The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has released the official syllabus for the Grade A (Assistant Manager) recruitment 2025. The selection process involves Phase 1, Phase 2, and an Interview round. The exam is held for multiple streams like General, Information Technology, Legal, Finance & Accounts, Research (Economics/Statistics), and Official Language (Rajbhasha).

PFRDA Grade A Exam Pattern 2025

Understanding the exam pattern is the first step to building a preparation strategy. PFRDA Grade A consists of two written phases—Prelims and Mains—followed by an interview. Each phase is designed to evaluate your general aptitude and professional knowledge.

Phase I: Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary exam is the first stage and comprises two papers. Paper 1 checks general aptitude while Paper 2 assesses your professional subject knowledge.

Paper	Sections	Questions	Marks	Duration
Paper 1	English Language, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness	80	100	60 minutes
Paper 2	Stream-Specific MCQs (General/IT/Legal etc.)	50	100	40 minutes

Negative Marking: 0.25 mark is deducted for each incorrect answer.

Phase II: Mains Examination

The Mains exam also consists of two papers: a descriptive English paper and a professional knowledge test for the respective stream.

Paper	Sections	Questions	Marks	Duration
Paper 1	Descriptive English (Essay, Precis, Letter Writing)	3	100	60 minutes
Paper 2	Stream-Specific MCQs	50	100	40 minutes

Note: Except for English Paper, all tests are bilingual (English and Hindi).

PFRDA Grade A Syllabus: Subject-wise Topics

The syllabus includes several core subjects like English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and General Awareness. Mastery of these topics is essential for Phase I preparation.

English Language

This section tests your understanding of the English language through reading and grammar-based questions.

• Reading Comprehension
• Cloze Test
• Vocabulary
• Sentence Rearrangement
• Fill in the blanks
• Phrase Replacement
• Error Detection
• Sentence Improvement

Quantitative Aptitude

Measures your ability to solve numerical problems and understand mathematical concepts.

• Number Series
• Approximation/Simplification
• Data Interpretation
• Time, Speed, Distance
• SI & CI
• Profit and Loss
• Mensuration
• Probability
• Ratio & Proportion
• Averages
• Mixture & Alligation
• Pipes & Cisterns
• Permutations & Combinations

Reasoning Ability

Assesses your logical reasoning and problem-solving capabilities.

• Syllogism
• Puzzles & Seating Arrangement
• Blood Relations
• Direction Sense
• Inequality
• Coding-Decoding
• Input-Output
• Logical Reasoning

General Awareness

Covers current and financial affairs relevant to the banking and pension sector.

• Banking & Financial Awareness
• Budget & Economic Survey
• Current Affairs (National & International)
• Government Schemes
• Pension Sector News
• Important Summits, Reports & Indexes

Stream-wise Professional Knowledge Syllabus

Each stream has a distinct syllabus focusing on specialized knowledge. Candidates must prepare according to their chosen stream.

General Stream

Covers fundamentals of commerce, finance, management, and the pension sector.

• Commerce & Accountancy
• Management Principles
• Finance & Financial Markets
• Costing & Budgeting
• Companies Act, 2013
• Economics & Pension Sector

IT Stream

Focused on technical and analytical skills in information technology.

• Programming in Java/C/C++
• SQL Queries
• Networking Basics
• Cyber Security
• Data Structures & Algorithms
• Machine Learning & AI
• Data Analytics using Python/R

Legal Stream

Includes major laws and legal procedures relevant to the financial and regulatory sectors.

• Indian Constitution
• PFRDA Act, PMLA, RTI
• Company Law, Contract Act
• Civil & Criminal Procedure
• Transfer of Property Act
• IPR & Digital Data Protection Act

Finance & Accounts

Tests expertise in corporate finance, accounting standards, and tax laws.

• Financial & Cost Accounting
• Balance Sheets, Trial Balance
• Ratio Analysis
• Standards on Auditing
• Corporate Accounting
• Business & Income Tax Law
• GST & KYC Compliance

Research (Economics/Statistics)

Emphasizes economic theory, data interpretation, and research methodology.

• National Income
• Fiscal & Monetary Policies
• Time Series & Regression Analysis
• Econometrics & Public Finance
• Sampling Techniques & Hypothesis Testing

Official Language (Rajbhasha)

Checks translation proficiency and knowledge of administrative language policies.

• Hindi to English/English to Hindi Translation
• Official Language Policy
• Administrative & Legal Terminologies

FAQs: PFRDA Grade A Syllabus 2025

1. How many phases are there in PFRDA Grade A recruitment?
Three: Phase I (Prelims), Phase II (Mains), and Interview.

2. Is there negative marking in the exam?
Yes, 0.25 marks will be deducted for wrong answers.

3. Is the exam bilingual?
Yes, except the English descriptive test.

4. What is asked in the Professional Knowledge paper?
It varies by stream: General, IT, Legal, Finance, Research, and Official Language.

5. Where can I download the PFRDA syllabus PDF?
From the official site: www.pfrda.org.in