Before taking any exam, we must first understand what it entails. Each exam is different and requires a proactive strategy. The same is true for the NABARD Grade A exam. Although the exam is easy, the limited number of seats makes it one of the most difficult in India.
Always strive for the highest possible score in the NABARD Grade A exam. When you start planning today, ensure you are moving in the right direction. In this article, we will discuss the 60-day study plan for Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) and the Economic and Social Issues (ESI) section of the NABARD Grade A exam preparation.
First, let’s check some important things for the NABARD test that will certainly assist you in your exam preparation.
Why NABARD Grade A?
The work profile of a NABARD Grade A officer is a managerial profile that is responsible for managing innumerable tasks. As a manager, you are expected to perform all types of roles that occur in the company. Your responsibilities can be aligned with different departments. Although NABARD is an organization constituted chiefly to assist Agriculture and Rural Development projects, that does not mean that all the officers will have to work in rural areas.
NABARD headquarter is in Mumbai and all the other working offices are located in the state capitals only. Therefore, the postings are generally circumscribed in the state capitals only.
Before you go ahead, it is also important to understand the NABARD Grade A salary. NABARD Assistant Managers (Grade A post) have a basic salary of Rs.28150/- p.m. on the scale of 28150-1550(4) -34350-1750(7) – 46600 –EB – 1750(4)- 53600-2000(1)-55600. At present, initial monthly gross emoluments stand at approximately Rs.70,000/- p.m.
When it comes to promotions, one can only be promoted after passing departmental exams and interviews. However, since this is an administrative position, further promotions would almost certainly result in a significant increase in rank and pay.
NABARD Grade A Exam Preparation
To begin your exam preparation, start with the exam pattern for both phases. Given below is the exam pattern for the NABARD Grade A Phase 1 examination.
Exam Pattern for NABARD Grade A Phase 1
| S.No. | Name of the Test | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
| 1. | Reasoning Ability | 20 | 20 |
| 2. | English Language | 40 | 40 |
| 3. | Computer Knowledge | 20 | 20 |
| 4. | General Awareness | 20 | 20 |
| 5. | Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 20 |
| 6. | Economics & Social Issues (with focus on Rural India) | 40 | 40 |
| 7. | Agriculture & Rural Development (with focus on Rural India) | 40 | 40 |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
The most important thing to remember about the NABARD Grade A Phase 1 exam is that it is a qualifying exam. This is good news because you shouldn’t put too much emphasis on getting high grades. You can concentrate on clearing this paper.
Since you only have so much time, you don’t want to waste it on a qualifying paper and neglect NABARD Grade A Phase 2, which is more necessary. Candidates who pass the Phase 1 NABARD Grade A exam and meet the cutoff will be qualified to take the Phase 2 exam.
Exam Pattern for NABARD Grade A Phase 2
| Exam | Post | Name of the Test | Maximum Marks | Total Time |
| Paper 1 (Descriptive Test) | Common to all | General English Essay writing: 40 Marks Precis: 20 Marks Questions on the Precis Para: 20 Marks Report/ Letter Writing: 20 Marks | 100 | 90 Minutes |
| Paper 2 | For ‘General’ Post | Economic & Social Issues and Agriculture & Rural Development (with focus on Rural India) | 100 | 90 Minutes |
The important thing to remember here is that the marks secured in the NABARD Grade A Phase 2 – Online Mains examination will be counted for final selection. So prepare very well for this exam.
Also See: NABARD Grade A Syllabus
Agriculture and Rural Development: Preparation Strategy
The Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) section is widely regarded as the most difficult section of the paper. Since this section is objective, aspirants must be responsive to the underlying tone of the questions in the paper. Even in this context, the golden rule is to avoid making wild guesses when attempting. An attempt of 25-30 questions with good accuracy in this section can be considered good.
Don’t panic if you are a Non-Agri student: The syllabus is very basic and can be covered with a month of preparation. If you are a non-agri student then don’t panic. With a systematic approach, you will be able to crack the exam.
Study General and basic agriculture: Stick to the basics. Most aspirants tend to avoid basics. Make your fundamentals strong and study general and basic agriculture.
Focus on Agronomy and soil science: Go through the introduction part of agronomy and soil science. Look into the syllabus to know the topics you need to study.
The Scoring part is current agriculture: Current affairs form the core of most government exams. The case is also true in the ARD section of the NABARD Grade A exam. Go through the developmental schemes, their date of implementation, objectives and the areas to which they are dedicated. Focus on PIB, Latest Schemes, Kurukshetra and Yojana magazines. Cover all the related general awareness topics of the last six months.
NABARD Grade A Study Plan
| Important Static Agri Topics (30+15 days) | Important Dynamic Agri Topics (30+15+15days ) |
| General Agriculture Agronomy Cropping Pattern and concepts Types of farming Crop Production (Cereals and pulses) Soil Science Indian soil classification Soil properties Soil Nutrients and fertility Irrigation & its types Horticulture General Horticulture Fruit ScienceVegetable science Animal Husbandry Cattle rearing Poultry Fisheries Farm engineering | PIB updates Ministries update Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry of Rural Development Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Dairying Ministry of MSME Ministry of Food Processing Industries Ministry of Jal Shakti Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Development Magazines Kurukshetra Yojana Production data, estimates, and MSP NABARD bankable projects ICAR, KVK updates Current affairs related to Agri and RD Various Reports- NABARD annual report, ISFR report, various indexes, etc. |
It is predicted by our exam experts that the NABARD Grade A Notification can come anytime soon. So, you have at least two months for your NABARD Grade A preparation after the notification is released.
Cover the static agriculture topics mentioned above in 30 days and keep the next 15 days to revise these topics. So, the strategy for you is 30+15 days.
The Dynamic agriculture topics mentioned above are of extreme importance. Your strategy for this section can be devised in 30+15+15 days.
Cover these topics in 30 days and after 30 days attempt one mock test to check your knowledge. The basic knowledge about the topics can be attained in these 30 days and after you get the basic understanding of the topics, read the core concepts of these topics in the next 15 days.
In these 15 days, get a thorough understanding of the concepts. Attempt mock tests and analyze which areas you need to work on.
In the last 15 days of your dynamic agriculture preparation read the data related to the topics. Data part should be covered in the last because data keeps on changing. Thus, it is the best strategy to memorize the data of various topics, schemes or latest updates 15 days prior to the exam.
Economic and Social Issues: Preparation Strategy
The ESI segment has some very clear links to general knowledge and rural India issues. Any policies that have the potential to impact the social system fall under the purview of this section., Therefore, it is critical to use the insight and information gained from researching the current affairs section.
The exam, while very prestigious, does not have any out-of-the-ordinary characteristics, and if the aspirant moves smartly, there is almost no chance of them failing to achieve the target.
Refer to the syllabus provided by NABARD. The following is a list of topics that appeared in NABARD’s Economic and Social Issues [ESI] paper from the previous year. Please keep in mind that the following list is indicative and not exhaustive:
- Nature of the Indian Economy
- Structural and Institutional features
- Economic underdevelopment
- Opening up the Indian Economy
- Globalization
- Economic
- Reforms in India– Privatisation
- Inflation
- Employment Generation in India – Rural and Urban
- Measurement of Poverty – Poverty Alleviation Programmes of the Government
- Population Trends – Population
- Growth and Economic Development – Population Policy in India
- Agriculture Industry
- Rural banking and financial institutions in India
- Reforms in Banking/ Financial sector
- Globalization of Economy
- Social Structure in India
- Education
- Social Justice
Types of questions
- Questions about economic and social welfare schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Jan Aushadi, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY)
- Government-created committees such as the Shanta Kumar Committee, as well as social sector programs and missions (such as Indradhanush) initiated by the government
- India’s rankings on various indices
- Poverty Reduction and Population Policy in India
- Autonomous agencies established by the Government of India, such as the National Skill Development Agency established by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
- Economic Survey-Related Questions
- Economic current events on issues such as the department of disinvestment, overdrafts, and so on
NABARD ESI Static and Dynamic Topics Preparation
- Learn about different economic principles for the static section, as well as social reforms, censuses, schemes, and so on
- Read the full names of schemes rather than their abbreviated versions. Most questions on the exam will only have the abbreviated version. As a result, knowing the complete forms of the schemes and sub-schemes is important.
- Spend equal time on the static portion of the syllabus of Economic and Social Issues as well as current affairs relevant to these static topics. In the ESI Phases 1 & 2 of the NABARD Grade A test, you should anticipate questions from static as well as current affairs.
- Many of the questions in the NABARD Grade A previous year’s Economic and Social Issues paper were focused on current events reported in newspapers such as the Hindu and magazines such as Yojana and Kurukshetra, as well as the economic survey, union budget, and various government schemes.
- We recommend that you cover the last six months’ current events relevant to economic and social issues. It is important that you remember statistics and figures such as percentages and other numbers.
- The questions are focused on various government policies in the economic field, banking, and social problems in our community, among other things. Follow economic and social news on a daily basis, and read government publications.
NABARD ESI Study Material
- Important Reports
- The Economic Survey of India
- The Union Budget
- Press Information Bureau [PIB]
- Policy reviews of the Government of India
- Current Affairs Magazines
- Yojana
- Pratiyogita Darpan
- Frontline
- Other study material
- The Hindu Newspaper
- The Economic Times Newspaper
To know more about the strategy to clear NABARD Grade A exam watch the video below.
Prepare with ixamBee
The key to clear and excel in the NABARD Grade A examination is a focused study, and therefore, we have designed a comprehensive NABARD Grade A Online Course prepared by our experts. In spite of the syllabus being exhaustive, we have devised the strategy and prepared such a course structure that enables you to not only clear but also excel in the NABARD Grade A exams.
To help you prepare 50% faster for competitive exams, ixamBee provides free Mock Test Series and all the Current Affairs in English and Current Affairs in Hindi in the BeePedia capsules for GA Preparation. You can also get the latest updates for Bank PO, Bank Clerk, SSC, RBI Grade B, NABARD, and Other Government Jobs.
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