Are you aspiring for the NABARD Grade A Prelim 2023? You are well aware of the fact that official notification is out applications started and the last date is September 23, 2023. Furthermore, the tentative exam date for the Preliminary examination is October 16, 2023. 

Let me give you a brief information on how cut-off scores are calculated in Prelims. You know that the preliminary examination is an entry ticket for you to be part of the recruitment process of Grade A officers in NABARD. 

Prelim cut-off scores are calculated based on the three king/merit sections General Awareness, ESI, and ARD. For candidates like you, ESI and ARD may sound confusing. Without wasting your time worrying about irrelevant stuff. You should follow our blog post to get clarity to guide you to score 70+ marks in ESI, ARD, and General Awareness. 

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Major Highlights on King Subjects: General Awareness, ESI & ARD

• Cut-off score in NABARD Gr A Preliminary Exam is calculated based on scores of General Awareness, ESI & ARD.
• Current Affairs plays a major role as 40 marks out of 100 are from it only.
• In ESI and General Awareness, the majority of questions are asked from the General Awareness section only.
• General Awareness, ESI & ARD are known as king subjects to decide your selection journey from prelim to getting into NABARD as a Grade A level officer.
• Maintaining a consistent level of studying these three subjects can get you 70+ marks.
• You can easily qualify for the Prelim cut-off in NABARD Grade A.
• NABARD tests the basic knowledge of candidates in economic and agriculture-related concepts through ESI and ARD.
• Strengthen your basics to score 25+ in ARD and ESI.

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NABARD Grade A Exam Pattern 2023

Sections	No. Of Questions	Marks Allotted
Test of Reasoning	20	20
English Language	30	30
Decision Making	10	10
Computer Knowledge	20	20
General Awareness	20	20
Quantitative Aptitude	20	20
Economic & Social Issues (with a focus on Rural India)	40	40
Agriculture & Rural Development (with Emphasis on Rural India)	40	40
Total	200 questions/120 minutes	200

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Preparations Tips for Merit Sections in NABARD Grade A Prelims

Let’s move on to get an idea to supercharge your preparations to cover merit sections for the NABARD Grade A Preliminary Examination.

General Awareness

The General Awareness section carries a weightage of 20 marks (20 questions) in Prelims. Questions asked from static and current affairs covering agriculture and economic development news.

General Awareness Topics List

Current Affairs	Static GK	Banking Awareness
International Awards and Honors	Wildlife Sanctuaries	Important Terms Related to Banking Sector
National Award & Honors	Currencies	Recent Updates in the Banking System
Summits and Treaties	National Parks	NABARD Reports
Books and Authors	Countries & Capitals	Budget
Government Schemes & Policies		Economic & Social Issues
UNO, WORLD BANK, ADB, BRICS & IMF		World Financial Institutions & Functions
Sports		NABARD & Its Functions
Currencies of Various Countries
Science & Technology

• Cover the Current Affairs Agriculture, Economic Development related news along with that government schemes.
• Follow and maintain notes for current affairs not more than 6-8 months.
• 60%-80% of questions asked in the prelim paper are from current affairs of 6 months.
• Follow our FREE resources and get the latest current affairs from BAZOOKA.
• Practice Current Affairs questions to test your knowledge skills and prioritize your attempt strategies.

Agriculture & Rural Development

Around 20% of weightage is given to the ARD section in the prelim. It carries 40 marks value adding up the second subject in the merit sections. 

• NABARD wants to test basic knowledge on agriculture-related topics so, questions are asked from the basics only.
• Candidates coming from a non-agriculture background should maintain consistency while studying  ARD.
• Revise static topics thoroughly as the maximum number of questions asked from this section.
• No. of questions asked from current affairs in ARD are 5-7 questions.
• Maintain proper notes and solve questions to score 25+ marks easily in ARD.

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Agriculture Topics

• Agriculture: Meaning & Definition
• Agronomy: Meaning and Score Agronomy
• Factors Affecting Crop Production
• Agro Climatic Zones
• Cropping Systems: Definition and types of cropping systems
• Problems of dry land agriculture
• Seed production, seed processing & seed village
• Meteorology: weather parameters, crop-weather advisory
• Precision Farming, System of Crop Intensification, organic farming
• Soil and Water Conservation: Major soil types, soil fertility, fertilizers, soil erosion, soil conservation, watershed management
• Water Resource
• Farm and Agri Engineering
• Plantation & Horticulture
• Animal Husbandry
• Introduction to the poultry industry in India (past, present, and future status)
• Fisheries:
• Aquaculture- Inland and marine;
• Forestry: Basic concepts of Forest and Forestry. Principles of silviculture,
• Agriculture Extensions
• Climate change impact on agriculture and rural livelihood, carbon credit, IPCC, UNFCCC, CoP meetings, funding mechanisms for climate change projects, initiatives by Govt of India, NAPCC, SAPCC, INDC.
• Present Scenario of Indian Agriculture and Allied activities; recent trends, major challenges in agriculture measures to enhance the viability of agriculture.

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Rural Development Topics

• Concept of Rural Area, Structure of the Indian Rural Development
• Economy Importance and role of the rural sector in India- Economic, Social and Demographic Characteristics of the Indian rural economy, causes of Rural Backwardness.
• Rural population in India; Occupational structure, Farmers, Agricultural Labourers, Artisans, Handicrafts, Traders, Forest dwellers/tribes and others in rural India- Trends of change in rural population and rural workforce; problems and conditions of rural labor; Issues and challenges in Handlooms
• Panchayati Raj Institutions – Functions and Working. MGNREGA, NRLM – Aajeevika, Rural Drinking Water Programmes
• Swachh Bharat, Rural Housing, PURA, and other rural development programs.

Economic & Social Issues

ESI section carry 40 marks weightage in the prelim exam. It is one of the merit section subjects. Questions are asked mainly from the current affairs section in ESI.

• Around 20-25 questions were asked about the current affairs.
• Keep a consistent study pace covering basic topics of ESI.
• Emphsize daily practice of questions.
• Follow current affairs for 6-8 months.

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Static Topics of ESI

• Inflation & Monetary Policy
• Fiscal Policy
• Measurement of Growth & National Income
• Economic Reforms in India
• Balance of Payments (BoP)
• Poverty Alleviation & Employment Generation in India
• Industrial & Labour Policy
• Indian Political Systems (Very Basic)
• Rural Banking & financial institutions in India
• Urbanization & Migration
• International funding institutions
• Health & Education
• Ecology & Climate Change
• Human Development

Current Affairs Topics

• Government Schemes (Trending ones in News 1 Year)
• Old Government Schemes Changes Made
• Follow Government Schemes Agriculture, Rural Development & Social Issues.
• Economic Survey
• Union Budget
• SECC 2011, Census 2011. NSFE, NSFI
• NABARD Annual Report
• Report by National and International Organizations (Statutory Bodies)

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10 Booster Tips Suggested by Toppers to Score 70+ Marks in Merit Sections

Aspirants can boost their preparations to the next level by following the tips suggested by toppers:

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Know Exam Pattern

Start your exam preparations by giving yourself time to know the exam pattern of the NABARD Grade A Prelims paper. You get clarity on topics and weightage given to them.

Check the Syllabus

Check out the topics covered in ESI, ARD, and General Awareness. Maintain your knowledge to cover the latest current affairs of agriculture and rural development topics. Questions are asked of 30-40 marks from current affairs only.

Set a Study Plan

Analyze your daily routine to figure out the time to dedicate to preparing for the NABARD Grade A Preliminary Exam. Emphsize on preparing notes and practice.

Make Notes

Make proper notes of Static topics covered in ESI and ARD. You can expect around questions of 20-30 marks from these sections in static. Revise notes regularly.

Practice Questions

Solve questions daily to improve your speed and accuracy. Start from basics to advanced level of questions while practicing from General Awareness, ESI and ARD sections.

Revise Notes Regularly

Develop a habit to push yourself on regular revision to strengthen your static topics knowledge. It can give you easily 30 marks in the prelim exam.

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Attempt Mocks & Past Yr Papers

Solve mock tests and previous year’s papers to stimulate yourself with the real exam pattern and difficulty level of questions.

Time Management Skills

Make yourself a pro to speedily solving questions in a composite time span of 120 minutes. You can get such speed only by practice.

Maintain Pace & Accuracy

Make your consistent pace and accuracy by practicing questions. So that, you get an idea of how to frame attempt strategies.

Keep Yourself Calm

On your D-day, avoid affecting your mind with stress and anxiety. Trust your skills and abilities while attempting questions in the prelim paper.

Take Care of your Health

Eat a balanced diet and drink adequate quantitative of water. Don’t neglect your health during exam preparations. Use your morning time performing yoga and meditation.

Final Words: Take Action to Turn Dreams into Reality with a FREE Mock Test

Grab a FREE NABARD Grade A Mock Test to Assess your Preparation Levels

Three king subjects in NABARD Grade A Prelims are General Awareness, ARD & ESI. Prioritize your preparation for these three subjects by revising topics and practicing questions. Solve previous year’s papers to get clarity on the difficulty level of questions. Moreover, grab a free mock for NABARD by signingup & assess your preparation levels.