How much preparation have you done to compete in the Phase 1 exam on 5th September 2025? The exam is going to test your knowledge of the syllabus and answer-giving skills in a few weeks from today. Therefore, to ace your preparation and revision, we have compiled for you a list of the most scoring and important topics that you need to prepare to ensure you clear the exam by maximizing your scores in each section. Although you’re required to prepare all the topics that make up the syllabus, you need to focus more on those topics that carry more weightage than others. Don’t forget that the exam also asks questions from topics that carry the fewest marks and are very lengthy. These questions consume a lot of time that could be used to solve other scoring ones. In this blog, we’ll point out the topics with the most weightage in the PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 exam.
Also, go through the PFRDA Grade A Syllabus 2025
Why do you need to master important topics?
Every topper has one thing in common: they know where to focus their time. The PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 Exam has two papers. Paper 1 has English, Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. Paper 2 has subject knowledge questions. Both papers are qualifying, but you need to clear the cut-off in each subject.
Analysis of past years’ exams shows that some topics repeat every year and carry more marks. For example, DI (Data Interpretation) pops up in the Quantitative Aptitude section, Puzzles show up in Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension becomes part of the English section. Similarly, Current Affairs are always part of the GA section. If you master these high-weight topics, you can easily score half of your marks without wasting time.
Here’s a short view of weightage from past exams (Phase 1, General Stream):
- Quantitative Aptitude: 20–25 questions. Most from DI, Series, and Arithmetic.
- Reasoning: 20–25 questions. Most from Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, and Coding-Decoding.
- English: 20–25 questions. Most from Reading Comprehension, Error Detection, and Fillers.
- General Awareness: 20–25 questions. Pay more attention to Current Affairs and Financial Awareness.
- Paper 2 (Professional Knowledge): 50 questions, 100 marks. Very much based on the syllabus.
This means your revision should not be equal for all topics. You need to smartly divide your time.
Important topics for PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 Exam 2025
You have limited time. You cannot spend hours on low-scoring topics. Here is a section-wise list of the most important topics. We have also added weightage and difficulty level from past exams. Given below is the breakdown based on PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 (Paper 1) relative importance, compiled from credible sources and memory-based analyses of the 2022 exam:
Quantitative Aptitude: Topic-Wise Weightage for Phase 1, Paper 1
This section tests your speed and accuracy. The focus is on Data Interpretation and Arithmetic.
| Topic | Approx. No. of Questions (2022) | Importance Level |
| Number Series | 5 | Very High |
| Data Interpretation | 5 | Very High |
| Averages | 3 | High |
| Time, Speed & Distance | 2 | High–Moderate |
| Profit & Loss | 1 | Moderate |
| Partnership | 1 | Moderate |
| Time & Work | 1 | Moderate |
| Simple and Compound Interest | 1 | Moderate |
| Percentage | 1 | Moderate |
| Total | 20 | — |
Quick Takeaways:
- Number Series and Data Interpretation alone contributed to 50% of questions, making them unmissable high-yield areas.
- Averages and Time/Speed & Distance also played significant roles.
- Other topics each appeared less frequently, but shouldn’t be ignored due to the negative marking scheme.
Reasoning: Topic-Wise Weightage for Phase 1, Paper 1
Reasoning can be scoring if you focus on puzzles and arrangements.
| Topic | No. of Questions (2022) | Importance Level |
| Seating Arrangement | 6 | Very High |
| Puzzles | 5 | Very High |
| Syllogism | 2 | High |
| Data Sufficiency / Analytical Reasoning | 5 | Very High |
| Direction Sense | 1 | Moderate |
| Coded Inequality | 1 | Moderate |
| Total | 20 | — |
Highlights:
- Puzzles, Seating Arrangements, and Data Sufficiency collectively made up 11 questions—over 50% of the section.
- Syllogism also appeared notably, while other topics had minimal representation.
English Language: Topic-Wise Weightage for Phase 1, Paper 1
English is easy to score if you practice RC and grammar-based questions.
| Topic | No. of Questions (2022) | Importance Level |
| Reading Comprehension | 5 | Very High |
| Cloze Test | 5 | Very High |
| Fillers | 5 | Very High |
| Error Detection | 4 | High |
| Sentence Improvement | 1 | Moderate |
| Total | 20 | — |
Highlights:
- RC, Cloze, and Fillers dominate the section—forming 15 of the 20 questions.
- Error Detection also had a decent presence.
- Sentence Improvement appeared minimally, and other topics weren’t tested.
General Awareness: Topic-Wise Weightage for Phase 1, Paper 1
This section is vast, but it gives you direct marks if you revise current affairs daily.
| Topic | No. of Questions (2022) | Importance Level |
| Current Affairs | 11 | Very High |
| Regulatory Bodies (RBI, SEBI, IRDAI, etc.) | 3 | High |
| Banking & Financial Awareness | 2 | Moderate |
| Static GK | 3 | Moderate |
| Reports | 1 | Low–Moderate |
| Total | 20 | — |
Highlights:
- More than half the GA questions were Current Affairs—especially governance, economy, and policy-related.
- Knowledge of regulatory bodies remains essential.
- Covering static topics, basic banking, and reports is helpful for overall coverage.
How This Helps You Prepare
- Prioritize: Pay special attention to DI, Number Series, Puzzles, Seating Arrangements, Data Sufficiency, Reading Comprehension, Cloze, Fillers, and Current Affairs. These topics are the foundation of the exam.
- Make a Balance Strategy: Giving special attention to some topics doesn’t mean you should neglect some. Prepare all the topics.
- Manage Your Time Well: Train your brain to answer bulky sections like DI, Puzzles, and RC. Be careful with the speed of answering them to avoid negative marking.
Disclaimer: You must study all the topics and not just depend on the important ones given above. The exam can change anytime, so you can’t expect the same weightage. Two views exist. One view says focus more on high-weightage topics. The other view says, Prepare everything. As a smart candidate, you should do both smartly.
Paper 2 (Professional Knowledge) Important Topics
This paper is stream-based. For General Stream, the most scoring topics are:
- Commerce & Accountancy: Accounting Standards, Final Accounts and Cash Flow Statement.
- Management: HRD, Motivation, and Leadership Styles.
- Economics: Demand & Supply, Monetary Policy, and Balance of Payments.
- Costing: Cost Control, Analysis, and Lean System.
- Finance: Financial System, Markets, and Company Act 2013.
- Pension Sector: NPS, Atal Pension Yojana, and Annuity Plans.
Weightage is almost equal, but Accounting, Economics, and Pension Sector see more questions.
How to quickly revise all these topics?
Revision is all about practice. Reading notes again and again will not help. You need to test yourself. That is where PracticeMock comes in. With PracticeMock’s Free Mock Test for PFRDA Grade A, you can check your preparation. The mocks are designed like the real exam. They show you your weak areas and help you improve.
Do one mock test every 2–3 days. Analyze every mistake. Revise the topics where you lost marks. Do not skip any section because cut-offs are separate. Focus on time management because Phase 1 has strict timing.
Takeaway
The PFRDA Grade A Phase 1 Exam is near. Do not waste time on low-value topics. Master the most important ones that repeat every year. Focus on Data Interpretation in Quant, Puzzles in Reasoning, Reading Comprehension in English, and Current Affairs in GA. Revise Professional Knowledge subjects regularly. Take as many PracticeMock tests as you can. They are the best way to measure your progress.
Remember, Phase 1 is qualifying. But without clearing it, you cannot move to Phase 2. So, your smart preparation now will decide your future as a PFRDA Assistant Manager.
Your Easy Way to Revise – Click to Get a Smart, Portable & Powerful PFRDA Grade A Course Now!
FAQs
It has 4 subjects in Paper 1 and Professional Knowledge in Paper 2.
General Awareness and Professional Knowledge are the most scoring.
No, but you must prepare every topic as exam patterns change.
Each subject (GA, Reasoning, Quant, English) has 20 questions.
Cover the last 6 months, focusing on economy, finance, and schemes.
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