NABARD Examinations (Grade A & Development Assistant) — Eligibility, Syllabus & Exam Pattern
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is India's apex development financial institution. It conducts its own recruitment for key positions like Grade A Officer (Assistant Manager) and Development Assistant. These roles are crucial for implementing development projects in rural India. The selection process for Grade A involves three phases (Prelims, Mains, Interview), while for Development Assistant, it involves two phases (Prelims, Mains) followed by a language test.
📌 Eligibility Criteria
Nationality
A candidate for both posts must be a citizen of India.
1. NABARD Grade A Officer (Assistant Manager)
- Age Limit: 21 to 30 years.
- Educational Qualification:
- Generalist: A Bachelor's degree in any discipline with a minimum of 60% marks (50% for SC/ST/PWBD).
- Specialist: A specific Bachelor's or Master's degree relevant to the post (e.g., Agriculture, Finance, Forestry) with a minimum percentage of marks.
2. NABARD Development Assistant
- Age Limit: 21 to 35 years.
- Educational Qualification: A Bachelor's degree in any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks.
Age relaxation is available for reserved categories (OBC, SC/ST, PwBD) as per government rules.
✍️ Exam Syllabus & Pattern
1. NABARD Grade A Officer
Phase-I: Preliminary Exam (Qualifying - 200 Marks)
| Section | Questions | 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 |
| Economic & Social Issues (focus on Rural India) | 40 | 40 |
| Agriculture & Rural Development (focus on Rural India) | 40 | 40 |
The merit section for shortlisting consists of General Awareness, ESI, and ARD. Other sections are qualifying.
Phase-II: Main Exam
- Paper I: General English (Descriptive) - 100 Marks, 90 Minutes.
- Paper II (Generalist): Economic & Social Issues and Agriculture & Rural Development (Objective + Descriptive) - 100 Marks, 90 Minutes.
- Paper II (Specialist): Stream-Specific Paper (Objective + Descriptive) - 100 Marks, 90 Minutes.
Phase-III: Interview (50 Marks)
Candidates who clear the Main exam are called for an interview.
2. NABARD Development Assistant
Preliminary Exam (100 Marks)
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 1 Hour (Composite) |
| Numerical Ability | 30 | 30 | |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 |
Main Exam (200 Marks)
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 |
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 40 |
| Test of English Language (Descriptive) | - | 50 |
Language Proficiency Test (LPT)
Candidates who clear the main exam must qualify a local language test. This is qualifying in nature.
General Syllabus for Key Subjects
- Reasoning Ability: Puzzles, Seating Arrangements, Syllogism, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding.
- Quantitative/Numerical Ability: Data Interpretation, Simplification, Number Series, and Arithmetic problems.
- English Language: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Spotting, and for descriptive papers, Essay, Précis, & Letter Writing.
- Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD): All aspects of agriculture, soil science, water resources, animal husbandry, and rural development programs.
- Economic & Social Issues (ESI): Nature of the Indian Economy, poverty alleviation, social structure, economic reforms, and rural/social infrastructure.
👉 Note
- For full official syllabus & eligibility, refer to official website.
☞ Tip for Aspirants: Always refer to the latest official notification for syllabus and eligibility details as they may change year to year.