative Marking. The aspirants must note that there is 1/4th negative marking in NABARD Grade A. This means that in both Phase 1 & Phase 2, for every wrong answer, 1/4th of the marks assigned to that question will be the negative marking.
Download NABARD Phase 2 Trend Analysis & Preparation Roadmap
NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025
The NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025 is extensive and includes detailed subject matter across various disciplines like agriculture, economics, and social issues, especially focusing on the development of rural areas. Although we have already provided the NABARD Grade A syllabus PDF above in this post, here is a detailed overview for the same.
NABARD Grade A Prelims Syllabus 2025
Check out the NABARD Grade A Syllabus for the qualifying sections of Prelims.
NABARD Grade A Phase 1 Syllabus |
Reasoning Ability Puzzles & Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Data Sufficiency, Statement Based Questions (Verbal Reasoning), Inequality, Miscellaneous Questions, Input – Output, Blood Relations, Coding – Decoding |
Quantitative Aptitude Data Interpretations, Quadratic Equations, Number Series, Simplification/Approximation, Data Sufficiency, Arithmetic Questions, Quantity Comparisons, Mathematical Inequalities |
English Language Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Sentence Improvement, Spotting the Errors, Fill in the Blanks, Sentence Rearrangement, Para Jumbles, New Pattern Questions |
General Awareness Questions based on Current Affairs, Banking, Economy, and Insurance, Current Affairs based on recent appointments, sports, awards, and honors, new schemes, international and national news, the latest science and technological developments |
Decision Making Interpreting Information, Recognizing Assumptions, Situation-based question,Case Studies |
Computer Knowledge Input – Output devices, Networking, DBMS, MS Office, Internet, History of Computers & Generations, Shortcuts |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025 Phase 1 & 2 – ARD
The candidates must prepare for both Phase 1 & 2 simultaneously for NABARD Grade A ARD as the topics are the same but the difficulty level changes.
NABARD Grade A ARD Syllabus |
Agriculture Definition, Meaning, and Its Branches, Agronomy: Definition, Meaning, and Scope of Agronomy, Classification of Field Crops, Factors Affecting Crop Production, Argo Climatic Zones, Types of Cropping Systems and Their Definitions, Problems faced if the land is dry – Seed Production & Processing, and Seed Village, Meteorology: Weather Parameters, Crop-Weather Advisory, Precision Farming, System of Crop Intensification, Organic Farming |
Soil and Water Conservation Major Soil Types, Soil Fertility, Fertilizers, Soil Erosion, Soil Conservation, Watershed Management |
Water Resource Irrigation Management, Types of Irrigation, Sources of Irrigation, Crop-Water Requirement, Command Area Development, Water Conservation Techniques, Micro Irrigation, Irrigation Pumps, Major, Medium and Minor Irrigation |
Agri & Farm Engineering Power and Machinery Related to Farms, Power Sources on the farm – animal, human, electrical, mechanical, wind, biomass and solar, biofuels, Water Harvesting Structures, Farm Ponds Agro Processing, Modified & controlled storage, storage of perishable foods, bins, godowns, and grain silos |
Horticulture & Plantation Meaning, Definition, and Its Branches, Production Technology and Agronomic practices with respect to various horticulture and plantation crops, Value and supply chain management of Horticulture & Plantation crops, Post-harvest management of the same |
Animal Husbandry Farm animals and their role in the Indian economy, Animal husbandry methods in India, Commonly used terminologies pertaining to the different species of livestock, Utility classification of breeds of cattle, Introduction to common fodders and feeds, their utility, and classification, Introduction to the industry of poultry in India, Common terms pertaining to poultry production and management, Socio-Economic implications of mixed farming on the farmer in India and the concept of mixed farming, Livestock and Poultry production and their obligatory and complementary relationship with that of agricultural farming |
Fisheries Fisheries Resources, Exploitation and management – marine water, freshwater, and brackish water, Aquaculture- Inland and Marine, Biotechnology, Post-Harvest Technology, Importance of fisheries in India, Common terms pertaining to fish production |
Forestry Basic Concepts of Forest and Forestry, Management, mensuration, and Economics regarding Forests, and the Principles of silviculture, Concepts of agroforestry, social forestry, and joint forest management, Legislation and Policies regarding forests in India, 2015 Report on the State of forests in India, Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change, Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change and Recent developments under them |
Agriculture Extensions Its role and importance, evaluations methods of extension programmes, KVK’s (Krishi Vigyan Kendra) role in the dissemination of technologies based on Agriculture |
Ecology & Climate Change Ecology and how it is relevant to man, sustainable management, and conservation of natural resources, Climate change and its causes, GHGs (Green House Gases), countries emitting high amounts of GHGs, and climate analysis, Distinguish between adaptation and mitigation, Climate change and its impact on rural livelihoods and agriculture, Carbon credit IPCC, UNFCCC, CoP meetings, Funding mechanisms for climate change projects, Indian government initiatives like SAPCC, NAPCC, and INDC |
Present Scenario of agriculture and allied activities in India Trends of recent times, Major challenges in agriculture measures to enhance, Viability of agriculture, Factors of Production in Agriculture, Agricultural Finance and Marketing, Globalization and its impacts on Indian Agriculture and the issue of food security, Concept and Types of Farm Management |
NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025 Phase 1 & 2 – ESI
For NABARD Grade A ESI as well, the topics are the same but the difficulty level changes. In Mains, you will find more difficult questions.
NABARD Grade A ESI Syllabus |
Indian Economy and Its Nature Institutional & Structural Features, Economic Underdevelopment, Opening Up the Indian Economy, Globalization, Economic Reforms in India, Privatization |
Inflation Various trends regarding inflation and the impacts they have on Individual Income and National Economy |
Employment Generation & Poverty Alleviation in India Urban & Rural, Measurement of Poverty, Poverty Alleviation Programmes of the Government |
Population Trends Population Growth and Economic Development, Population Policy in India |
Agriculture Characteristics / Status, Technical and Institutional changes in Indian Agriculture, Agricultural performance, Issues in Food Security in India, Non-Institutional and Institutional Agencies in rural credit |
Industry Industrial and Labour Policy, Industrial Performance, Regional Imbalance in India’s Industrial Development, Public Sector Enterprises |
Financial Institutions and Rural Banking in India Reforms in the Financial Sector / Banking |
Economic Globalization International Funding Institutions and their roles, IMF & World Bank, WTO, Regional Economic Co-operation |
Social Structure in India Multiculturalism, Demographic Trends, Urbanization and Migration, Gender Issues Joint Family System, Social Infrastructure, Education, Health and Environment |
Education Status & System of Education, Socio-Economic Problems Associated with Illiteracy, Educational Relevance and Educational Wastage, Educational Policy for India |
Social Justice Problems of scheduled tribes and scheduled castes, Socio-economic programmes directed towards Scheduled castes, Scheduled tribes, and Other Backward Classes |
Positive Discrimination or steps to favor the underprivileged classes Social Movements, Indian Political Systems, Human Development, Current Economic & Social Issues |
Is NABARD Grade A Easy Or Tough?
The NABARD Grade A exam is of moderate to difficult level. It is easier than the RBI Grade B exam. In paper 1, Quantitative Aptitude section has an easy to moderate difficulty, while General Awareness is moderate to difficult. This is because the syllabus is wide and you are not 100% sure from where a question can come from.
Agriculture & Rural Development is another section in the prelims whose difficulty level is high. You can view the complete NABARD Grade A exam analysis of the previous year here to gain a deeper understanding. Here’s a table that breaks down section-wise difficulty.
Name of Test | Difficulty Level (Overall) |
Test of Reasoning | Moderate |
English Language | Easy |
Computer Knowledge | Easy to Moderate |
Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate |
Decision Making | Easy |
General Awareness | Moderate to Difficult |
Economic & Social Issues (with a focus on Rural India) | Moderate |
Agriculture & Rural Development (with emphasis on Rural India) | Difficult |
Overall | Moderate |
Can You Clear NABARD Grade A in First Attempt?
Yes. If you follow an informed preparation strategy consistently for a long time ( at least six months) and take help from reliable sources, clearing NABARD Grade A in the first attempt is possible.
- Download NABARD Grade A syllabus PDF and review the exam pattern and frequent questions.
- Quantitative Aptitude and English language sections are easy to score for most candidates. Study them earlier on in your preparation schedule.
- Practice from NABARD Grade A previous year papers. This will help you find out the trends in the exam pattern.
- Use as many NABARD Grade A mock tests to identify your weaknesses before the exam.
- Knowing current affairs is important for General Awareness and ESI. Cover at least 6 months of current affairs before the scheduled date for prelims and mains.
- Focus on your typing speed because the descriptive ASI and ERD paper requires you to type at least 2000 words in 1.3 hours. The more you practice questions and note down key points, the better the result.
NABARD Grade A Syllabus 2025 – FAQs
The NABARD Grade A Syllabus for Phase 1 includes 8 subjects and NABARD Phase 2 Pattern includes 2 papers. Paper 1 is General English & Paper 2 consists of ESI & ARD.
Yes, there is a negative marking of 0.25 marks. This means that for every wrong answer in NABARD Grade A Exam, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
No, the Phase 1 (Prelims) exam is only qualifying in nature. Hence, the marks scored in prelims will not be counted.
The NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern for mains consists of two papers. Paper 1 of General English and it is descriptive in nature whereas Paper 2 is of ESI & ARD and it is both objective & descriptive in nature.
No, there is no sectional timing in NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern. The duration of Phase 1 is 120 minutes and Phase 2 is 210 minutes.
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