The NABARD Grade A Mains (Phase 2) Exam 2023, conducted on 19 November, once again underlined NABARD’s clear preference for structured thinking, real-life relevance, and developmental awareness expressed through clear English.
The Descriptive English paper was balanced, choice-rich, and highly scoring for aspirants who understood NABARD’s expectations beyond grammar and vocabulary.
Let us analyse the paper section-wise.
📌 Overall Paper Structure
| Section | Marks | Word Limit | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay Writing | 40 | 500–520 words | Analytical & developmental |
| Letter Writing | 30 | 200–220 words | Practical & social |
| Precis Writing | 30 | 120 words | Comprehension & summarisation |
The paper rewarded clarity, relevance, coherence, and word-limit discipline.
📝 Essay Writing (40 Marks | 500–520 Words)
Topics Asked:
- Agriculture and Technology Complement Each Other for Better Prospects
- Cooperatives and Their Role in Rural India’s Development
- Importance of Work-Life Balance
- Detrimental Effects of Social Media on Relationships & Health
Examiner’s Intent:
The essay section offered a wide thematic spread, covering:
- Core NABARD domain (agriculture, cooperatives)
- Socio-economic awareness (work-life balance)
- Contemporary social issues (social media impact)
High-scoring essays demonstrated:
- Clear thesis in the introduction
- Logical paragraph-wise development
- Use of examples without exaggeration
- Balanced conclusion with a forward-looking tone
📌 Key Insight:
Even non-agriculture topics were expected to be handled with maturity, balance, and analytical depth, not emotional opinions.
✉️ Letter Writing (30 Marks | 200–220 Words)
Questions Asked:
- Letter to electricity board customer care for address change
- Letter to residential society secretary to open a small library for children
- Letter congratulating a manager on his farewell, appreciating his role
What NABARD Tested:
- Formal, semi-formal and social correspondence
- Ability to maintain appropriate tone for each situation
- Clear structure: purpose → details → closing request/appreciation
📌 Important Observation:
NABARD deliberately included administrative, community-oriented and personal-professional letters to test adaptability in writing.
✂️ Precis Writing (30 Marks | 120 Words)
Topic:
Social Media & Short Videos for Brand Promotion
Core Skills Assessed:
- Identifying the central argument
- Eliminating examples and promotional tone
- Maintaining coherence after reduction
- Neutral and objective language
📌 Common Mistake:
Aspirants often summarise points but lose the logical flow of the original passage, leading to lower scores.
🎯 What NABARD 2023 Paper Clearly Indicates
✔ Repetition of rural and development-centric themes
✔ Predictable structure, unpredictable execution
✔ Strong emphasis on real-life writing skills
✔ Word limit management is crucial
✔ Examiner rewards structure more than vocabulary
📚 Preparation Takeaway for Aspirants
To score well in NABARD Descriptive English:
- Practice 520-word essays with clear frameworks
- Master 200–220 word letter formats for all situations
- Learn a systematic precis reduction method
- Get evaluated feedback aligned with NABARD standards
This is exactly the preparation philosophy followed at Bank Whizz – Descriptive English.
Final Note
The NABARD Grade A 2023 Descriptive English paper reinforces one message:
👉 NABARD selects officers who can think clearly and communicate responsibly.
Preparing randomly is not enough. Preparing exam-aligned makes the difference.
📌 Write less, think more, structure better.
Upcoming posts will connect 2023, 2024, and 2025 papers to identify high-probability patterns for future aspirants. 🚀