The PFRDA Assistant Manager Exam Pattern 2026 consists of three stages: Phase 1, Phase 2, and Interview.
Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 consist of two papers each. The PFRDA Grade A Interview is the final stage and is conducted at the PFRDA Head Office in New Delhi.
Understanding the PFRDA Grade A pattern is crucial to avoid any surprises on the actual exam day.
In this article, I’ll share the PFRDA Assistant Manager exam pattern in detail, covering:
- Number of subjects
- Total number of papers
- Mode of the exam
- Marking scheme
- Number of questions
- Language of the exam
- Exam duration
Let’s break down each part of the PFRDA Grade A pattern;
PFRDA Assistant Manager Pattern 2026
The official PFRDA Grade A pattern is divided into 3 parts, including:
- Phase 1
- Phase 2
- Interview
Let’s first understand the PFRDA Grade A 2026 exam pattern for Phase 1.
PFRDA Assistant Manager Pattern for Phase 1
Here’s a simplified breakdown of the PFRDA Grade A 2026Phase 1 pattern.
Number of Papers
The PFRDA Assistant Manager exam has 2 papers:
- Paper 1
- Paper 2
Paper 1 of PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 has 4 components:
- Reasoning
- English Language
- Quantitative Aptitude
- General Awareness
Paper 2 of PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 has 7 components:
- Commerce & Accountancy
- Management
- Finance
- Costing
- Companies Act
- Economics
- Pension Sector
Number of Questions
Here are the number of questions in each subject of the PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 Paper 1 exam:
- Reasoning: 20
- English Language: 20
- Quantitative Aptitude: 20
- General Awareness: 20
In the PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 1 Paper 2 exam, a total of 50 questions are asked.
- Concept Notes
- Prep Strategy
- Exam Approach
- Mock Tests
Maximum Marks
Here are the maximum marks for each subject of PFRDA Assistant Manager 2026 Phase 1 paper 1:
- Reasoning: 25
- English Language: 25
- Quantitative Aptitude: 25
- General Awareness: 25
The maximum marks for the PFRDA 2026 Phase 1 paper 2 are 100.
Time Duration
- Paper 1: 60 minutes
- Paper 2: 40 minutes
Below, I have summarized the PFRDA assistant manager pattern for Phase 1.
| PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 1 Pattern | ||||
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Questions | Duration |
| Paper 1 | English Language | 25 | 20 | 60 min |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 20 | ||
| Test of Reasoning | 25 | 20 | ||
| General Awareness (including some finance-related questions) | 25 | 20 | ||
| Total | 100 | 80 | ||
| Paper 2 | Multiple choice questions on subjects: Commerce & Accountancy Management Finance Costing Companies Act Economics Pension Sector | 100 | 50 | 40 min |
Additional Details of PFRDA Assistant Manager Pattern for Phase 1
Here are some additional facts about the PFRDA Grade A 2026 pattern you must be aware of.
Mode of Exam
The PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 exam is conducted online via a computer screen.
Paper Structure
PFRDA Grade A Prelims exam is qualifying in nature and consists of objective-type multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
Paper Language
The PFRDA Grade A exam is available in two languages, Hindi and English. However, the English Language exam can only be taken in English.
Negative Marking
PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 exam involves negative marking, i.e., 1/4th or 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect choice you make.
Cut-Off Marks
The overall and sectional cut-off marks are decided by PFRDA based on the number of available vacancies. You can read about the PFRDA Grade A cut off marks.
Below, I have summarized the information.
| PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 1 Pattern Additional Details | |
| Mode | Online |
| Paper Structure | Objective-Type (MCQs) |
| Nature | Qualifying |
| Language | Hindi & English (Except the test of English) |
| Total Number of Questions | 130 |
| Total Marks | 200 |
| Overall Cut-Off Marks | Decided by PFRDA based on the available vacancies |
| Sectional Cut-Off Marks | Decided by PFRDA based on the available vacancies |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 (1/4th for every wrong answer) |
| Total Duration | 60 Minutes (Composite timing) |
| Sectional Timing | No |
- Concept Notes
- Prep Strategy
- Exam Approach
- Mock Tests
PFRDA Assistant Manager Pattern for Phase 2 2026
Here’s a simplified breakdown of the PFRDA Grade A Mains pattern:
Number of Components
The PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 2 exam comprises 2 papers:
- Paper 1: Descriptive English
- Paper 2: MCQs on the following subjects:
- Commerce & Accountancy
- Management
- Finance
- Costing
- Companies Act
- Economics
- Pension Sector
Number of Questions
Here are the number of questions in each subject of the PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 exam:
- Paper 1: General English: 3
- Paper 2: MCQs on Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, and Pension Sector: 50
Maximum Marks
Here are the maximum marks for each component:
- Paper 1: Descriptive English: 100
- Paper 2: MCQs on Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, and Pension Sector: 100
Time Duration
The total time allotted for Phase 2 of the PFRDA Assistant Manager exam is 100 minutes.
- Paper 1: Descriptive English: 60 Minutes
- Paper 2: MCQs on Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, and Pension Sector: 40 Minutes
Below, I have summarized the information.
| PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 2 Pattern | ||||
| Paper | Subjects | Marks | Questions | Duration |
| Paper 1 | English (Descriptive Test) to test your drafting skills | 100 | 3 | 60 Min |
| Paper 2 | Multiple choice questions on subjects: Commerce & Accountancy Management Finance Costing Companies Act Economics Pension Sector | 100 | 50 | 40 Min |
Additional Details of PFRDA Assistant Manager Pattern for Phase 2
Here are some additional facts about the PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 pattern:
Mode of Exam
The PFRDA Grade A Phase 2 is worth 200 marks and is held online.
Paper Structure
PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 2 paper 1 includesdescriptive questions and paper 2 includes MCQs.
Paper Language
The PFRDA Grade A exam is available in two languages, Hindi and English. However, the English Language exam can only be taken in English.
Total Number of Questions
Here is the total number of questions asked in the PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 2 exam:
- Paper 1: General English: 3 Questions
- Paper 2: MCQs on Commerce & Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing, Companies Act, Economics, and Pension Sector: 50 Questions
Cut-Off Marks
The overall and sectional cut-off marks are decided by PFRDA based on the difficulty level among other factors.
Negative Marking
The will be 1/4th negative marking in the objective Paper 2. But No negative marking in descriptive paper.
| PFRDA Assistant Manager Phase 2 Pattern Other Details | |
| Mode | Online |
| Paper Structure | Descriptive and MCQ-based questions |
| Language | Hindi & English for both objective and descriptive papers (Except for the test of English) |
| Total Marks | 200 |
| Total Questions | 53 (3 from paper 1 and 50 from paper 2) |
| Cut-Off Marks | Decided by the PFRDA |
- Concept Notes
- Prep Strategy
- Exam Approach
- Mock Tests
PFRDA Assistant Manager Interview Pattern
Candidates are shortlisted for interview based on their Phase 2 marks only. Here is the PFRDA Grade A interview pattern:
- The interview is conducted in person at PFRDA Head Office in New Delhi.
- You can take the interview in Hindi or English.
- The interview marks are not mentioned in the official PFRDA Grade A notification.
- The weightage of marks obtained in Phase 2 is 85%, while marks obtained in the interview are given a weightage of 15%.
PFRDA Grade A Final Selection
The PFRDA Assistant Manager final selection is based on the aggregate marks obtained in Phase 2 and the interview.
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus
Here is the PFRDA Grade A syllabus for Phase 1 and Phase 2.
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Phase 1 Paper 1
In the absence of an official syllabus for Phase 1, we have analyzed the previous years’ questions (PYQs) to list down the topics of each subject of Phase 1.
| PFRDA Grade A Syllabus Phase 1 Paper 1 Syllabus | ||
| Reasoning | Quant | English |
| Alphabetical, Alphanumeric Series Coding & Decoding Syllogism Direction Sense Inequality Ranking Blood Relation Seating Arrangement Puzzles Machine Input Output Statement – Assumption Statement – Course of Action Cause and Effect Statement Argument Statement Conclusion Data Sufficiency | Percentage Profit & Loss Ratio & Proportion Simplification Interest Time & Work, Pipes Number Series Time, Speed & Distance, Trains & Boats Mixture Average Ages & Partnership Area & Volume Probability Data Interpretation Quadratic Equation | Parts of Speech Subject – Verb Agreement Nouns Pronouns Tenses Modals Conditional Sentences Question Tag Preposition Complex Preposition Conjunction Articles Advance Verbs Adjective – Adverb |
| General Awareness | |
| Current Affairs National News: MoUs, summits, and major events related to India International: Summits and conferences held abroad Financial & Economics News Financial Awareness: RBI and SEBI notification and regulations Defence: Military exercises, drills, and major updates related to the defence sector of India Days in News: Major events or days, along with its date and theme Persons in News: Obituaries, appointments, and retirements Sports: Major tournaments and its winners Science, Technology, and Space Awards and Honours Environment Banking and Economy-Related News Reports and Government Schemes Books and Authors | Static Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers National Parks and Sanctuaries Airport Locations, Stadiums Organisations’ Headquarters Banks’ Headquarters and Taglines Power Plants in India Indian Dance Forms Countries Capitals and their Currencies Important Days |
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Phase 1 Paper 2
Here’s an overview of the Paper 2 syllabus for the PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 exam:
| PFRDA Grade A Syllabus Phase 1 Paper 2 | |
| Commerce and Accountancy | Management |
| Accounting as a Financial Information System Accounting Standards Cash Flow Statement Accounting for Share Capital Transactions Employees Stock Option and Buyback of Securities Preparation and Presentation of Company Final Accounts | Management The Role of a Manager in an Organization Leadership Leadership Styles Human Resource Development Motivation Communication |
| Economics | Costing |
| Demand and Supply, Market Structures, National Income Balance of Payments, Foreign Exchange Markets, Inflation, Monetary and Fiscal Policy, Non-banking Financial Institutions | Overview of Cost and Management Accounting Methods of Costing Basics of Cost Control and Analysis Lean System and Innovation |
| Pension Sector | Finance |
| Status of Pension Sector in India Types of Retirement Schemes in India and Their Features National Pension System Atal Pension Yojana Annuity Plans Basics of Investment | Financial System Financial Markets General Topics |
| Company Act | |
| The Companies Act, 2013 | |
- Concept Notes
- Prep Strategy
- Exam Approach
- Mock Tests
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Phase 2 Paper 1
Generally, 3 questions are asked from the following topics:
- Essay
- Precis Writing
- Reading Comprehension
PFRDA Grade A Syllabus for Phase 2 Paper 2
The syllabus of Paper 2 is the same for both Phase 1 and Phase 2. However, it is important to know that the difficulty level of Paper 2 is higher in Phase 2.
Wrapping Up
Now that you have detailed information about the PFRDA Assistant Manager 2026 exam pattern and a brief overview of the syllabus, you can:
- Create a strategic study plan:
- Select the right study material
- Focus on high-weightage sections
- Tweak your existing preparation strategy based on the updates
- Finally, increase the chances of clearing the PFRDA Grade A exam
