What New in PFRDA Syllabus
Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Understand the changes introduced in the 2026 syllabus and exam pattern, including the revised Paper 1 and Paper 2 structure and the newly added topics such as AI/ML, Media, Marketing & Communication in the General Stream. Candidates should review the complete syllabus and plan their preparation accordingly.
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Preparation Strategy
Study Schedule
Start with the basic concepts and cover Phase 1 Paper 1 and Paper 2 together, focusing on Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English, General Awareness and stream-specific subjects. Alongside this, prepare for Phase 2 Paper 1 (Descriptive English) and Paper 2 (Professional Knowledge) by practising essays, précis, comprehension, professional questions and stream-specific topics.
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PFRDA Grade A Exam Date
Phase 1 and 2
The PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 exam is scheduled to be held on 15 October 2026, followed by the Phase 2 exam on 20 November 2026.
Exam Schedule
Preparing for PFRDA Grade A 2026 requires a focused study plan, not just completing the syllabus. With Phase 1 on 15th October 2026 and Phase 2 on 20th November 2026, candidates need to manage General Awareness, aptitude, professional knowledge, and Descriptive English within limited time. With new topics added to the General Stream, a time-bound strategy covering both phases together can help candidates focus on important areas and prepare effectively.
What should be the 5-week PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 study plan?
The PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 preparation should be divided into concept building, syllabus completion, intensive practice, revision and mock tests. Since the exam is scheduled for 15th October 2026, candidates should use the available time carefully and avoid leaving the entire syllabus for the final days. The following 5-week study plan covers Paper 1 and Paper 2 along with stream-specific preparation and the final revision period.
| Week & Dates | Preparation Focus | Topics to Cover |
|---|
Week 1 7–13 September | Build basic concepts, understand important topics, and prepare short revision notes. Start solving basic questions after completing each topic. | Paper 1: Reasoning – Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism; Quant – Simplification, Approximation, Number Series; English – Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Vocabulary; GA – Current Affairs, Financial Sector. General: PFRDA Act, 2013, Amendments, Union Budget, Economic Survey, Accounting System, Accounting Standards. Research: Probability Theory, Descriptive Statistics. Actuary: Insurance Principles, Risk, Uncertainty, Indemnity. Official Language: Government of India Official Language Policy, Basic Terminology. |
Week 2 14–20 September | Strengthen concepts and increase topic-wise MCQ practice. Maintain a list of difficult questions and topics for revision. | Paper 1: Reasoning – Coding-Decoding, Inequality, Blood Relations; Quant – Percentage, Profit & Loss, SI & CI; English – Error Detection, Sentence Improvement, Fillers; GA – Economic Affairs, Government Schemes, Financial Updates. General: Depreciation, Inventories, Revenue Recognition, Fixed Assets, Foreign Exchange Transactions, Investments, Cash Flow, Fund Flow. Research: Probability Distributions, Statistical Inference. Actuary: Insurable Interest, Legal Foundations, Group Insurance, Health Insurance, Pension. Official Language: English-Hindi and Hindi-English Translation. |
Week 3 21–27 September | Move from learning to application. Start taking sectional tests and focus on improving both accuracy and speed. | Paper 1: Reasoning – Direction & Distance, Input-Output, Alphanumeric Series; Quant – Average, Ratio & Proportion, Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns; English – Phrase Replacement, Sentence Rearrangement, RC; GA – Awards, Summits, Indexes, Economic Developments. General: Financial Statement Analysis, Ratio Analysis, Share Capital, Bonus Shares, Rights Shares, ESOP, Buy-back of Shares, Company Final Accounts. Research: Sampling Techniques, Testing of Hypothesis. Actuary: Product Design, Pricing, Distribution, Underwriting, Claims. Official Language: Legal Terminology, Pension and Banking Terminology. |
Week 4 28 September–4 October | Complete the major part of the syllabus. Start full-length Paper 1 and Professional Knowledge tests. Analyse every test and note recurring mistakes. | Paper 1: Reasoning – Advanced Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Mixed Sets; Quant – Data Interpretation, Speed-Time-Distance, Trains, Boats & Streams; English – Reading Comprehension, Sentence Rearrangement; GA – RBI, SEBI, Financial Sector Updates. General: Management, Finance, Financial System, Financial Markets, Regulatory Bodies, Derivatives, Financial Inclusion, Taxation, GST, Fiscal Policy, FRBM, Inflation. Research: Economic Statistics, Time Series Analysis. Actuary: Investment, Reinsurance, Life Insurance, Annuities. Official Language: Translation Practice, Terminology Revision. |
Week 5 5–11 October | Focus on revision, mocks and weak areas. Avoid spending too much time on completely new topics. | Paper 1: Revise all four sections. Take regular full-length mocks and sectional tests. Focus on speed, accuracy, question selection and mock analysis. General: Costing, Standard Costing, Marginal Costing, Budgeting, Companies Act, Economics, Pension Sector, NPS, APY, Annuity Plans, AI/ML, Media, Marketing & Communication. Research: Operations Research, Statistical Quality Control, Statistical Computing. Actuary: Valuation, Solvency, Specialist Insurance Areas, Management. Official Language: Full Translation Revision, Legal and Financial Terminology. |
| Final 3 Days12–14 October | Focus only on revision and exam readiness. Do not start major new topics or use new study material. | Paper 1: Revise formulas, shortcuts, English rules, important Reasoning and Quant concepts, current affairs and mock mistakes. Attempt only limited mocks. General: Revise PFRDA Act, Pension Sector, Union Budget, Economic Survey, important professional topics, AI/ML, Media, Marketing & Communication. Other Streams: Revise important concepts, formulas, terminology and previously practised questions. Focus mainly on weak areas. |
| 14 October – Day Before Exam | Keep preparation light and stay relaxed. Avoid taking multiple full-length mocks. Get adequate sleep and keep all exam essentials ready. | Paper 1: Go through short notes, formulas, important facts and key concepts. General: Revise high-priority Professional Knowledge topics and short notes. Other Streams: Revise key formulas, terminology and important concepts from your respective stream. |
Download PFRDA Grade A Study Plan PDF
Download the PFRDA Grade A Study Plan 2026 PDF to get a structured preparation strategy for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 exams. The study plan covers important topics, weekly targets, revision and mock test practice to help you prepare in a systematic manner and stay on track.
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What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 1 paper 1 pattern?
Phase 1 Paper 1 is common to candidates from all streams. In 2026, the total number of questions has increased from 80 to 90, while the duration remains 60 minutes. The increase is entirely in the Test of Reasoning section, which now contains 30 questions instead of 20. Candidates should therefore give special attention to speed and accuracy while preparing for this paper.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|
| English Language | 20 | 25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 25 |
| Test of Reasoning | 30 | 25 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 25 |
| Total | 90 | 100 |
There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer. Candidates have to meet the applicable paper-wise and aggregate cutoffs. The aggregate cutoff is decided by PFRDA based on factors such as vacancies and candidate performance.
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 1 paper 2 exam pattern?
Phase 1 Paper 2 is a stream-specific professional knowledge paper carrying 100 marks with 50 questions. For the General Stream, the revised syllabus covers areas such as the PFRDA Act, Union Budget & Economic Survey, Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, Pension Sector, AI/ML, Media, and Marketing & Communication. For specialized streams, the paper covers the prescribed syllabus for Research, Actuarial, and Official Language (Rajbhasha).
| Streams / Subjects | Maximum Marks | Questions |
|---|
| General Stream: PFRDA Act, Union Budget & Economic Survey, Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, Pension Sector, AI/ML, Media, Marketing & Communication | 100 | 50 |
| Research Stream | 100 | 50 |
| Actuarial Stream | 100 | 50 |
| Official Language (Rajbhasha) Stream | 100 | 50 |
The professional knowledge syllabus is common to Paper 2 of both Phase 1 and Phase 2. This means candidates can prepare the professional syllabus once and use the same preparation for both stages.
Attempt Free PFRDA Grade A Mock Test 2026
What should be the Study Plan for the PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 exam?
The PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 study plan covers Descriptive English (Paper 1) and Professional Knowledge (Paper 2) for all streams. It provides a week-wise preparation strategy to help candidates complete the syllabus, practise questions, revise important topics and take mocks before the 20 November 2026 exam.
| Week & Dates | Descriptive English – Paper 1 | Paper 2 – Professional Knowledge |
|---|
Week 1 15–21 October | Build the basics of descriptive writing. Practise essay structure, précis writing, reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and sentence formation. Write short answers and focus on clarity, structure and correct language. | General: PFRDA Act, Union Budget & Economic Survey, Commerce & Accountancy basics, Accounting Standards, Financial Statements. Research: Probability Theory, Descriptive Statistics, Probability Distributions. Actuary: Insurance Principles, Risk and Uncertainty, Indemnity, Insurable Interest, Legal Foundations. Official Language: English-Hindi and Hindi-English translation, Government of India Official Language Policy, basic pension and banking terminology. |
Week 2 22–28 October | Start regular timed practice. Practise essays on finance, economy, technology, social issues and current affairs. Work on précis, comprehension and grammar-based errors. | General: Management, Finance, Financial System, Financial Markets, Regulatory Bodies, Derivatives, Financial Inclusion, Taxation and GST. Research: Statistical Inference, Sampling Techniques, Testing of Hypothesis, Economic Statistics. Actuary: Group Insurance, Health Insurance, Pension, Product Design, Pricing, Distribution, Underwriting and Claims. Official Language: Translation practice, legal terminology, pension, banking, capital market and economic terminology. |
Week 3 29 October–4 November | Increase writing speed and practise complete descriptive papers. Focus on logical flow, introduction, main content and conclusion. Check grammar, spelling and word usage after every practice test. | General: Cost & Management Accounting, Costing Methods, Standard Costing, Marginal Costing, Budgeting, Companies Act and Economics. Research: Time Series Analysis, Operations Research, Statistical Quality Control, Statistical Computing. Actuary: Investment, Reinsurance, Life Insurance, Annuities, Valuation, Solvency and Specialist Insurance Areas. Official Language: English-Hindi and Hindi-English translation, legal terminology and specialised financial and pension terminology. |
Week 4 5–11 November | Take regular full-length Descriptive English tests within the 60-minute limit. Practise all three questions and improve answer presentation, relevance and time management. | General: Pension Sector, NPS, APY, Annuity Plans, basics of investment, AI/ML, Media, Marketing Management, Marketing Research, Digital Marketing, Brand Management and Marketing & Communication. Research: Revise Statistics, Probability, Sampling, Hypothesis Testing, Time Series and Operations Research. Solve mixed numerical and conceptual questions. Actuary: Revise Insurance, Management, Investment, Reinsurance, Annuities, Valuation and Solvency. Practise application-based questions. Official Language: Full translation practice, legal terminology and revision of pension, banking, capital market and social security terminology. |
Week 5 12–18 November | Attempt full-length descriptive mocks. Focus on completing all three questions within the time limit. Revise common grammar mistakes, vocabulary and important writing structures. | General: Complete revision of the entire syllabus. Focus on PFRDA Act, Pension Sector, Finance, Economics, Commerce & Accountancy, Companies Act and newly added areas. Solve mixed Professional Knowledge mocks. Research: Full syllabus revision with special focus on formulas, concepts, numerical questions and weak areas. Actuary: Full syllabus revision with focus on important insurance concepts, actuarial applications, management and previously incorrect questions. Official Language: Full revision of translation, terminology, Official Language Policy and legal/financial terminology. |
Final 2 Days 19 November | Do light revision only. Review essay structure, précis approach, important vocabulary and common grammar mistakes. Avoid lengthy practice sessions. | General: Revise short notes, PFRDA Act, Pension Sector, important provisions, formulas and key concepts. Focus on previously incorrect questions. Research: Revise formulas, important statistical concepts and difficult topics. Actuary: Revise key insurance, pension, investment, reinsurance, valuation and management concepts.Official Language: Revise important terminology, translation rules and short notes. |
| 20 November – Exam Day | Stay calm and manage the 60-minute paper carefully. Read each question properly, plan your answers and leave a few minutes for checking grammar and spelling. | Attempt the Professional Knowledge paper with a focus on accuracy and question selection. Revise only short notes before the exam and avoid starting any new topic. |
What is the PFRDA Grade A phase 2 exam pattern?
Phase 2 consists of two papers. Paper 1 is a descriptive English paper, while Paper 2 is an objective professional knowledge paper.
Paper 2 has negative marking of one-fourth marks for incorrect answers. Paper 1 is evaluated only for candidates who qualify Paper 2.
| 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 |
Since Paper 2 is common in terms of syllabus across Phase 1 and Phase 2, candidates should prepare professional subjects with both stages in mind.
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
Download PFRDA Grade A Previous Year Papers PDF
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 Paper 2 syllabus for General Stream?
The General Stream Paper 2 syllabus is common to both Phase 1 and Phase 2. 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, approach, broad trends and Economic Survey |
| C: Commerce & Accountancy | Accounting system, Accounting Standards, depreciation, inventories, revenue recognition, fixed assets, foreign exchange transactions, investments, cash flow, fund flow, financial statement analysis, ratio analysis, share capital, bonus shares, rights shares, ESOP, buy-back and company final accounts |
| D: Management | Nature and scope of management, management processes, planning, organisation, staffing, directing, controlling, leadership, HRD, motivation, morale, incentives and communication |
| E: Finance | Financial system, regulatory bodies, financial markets, derivatives, financial inclusion, alternate sources of finance, PPP, taxation, GST, Finance Commission, fiscal policy, FRBM and inflation |
| F: Costing | Cost and management accounting, methods of costing, standard costing, marginal costing, budgeting, JIT, Kaizen, 5S, TPM, Six Sigma and BPR |
| G: Companies Act | Companies Act, 2013: Chapters III, IV, VIII, X, XI, XII and XXVII |
| H: Economics | Demand and supply, market structures, national income, classical and Keynesian approaches, consumption, investment, multiplier, accelerator, money, IS-LM, inflation, Phillips Curve, business cycles, BoP, forex, monetary and fiscal policy, NBFCs |
| I: Pension Sector | Pension sector in India, retirement schemes, NPS, Atal Pension Yojana, annuity plans and basics of investment |
| J: Artificial Intelligence/ML | Machine Learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, data preprocessing, model evaluation, NLP, sentiment analysis, overfitting, underfitting, LLMs, Agentic AI, Responsible AI, cross-validation and reinforcement learning |
| K: Media | Micro-targeting, consumer behaviour, media convergence, VR/AR, digital divide, audience reception, cultural representation, digital entertainment platforms, social media algorithms, market trends, global practices and negotiation skills |
| L: Marketing & Communication | Marketing management, marketing research, marketing planning and strategies, marketing types, product management, pricing, distribution, promotion mix, sales, brand management, digital marketing, financial literacy, active listening, body language, verbal clarity, written etiquette, conflict resolution, feedback, public speaking, emotional intelligence, verbal tone and pitch |
What are the major changes in the PFRDA Grade A Paper 2 syllabus of General Stream?
The PFRDA Grade A General Stream Paper 2 syllabus has been expanded in 2026. Along with the existing seven subjects, the revised syllabus adds PFRDA Act, Union Budget & Economic Survey, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Media, and Marketing & Communication. Candidates who have prepared as per the previous syllabus can continue with their existing preparation and cover these five new areas.
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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 |
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What common mistakes should you avoid during PFRDA Grade A preparation?
Avoiding common mistakes can greatly improve your chances of success in the PFRDA Grade A exam. Many aspirants unknowingly lose marks or waste time because of small errors in planning, practice, or revision. Being aware of these pitfalls and taking corrective steps can help you prepare efficiently and perform confidently on exam day.
- Ignoring Current Affairs and Financial Awareness: Daily updates on national and international news, banking, and pension sector developments are important. Don't rely only on monthly summaries; start early and stay consistent.
- Over-focusing on Strong Areas: While it's tempting to spend time on topics you enjoy, neglecting weaker subjects can reduce your overall score. Balance your preparation across all sections.
- Skipping Regular Revision: Without revisiting topics, it's easy to forget what you've studied. Set weekly revision goals to reinforce your learning.
- Neglecting Mock Test Analysis: Mock tests are useful only if you review mistakes. Track errors, time management, and weak areas to improve your performance.
- Procrastinating Descriptive Paper Practice: Start practicing Phase 2 descriptive writing early. Focus on structured answers, clarity, and time management.
- Ignoring the Exam Pattern and Syllabus: Understanding the full syllabus and exam pattern prevents last-minute surprises and ensures focused preparation.
- Unrealistic Scheduling: Overambitious plans can lead to stress and burnout. Make a realistic timetable, allow flexibility, and include buffer days.
