The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority or PFRDA released its official notification on August 12, 2021, for the recruitment of officers in Grade ‘A’. The online application window is open till September 16, 2021. So, if you want to apply, you should do that immediately without further delay.
A total of 14 vacancies have been announced, 5 for the Generalist post and 9 for Specialist Officers. Take a look at all the PFRDA vacancies for 2021. Since the exam pattern for all the streams is the same, first let us look at the exam pattern in brief before we move on to understand how we can prepare for each stream.
If you are preparing for more than one stream for this recruitment cycle, we have prepared some tips on how you can prepare for all the streams together!
PFRDA Recruitment Exam Pattern
Those aspirants looking to clear the PFRDA Exam need to be aware of the exam pattern. We have provided you a detailed look at the exam pattern below.
The exam is conducted in 3 phases.
- Phase 1- Online Screening Examination
- Phase 2-Online Examination
- Phase 3- Interview
Paper 1 is common for all streams in both Phase 1 and Phase 2. Similarly, Paper 2 is stream-specific in both Phase 1 and Phase 2. In essence, 2 out of 4 papers are the same for all candidates. The other 2 papers will test them on their professional knowledge, this case Finance & Accounts.
Candidates will be invited for the Interview based on their performance in Phase 2. The final merit is announced based on 85% marks obtained in the PFRDA Exam Phase 2 and 15% of marks earned in the Interview.
Take a look at the PFRDA syllabus for all the streams.
PFRDA Recruitment Finance & Accounts Syllabus
For anyone hoping to clear the PFRDA Finance & Accounts Exam, they need to be aware of the PFRDA Exam Pattern and Syllabus for a detailed understanding of the exam. The detailed syllabus for the PFRDA Finance & Accounts exam has been given below.
| Subjects | Syllabus |
| The Basic Financial Statement | Trial Balance Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, Income Statement Analysis of Financial Statement Ratio, Break Even Analysis, IND AS, Standard on Auditing Cost accounting concepts (basics) Marginal costing, Cost volume profit analysis, Cost sheet, Forecasting Management accounting Cost of capital, Capital structure, Capital budgeting, Sources of finance, corporate accounting Business Law Negotiable instruments Important Acts: Contract act, Partnership act, Company law, Income Tax Act, GST Knowledge of IT and Digital Transaction, Compliance of KYC Norms Financial System: Role and Functions of Regulatory bodies in Financial Sector, Financial Markets: Primary and Secondary Markets (Forex, Money, Bond, Equity, etc.), functions, instruments, recent developments. Basics of Derivatives: Forward, Futures and Swap, Recent Developments in the Financial Sector, Financial Inclusion- use of technology, Alternate source of finance, private and social cost-benefit, Public-Private Partnership, Direct and Indirect taxes; Non-tax sources of Revenue, Finance Commission, Fiscal Policy, Fiscal, Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) Inflation: Definition, trends, estimates, consequences, and remedies (control) WPI, CPI – components and trends Economics: Capital market, Money market, Micro and macroeconomics concepts and Updates related to money market and RBI policies |
Please note, the syllabus is the same for both phases of the exam.
PFRDA Recruitment Finance & Accounts Preparation Strategy
Although the exam dates have not yet been announced, this is not an excuse to procrastinate. Instead, you should use this time to the fullest to prepare well for this exceedingly important exam of your life. We have laid down a blueprint for a preparation strategy that you should refer to and customize to your needs.
Use this plan to excel at this exam.
- First, study the prescribed syllabus in detail so you don’t miss any topic or theme.
- Spread the syllabus out through the course of the week.
- You can alternate between an aptitude test subject and Finance topic. For example, if you are preparing some Reasoning topics on one day, choose a Finance & Accounts topic to study for the next day.
- If you need more time per topic, you can use the same method and focus on one subject for 2 days at a stretch.
- Alternating between subjects will make your study more enjoyable and your routine will not feel monotonous.
- You must bear in mind that you have to prepare for 2 aptitude papers as well. So, you must divide your time in such a way that you can cover all the topics from all the subjects.
- Do not get overwhelmed. On the outset it might look like you have 4 papers to take in all, however, the syllabus is quite basic and more importantly, you have plenty of time to study if you begin right away.
- Prepare for both the Prelims and Mains together. Since the Professional Knowledge syllabus is the same for both phases, you must double your efforts when preparing for it. Do not use the commonality of the syllabus as an excuse to study it later.
- Similarly, you must take note that the English language syllabus for Phase 1 and Phase 2 is different and so is the pattern of assessment. The first paper is objective while the second is descriptive. So, prepare accordingly.
- Remember to take a break when you need it.
If you prepared for or have been preparing for the SEBI Grade A exam, then you should also prepare for this exam as the syllabi is largely the same.
PFRDA Recruitment Finance & Accounts Important Books
If you are preparing for the PFRDA Finance & Accounts Exam, you definitely need to know some of the important books that will help you clear the exam easily. We have compiled a list of books that will help you prepare for the exam.
| Book | Author |
| Padhuka’s Basics of General Economics | G. Shekhar |
| Interest Rates and Inflation in India: Issues and Concerns | K.R Gupta |
| Financial management | I M Pandey |
| Financial management: Theory and Practice | Prasanna Chandra |
| Cost accounting | Grewal and Gupta |
| Financial Accounting Essentials You Always Wanted to Know` | Kalpesh Ashar |
| Padhuka’s Students’ Handbook on Auditing & Assurance | G.Sekar and Saravana Prasad |
| Management Accounting | R.S.N. Pillai and V. Bagavathi |
Other Resources
You should also take a look at some of these other resources as you prepare for your exam.
- ICAI website
- Financial dailies like The Economic Times, Business Standard, Financial Express and such.
- Magazines like Business Today and Outlook Business
- ixamBee’s BeePedia
ixamBee: Your Holistic Study Resource
However, only self-study will not be sufficient for an exam as challenging and competitive as this. What you also need is step-by-step guidance and some assistance to ensure that you clear this exam with flying colours. Since the openings are few in number, you cannot take any risk or leave any room for callousness.
This is why, what you need is ixamBee! Our exhaustive PFRDA Finance and Accounts Online Course has been curated just for you! Our course will provide you with:
- More than 500 video Lessons cover the whole syllabus
- More than 200 Study Notes in PDF format
- as per the new exam pattern
- 15 Full-length Practice Tests for Phase I exam
- 10 Full-length Practice Tests for Phase 2 exam
- 10,000 Practice questions based on the latest pattern
- More than 75 Chapter Tests for easy understanding of concepts
- Daily Live Online Classes for doubt clarification with the subject experts
- Our experts will provide Mentorship, Guidance, Tips, and Preparation strategies at each stage of preparation
- Mock interviews for Group Discussion and Interview Round
We hope you will make the most of this opportunity and fill in an application for the PFRDA exam. For any assistance and queries, ixamBee is here for you.
Team ixamBee wishes you all the very best!
To help you prepare 50% faster for competitive exams, ixamBee provides a 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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