NABARD Grade A 2023 Phase 2 Preparation Strategy

The NABARD Grade A prelims 2023 exam was held on 16 October 2023. The result is expected to be declared by 8 November 2023. Nevertheless, if you are scoring anywhere in the range of 39 to 42 marks which is the expected cut-off for the general category, you should start your preparation for the next stage i.e. the phase 2 exam. 

In this article, we will give you a complete strategy and timetable for both papers of Phase 2, i.e., Descriptive English and ESI + ARD to help you score excellent marks.

Let us begin by quickly understanding the pattern of the mains exam of NABARD Grade A.

NABARD Grade A Phase 2 Exam Pattern

The phase 2 exam comprises 2 papers, as given below:

The next logical step would be to understand the syllabus of the phase 2 subjects. The official notification has listed the detailed syllabus of ESI, ARD, and Descriptive English. You can download it here and refer to pages 13 to 15.

Now that you have the syllabus of all phase 2 subjects in hand, it’s time to understand the best strategy to ace this phase.

NABARD 2023 Phase 2 Strategy

With the phase 2 exam scheduled on 19 November 2023, candidates have approximately 20 days left until phase 2 of the NABARD Grade A 2023 Exam.

The following study plan divides your day into 2 slots of 4 hours each, starting 31 October 2023. However, based on your preparation, you can make alterations to the following study plan.

1. If you feel you are falling behind, you can extend hours during the weekend to cover more syllabus.
2. If you are through with your preparation, you can reduce study days covering the syllabus and focus more on revision, mock tests, and answer writing practice.

Now let’s look at a subject wise strategy for Phase 2.

Descriptive English Strategy

The topics for descriptive English are not explicitly defined in the official notification of NABARD Grade A. Based on an analysis of previous year’s questions, we can conclude that,

1. Precis/Essay topics are a mix of environmental and economic issues related to the ESI and ARD syllabus. 
2. For letter-writing, you write to official authorities addressing an issue.

Let’s quickly look at one example each of Essay and Letter Writing from the Question Paper of 2022 for a better understanding. 

Essay Writing: 2022 exam

Q. Write an Essay of about 400 words on any one of the following topics.

1. Discuss the issues plaguing the Manufacturing Sector of India
2. Education is the reason youth are not taking part in Agriculture. Analyse & Review. 
3. What would be the better mode of transport for Agri – products in India – Road or Rail?
4. Discuss the effects of climate change on biodiversity & wildlife. 

Letter Writing: 2022 exam

Q. Write a letter on any one of the topics given below in 150 words.

1. Write a letter to your Resident Welfare Association (RWA) to review its disaster response procedure.
2. Write a letter to customer care of an established furniture shop. You bought a piece of furniture which after unboxing was found to be of the wrong size. Write to customer care asking for a replacement of the furniture piece bought. 
3. Write a letter to your manager to congratulate him for being promoted and tell him about the role he played in your career.

The strategy for Descriptive English is to hone your ability to write clear, concise, and informative essays, letters, and reports. It is about how well candidates are able to express their thoughts and ideas. Additionally, consistent practice on the keyboard will help you increase your typing speed as well. 

ESI + ARD Strategy

The Economic and Social Issues (ESI) and Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) paper is a critical component of the NABARD Grade A Phase 2 exam. It is divided into a 50% objective and 50% descriptive question format. 

Objective Section

The objective section consists of 30 questions, with 20 questions carrying 2 marks each and 10 questions carrying 1 mark each. 

Important Topics for ESI Objective

Following are some of the important chapters and topics for ESI:

• Measurement of Growth
• Balance of Payment
• Inflation
• Monetary Policy
• Fiscal Policy
• Employment generation and Poverty alleviation
• Rural Banking and Financial Institutions
• ESI Current Affairs

Important Topics for ARD Objective

Following are some of the important chapters and topics for ARD:

• Agronomy
• Farming System
• Soil and Water Conservation
• Plantation and Horticulture
• Animal Husbandry
• Fisheries 
• Agriculture Engineering
• ARD Current Affairs

Descriptive Section

The descriptive section consists of 6 questions, with 3 questions carrying 10 marks each and 3 questions carrying 15 marks each. Candidates have to attempt 4 questions, wherein 1 question of 10 marks and 1 question of 15 marks is compulsory, i.e., you answer 2 questions of 15 marks and 2 questions of 10 marks each.

The descriptive section tests candidates’ conceptual understanding of the ESI and ARD subjects. 

Important Topics for ESI Descriptive

ESI Static Syllabus: Every topic from the listed detailed syllabus in the official notification is important. Candidates should have an in-depth knowledge of the topic asked to be able to form a well-structured and informative answer.

ESI Current Affairs: Schemes, Reports & Indices, and Current Affairs (reports and schemes that were in the news in the last 5 months + the ones explicitly mentioned in the NABARD syllabus)

For ESI Current Affairs, you can refer to our video lecture playlist here.

Important Topics for ARD Descriptive

ARD Static Syllabus: The entirety of ARD syllabus listed in the NABARD notification is important. The weightage of ARD in Paper 2 is generally higher. Additionally, candidates should have an in-depth understanding of the static syllabus of both ARD and ESI to form well-written informative answers for the descriptive section.

ARD Current Affairs: Candidates can expect questions from various Schemes, Government Reports, and Current Affairs (reports and schemes that were in the news in the last 5 months + the ones explicitly mentioned in the NABARD syllabus)

Candidates are advised to take a holistic approach when covering the ESI and ARD syllabus. For example, to write an answer for a Scheme-centred question, you will require both static and current knowledge.

For ARD Current Affairs, you can refer to our video lecture playlist here.

On that note, following are some tips that need to be your focus point during your preparation:

• Develop a complete understanding of covered concepts.
• Integrate ESI and ARD Current affairs with the Static syllabus to combine information and form a good answer.
• Improve your typing speed (26 to 30 words per minute) and minimise typing errors.
• Practice on a similar interface and keyboard as given in the NABARD examination hall.

Concluding our preparation strategy, we have an easy challenge for you that can help you step up your Phase 2 preparation strategy. 

7 Days, 7 Questions, 7 Lines Challenge

If you are still confused about where to start or you happen to be a syllabus pro and are done with your preparation, you can benefit from the following answer writing challenge.

The challenge is simple:

• For the next 7 days, practice writing answers to 7 different topics.
• Each answer should be 7 lines long.
• There is no need for expert evaluation.
• There is no time limit.

Here are 10 topics you can choose from,

1. Role of India in Agriculture in Development of India
2. Challenges and Prospects of Women’s Empowerment
3. Digital Economy: Advantages and Challenges
4. Growth Challenges for the Indian Economy
5. Effect of Social Media and its Consequences on our Population
6. Economic Importance of Tourism
7. The Contribution of Unskilled Labour to the Indian Economy
8. Make in India Initiative
9. Ways to Promote Sustainable Development
10. Role of Youth in Nation-Building

Focus on writing clear, concise, and informative answers. Use correct grammar and punctuation. Don’t worry about making mistakes. Practice typing on a keyboard only. The goal of this challenge is to practise, not to be perfect.

Conclusion

The NABARD Grade A Phase 2 exam is a challenging one, but it is definitely possible to succeed with proper preparation. This article has provided a comprehensive overview of the Phase 2 exam, including the pattern, syllabus, important topics, and the most effective preparation strategy that will put you on the path to success.

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