PFRDA Grade A Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026 for Phase 1 & Phase 2

With the PFRDA Grade A exam 2026 approaching and the final week of preparation underway candidates should focus on revising important topics and strengthening their exam strategy. Understanding the PFRDA Grade A syllabus and exam pattern 2026 will help them prioritize remaining topics, revise effectively, and make the best use of the limited time before the exam.

PFRDA Grade A Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026

As the PFRDA Grade A Exam 2026 approaches, candidates should use the final week to revise the key subjects and practise questions based on the exam pattern. The examination covers English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, General Awareness, and stream-specific Professional Knowledge. Candidates must also revise for the Phase II Descriptive English Paper to maintain a balanced preparation strategy for both objective and descriptive sections.

PFRDA Assistant Manager Syllabus 2026 Overview

The PFRDA Grade A Syllabus is divided into common subjects and stream-specific topics, depending on the post applied for.

PFRDA Grade A Exam Pattern 2026

The online examinations include two papers, with Paper 1 covering common aptitude areas and Paper 2 assessing professional knowledge related to the candidate’s chosen stream. Phase I (Online Screening), Phase II (Online Examination), and Phase III (Interview). Both Phase I and Phase II consist of two papers: Paper 1, which covers general aptitude subjects and Paper 2, which is stream-specific.

PFRDA Assistant Manager Exam Pattern Phase I

Paper 1 in Phase I includes English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness, while Paper 2 tests domain-specific knowledge based on the candidate’s chosen stream.

PFRDA Assistant Manager Exam Pattern Phase II

Phase II follows a similar structure, but Paper 1 is a descriptive English test, and Paper 2 again assesses stream-specific subjects.

The final selection is based on Phase II scores and interview performance, making it crucial for candidates to perform well in both written exams and the interview round.

PFRDA Assistant Manager Syllabus

The PFRDA Grade A syllabus 2026 is divided into general subjects and stream-specific topics. Candidates should prepare thoroughly for both the general and specialised subjects, as Paper 2 carries significant weight in the overall selection process.

PFRDA Grade A 2026 General Syllabus

The general syllabus, applicable to all candidates, includes English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and General Awareness with a focus on financial and pension-related topics.

PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Professional Knowledge

The PFRDA Grade A Professional Knowledge syllabus varies according to the selected stream. Candidates are tested on stream-specific subjects such as Economics, Finance, Management, Law, IT, Research, and Rajbhasha, along with topics related to the pension and regulatory sector.

1. General Stream (Common Syllabus for Both Phases)

A. Commerce & Accountancy

• Accounting as a financial information system.
• Accounting Standards: Depreciation, Inventories, Revenue Recognition, Fixed Assets, Foreign Exchange Transactions, Investments.
• Cash Flow Statement, Fund Flow Statement, Financial Statement Analysis, Ratio Analysis.
• Share Capital Transactions: Bonus Shares, Right Shares, Employee Stock Option, Buy-Back of Securities.
• Preparation and Presentation of Company Final Accounts.

B. Management

• Management Processes: Planning, Organization, Staffing, Directing, Controlling.
• Leadership: Tasks, Styles, Theories, Successful vs. Effective Leader.
• Human Resource Development: Concept, Goals, Motivation, Morale, Incentives.
• Communication: Process, Channels, Barriers, Role of IT.

C. Finance

• Financial System: Role of Regulatory Bodies.
• Financial Markets: Primary and Secondary Markets (Forex, Money, Bond, Equity).
• Derivatives: Forward, Futures, Swap.
• Financial Inclusion, Alternate Sources of Finance, Public-Private Partnership.
• Taxation: Direct and Indirect Taxes, GST, Fiscal Policy, FRBM Act.
• Inflation: Definition, Trends, Consequences, Remedies (WPI, CPI).

D. Costing

• Cost and Management Accounting: Objectives, Scope.
• Methods of Costing: Unit Costing, Job Costing, Batch Costing, Contract Costing, Process Costing.
• Cost Control: Standard Costing, Marginal Costing, Budgetary Control.
• Lean System and Innovation: JIT, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Business Process Re-engineering.

E. Companies Act

• Companies Act, 2013: Chapters III, IV, VIII, X, XI, XII, XXVII.

F. Economics

• Demand and Supply, Market Structures, National Income.
• Classical & Keynesian Approach: Output, Employment, Consumption, Investment, Multiplier, Accelerator.
• IS-LM Model, Inflation, Phillips Curve, Business Cycles.
• Balance of Payments, Foreign Exchange Markets, Monetary and Fiscal Policy.

G. Pension Sector

• Status of Pension Sector in India.
• Types of Retirement Schemes: Features, National Pension System (NPS), Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
• Annuity Plans, Basics of Investment.

2. Information Technology Stream (Common for Both Phases)

• Database Concepts: ER Model, Relational Model, Normal Forms, Transactions, Concurrency Control. File Organization, Indexing (B and B+ Trees).
• SQL Queries: Select, View, Truncate, Delete, Update, Alter, Joins, Aggregate Functions, Nested Queries.
• Programming Concepts (Java/C/C++): Program Control, OOPS Concepts, Inheritance, Exception Handling.
• Data Analytics Languages (Python/R): Regex, Dataframes, File Management, Data Mining, Charts, Graphs.
• Algorithms for Problem Solving: Tree and Graph Traversals, Sorting, Searching, Design Techniques (Greedy, Dynamic Programming).
• Networking Concepts: ISO/OSI Stack, TCP/IP, LAN Technologies, Application Layer Protocols, Firewalls.
• Information & Cyber Security: Cyber Attacks, Network Security, Authentication, CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability).
• Data Warehousing: Data Extraction, Transformation, Loading, Metadata, Data Cube, Data Mart.
• Shell Programming: Shell Scripting Basics, UNIX Commands.

3. Research (Economics) Stream (Common Syllabus for Both Phases)

• Economics: Demand and Supply, Market Structures, National Income, IS-LM Model, Inflation, Business Cycles. Monetary and Fiscal Policy, Banking Functions, Public Goods, Taxation, Foreign Trade.
• Statistics and Econometrics: Measures of Central Tendency, Correlation, Sampling Methods, Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis.
• Financial Institutions and Markets: Asymmetric Information, Market Efficiency, Money and Capital Markets, Role of International Financial Institutions.

4. Legal Stream (Common Syllabus for Both Phases)

• Acts and Laws: PFRDA Act, 2013; IRDAI Act, 1999; SEBI Act, 1992. Constitution of India: Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles.
• Law of Contracts: Indian Contract Act, 1872; Partnership Act, 1932; Specific Relief Act, 1963.
• Criminal Law: Indian Penal Code, 1860; Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
• Evidence and Civil Procedure: Indian Evidence Act, 1872; Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
• Corporate Law: Companies Act, 2013; Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

5. Finance and Accounts Stream (Common for Both Phases)

• Financial Statements: Trial Balance, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, Income Statement.
• Financial Analysis: Ratio Analysis, Break-Even Analysis, IND AS, Auditing Standards.
• Cost and Management Accounting: Marginal Costing, Cost Volume Profit Analysis, Capital Budgeting.
• Taxation: Income Tax Act, GST, Direct and Indirect Taxes.
• Financial Markets: Primary and Secondary Markets, Derivatives, Financial Inclusion.

6. Official Language (Rajbhasha) Stream (Common for Both Phases)

• Government of India’s Official Language Policy
• Translation from Hindi to English and English to Hindi
• Hindi-English and English-Hindi Legal Terminology
• Pension, Administrative, Banking, Capital Market, Economics, and Social Security Terminology
• Translation of words, phrases, terms, and sentences related to the above areas

PFRDA Grade A Last Week Preparation Strategy 2026

With the PFRDA Grade A Exam 2026 scheduled for 15 October 2026, candidates should focus on revision, mock tests, and time management during the final week. Instead of starting new topics, prioritise areas you have already studied and work on improving accuracy.

• Revise Important Topics: Focus on frequently practised topics from English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, and General Awareness.
• Prioritise Professional Knowledge: Revise stream-specific concepts, important definitions, financial regulations, and core subject topics relevant to your chosen stream.
• Attempt Mock Tests: Take timed mock tests to understand your preparation level and identify areas that need quick revision.
• Analyse Previous Mistakes: Review incorrect answers from earlier practice sessions and understand the concepts behind them.
• Revise Current Affairs: Cover important recent events, financial and economic updates, government schemes, and pension-sector developments.
• Practise Time Management: Divide your time carefully between the papers and avoid spending too long on a single question.
• Prepare for Descriptive English: For Phase II, practise essay writing, précis writing, and comprehension while focusing on grammar, clarity, and structure.
• Avoid Unnecessary New Topics: Do not spend excessive time learning unfamiliar concepts at the last moment. Strengthen the topics you already understand.
• Check Exam-Day Requirements: Keep your admit card and valid photo ID ready, and check the reporting time and instructions mentioned in the call letter.
• Maintain Proper Rest: Follow a regular sleep schedule and avoid excessive study hours on the day before the examination to stay focused.