NABARD Grade A Exam Survival Guide

Window: India | Agriculture + Rural Development + Finance

Must-do topics

• ARD: crops, soil, irrigation, animal husbandry, agri-tech, rural programs
• Economy: inflation, monetary policy, priority sector lending, financial inclusion
• GA: schemes (PMFBY, PMKSY, SHG, NRLM, MGNREGA), reports, current affairs
• Reasoning/Quant/English: same as RBI/SEBI prep

Top traps (avoid)

• Focusing only on current affairs; exam loves static agriculture
• Mixing scheme features/ministries
• Forgetting PSL targets (40% → 18% agri, 7.5% MSME, etc.)
• Quant: wasting time on lengthy DI puzzles

Time split

• Phase I: 200 Q, 2 hrs
• Phase II: 3 papers (econ/finance, ARD, English)
• Interview: rural development, policy application

Last-48h checklist

• Agri scheme table: crop insurance, irrigation, credit, subsidy
• PSL targets & RBI rural finance circulars
• ARD notes: cropping patterns, soil types, irrigation types
• Essay outline on rural topics (200 words)

Quick facts

• PSL: 40% ANBC, Agri 18%, Small/marginal farmer 8%
• PMFBY: crop insurance; PMKSY: irrigation; NRLM: SHG promotion
• GDP share agri ≈ 17–18% India; 50%+ workforce in agri

Speed tactics

• Skim Q for scheme/year/ministry; eliminate mismatched options
• Use ARD basics (soil–crop–rainfall match) for reasoning
• Essays: practical, farmer-first, use govt data

Day-of mini-plan

• 5 ARD flashcards; 5 GA Qs
• Eat light, hydrate; steady pace (36 sec/Q)