What NABARD Grade A is
NABARD, the apex development bank for agriculture and rural India, recruits Assistant Managers at Grade A through this exam. It sits apart from the general public sector banking exams on this site (IBPS PO, SBI PO) because NABARD is a development finance institution with a policy and project mandate around agriculture and rural credit, not a commercial retail bank, and several specialisation streams (such as Agricultural Extension, Rural Development, or Environmental Engineering) recruit alongside the generalist stream.
Candidates choose a specialisation stream at the time of application, and the Main Examination’s third paper is specific to that stream, so preparation differs meaningfully depending on which stream a candidate picks.
Who can apply
A Bachelor’s degree with a minimum percentage (relaxed for reserved categories) in a discipline relevant to the chosen specialisation stream is required, as specified in the notification. Some streams also require a relevant postgraduate qualification. The general age band is roughly 21 to 30 years as on the date specified in the notification, with standard relaxations for reserved categories and persons with disability.
How the exam runs
The Preliminary Examination is an objective test covering Reasoning, English Language, Computer Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness with a focus on the economy, agriculture and rural development, with negative marking for wrong answers as specified in the notification. Only candidates who clear the Preliminary cutoff advance.
The Main Examination combines a paper on Economic and Social Issues, a Descriptive English paper, and a paper specific to the candidate’s chosen specialisation stream, testing depth in that stream rather than general aptitude alone.
Candidates who clear the Main Examination sit an Interview. Final selection combines Main Examination marks and Interview marks as NABARD specifies each cycle.
Preparing the application
NABARD specifies exact photograph and signature requirements in each notification rather than a fixed year to year standard, so check the current notification’s dimensions and file size before uploading. The tools on this site can resize your photograph to whatever specific target the notification states.
On exam day
Arrive at least an hour before the reporting time on your admit card, with the printed admit card and a government photo identification matching the name and photo on the admit card. No electronic devices are permitted inside the exam centre.
The official NABARD website, linked above, carries the current specialisation streams, vacancies, syllabus, and schedule for the cycle you are applying to.