NABARD Grade A
Now that the NABARD notification for 2021 is expected and much-awaited, there must be several doubts in the aspirants’ minds regarding the preparation strategy that should be followed in order to crack the upcoming NABARD Grade A exam. Amidst the infinite sources of information guiding you on how to prepare for the Nabard exam, what’s better than a preparation strategy coming straight from the horse’s mouth.
ixamBee is glad to share the success story of Vinay Verma who was able to crack the NABARD Grade A exam in his second attempt!!
Vinay’s Background
- 2013 IIT Delhi pass-out
- 3 years job experience in the Trading sector
- Started with UPSC preparations in 2016
- Cleared NABARD Grade A exam in 2020
Excerpts from Vinay’s Interview with Anshul Malik (ixamBee’s Reasoning Mentor)
Anshul: How does it feel like to become a NABARD Grade ‘A’ Officer?
Vinay: It’s more like a psychological win as I was initially preparing for UPSC, and I later saw that I could cater to the same kind of society through this organization also, so it feels quite good that I am a part of a good public sector organization.
Anshul: For how long have you been preparing for this exam & were you preparing for any other exams as well?
Vinay: Well, It was my second attempt and I hadn’t been preparing for long. I started preparing for NABARD Grade A only when the notification came. Due to Corona, there were no other exams scheduled and therefore I was completely focused on this one completely.
Anshul: As we know that there are many phases in NABARD Grade A like Phase 1, 2 & Interview, kindly share what was your preparation strategy for Phase 1?
Vinay: Phase 1 has around 7 sections in NABARD and according to me one should be aware of his/her strengths & weaknesses. For me (coming from an Engineering background), Quant, Reasoning & English were quite easy, so my strategy was to score somewhere between 65-70 out of 80 in these and keep the rest on an average level.
Tip: You should not neglect any section, but try to score maximum in the sections you are good at and score average in the weaker sections.
Anshul: What do you have to share with us for the General Awareness preparation?
Vinay: As you know, the GA questions are quite diverse and are asked from different subjects like Sports, National News, etc. You can either ‘know’ or ‘not know’ any answer.
Tip: Study the same news from different sources so that it can get imprinted in your mind. It develops a familiarity with many names, organizations, etc. It is all about connecting the keywords.
Anshul: How much time is needed for ARD & ESI preparation and how to strategize for these sections?
Vinay: If you are preparing for the first time, people from a non-agricultural background have to first study the ARD static which is the toughest part. Once you are able to go through it, it will be easier for you to prepare in one and a half months. You need to be really thorough with the static portion including current affairs which cover a major part of the questions.
Tip: Try to score average level marks and the major focus should be on the English Language in Phase 2.
Lesson to learn: The English section can be really scoring which most of the candidates tend to ignore. With the syllabus being too diverse, the paper can really surprise you with ‘out-of-syllabus questions’, therefore focusing on sections as the Descriptive English can really close the deal for you.
Anshul: According to you, how important is attempting mock tests and how did you incorporate it into your schedule?
Vinay: I believe that mock tests are equally important when it comes to such competitive exams because regardless of how much you study or what number of sources you might have referred to, you will never know the answers to all the questions. Thus, you need to devise a strategy where you can score a minimum of 60-65 marks.
Tip: Attempts mock daily! You should be well aware of your accuracy in any particular section and have enough clarity where you can decide which questions can be answered by guesswork and which should be ignored.
Anshul: What kind of strategy or fast tips would you like to share with those aspirants who will be preparing for NABARD for the first time?
Vinay: If your depth of knowledge is good, and you can present yourself well, you will be able to clear the exam and the Interview as well. Two months should be enough to prepare including ESI or ARD.
Tip: You should be well aware of your strengths so that you can work on them. You should also be familiar with all the concepts.
Anshul: How did ixamBee help you in your journey?
Vinay: ixamBee helped me in two areas – Mock tests & Interview preparation.
“The only mock Interview that I attended was at ixamBee which was conducted only two days prior to the scheduled interview. It gave me a lot of confidence to face the real Interview panel”.
Vinay’s Views on Mock Tests
- Mock tests help you in analyzing where you stand in your preparation and how good your guesswork is.
- Mock tests also add a lot to your knowledge.
- Mock tests help you analyze how well you will be able to cope in adverse situations where you don’t know the answers to all questions. You can judge your readiness with these mock tests.
Practice NABARD Grade A Phase 1 & Phase 2 mock tests here.
Vinay’s hard but also smart work led him to victory.
You can also watch the video below to take inputs from what all Vinay had to share with us:
If you want to receive complete guidance regarding NABARD Grade A preparation, get yourself enrolled in our NABARD Grade A Online Course and leave all your worries behind.
We also provide NABARD Grade A ESI & ARD online course.
Also Read:
Sky is not the Limit for Manisha Duhan: NABARD Grade A Success Story
SEBI Grade A Legal 2020-21: Suman Meena’s Success Story
