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NPS Trust Grade A and B Exam Pattern 2027 for Phase 1 and 2

Updated on Oct 21, 2026 16:34 IST

Table of Content +

The NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B Exam Pattern 2027 will help candidates understand the examination structure, subjects, marking scheme, and selection process for the Assistant Manager and Manager posts. Candidates preparing for the National Pension System Trust recruitment should understand the exam pattern to plan their preparation effectively. As per the last cycle notification PDF, the selection process includes Phase 1, Phase 2, and an Interview. Phase 1 tests general aptitude and stream-related knowledge, while Phase 2 includes a descriptive paper and a stream-specific objective paper.

 

What is the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B exam pattern 2027?

 

As per the last cycle notification PDF, NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B recruitment follow a three-stage selection process. The online exam has two phases, followed by a personal interview for shortlisted candidates. The structure is the same for both grades, but the professional subjects depend on the selected stream. Candidates must meet the required sectional, paper-wise, and aggregate cut-offs to progress through the selection process. The final merit list is prepared using Phase 2 and interview performance.

ParticularsDetails as per the last cycle
Conducting organisationNational Pension System Trust (NPS Trust)
PostsGrade A – Assistant Manager; Grade B – Manager
Selection stagesPhase 1, Phase 2, and Interview
Examination modeOnline
Phase I patternObjective-type questions
Phase I total marks120
Phase I duration90 minutes
Phase II patternDescriptive and objective papers
Phase II total marks200
Phase II duration100 minutes
Negative markingOne-fourth of the marks assigned to an incorrect objective answer
Final selection weightagePhase 2 – 50%; Interview – 50%

 

Attempt NPS Trust Mock Test 2026

 

What is the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B Phase 1 exam pattern 2027?

 

As per the last cycle notification PDF, Phase I is an online objective examination carrying 120 marks, with a total duration of 90 minutes. The paper includes English Language, Reasoning and Analytical Skills, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness, and professional or specialised knowledge, depending on the stream. The General stream has a professional section covering subjects such as Finance, Economics, and the Pension Sector. The Risk Management and Human Resource streams have a specialised subject section. Candidates must meet the required sectional and overall cut-offs to qualify for the next stage.

What is the Phase 1 exam pattern for the General stream?

 

The General stream Phase I paper is applicable to Grade A General and Grade B General candidates. It tests English, reasoning, quantitative aptitude, general awareness, and professional knowledge. Each question carries one mark, and the total paper carries 120 marks. Candidates should prepare all five sections and manage their time carefully to attempt the paper within 90 minutes.

SubjectsQuestionsMarks
English Language2525
Reasoning and Analytical Skills2525

Professional knowledge Includes

- Commerce

- Accountancy

- Management

- Finance

- Data Analytics

- Statistics

- Companies Act

- Indian Trusts Act

- Economics

- Pension Sector

2525
Quantitative Aptitude2525
General Awareness, including the Financial Sector2020
Total120120

What is the Phase 1 exam pattern for Risk Management and Human Resource streams?

 

The Risk Management and Human Resource streams have a specialised subject section instead of the General stream's professional knowledge section. The remaining sections follow the same marks distribution as the General stream. Grade A Risk Management candidates and Grade B Risk Management candidates appear for the relevant specialised subject. Grade B Human Resource candidates must prepare the specialised Human Resource subject.

SubjectsQuestionsMarks
English Language2525
Reasoning and Analytical Skills2525
Specialised subject related to the stream2525
Quantitative Aptitude2525
General Awareness, including the Financial Sector2020
Total120120

What is the Phase 1 marking scheme?

 

The Phase 1 marking scheme helps candidates understand how correct and incorrect answers affect their scores. As per the last cycle notification PDF, candidates receive one mark for each correct answer and lose one-fourth of the marks assigned to a question for each incorrect answer. There is no penalty for leaving a question unanswered. Candidates must also meet the required sectional and aggregate cut-offs.

  • Correct answer: +1 mark.
  • Incorrect answer: −0.25 marks.
  • Unattempted question: 0 marks.
  • Total marks: 120.
  • Total duration: 90 minutes.
  • Phase I marks are used for shortlisting and are not included in the final merit calculation.

 

What are the important NPS Trust Phase 1 exam rules?

 

Candidates should understand the main examination rules before starting their preparation. The previous recruitment cycle followed a single-shift online examination with bilingual question papers, except for the English Language section. Separate sectional and aggregate cut-offs applied to Phase 1. Candidates who did not meet the required cut-offs could not proceed through the selection process.

  • Exam mode: Online.
  • Language: Hindi and English, except English Language.
  • Time limit: 90 minutes for the complete paper.
  • Sectional cut-offs: Required.
  • Aggregate cut-off: Required.
  • Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks assigned to an incorrect answer.
  • Time per section: No separate sectional time limits were specified in the previous cycle pattern.

 

Explore NPS Trust Grade A/B Online Courses

 

What is the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B Phase 2 exam pattern 2027?

 

As per the last cycle notification PDF, Phase 2 consists of two compulsory papers carrying 100 marks each, making a total of 200 marks. Paper 1 is a descriptive test in English and General Studies and is common to all streams. Paper 2 is an objective test based on the professional or specialised subject selected by the candidate. The total duration of both papers is 100 minutes, with 60 minutes for Paper 1 and 40 minutes for Paper 2. Candidates must qualify in the required papers and meet the aggregate cut-off to be considered for the interview.

PaperSubjectQuestion typeMarksDuration
Paper 1English and General StudiesDescriptive10060 minutes
Paper 2 – GeneralProfessional knowledgeObjective MCQs10040 minutes
Paper 2 – Risk ManagementSpecialised Risk Management subjectObjective MCQs10040 minutes
Paper 2 – Human ResourceSpecialised Human Resource subjectObjective MCQs10040 minutes

What is the Phase 2 Paper 1 exam pattern?

 

Paper 1 is common to all Grade A and Grade B streams and covers English and General Studies. It is a descriptive paper carrying 100 marks, and candidates get 60 minutes to complete it. The paper tests candidates' ability to understand topics, organise their thoughts, and present answers clearly. As per the last cycle notification PDF, the exact number of questions and the marks assigned to each descriptive question were not specified.

ParticularsDetails
PaperPaper 1
SubjectsEnglish and General Studies
Question typeDescriptive
Total marks100
Duration60 minutes
Applicable streamsAll streams
Qualifying requirementSeparate paper cut-off

What is the Phase 2 Paper 2 exam pattern for the General stream?

 

Paper 2 for the General stream tests professional knowledge through objective multiple-choice questions. It carries 100 marks, and candidates get 40 minutes to complete the paper. The subjects include Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Data Analytics, Statistics, Companies Act, Indian Trusts Act, Economics, and the Pension Sector. Candidates should prepare these subjects thoroughly while keeping in mind that the official notification does not provide a fixed mark allocation for each subject.

ParticularsDetails
SubjectProfessional knowledge
Question typeObjective MCQs
Total marks100
Duration40 minutes
Negative markingOne-fourth of the marks assigned to an incorrect answer
LanguageHindi and English

What is the Phase 2 Paper 2 exam pattern for Risk Management?

 

Paper 2 for Risk Management is a specialised objective examination for Grade A and Grade B candidates in the Risk Management stream. It carries 100 marks, and the duration is 40 minutes. Candidates should focus on risk-related concepts and their practical applications in the financial and pension sectors. The detailed topic-wise distribution and exact question count should be checked in the applicable official notification.

ParticularsDetails
SubjectSpecialised Risk Management
Question typeObjective MCQs
Total marks100
Duration40 minutes
Negative markingOne-fourth of the marks assigned to an incorrect answer
LanguageHindi and English

What is the Phase 2 Paper 2 exam pattern for Human Resource?

 

Paper 2 for Human Resource applies to Grade B Human Resource candidates. It is an objective paper carrying 100 marks, with a duration of 40 minutes. The paper tests specialised HR knowledge relevant to the selected stream. Candidates should build a strong understanding of core HR concepts and review the official syllabus when the 2027 notification is released.

ParticularsDetails
SubjectSpecialised Human Resource
Question typeObjective MCQs
Total marks100
Duration40 minutes
Negative markingOne-fourth of the marks assigned to an incorrect answer
LanguageHindi and English

 

Download NPS Trust Notes

 

What is the NPS Trust Phase 2 marking scheme?

 

The NPS Trust Phase 2 marking scheme differs by paper type. Paper 1 is descriptive, while Paper 2 contains objective questions. As per the last cycle notification PDF, negative marking applies to incorrect answers in the objective paper. Candidates must meet the separate qualifying requirements for both papers and the overall Phase II examination.

  • Paper 1: 100 marks; descriptive.
  • Paper 2: 100 marks; objective MCQs.
  • Total Phase II marks: 200.
  • Total duration: 100 minutes.
  • Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks assigned to an incorrect Paper 2 answer.
  • Qualifying requirements: Separate paper-wise and aggregate cut-offs.

 

What are the important NPS Trust Phase 2 exam rules?

 

Candidates should understand the paper structure and qualifying conditions before appearing for Phase 2. Paper 1 is common to all streams, while Paper 2 depends on the stream chosen during the application process. The previous cycle required candidates to meet the prescribed paper-wise and aggregate cut-offs. Only candidates who satisfied the relevant requirements could be considered for interview shortlisting.

  • Paper 1 is descriptive and carries 100 marks.
  • Paper 2 is objective and carries 100 marks.
  • The total duration is 100 minutes.
  • Negative marking applies to incorrect answers in Paper 2.
  • The exact number of objective questions is not specified in the previous cycle pattern.
  • Candidates must meet the applicable paper-wise and aggregate cut-offs.

 

What is the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B interview pattern 2027?

 

The interview is the third stage of the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B selection process. Candidates who qualify in Phase II may be shortlisted for a personal interview based on the applicable selection criteria and vacancies. The interview may assess professional knowledge, communication skills, analytical ability, work experience, and understanding of the pension and financial sectors. As per the last cycle notification PDF, the interview carries 50% weightage in the final selection. The detailed interview criteria for 2027 will be subject to the upcoming notification.

ParticularsDetails as per the last cycle
StagePhase 3
TypePersonal interview
Eligible candidatesCandidates shortlisted after Phase II
LanguageHindi or English
Weightage in final selection50%
Final selection basisWeighted Phase 2 and interview scores

 

How is the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B final merit list calculated?

 

The final merit list is prepared using the marks obtained in Phase II and the interview. Phase I is used for shortlisting candidates and does not contribute to the final merit score. As per the last cycle notification PDF, Phase II and the interview carry equal weightage of 50% each. Candidates must also meet the applicable qualifying conditions to be considered for final selection.

Selection stageWeightage in final merit
Phase 10%
Phase 250%
Interview50%
Total100%

 

What is the difference between the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B exam patterns?

 

As per the last cycle notification PDF, Grade A and Grade B follow the same overall examination structure. Both include Phase I, Phase II, and an interview, with the same marks and duration for the respective stages. The main differences are related to the post and the stream for which the candidate applies. Candidates should check the 2027 notification for any changes to the examination structure.

ParticularsGrade AGrade B
PostAssistant ManagerManager
Phase I marks120120
Phase I duration90 minutes90 minutes
Phase II papers22
Phase II marks200200
Phase II duration100 minutes100 minutes
Paper 1DescriptiveDescriptive
Paper 2ObjectiveObjective
InterviewYesYes
Final merit weightagePhase II 50% + Interview 50%Phase II 50% + Interview 50%

 

Attempt NPS Trust Previous Year Papers

 

What are the qualifying criteria for the NPS Trust Grade A and Grade B exams?

 

Candidates must meet the prescribed cut-offs at each required stage to progress through the recruitment process. As per the last cycle notification PDF, Phase 1 has sectional and aggregate qualifying requirements, while Phase 2 has paper-wise and aggregate requirements. Candidates who meet the applicable criteria may be shortlisted for the interview. The final selection depends on the weighted scores and the other conditions specified by NPS Trust.

StageQualifying requirement
Phase 1Sectional and aggregate cut-offs
Phase 2Paper-wise and aggregate cut-offs
InterviewApplicable qualifying criteria as prescribed
Final meritWeighted Phase II and interview scores, subject to selection conditions

About the Author

Aditi Chakraborty Content Writer

Hi, I’m Aditi, a creative writer at Oliveboard and the voice behind the content you see here. I focus on making JAIIB, CAIIB, and UGC NET exam topics simple and easy to understand. My aim is to share helpful tips and clear guidance that can make your preparation less stressful and more effective. I am here to help you through the exam journey so you can feel confident and ready to take on the challenge. My focus is to support all aspirants by creating content that’s friendly, trustworthy, and designed to help you succeed with confidence.

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