The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) successfully conducted the Grade A Phase 2 Exam 2025 today. This stage is crucial as it determines candidates’ eligibility for the interview round. Based on student feedback and review of the question paper, here is the detailed IFSCA Grade A Phase 2 Exam Analysis 2025, including section-wise review, difficulty level, and expected scoring benchmarks.
IFSCA Grade A Phase 2 Exam Analysis 2025: Difficulty Level
Lets’ take a look at the difficulty level of each section of the IFSCA Grade A Phase 2 exam 2025:
| Paper Section | Difficulty Level |
| Paper 1: Essay Writing | Moderate |
| Paper 1: Précis Writing | Easy to Moderate |
| Paper 1: Reading Comprehension | Moderate to Tough |
| Paper 2: Finance | Moderate |
| Paper 2: Insurance | Easy to Moderate |
| Paper 2: Pension & Schemes | Moderate |
| Paper 2: Budget & Economic Survey | Moderate |
| Overall | Moderate |
Paper 1: English Descriptive
Essay Writing
- Word limit: 250–270 words.
- Topics:
- Pet care industry
- Inclusive education – role of government & private institutions
- Impact of increasing inequality on urban areas
- The inclusive education topic was the most approachable and widely attempted.
- Overall, essay topics were predictable and aligned with expectations.
Précis Writing
- Word limit: approximately 135 words including headline.
- Passage theme: Green Hydrogen – a contemporary environmental topic.
- Straightforward for candidates with practice and good typing speed.
Reading Comprehension
- Passage theme: Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) involving a company named Aura Allied.
- Considered the toughest part due to technical nature.
- Five questions, including fill-in-the-blanks, required multiple readings.
- Scoring 3–4 correct answers out of 5 is considered good.
Overall Paper 1 Assessment:
Essay and précis were manageable, but RC raised the difficulty. A score above 60/100 is a good benchmark.
Paper 2: Finance, Banking, Insurance, Pension & Schemes
General Overview
- Heavy focus on finance, banking, and capital markets.
- 8–9 questions from insurance, 5–6 from pension sector.
- 5 questions directly linked to Union Budget & Economic Survey.
- Mostly direct and straightforward questions.
Key Finance Areas
- Gift City: full form, regulators, SME Fund Management net worth requirement.
- MCX Gold Trading: minimum trading quantity.
- RBI Initiatives: Free AI Committee, check truncation changes, October Payment Vision.
- Institutions: SEBI functions, NABFED establishment, export credit providers, PFRDA establishment year.
- Debt Market: G-sec trading classification, notice money duration, debt instruments (7 days–1 year), CPs & CDs.
- Concepts: Swap definition, contango, backwardation, initial margin requirements.
Insurance Sector
- Principles of insurance, valuation of contracts, LIC nationalization year, FDI limits.
- Mostly conceptual and straightforward.
Pension & Schemes
- APY, NPS, defined benefit vs defined contribution schemes.
- Manageable for prepared candidates.
Budget & Economic Survey
- Five direct questions on FDI limits, finance & insurance terminologies.
Overall Paper 2 Assessment:
Balanced and moderate. Scoring above 70/100 is advisable for interview shortlisting.
Final Evaluation
- Both papers followed previous year trends.
- Paper 1 difficulty was raised by RC; Paper 2 was moderate with direct questions.
- Candidates with comprehensive preparation are expected to perform well.
- Overall exam rating: Moderate difficulty.
IFSCA Grade A 2025 Phase 1 Exam Analysis
Candidates’ feedback shows that the IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 exam questions were of moderate difficulty. The exam is conducted in multiple phases. Phase 1 is an online test and acts as a screening stage. Only those who clear it can move to the next phase. So, clearing Phase 1 is very important.
IFSCA Grade A Prelims Exam Analysis 2025, 11th October: Difficulty Level
The Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude sections were challenging for some candidates, as they needed more time for calculations and thinking. The English section was easier. General Awareness was also manageable, especially for those who prepared financial updates well. Overall, the IFSCA Grade A 2025 Phase 1 exam was moderate.
Take a look at the table below for section-wise difficulty levels.
| Paper | Section | Difficulty Level |
| Paper 1 | General Awareness | Easy to Moderate |
| Paper 1 | English Language | Easy to Moderate |
| Paper 1 | Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate |
| Paper 1 | Reasoning | Moderate to High |
| Paper 2 | Economics | Moderate |
| Paper 2 | Finance | Easy to Moderate |
| Paper 2 | Management | Moderate |
| Paper 2 | Costing & Accounts | Moderate to Tough |
| Overall | All Sections | Moderate |
IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam Analysis 2025, Section-wise Analysis
The IFSCA Grade A 2024 Phase 1 exam was a well-balanced test, challenging candidates across various sections. While the Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude sections tested candidates’ problem-solving skills under time pressure, the English and General Awareness sections provided opportunities to score.
IFSCA Grade A Prelims Exam Analysis 2025: Reasoning
Below is the IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam Analysis 2025 for the Reasoning Ability section. Check out the topics and the number of questions that were asked in the exam:
| Section | Key Topics | Difficulty Level |
| Reasoning Ability | Sitting arrangement, Complex puzzles, Inequalities, Analytical reasoning | Moderate to High |
IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam Analysis 2025: General Awareness (Current Affairs)
Below is the IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam Analysis 2025 for the General Awareness section. Check out the topics that attracted questions in the exam:
| Section | Topics | Difficulty Level |
| General Awareness / Current Affairs | Three months’ current affairs, Finance & regulatory headlines (NBFCs, G20, major reports) | Moderate |
IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam Analysis 2025: English Language
Below is the IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam Analysis 2025 for the English language. Check out the topics and the number of questions that become part of the exam:
| Section | Key Topics | Difficulty Level |
| English Language | Reading comprehension, Vocabulary-based fill-in-the-blanks, Double fillers | Moderate |
IFSCA Grade A Prelims Exam Analysis 2025: Quantitative Aptitude
Below is the IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam Analysis 2025 for the Quantitative Aptitude section. Given below are the topics that made their way to the exam:
| Section | Topics | Difficulty Level |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Number series, Missing numbers, Simple interest, Partnership, Averages, Income/Expenditure | Moderate |
IFSCA Grade A Phase I Exam Analysis 2025, Paper 2
Paper 2 goes deeper into specialized subjects, covering finance, economics, management, costing, and accounts. The paper had a mix of moderate and tough sections, requiring a deeper understanding and applied knowledge.
Economics
Questions focused on concepts like the LM curve, market demand, investment multiplier, and national income. Many themes were repeated from previous years, like sustainable development goals, highlighting the importance of PYQs. The questions were a mix of conceptual and straight factual ones, with moderate overall difficulty.
Finance
This section had one-liner questions on practical finance, including NPCI, IMPS, Inclusion Index, derivatives, risk management, and monetary policy tools. It was easier than economics, with mostly direct concepts and clear definitions. Regular revision of key finance topics and definitions helped a lot.
Management
Covered motivation theories, leadership styles, HRD, planning, corporate governance, and ERP. Questions often had longer statements or slightly tweaked options, which made some items confusing. Many required differentiating between closely related management principles and practices.
Costing and Accounts
This section leaned moderate to tough, testing candidates on capital gearing ratio, proprietary ratio, business process reengineering (BPR), and essential accounting calculations. It included both calculation-based and theory-based items, like full forms such as DMAIC. Conceptual clarity and familiarity with less common accounting and finance terms were required.
FAQs
Pet care industry, inclusive education, and impact of inequality on urban areas.
Toughest part due to technical BMI passage; unpredictable questions.
Finance, banking, capital markets, insurance principles, pension schemes, Union Budget & Economic Survey.
A4: Above 60 in Paper One and above 70 in Paper Two.
The RC passage was unexpectedly technical. But otherwise, papers followed predictable trends.
The overall difficulty level of IFSCA Grade A Phase 1 Exam 2025 was moderate. Paper 1 was largely doable, while Paper 2 ranged from moderate to slightly tough.
Paper 1 included Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English, and Current Affairs. It was largely manageable for prepared students, with Quant, English, and Current Affairs being easier, and Reasoning slightly lengthy.
Paper 2 covered Economics, Finance, Management, and Costing & Accounts. Economics and Finance were mostly moderate, Management was slightly confusing due to tweaked options, and Costing & Accounts ranged from moderate to tough.
Reasoning and Costing & Accounts required more time and consistent practice. Time management was key, and familiarity with calculations, concepts, and formulas helped improve accuracy and attempts.
Disclaimer
The exam analysis, difficulty levels, and cut‑off predictions provided in this article are based on student feedback, expert insights, and previous exam trends. These figures are indicative and meant only for guidance. They should not be treated as official or final. The actual cut‑off marks, results, and official details will be released solely by IFSCA through its notifications. Candidates are strongly advised to rely on official updates for confirmed information.
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