NABARD Grade A
Live Batch · 2026-27 cycle
Prelims only gets you in. Your rank is decided by Mains and the interview - and 150 of those 250 marks are descriptive answers, the part almost nobody teaches properly. This batch is built where the marks actually are.
Already started? The batch is already running. Every class delivered so far is recorded and unlocks the moment you join, so you start from lesson one - not from today.
Secure checkout on Agriguru EdTech · Live classes + full recorded library · English medium · Access till the date of the exam
The exam, verified
NABARD Grade A at a glance
The numbers below are drawn from NABARD's published papers, cut-offs and notifications. Keep this page bookmarked - we update it each cycle.
Phase 1 - Prelims
200 questions · 200 marks · 120 minutes composite (no sectional timing) · negative marking 0.25 per wrong answer
| Section | Questions | Marks | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test of Reasoning | 20 | 20 | QUALIFYING |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | QUALIFYING |
| Computer Knowledge | 20 | 20 | QUALIFYING |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 20 | QUALIFYING |
| Decision Making | 10 | 10 | QUALIFYING |
| General Awareness | 20 | 20 | MERIT |
| Economic & Social Issues | 40 | 40 | MERIT |
| Agriculture & Rural Development | 40 | 40 | MERIT |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 100 merit |
Phase 2 - Mains
Total 200 marks · 210 minutes
| Paper | Type | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I - General English | Descriptive, typed | 3 | 100 | 90 min |
| Paper II - ESI + ARD | Objective | 30 | 50 | 30 min |
| Paper II - ESI + ARD | Descriptive, attempt 4 of 6 (2×15 + 2×10) | 4 | 50 | 90 min |
- · Paper I is essay, plus precis (120-180 words), plus a letter or comprehension (200-220 words).
- · Specialist streams replace Paper II with their own discipline paper.
- · Interview: 50 marks, 20-45 minutes. A psychometric test is mandatory but is not scored.
Phase 1 overall cut-offs, out of the 100 merit marks
| Year | UR | EWS | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 54.50 | 54.50 | 49.50 | 44.50 | 42.75 |
| 2024 | 47.00 | 38.00 | 44.25 | 39.25 | 37.50 |
| 2023 | 46.00 | 33.50 | 42.50 | 37.50 | 30.25 |
| 2022 | 41.75 | 29.25 | 37.75 | 33.25 | 30.75 |
Phase 2 overall cut-offs, out of 200
| Year | UR | EWS | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 135.25 | 129.00 | 131.00 | 123.25 | 122.00 |
| 2024 | 126.75 | 123.00 | 123.50 | 121.00 | 120.25 |
| 2023 | 128.50 | 121.00 | 125.50 | 120.75 | 111.50 |
| 2022 | 130.50 | 121.50 | 124.50 | 120.00 | 119.25 |
The UR cut-off has climbed from 41.75 to 54.50 in three cycles. We coach this batch to a 60+/100 target, not to last year's line.
Eligibility (RDBS)
- Age 21-30 years. Relaxation: OBC +3, SC/ST +5, PwBD +10/13/15
- Bachelor's in any discipline with 60% (SC/ST/PwBD 55%), or a PG with 55% (50%), or CA/CS/ICWA/PhD
- A BSc Agriculture with 60% qualifies for the General stream
- No limit on attempts. Indian citizens only
Fee and salary
- Application fee ₹850 for General/OBC/EWS (₹700 + ₹150 intimation charges)
- ₹150 for SC/ST/PwBD
- Basic pay ₹62,500 a month, after the November 2022 wage revision
- Gross approximately ₹1,60,699 a month
- In-hand approximately ₹1.3 lakh a month
Vacancies and last cycle’s timing
2025 cycle - the most recent published numbers
Vacancy trend: 2022 - 168 · 2024 - 102 · 2025 - 91
Within RDBS 85, the General stream carries 48 posts - the largest single pool, and the one most agriculture graduates compete in. Agriculture-specialist posts (Plantation & Horticulture, Fisheries, Food Processing, Land Development & Soil Science, Agriculture Engineering) are real, but 1-2 seats each.
- Short advertisement
- 4 November 2025
- Detailed notification
- 8 November 2025
- Application window
- 8 - 30 November 2025
- Phase 1
- 20 December 2025
- Phase 2
- 25 January 2026
Why this batch is built differently
Prelims contributes nothing to your final rank
Selection is decided by Mains (200) plus Interview (50) - 250 marks in total. Prelims is a gate, not a score. Most NABARD preparation spends most of its hours on the part that gets thrown away.
Where the 250 marks that decide your rank actually sit
| Stage | Marks | Counts toward final rank? |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims - qualifying sections (Reasoning, Quant, English, Computer, Decision Making) | 100 | No. Sectional pass only |
| Prelims - merit sections (GA 20 + ESI 40 + ARD 40) | 100 | No. Decides Mains entry only |
| Mains Paper I - Descriptive English | 100 | Yes · 40% |
| Mains Paper II - ESI + ARD | 100 | Yes · 40% |
| Interview | 50 | Yes · 20% |
Final merit total: 250 marks - Mains and Interview only.
Why Agriguru EdTech?
We get you through Prelims - then we make you win Paper II. Unlike other coaching centres, who only prepare you to win Prelims.
What we provide
Recorded
Watch any time, rewatch before the exam
- Agronomy, soil, water, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, farm engineering
- ESI theory - economy structure, poverty, population, banking reform concepts
- Reasoning, Quant, English grammar, Computer Knowledge (qualifying - kept deliberately short)
- NABARD institutional basics, PRI, static scheme architecture
Live
Dated, or needs your work marked
- Current affairs, new schemes, Budget / Economic Survey / RBI data
- Descriptive answer writing with live evaluation
- Weekly mock discussion and strategy
- Doubt clearing, Mains intensive, mock interviews
Where the ARD marks are
Five years of ARD questions, sorted by topic
Five-year previous-year-question analysis, 2020-2024 (~190 classified ARD questions)
- ARD Current Affairs24.2%
- Soil & Water Conservation12.1%
- Animal Husbandry & Poultry11.1%
- Plantation & Horticulture10%
- Agronomy & Field Crops~10%
- Agricultural Economics~8%
- Rural Development~7%
- Irrigation & Water Resource~6%
- Fisheries~5%
- Forestry~4%
- Agriculture Engineering~3%
- Agriculture Extension~2%
Syllabus
Every subject, topic by topic
Tap a subject to see its topic list. Merit subjects decide your Mains entry; qualifying subjects only need a sectional pass.
- Agronomy and field crops
- Soil science
- Soil and water conservation
- Irrigation and water resources
- Horticulture and plantation crops
- Seed technology
- Plant protection - entomology and pathology
- Animal husbandry, dairying and poultry
- Fisheries
- Forestry and agroforestry
- Agricultural engineering and farm machinery
- Agricultural economics
- Agricultural marketing
- Agricultural finance and credit
- Agricultural extension
- Rural development and rural institutions
- Panchayati Raj institutions
- Government schemes for agriculture and rural development
- NABARD - roles, instruments and subsidiaries
- ARD current affairs
Indicative topic list, compiled from NABARD’s published syllabus and previous years’ papers. Always confirm against the official notification for your cycle.
What you get
Everything in the batch
- Live classes through the full cycle - doubt hours, current-affairs sessions, mock discussion and the Mains descriptive intensive
- The complete recorded library bundled in - ARD core, ESI theory, Reasoning, Quant, English, Computer Knowledge and Decision Making
- Evaluated descriptive answer writing for Mains Paper I and Paper II, with published rubrics
- Daily GA capsule and daily quiz on WhatsApp, plus weekly and monthly consolidations
- Back-catalogue modules: Jan-Aug 2026 current affairs, Budget 2026-27, Economic Survey, NABARD Annual Report
- Full-length and sectional mock tests, with attempt-strategy debriefs
- Mock interviews and situational-judgment practice after Mains
- Access till the date of the exam
Join the batch
Live classes + full recorded library · English medium
Access till the date of the exam
Who teaches you
The faculty bench
You will be trained by the best faculty, with 8+ years of proven expertise in Agriculture and Banking exam preparation.
Reshma Jacob
English & Descriptive Writing
Sanju Prasad
Quantitative Aptitude
Rafeeq TP
Reasoning
Chandini Chandran
Economics
Aswathi R S Nair
Genetics & Plant Breeding
Aswathy Nair
Extension
Hridya Shaji
Plant Pathology
Megha Raghavan
Horticulture
Sophia Baby
Soil Science
FAQs
Common questions
Prepare where the marks are
Live classes, the full recorded library, evaluated descriptive writing and a daily current-affairs habit - for the 250 marks that decide your rank.
Mon–Sat, 9 AM – 5 PM IST