What IRDAI Grade A is
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India recruits Assistant Managers at Grade A through this exam, into India’s insurance sector regulator. IRDAI oversees insurance companies and intermediaries rather than selling insurance itself, and it recruits across several specialisation streams (such as Generalist, Actuarial, Finance, Legal and IT, as notified each cycle) alongside similar regulatory bodies such as SEBI, PFRDA and IFSCA.
Candidates choose a specialisation stream at the time of application, and the exact qualification required depends on which stream a candidate has chosen.
Who can apply
A Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university is required for every stream; the Generalist stream accepts any discipline, while streams such as Actuarial, Finance, Legal and IT require the relevant discipline or professional qualification specified in the notification (for example, progress in the actuarial examinations for the Actuarial stream, or a law degree for the Legal stream). The general age limit is up 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
Phase I is an objective screening test of 160 questions for 160 marks, covering Reasoning, English Language, General Awareness, and Quantitative Aptitude, with negative marking of 0.25 marks per wrong answer as specified in the notification. Only candidates who clear the Phase I cutoff advance.
Phase II is a descriptive examination of three papers taken in one sitting: Paper I on English, Paper II on Economic and Social Issues impacting insurance, and Paper III on Insurance and Management. This tests depth in the field and written expression rather than general aptitude alone.
Candidates who clear Phase II sit an Interview. Final selection combines Phase II marks and Interview marks in the proportion IRDAI specifies each cycle.
Preparing the application
IRDAI 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 IRDAI website, linked above, carries the current specialisation streams, vacancies, syllabus, and schedule for the cycle you are applying to.