NABARD Grade A 2026 Syllabus – Phase I & Phase II (All Streams)

NABARD Grade A 2026

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentGraduate (60% aggregate) hard

Phase I Syllabus – Preliminary Examination

SectionMarksKey Topics
Test of Reasoning20Puzzles & Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Inequality, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Alphanumeric Series, Order & Ranking, Input-Output
English Language40Reading Comprehension (2–3 passages), Cloze Test, Error Detection, Para Jumbles, Fill in the Blanks, Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, One Word Substitution)
Computer Knowledge20Computer Basics (Hardware, Software, OS), MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Internet, Networking, Database basics, Computer Security, Shortcuts
General Awareness20Current Affairs (last 6 months), Banking & Financial Awareness, NABARD-specific content (functions, schemes, refinance), Government Agricultural Schemes, RBI policies, Static GK
Quantitative Aptitude20Data Interpretation (Bar, Line, Pie, Table), Simplification, Number Series, Arithmetic (Percentage, Ratio, SI/CI, Profit-Loss, Time-Work), Quadratic Equations
Economic & Social Issues (ESI)40Indian Economic Growth, Monetary & Fiscal Policy, Inflation, Banking Sector, Poverty & Inequality, Social Development (Health, Education), Agriculture in India, External Sector, Government Schemes
Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD)40Crop Production & Agronomy, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Agricultural Finance (Kisan Credit Card, PMFBY), Rural Development Schemes (MGNREGA, PMGSY), Watershed Management, Cooperative Credit, Microfinance, SHGs, NABARD's Role

Phase II Syllabus

PaperTypeMarksTopics
Paper I: English (Descriptive)Descriptive100Essay Writing (~600 words), Précis Writing, Reading Comprehension (passage analysis), Letter/Report Writing
Paper II: ESI / ARD / SpecialistDescriptive + Objective100ESI/ARD topics at conceptual depth; specialist stream topics for Agriculture, Legal, IT, Finance, CA, Rajbhasha candidates

ARD High-Yield Topics for Phase I & II

  • NABARD's refinance mechanisms (Short-term/Long-term credit to cooperative banks, RRBs)
  • KCC (Kisan Credit Card) – limits, eligibility, interest subvention
  • PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana) – premium structure, claims
  • Watershed Development Fund (WDF), RIDF (Rural Infrastructure Development Fund)
  • Priority Sector Lending (PSL) – agriculture sub-targets (18% of ANBC)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What makes NABARD Grade A syllabus different from RBI Grade B?

NABARD Grade A has a distinct Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD) section (40 marks in Phase I) covering crop sciences, rural schemes, cooperative credit, and NABARD-specific programmes. RBI Grade B has no such section. ESI is common to both but NABARD's ESI has heavier agricultural policy focus.

Q.Is the ARD section mandatory for all streams in Phase I?

Yes. ARD (40 marks) is part of Phase I for all streams including General, IT, Legal, and Finance candidates. Specialist Agriculture stream candidates additionally have ARD-focused Phase II questions. This unique requirement makes NABARD Grade A distinctly different from commercial bank exams.

Q.What topics are most important in NABARD ARD section?

Focus on: NABARD's refinance and developmental role, Kisan Credit Card, PMFBY, RIDF, Priority Sector Lending agriculture sub-targets, cooperative credit structure, SHGs, microfinance, and key rural development schemes (MGNREGA, PMGSY, PMKSY). NABARD's own annual reports are an excellent source.

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