PFRDA Grade A
(Assistant Manager) 2026
Complete preparation hub — Exam Pattern, Detailed Syllabus, Eligibility, Salary, Strategy & Free Study Material mapped to every topic.
2025 Cycle
Completed
40 vacancies • Final Result Dec 2025
2026 Notification
Expected Soon
Late July – Mid August 2026
Expected Vacancies
30–50
General + 7 Specialized Streams
Why PFRDA Grade A?
Impact at Scale
Regulate India’s pension ecosystem (NPS + APY) covering crores of subscribers and lakhs of crores of AUM.
Excellent Package
Starting gross ≈ ₹1.57 Lakh/month + perks (medical, LFC, NPS contribution, allowances).
Work-Life + Prestige
Regulatory body job with better work-life balance than commercial banks + high prestige.
Exam Pattern (2025 Pattern Expected for 2026)
Paper 1 – Common for All Streams (100 Marks | 60 Minutes)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 20 | 25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 25 |
| Reasoning Ability | 20 | 25 |
| General Awareness (incl. Finance & Pension) | 20 | 25 |
Negative Marking: ¼ mark
Paper 2 – Stream Specific Professional Knowledge (100 Marks | 40 Minutes)
50 MCQs • Negative Marking ¼ • Separate cut-off required
Paper 1 – Descriptive English
Essay + Precis + Comprehension
100 Marks | 60 Minutes
Paper 2 – Professional Knowledge (MCQ)
Same subjects as Phase I Paper 2 (higher difficulty)
100 Marks | 40 Minutes
Final Merit = Phase II (85%) + Interview (15%)
Detailed Syllabus – General Stream (Most Important)
Paper 2 of both Phase I & Phase II covers the following subjects. Depth increases in Phase II.
1. Commerce & Accountancy
- Accounting as a Financial Information System
- Accounting Standards (Depreciation, Inventories, Revenue Recognition, Fixed Assets, Foreign Exchange, Investments)
- Cash Flow Statement & Fund Flow Statement
- Financial Statement Analysis & Ratio Analysis
- Accounting for Share Capital (Bonus, Rights, ESOP, Buy-back)
- Preparation & Presentation of Company Final Accounts
2. Management
- Nature & Scope of Management + Management Processes (Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Controlling)
- Role of a Manager in an Organisation
- Leadership – Tasks, Styles & Theories (Successful vs Effective Leader)
- Human Resource Development (HRD) – Concept & Goals
- Motivation, Morale & Incentives
- Communication – Process, Channels, Barriers, Role of IT
3. Finance + Pension Sector (Highest Weightage)
Finance:
- Financial System & Role of Regulatory Bodies
- Financial Markets (Primary & Secondary – Equity, Bond, Money, Forex)
- Basics of Derivatives (Forwards, Futures, Swaps)
- Financial Inclusion, FinTech, Alternate Sources of Finance, PPP
- Direct & Indirect Taxes, GST, Finance Commission, FRBM
- Inflation – WPI, CPI, Trends & Control
Pension Sector:
- Status of Pension Sector in India
- Types of Retirement Schemes (DB vs DC)
- National Pension System (NPS) – Architecture, Tiers, Investment Choices, Exit
- Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
- Annuity Plans & Basics of Investment
4. Costing
- Overview of Cost & Management Accounting
- Methods of Costing (Unit, Job, Batch, Contract, Process, Service)
- Cost Control & Analysis (Standard Costing, Marginal Costing, Budgetary Control)
- Lean System & Innovation (JIT, Kaizen, 5S, TPM, Six Sigma, BPR)
5. Companies Act, 2013
Specific reference to Chapters III, IV, VIII, X, XI, XII & XXVII (Incorporation, Share Capital, Accounts, Audit, Directors, Meetings, Compromises etc.)
Sweat Equity Shares6. Economics
- Demand-Supply, Market Structures, National Income
- IS-LM, Inflation, Phillips Curve, Business Cycles
- Monetary & Fiscal Policy, Balance of Payments
- Banking Functions, Public Finance
Other Streams – Quick Resource Map
Labour / Social Security Overlap
Code on Social Security 2020 EPF & MP Act 1952 New Labour Codes vs Old ActsPhase 1 – Common Subjects Resources
Eligibility (Expected)
- Age: 21–30 years (relaxations for reserved categories)
- General Stream: Bachelor’s degree in any discipline
- Finance & Accounts: Graduation + CA / CS / CMA / CFA
- IT: B.E./B.Tech (CS/IT/related) or MCA or specialised AI/ML qualification
- Research: Master’s in Economics / Statistics / related
- Legal: LLB
Compensation
₹1.57 Lakh+
Starting Gross Monthly (approx.)
- • Attractive pay scale of regulatory body
- • Medical benefits, LFC, allowances
- • NPS contribution
- • Excellent growth & stability
Winning Strategy
Phase 1 Focus
Master Quant + Reasoning + English + Current Affairs (especially Finance & Pension related). Target high accuracy.
Phase 2 Focus
Deep mastery of Finance + Pension + Management + Accounting. Descriptive English practice is non-negotiable.
Interview
Current affairs of pension sector, NPS architecture, recent PFRDA circulars, and your stream knowledge.
Start Early. Notification is Around the Corner.
Join thousands of serious aspirants preparing with structured notes, one-liners, and current affairs on CrackTarget.