The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) successfully held the Preliminary examination for the posts of Development Assistant and Development Assistant on 21 February 2026. Candidates who took the exam, as well as those preparing for upcoming shifts or future recruitment cycles, are keen to understand the overall difficulty level, the section-wise distribution of questions, and what can be considered a safe or good number of attempts in the exam.
NABARD DA Prelims Exam Analysis 2026 – 21st February Shift 2 – Good Attempts And Difficulty Level
| Section | Total Questions | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 30–36 | Easy–Moderate |
| Numerical Ability | 30 | 25–28 | Easy |
| Reasoning | 30 | 26–29 | Easy |
| Total | 100 | 81–93 | Easy–Moderate |
Section-wise Analysis: NABARD Development Assistant Prelims [Shift 2]
Reasoning Ability (Total Questions: 30)
Candidates can check the NABARD DA Prelims Shift 2 analysis 2026 for the Reasoning section through the data provided below.
- Number-based Series – 5 questions
- Alphanumeric Symbol Series – 5 questions
- Circle Seating (8 persons, facing inside) – 5 questions
- Sequence Puzzle (7 persons) – 5 questions
- Inequality – 4 questions
- Blood Relation – 3 questions
- Miscellaneous (Total 3 questions):
- Word Pair – 1
- Meaningful Word – 1
- Number-based – 1
English Language (Total Questions: 40)
Candidates can check the NABARD DA Prelims Shift 2 analysis 2026 for the English section through the data provided below.
- Cloze Test (A to F) – 6 questions
- Reading Comprehension (based on bilingualism) – 10 questions
- Double Fillers – 3 questions
- Word Rearrangement – 5 questions
- Jumbled Sentence – 5 questions
- Match the Column – 3 questions
- Phrasal Replacement – 5 questions
- Miscellaneous – 3 questions
Numerical Ability (Total Questions: 30)
Candidates can check the NABARD DA Prelims Shift 2 analysis 2026 for the Numerical Ability section through the data provided below.
- Simplification – 15 questions
- Application Sums – 8 questions
- Bar Graph DI (based on 4 items sold) – 5 questions
- Missing Number Series – 2 questions
NABARD DA Exam Analysis 2026 (1st Shift): Overall Difficulty Level
Based on student feedback, the overall difficulty level of the NABARD Development Assistant Prelims 2026 was Easy to Moderate. The English section was relatively easy, while Numerical Ability required some calculation-intensive steps.
| Section | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | Moderate | 32 – 34 |
| Numerical Ability | 30 | Easy–Moderate | 26 – 28 |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | Easy | 27 – 29 |
| Total | 100 | Easy–Moderate | 85 – 91 |
Section-wise Analysis: NABARD Development Assistant Prelims
1. English Language (40 Questions)
The English section followed the standard banking pattern. Reading Comprehension was based on a story/economic theme, and most candidates found this section the most scoring.
- Reading Comprehension (fisheries): 5 Questions
- Cloze Test: 5-7 Questions
- Error Detection: 7-8 Questions
- Story-Based – Para Jumbles: 6 Questions
- Fillers/Misspelled Words: 5-10 Questions
- Word Replacement – 4-5 Questions
- Phrase Replacement – 4-5 Questions
2. Numerical Ability (30 Questions)
The Numerical Ability section was Moderate due to some calculative Arithmetic word problems. Data Interpretation (DI) sets were straightforward but time-consuming.
- Data Interpretation (Table/Bar Graph): 5-6 Questions [Easy]
- The question was like there was data given for TV and mobile sale and there were 5 companies.
- Simplification/Approximation: 8-9 Questions [Easy-Level]
- Missing/Wrong Number Series: 4-5 Questions [Easy-Level]
- Arithmetic (Profit/Loss, SI-CI, Time & Work): 8-10 Questions
3. Reasoning Ability (30 Questions)
Reasoning was largely dominated by Puzzles and Seating Arrangements. However, the logic used was direct and manageable within the 20-minute sectional timing.
- Puzzles & Seating Arrangement: 8-10 Questions (Box-based) (Linear Row Puzzle)
- Syllogism: 3-5 Questions
- Inequality: 3 Questions
- Blood Relation/Direction Sense [Based on 1 Person] : 3 Questions
- Meaningful Word – 1 Question [STEM]
- Alphabet Pairing – 1 Question
- Alphanumeric Series: 5 Questions
- Chinese Coding – 5 Questions
- Number-Based Operators – 1 Question
NABARD Development Assistant Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
Candidates should remember that there is a negative marking of 0.25 for every wrong answer and sectional timings of 20 minutes for each of the three sections.
| Name of the Test | No. of Qs | Max Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 20 Minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 Minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | 20 Minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 Minutes |
What Next After NABARD DA Prelims?
Candidates who score above the expected cut-off should immediately shift their focus to the NABARD DA Mains Exam (Phase-II). The Mains exam is more comprehensive and includes:
- General Awareness (Special focus on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Banking).
- Computer Knowledge.
- Descriptive English (Essay, Precis, and Letter Writing).
The marks obtained in the Mains exam will be the sole criteria for the final merit list. Start practicing with NABARD DA Mains Mock Tests today to stay ahead of the competition!
