Last updated: 10 October 2026 · By: Prep247 Exam Desk · Status: NABARD Grade A 2026 notification awaited. This page will be updated the day it is released.
Quick Summary: NABARD Grade A 2026
- What it is: NABARD Grade A is the recruitment exam for Assistant Manager posts at the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), a development finance institution owned by the Government of India.
- 2026 notification status: Not released yet as of 10 October 2026. Based on recent cycles it is widely expected in October–November 2026.
- Last cycle (2025-26): 91 vacancies. Applications ran 8–30 November 2025, Phase 1 was on 20 December 2025 and Phase 2 on 25 January 2026.
- Selection process (RDBS & Legal): Phase 1 Prelims (200 marks) → Phase 2 Mains (200 marks) → Interview (50 marks). Final merit = Mains + Interview.
- Eligibility (RDBS General): graduation with 60% (55% for SC/ST/PwBD), or a postgraduate degree with 55% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD). Age 21–30 years.
- Salary: starting basic pay of ₹44,500, with initial gross pay of about ₹1 lakh per month.
- Latest cut-off (2025-26, General discipline, UR): Prelims 54.50/100, Mains 135.25/200, Final 173.25/250.
What Is NABARD Grade A?
NABARD Grade A is a direct recruitment exam for officers in Grade 'A' (Assistant Manager) at the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). NABARD finances and develops agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural livelihoods in India. Grade A officers work in project appraisal, rural credit monitoring, policy support and coordination with state governments and banks.
Recruitment covers three streams:
| Stream | Full form | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| RDBS | Rural Development Banking Service | General and specialist disciplines (Finance, IT, Agriculture, Engineering and others) |
| Legal | Legal Service | Law graduates |
| P&SS | Protocol & Security Service | Ex-officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force |
NABARD Grade A 2026 Notification: Latest Status
Short answer: the NABARD Grade A 2026 notification has not been released as of 10 October 2026.
NABARD does not follow a fixed month. The last cycle's notification came out on 8 November 2025. Coaching institutes expect the 2026 notification in October–November 2026, but no official date, vacancy count or exam date has been announced yet. The official notification will be published on nabard.org under Careers.
Important Dates: 2025-26 (Actual) vs 2026 (Expected)
| Event | 2025-26 cycle (actual) | 2026 cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | 8 November 2025 | Awaited (expected Oct–Nov 2026) |
| Online application | 8–30 November 2025 | To be announced |
| Phase 1 (Prelims) | 20 December 2025 | To be announced |
| Phase 2 (Mains) | 25 January 2026 | To be announced |
| Psychometric test | March 2026 | To be announced |
| Interview | April 2026 | To be announced |
| Final result | May 2026 | To be announced |
Some coaching websites list "expected" 2026 exam dates. Treat them as unofficial until NABARD publishes its notification.
NABARD Grade A Vacancy 2025-26 (Previous Cycle)
Short answer: the 2025-26 cycle had 91 vacancies: 85 in RDBS, 2 in Legal and 4 in Protocol & Security.
| Post / Discipline | UR | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDBS: General | 20 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 48 |
| RDBS: Computer/IT | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| RDBS: Finance | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 5 |
| RDBS: Chartered Accountant | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 4 |
| RDBS: Company Secretary | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | 2 |
| RDBS: Plantation/Horticulture | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | 2 |
| RDBS: Fisheries | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| RDBS: Food Processing | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2 |
| RDBS: Land Development/Soil Science | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | 2 |
| RDBS: Civil Engineering | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| RDBS: Electrical Engineering | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 2 |
| RDBS: Economics | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2 |
| RDBS: Agriculture Engineering | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| RDBS: Media Specialist | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 |
| Legal | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Protocol & Security | 3 | – | 1 | – | – | 4 |
| Grand Total | 40 | 14 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 91 |
What this means: about half the seats (48 of 91) were in the General discipline, which every graduate with the required marks can apply for. The specialist disciplines have only 1–10 seats each, so check which disciplines are open in the 2026 notification before choosing one.
NABARD Grade A Eligibility Criteria
Age Limit
| Stream | Minimum age | Maximum age |
|---|---|---|
| RDBS (all disciplines) | 21 years | 30 years |
| Legal | 21 years | 30 years |
| Protocol & Security Service | 25 years | 40 years |
Age Relaxation
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD (General / EWS) | 10 years |
| PwBD (OBC) | 13 years |
| PwBD (SC / ST) | 15 years |
Educational Qualification (as per the 2025-26 notification)
| Discipline | Qualification |
|---|---|
| RDBS: General | Bachelor's degree in any subject with 60% (55% for SC/ST/PwBD), or PG/MBA/PGDM with 55% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD), or CA/CS/CMA, or PhD |
| Chartered Accountant | Bachelor's degree + membership of ICAI |
| Company Secretary | Bachelor's degree + Associate/Fellow member of ICSI |
| Finance | Bachelor's in Finance/Banking, or MBA/PGDM (Finance) with a Bachelor's, or BFIA, or ICAI/ICMAI/CFA/FRM membership |
| Computer/IT | 4-year Bachelor's in CS/IT/Electronics/AI/ML etc. with 60%, or relevant PG with 55%, or Graduate + DOEACC B Level (60%) |
| Agriculture Engineering, Horticulture, Fisheries, Food Processing, Soil Science | Bachelor's in the relevant subject with 60%, or PG with 55% (relaxations as notified) |
| Civil / Electrical Engineering | Bachelor's in the relevant branch with 60%, or PG with 55% |
| Media Specialist | PG in Mass Media/Mass Communication/Journalism with 55% |
| Economics | PG in Applied Economics with 55%; Economics as a main subject in all years |
| Legal | LLB (recognised by Bar Council of India) with 60%, or LLM with 55% |
| Protocol & Security | Commissioned officer with at least 10 years of service in the Army/Navy/Air Force |
Disciplines and percentages can change between cycles. Confirm everything against the 2026 notification.
Application Fee (2025-26)
| Category | Application fee | Intimation charges | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC / ST / PwBD | ₹0 | ₹150 | ₹150 |
| All others | ₹700 | ₹150 | ₹850 |
NABARD Grade A Selection Process
| Stage | RDBS & Legal | Protocol & Security |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Preliminary exam: 200 marks, online, objective | Online exam: 200 marks |
| Phase 2 | Main exam: 200 marks, objective + descriptive | — |
| Psychometric test | Held in the 2025-26 cycle (March 2026) | — |
| Interview | 50 marks | 50 marks |
| Final merit | Mains (200) + Interview (50) = 250 | Online exam + Interview |
Key point: Prelims is a screening stage only. Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit list. Only Mains and Interview marks decide selection.
NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern
Phase 1: Prelims Exam Pattern (RDBS, as per the 2025-26 cycle)
| Section | Marks | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 20 | Qualifying |
| English Language | 30 | Qualifying |
| Computer Knowledge | 20 | Qualifying |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | Qualifying |
| Decision Making | 10 | Qualifying |
| General Awareness | 20 | Merit |
| Economic & Social Issues (ESI) | 40 | Merit |
| Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD) | 40 | Merit |
| Total | 200 | 120 minutes |
How the qualifying vs merit split works:
- Qualifying sections (100 marks): you only need to clear each section's minimum cut-off. These marks don't count towards the shortlist.
- Merit sections (100 marks): General Awareness, ESI and ARD. Your shortlist for Mains is decided by your total in these three sections.
- Negative marking: 0.25 of the marks for each wrong answer.
This is the most important strategic fact about NABARD Prelims: your rank depends entirely on GA, ESI and ARD. Reasoning, Quant, English, Computers and Decision Making only need to be cleared.
Phase 2: Mains Exam Pattern (RDBS General)
| Paper | Content | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General English (descriptive: essay, précis, report/letter writing, comprehension) | 100 |
| Paper II | ESI & ARD: objective 50 + descriptive 50 | 100 |
| Total | 200 |
For specialist disciplines, Paper II is a stream-specific paper (objective 50 + descriptive 50) on your discipline. For Legal, Paper II is a law paper. Descriptive answers are typed online, so practise typing English answers under time pressure.
NABARD Grade A Syllabus
Prelims Qualifying Sections
| Section | Key topics |
|---|---|
| Reasoning | Puzzles & seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, input-output, data sufficiency |
| English | Reading comprehension, cloze test, error spotting, para jumbles, fillers, vocabulary |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Simplification/approximation, number series, quadratic equations, DI, arithmetic (percentage, ratio, SI/CI, time & work, profit & loss) |
| Computer Knowledge | Fundamentals, MS Office, networking, internet, security, shortcuts, abbreviations |
| Decision Making | Situational judgement, ethical dilemmas, workplace and rural-development scenarios |
Prelims Merit Sections (and Mains Paper II for General)
| Subject | Key topics |
|---|---|
| General Awareness | Current affairs (last 6 months), banking and financial awareness, government schemes, static GK |
| Economic & Social Issues (ESI) | Nature of the Indian economy, structural and institutional features, economic underdevelopment, opening up of the economy, globalisation, economic reforms, privatisation, inflation, poverty alleviation and employment generation, population trends, regional disparities, sustainable development and environment, social structure in India, multiculturalism, demographic trends, urbanisation and migration, gender issues, social justice, positive discrimination for weaker sections, social movements, Indian political system, human development, education and health |
| Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD) | Agronomy, soil and water conservation, water resources and irrigation, farm and agri-engineering, plantation and horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, agricultural extension, ecology and climate change, present challenges in Indian agriculture; rural development concepts, rural population and occupations, Panchayati Raj institutions, rural development programmes and schemes |
Mains Paper I: General English (Descriptive)
Essay writing, précis writing, comprehension, and business/office correspondence (letters and reports). Practise structured answers of 250–400 words on economy, agriculture, rural development and social themes.
NABARD Grade A Cut Off: Previous Years
Prelims Cut-Off 2025-26 (Merit Section, out of 100)
| Discipline | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 44.50 | 42.75 | 49.50 | 47.00 | 54.50 |
| Computer/IT | 21.75 | 17.50 | 29.50 | 18.75 | 34.25 |
| Finance | 8.75 | 9.25 | 17.00 | – | 22.25 |
| Land Development & Soil Science | – | – | 36.25 | – | 42.00 |
| Plantation & Horticulture | – | – | 32.00 | – | 39.50 |
| Agriculture Engineering | – | – | – | – | 37.75 |
| Fisheries | – | 13.50 | – | – | 30.25 |
| Legal (UR) | – | – | – | – | 32.25 |
Prelims Sectional Cut-Off 2025-26 (Qualifying + Merit)
| Category | Reasoning (20) | English (30) | Computer (20) | Quant (20) | Decision Making (10) | GA (20) | ESI (40) | ARD (40) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EWS & UR | 1.00 | 6.00 | 2.50 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.25 | 4.25 | 6.50 |
| SC, ST, OBC, PwBD | 1.00 | 2.75 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 3.00 |
Takeaway: sectional cut-offs are very low (1–6 marks). The real competition is the merit-section total, which reached 54.50/100 for General UR.
Mains Cut-Off 2025-26 (out of 200)
| Discipline | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 123.25 | 122.00 | 131.00 | 129.00 | 135.25 |
| Computer/IT | 131.00 | 124.00 | 136.75 | 133.75 | 147.75 |
| Finance | 114.00 | 87.00 | 133.50 | – | 124.25 |
| Plantation & Horticulture | – | – | 131.25 | – | 139.00 |
| Land Development & Soil Science | – | – | 130.75 | – | 136.50 |
| Legal (UR) | – | – | – | – | 129.50 |
Final Cut-Off 2025-26 (Select List, Mains + Interview, out of 250)
| Discipline | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | UR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 161.25 | 162.50 | 174.00 | 171.00 | 173.25 |
| Computer/IT | 183.50 | 186.75 | 182.00 | 163.50 | 189.50 |
| Finance | 126.50 | 105.75 | 168.75 | – | 177.50 |
| Land Development & Soil Science | – | – | 179.75 | – | 188.75 |
| Legal (UR) | – | – | – | – | 176.00 |
NABARD Grade A Cut-Off Trend Analysis (General Discipline, UR)
| Cycle | Prelims (out of 100) | Mains (out of 200) | Final (out of 250) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 41.75 | 130.50 | 171.50 |
| 2023 | 46.00 | 128.50 | 172.75 |
| 2024 | 47.00 | 126.75 | 168.00 |
| 2025-26 | 54.50 | 135.25 | 173.25 |
What the trend shows:
- Prelims cut-offs are rising steadily. The General UR cut-off rose from 41.75 to 54.50 in three cycles, a jump of nearly 13 marks. GA, ESI and ARD preparation has become much more competitive.
- The Mains cut-off jumped in 2025-26. It rose 8.5 marks over 2024 to 135.25/200, the highest in four cycles.
- The final cut-off is stable at 168–174 out of 250. Aim for 180+ combined to be safe, which means roughly 140+ in Mains and a strong interview.
- Specialist disciplines can be tougher than General. In 2025-26, Computer/IT's final UR cut-off (189.50) and Land Development's (188.75) were higher than General's (173.25), because seats are few.
Safe Target Scores for NABARD Grade A 2026 (General, UR)
| Stage | Safe target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Prelims (merit sections) | 58–62 / 100 | Clears the rising trend with a buffer |
| Mains | 140+ / 200 | About 5 marks above the 2025-26 cut-off |
| Final (Mains + Interview) | 180+ / 250 | Comfortably above the 4-year range of 168–174 |
NABARD Grade A Salary
Short answer: NABARD Grade A officers start on a basic pay of ₹44,500, with initial gross pay of about ₹1 lakh per month.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Starting basic pay | ₹44,500 per month |
| Pay scale | ₹44,500 rising through increments to ₹89,150 over 17 years |
| Initial gross pay | About ₹1,00,000 per month |
| Allowances | DA, local allowance, grade allowance, HRA or leased accommodation, family allowance |
| Other benefits | Medical cover, LFC, car/housing loans at concessional rates, NPS, gratuity |
| Probation | 2 years (extendable by up to 1 year) |
Career Growth
Assistant Manager → Manager → Assistant General Manager → Deputy General Manager → General Manager → Chief General Manager → Executive Director.
How to Prepare for NABARD Grade A 2026
- Focus on the merit sections first. GA, ESI and ARD decide your Prelims rank, and ESI and ARD come back as Mains Paper II for the General discipline. One study plan covers both stages.
- Make ARD your edge. At 40 marks in Prelims and half of Mains Paper II, ARD is the single highest-value subject. Use government sources: Economic Survey (agriculture chapters), India Budget, PIB releases from the Ministry of Agriculture, and NABARD annual reports.
- Cover current affairs on government schemes. Schemes such as PM-KISAN, PMFBY, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and rural livelihood missions appear in GA, ESI, ARD and Mains descriptive answers.
- Keep the qualifying sections at "safe". Sectional cut-offs have been 1–6 marks. Practise enough mock sections to clear them comfortably, then put your time into the merit subjects.
- Practise descriptive writing weekly from now. Write one essay and one précis every week, and type them on a computer, because the Mains descriptive papers are online.
- Start full Prelims mocks once the notification is out. Take one full mock a week, then two a week in the final month.
Practise on Prep247: sharpen your Reasoning, Quant and English speed with free mock tests and daily practice sets, with sectional timing and AI analysis of your weak topics.
Related guides on Prep247:
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- SBI PO Prelims: 5-Year Exam Pattern Analysis (2021–2025): how Reasoning and Quant patterns are shifting
- Exam Form Tools: free photo, signature and document resizers for online applications
Key Terms Used in This Guide
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| RDBS | Rural Development Banking Service, the main NABARD Grade A stream with General and specialist disciplines |
| ESI | Economic & Social Issues, a merit subject covering the Indian economy and society |
| ARD | Agriculture & Rural Development, a merit subject covering agriculture, allied sectors and rural development |
| Qualifying section | A section where you only need to clear the minimum marks; it doesn't count towards merit |
| Merit section | A section whose marks decide your shortlist (GA, ESI and ARD in Prelims) |
| Select list cut-off | The lowest combined Mains + Interview score that got a candidate selected |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the NABARD Grade A 2026 notification out?
No. As of 10 October 2026, NABARD has not released the Grade A 2026 notification. It is expected in October–November 2026 and will be published on nabard.org.
How many vacancies were there in NABARD Grade A 2025-26?
There were 91 vacancies: 85 in RDBS (48 of them in the General discipline), 2 in Legal and 4 in Protocol & Security Service.
What is the age limit for NABARD Grade A?
For RDBS and Legal, 21 to 30 years. For Protocol & Security Service, 25 to 40 years. SC/ST candidates get 5 years of relaxation, OBC 3 years and PwBD 10–15 years.
What is the eligibility for NABARD Grade A General discipline?
A Bachelor's degree in any subject with at least 60% (55% for SC/ST/PwBD), or a postgraduate degree with 55% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD). CA, CS, CMA or a PhD also qualifies.
What was the NABARD Grade A Prelims cut-off in 2025-26?
For the General discipline, UR candidates needed 54.50 out of 100 in the merit sections (GA, ESI and ARD). The cut-off for OBC was 49.50, for EWS 47.00, for SC 44.50 and for ST 42.75.
What was the NABARD Grade A final cut-off in 2025-26?
For the General discipline, the select-list cut-off for UR was 173.25 out of 250 (Mains + Interview). For OBC it was 174.00, for EWS 171.00, for ST 162.50 and for SC 161.25.
Are NABARD Grade A Prelims marks counted in the final selection?
No. Prelims is only a screening stage. The final merit list is based on Mains (200 marks) and Interview (50 marks).
Which sections are qualifying in NABARD Grade A Prelims?
Reasoning, English, Computer Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude and Decision Making are qualifying. General Awareness, ESI and ARD are the merit sections that decide the shortlist.
What is the salary of a NABARD Grade A officer?
The starting basic pay is ₹44,500, and initial gross pay is about ₹1 lakh per month, including allowances.
Is there negative marking in NABARD Grade A?
Yes. 0.25 of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for every wrong answer in the objective tests.
Sources and Methodology
The vacancy, eligibility, pattern and cut-off data in this guide comes from NABARD's official 2025-26 recruitment cycle (advertisement and the Phase 1, Phase 2 and final cut-off notices dated December 2025 – January 2026) and earlier official cut-off notices. The trend analysis and target scores are Prep247's own calculations from that data. Expected 2026 dates are not official. Always verify details in the official notification at nabard.org before applying. This page will be updated as soon as the 2026 notification is released.