What is the syllabus for IFSCA Grade A exam ?

The IFSCA Grade Syllabus for Phase 1 and 2 is discussed in the article.

What is the pattern for IFSCA Grade A Exam?

We have discussed the IFSCA Assistant Manager Exam Pattern for both the phases in the article.

What is the selection process for IFSCA Assistant Manager ?

The Selection Process for IFSCA Grade A consists of Phase 1, Phase 2 and Interview.

Is there any negative marking in the IFSCA Grade A Exam?

Yes, there is a negative marking of 1/4th mark for each wrong answer marked by the candidate.

Is IFSCA Grade A Phase II descriptive?

Partly. Phase II Paper 1 is a descriptive English paper, while Paper 2 is objective in nature for the General Stream.

How should I prepare for the IFSCA Grade A General Stream syllabus?

Candidates should combine aptitude practice with financial-sector current affairs and systematic preparation of Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing and Economics. Phase II preparation should additionally focus on IFSCA, GIFT IFSC, banking, capital markets, insurance and pension-sector topics.

How many papers are there in IFSCA Grade A Phase I?

There are two papers in Phase I. Paper 1 contains General Awareness, English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning, while Paper 2 contains stream-specific questions.

IFSCA Grade A Syllabus 2026, Exam Pattern and Syllabus PDF

Table of Contents

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) will conduct the IFSCA Grade A 2026 Exam to recruit candidates for the post of Assistant Manager. The selection process consists of two online exams: Phase 1 and Phase 2, both of which include objective as well as descriptive questions.

The candidates should be well versed with the latest IFSCA Grade A Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026 to score well in the exam. This helps in strategizing an effective preparation plan, time management and focusing on important topics to score high.

IFSCA Grade A Syllabus 2026

Since the exam covers a wide range of subjects, including finance, management, economics, and current affairs related to global markets, a well-planned preparation approach is necessary. The exam is designed to test candidates’ knowledge of English, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, and domain-specific subjects related to financial services and regulation

IFSCA Grade A Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026

Check highlights of the syllabus and exam pattern for the IFSCA Grade A Assistant Manager exam in the table below.

Particular	Details
Organization Name	International Financial Services Centres Authority
Post	Assistant Manager
Category	Syllabus And Exam Pattern
Exam Mode	Online
Total number of questions	Phase 1- 100 Phase 2- 50
Total marks	Phase 1- 100 Phase 2- 100
Duration	Phase 1- 1 Hour Phase 2- 1 Hour
Official Website	@https://www.ifsca.gov.in

IFSCA Assistant Manager Selection Process 2026

The IFSCA Assistant Manager Selection process comprises 3 phases.

Phase -I
Phase -II
Interview

IFSCA Grade A Phase I Exam Pattern 2026

Applicants can refer to the table below for the IFSCA Phase I Exam Pattern. The exam is divided into two papers – Paper 1 covers general subjects, while Paper 2 is based on the specific post applied for. To qualify, candidates must secure at least 40% aggregate marks.

IFSCA Exam Pattern – Paper 1
Subject	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
General Awareness(Financial Sector)	25	25 Marks	60 Minutes
English Language	25	25 Marks
Quantitative Aptitude	25	25 Marks
Reasoning	25	25 Marks

IFSCA Exam Pattern – Paper 2 for General and Legal Stream
Subject	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
Paper II (Questions based on GS in case of General Stream OR Specialised subject in case of Legal Stream)	50	100 Marks	60 Minutes

IFSCA Grade A Phase II Exam Pattern

The Phase 2 Exam consists of Paper 1 and Paper 2, both conducted online mode. Paper 1 will be descriptive type and Paper 2 will consist of multiple-choice questions.

IFSCA Exam Pattern Phase 2 Paper 1
Subject	No. of Questions	Duration
Precise Writing	35	60 minutes
Essay Writing	30
Comprehension	35
Total	100

The IFSCA Exam Pattern for Phase II paper 2 has been mentioned below.

IFSCA Exam Pattern Phase 2 Paper 2
Paper	Subject	Questions	Marks	Cut Off	Duration
II	General Stream: MCQs on General Studies	50	100	40%	60 Minutes
	Legal Stream: MCQs on Specialized Subjects (if applicable)	50	100	40%	60 Minutes

IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Syllabus 2026

To secure the desired position, candidates should have a thorough understanding of all topics in the syllabus. The IFSCA Grade A Assistant Manager Prelims Syllabus covers subjects like Reasoning Ability, Numerical Ability, English Language, and General Awareness. A detailed list of subtopics for each subject is provided in the table below.

Subject	Syllabus
English	Reading Comprehension Vocabulary Synonyms & Antonyms Fillers Error Detection Sentence Rearrangement Word Swap Idioms & Phrases
Quantitative Aptitude	HCF and LCM Simplification Approximation Quadratic Equation Percentage Ratio & Proportion Profit & Loss Time & Distance Average Simple Interest Compound Interest Mensuration Problems on Trains Mixtures & Allegation Probability Permutation & Combination Indices and Surds Partnership Boats & Streams
Reasoning	Puzzle Arithmetical Reasoning Alpha-Numeric Series Direction Sense Test Venn Diagrams Analogy Logical Reasoning Data Sufficiency Clocks & Calendars Coding Decoding Statement – Conclusions Coding-Decoding Statement – Arguments Number, Ranking & Time Sequence Passage-Based Deriving Conclusions

IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Paper 2 Syllabus for General Stream

Subject	Topics
General Knowledge & Current Affairs	• National & International Current Events • General Knowledge
Economic & Social Development	(i) Growth and Development • National Income & Per Capita Income • Poverty Alleviation & Employment in India • Sustainable Development & Environmental Issues (ii) Social Structure in India • Multiculturalism • Demographic Trends • Urbanisation & Migration • Gender Issues – Social Justice
Commerce & Accountancy	• Accounting as a Financial Information System • Accounting Standards – Depreciation, Inventories, Revenue, Assets, Forex, Investments • Cash Flow & Fund Flow Statements • Financial Statement & Ratio Analysis • Share Capital – Bonus, Rights, ESOPs, Buy-Back • Company Final Accounts Preparation & Presentation
Management	• Nature & Scope of Management • Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Controlling • Role of Manager • Leadership – Tasks, Styles, Theories • Human Resource Development (HRD) – Concepts & Goals • Motivation & Morale – Theories, Role of Incentives • Communication – Process, Channels, Barriers, Role of IT • Corporate Governance – Factors & Mechanisms
Finance	(i) Financial System • Regulatory Bodies & Roles (ii) Financial Markets • Primary & Secondary Markets – Forex, Money, Bond, Equity (iii) General Topics • Derivatives – Forward, Futures, Swaps • Recent Financial Sector Developments • Financial Inclusion & Technology • Alternate Finance Sources & PPP • Taxes – Direct, Indirect, GST, FRBM, Fiscal Policy • Inflation – Trends, Measures, CPI/WPI • Financial Risk Management
Costing	(i) Overview • Objectives & Scope of Cost and Management Accounting (ii) Methods of Costing • Unit, Job, Batch, Contract, Process, Service Sector Costing (iii) Cost Control & Analysis • Standard Costing, Marginal Costing, Budgetary Control (iv) Lean Systems & Innovation • JIT, Kaizen, 5S, TPM, Cellular Manufacturing • Six Sigma, Process Innovation, BPR
Indian & Global Economy	• Demand, Supply, Market Structures • National Income – Concepts & Measurement • Classical & Keynesian Theories • Consumption, Investment, Multiplier, Accelerator • IS-LM, Inflation, Phillips Curve, Business Cycles • Balance of Payments, Forex, Monetary/Fiscal Policy • NBFCs • International Institutions – BIS, IOSCO, IMF, World Bank
Govt. Financial Sector Schemes	• Central Government Initiatives & Schemes in Finance

IFSCA Grade A Phase 2 Syllabus 2026

Paper 1 will be descriptive, in which candidates will have to attempt an essay, comprehension, and a precis. In Paper 2, multiple-choice questions will be asked from the topics discussed here.

Section	Subject	Topics
1	IFSCA & Financial Centres	• IFSCA Act • IFSCA • IFSC • GIFT IFSC • GIFT City • Global Financial Centres
2	Union Budget & Economic Survey	• Budget Concepts • Approach & Broad Trends • Key Highlights of Economic Survey
3	Banking	• Structure & Functions of Financial Institutions • Role of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) • Indian Banking System – Structure & Recent Developments • Key Financial Institutions: SIDBI, EXIM Bank, NABARD, NHB, NaBFID • Global Financial Developments & Impact on India • Role of IT in Banking and Finance • Non-Banking Financial System • Digital Payment Systems
4	Capital Market	• Role of Financial Sector Regulatory Bodies • Primary & Secondary Markets – Forex, Money, Bond, Equity: Functions & Instruments • Derivatives – Forward, Futures, Swaps • Precious Metals – Spot and Derivatives Markets
5	Insurance	• History and Principles of Insurance in India • Risk Concepts – Uncertainty, Pooling, Diversification • Legal Foundations – Group, Health Insurance, Pensions • Role of Intermediaries & Bancassurance • Insurance Functions – Product Design, Pricing, Underwriting, Claims, Investment, Reinsurance • Insurance Products – Life, Annuities, Health, Property-Liability, Liability Risks • Specialist Lines – Agricultural, Export Credit Guarantee • Reinsurance – GIC, Obligatory Sessions, Risk Retention
6	Pension Sector	• Pension Sector Status in India • Types of Retirement Schemes & Features • National Pension System (NPS) • Atal Pension Yojana (APY) • Annuity Plans • Investment Basics in Pensions

IFSCA Grade A Syllabus PDF Download

The candidates can click on the link mentioned below to download the IFSCA Grade A Syllabus PDF. The PDF includes a detailed syllabus and exam pattern, which the candidates can refer to while preparing for the examination. The phase 1 examination has been concluded; hence, the candidates must start preparing for Phase 2.

Phase-Wise Preparation Map for IFSCA Grade A

A useful way to organise the preparation is to treat each phase differently:

Preparation Block	What to Cover
Aptitude Base	Quantitative Aptitude + Reasoning
Language	English objective + descriptive writing
Financial Awareness	Financial-sector current affairs and static concepts
General Stream	Commerce, Accountancy, Management, Finance, Costing and Economy
Regulatory Focus	IFSCA, IFSC, GIFT IFSC, financial regulators and markets
Phase II Current Content	Budget, Economic Survey, banking, capital markets, insurance and pensions

IFSCA Grade A Interview 2026

Candidates qualifying through the written examination stages are shortlisted for the interview. As per the currently available exam structure, the final selection gives 85% weightage to Phase II marks and 15% to the interview.

Also Check: IFSCA Grade A Previous Year Question Paper