I know you want to become an NABARD Grade A officer, and to achieve your dream, you’ll need practical preparation and enough time to cover the syllabus.
But waiting for the release of the official NABARD Grade A notification is just wasting your precious time. Once the notification is out, you’ll have a limited time for preparation and a vast syllabus to cover.
Don’t wait for the release of the NABARD Grade A notification. If you start early, by the time the notification is released, you will have covered all the important topics. Now you have plenty of time to cover any remaining topics and practice multiple mock tests.
In this article, I’ll share how to take advantage of this time and plan your preparation before the release of the NABARD Grade A notification.
Step 1: Know the Exam Pattern & Syllabus
Before you dive into the exam preparation, it’s better to know what you’re up against.
The NABARD Grade A exam comprises 3 phases:
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Interview
The NABARD Grade A syllabus includes the following subjects:
- Quant
- Reasoning
- English
- Decision Making
- Computer Knowledge
- General Awareness
- Agriculture & Rural Development
- Economic & Social Issues.
After knowing the exam patterns and syllabus in detail, the next step is to create a practical study plan.
Step 2: Create Your Study Structure
Here is how you can create a practical NABARD Grade A study structure:
Collect Best Study Resources
Relevant study material is crucial for effective preparation, so make sure you use:
- The latest recommended books for each major subject.
- Reliable online resources, mock tests, and previous-year papers.
Choose an Ideal Study Spot
- Find a place that’s comfortable, with minimal distractions.
- Choose your study time which suits you the best—Morning, afternoon, evening, or night
Make Own Notes
- Create your own notes of important formulas, definitions, schemes, etc.
- It could be physical or digital notes, whatever you are comfortable with.
- These notes are great for a quick revision.
Step 3: Before Notification Study Plan
The official NABARD Grade A notification is expected around October-November 2025; hence, you have around 45 days before the release of the notification.
Below, you have explained what to do in this pre-notification time:
Day 1-15: Strengthen Fundamentals
- Reasoning & Quant: basic concepts, practice easy problems.
- English: grammar refresh, vocabulary building, reading editorials.
- Computer Knowledge & Decision Making: covers basic theory.
- Start current affairs lightly: 20-30 minutes daily reading.
Day 16-30: Dive into Major Sections
- Agriculture & Rural Development (ARD) + Economic & Social Issues (ESI): pick up core topics, understand key schemes, and rural banking.
- General Awareness: deepen coverage of banking, economy, and agriculture.
- Continue practicing Quant/Reasoning and English.
- Begin solving topic-wise question sets/mock quizzes.
Day 31-45: Start Mock Tests + Revision
- By now, start attempting full sectional mini-tests for objective parts.
- Increase current affairs reading frequency.
- Begin practising descriptive writing for English (essay, précis)
- Make a revision schedule: allocate one day a week for reviewing previous weeks’ notes.
Step 4: Practice Mock Tests
- Regularly attempt mock tests under exam-like conditions. This builds stamina and reveals mistakes.
- After each mock, spend time analysing: what went wrong? Which topics cost you time?
- Maintain a “mistake log”: note down errors and revisit them later.
- Don’t wait for full syllabus completion to start mocks; early testing helps shape your plan.
Step 5: Cover Current Affairs
Current Affairs
- For NABARD Grade A, focus your reading on agriculture, rural development, banking & economy.
- Daily short news reading (10-20 minutes) + weekly deeper dive topics (policy analysis, government schemes).
- Maintain a “current affairs folder” (digital or physical) and update weekly.
Subject-Specific Current Affairs
- For ARD/ESI: read NCERTs, agriculture reports, NABARD/RBI annual reports.
- For English: keep reading newspapers, editorials, and practise writing.
- For Quant/Reasoning: keep the formula sheet updated and practise with newer types of questions.
Step 6: Get Mentally & Physically Ready
- Set realistic weekly goals, e.g.
- Complete Chapter 3 of ARD this week
- Attempt 2 mocks this week
- Stay motivated: Join peer study groups, forums, or discussion boards. Having a peer group helps keep momentum.
- Take care of your health: regular breaks, sufficient sleep, some physical activity — a fresh mind learns better.
- Keep your mind open: you don’t know exactly how many days remain till the notification or exam. The earlier you start, the more relaxed you’ll be later.
Step 7: After Notification: Final Countdown
Once the notification appears, it’s time to put your preparation in top gear:
- Plug in the exact exam dates and reverse-plan your remaining days.
- Finalise your study plan with a date-wise schedule up to Phase 1.
- Cover the remaining syllabus (if any topics are left)
- Frequent full-length mocks (simulate exam environment).
- Practice writing descriptive answers.
- Allocate more time to weak topics/subjects.
- Revise thoroughly
Final Words
You don’t have to wait for the notification to start prepping for NABARD Grade A. In fact, the extra time before it drops is your golden window. Use it to understand the pattern, build up your basics, gather resources, start practising, and sharpen your mindset. Once the notification is out, you won’t be starting from scratch — you’ll already be ahead.
Stay consistent, stay curious, and keep pushing. Your steady early prep will give you the confidence to face the notification and the exam with clarity and energy.