| Conducting body | Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Assistant Manager Grade 'A' (General Stream) |
| Qualification | One of: a degree in Commerce, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Business Administration or Engineering with at least 60% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD); CS, CMA/ICWA or CFA; CA; or a full-time two-year MBA/PGDM in any discipline. Graduates and CS/CMA/CFA holders also need at least two years' post-qualification experience, such as credit work as a permanent officer in an all-India financial institution, a scheduled commercial bank or an RBI-registered NBFC. CA and MBA/PGDM holders need no experience. |
| Age limit | 21–30 years on 14 July 2025 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Phase I: online screening exam (200 marks, seven sections) → Phase II: online exam (two papers, 200 marks) → Psychometric test → Phase III: interview (100 marks) → Final selection on Phase II and interview marks together |
| Latest notification | Advertisement No. 03/Grade 'A' and 'B'/2025-26: Recruitment of Officers in Grade 'A' and Grade 'B' (General and Specialist Stream) 2025 · 50 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About SIDBI Grade A
SIDBI is the development bank for micro, small and medium enterprises, and it hires Assistant Managers in Grade A for its general stream. Advertisement No. 03/Grade 'A' and 'B'/2025-26 had 50 Grade A vacancies, advertised together with Manager Grade B posts. The work is MSME credit: finding business, appraising loan proposals, sanctioning and disbursing loans, and monitoring the accounts afterwards.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 21–30 years, counted on 14 July 2025.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- Ex-servicemen: 5 years
- The advertisement allows candidates born from 14 July 1995 to 15 July 2004, both days included.
- PwBD relaxation is 10 years for General/EWS, 13 for OBC and 15 for SC/ST.
- Persons affected by the 1984 riots get 5 years.
Qualification
One of: a degree in Commerce, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Business Administration or Engineering with at least 60% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD); CS, CMA/ICWA or CFA; CA; or a full-time two-year MBA/PGDM in any discipline. Graduates and CS/CMA/CFA holders also need at least two years' post-qualification experience, such as credit work as a permanent officer in an all-India financial institution, a scheduled commercial bank or an RBI-registered NBFC. CA and MBA/PGDM holders need no experience.
Other conditions
- Shortlisted candidates take an online psychometric test after Phase II, and its findings go to the interview panel.
- The 100-mark interview can include marks for district, state or national level achievements and awards, with documentary proof.
Selection process
- Phase I: online screening exam (200 marks, seven sections)
- Phase II: online exam (two papers, 200 marks)
- Psychometric test
- Phase III: interview (100 marks)
- Final selection on Phase II and interview marks together
Exam pattern
Phase I: Screening exam
Mode: Online, objective · Duration: 120 minutes · Negative marking: 1/4 of the question's marks cut for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| English Language (qualifying) | 30 | 30 |
| Reasoning Aptitude (qualifying) | 25 | 25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (qualifying) | 25 | 25 |
| Computer Knowledge (qualifying) | 20 | 20 |
| General Awareness, banking and financial sector, economic and social issues (merit) | 20 | 20 |
| MSMEs: policy, regulatory and legal framework; finance and management (merit) | 30 | 30 |
| Stream specific test, General (merit) | 50 | 50 |
Phase II: Main exam (General stream)
Mode: Online, descriptive answers typed plus objective · Negative marking: 1/4 of the question's marks cut for each wrong objective answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: English, descriptive (75 minutes) | 3 | 75 |
| Paper II: MSME policy, finance and credit, objective (60 minutes) | 50 | 75 |
| Paper II: descriptive, attempt 4 of 10 (75 minutes) | 4 | 50 |
Interview
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Interview | 100 |
SIDBI Grade A syllabus
Phase I qualifying sections
- English Language
- Reasoning Aptitude
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Computer Knowledge
General Awareness
- Banking and financial sector
- Economic and social issues
MSMEs, finance and management
- MSME policy, regulatory and legal framework
- Finance and management with an MSME focus
Stream specific test (General)
- MSME financing: due diligence and KYC, financial ratios
- Term loan and working capital assessment
- Documentary credit
- NPAs, recovery and IRAC norms
- NBFC financing
- Credit risk assessment
Phase II Paper I (English)
- Essay
- Précis writing
- Comprehension
- Business and office correspondence
Phase II Paper II descriptive
- Investment banking and merchant banking
- Equity
- Alternative Investment Funds
- Asset Reconstruction Companies
- Promotion and development of MSMEs in India
What they ask
Phase I has 200 questions in 120 minutes, but only the three merit sections (100 marks) decide who reaches Phase II; the other four only need to be cleared. Half of those merit marks come from the stream test on MSME lending, NPAs and credit risk. Phase II mixes a typed English paper with an MSME and finance paper that has 50 objective questions and four long answers picked from ten. The calling ratio for Phase II is up to 1:25.
How to prepare
- Treat MSME credit as your core subject: loan appraisal, working capital assessment, IRAC norms and NPA recovery run through the Phase I stream test and Phase II Paper II.
- Read up on investment banking, AIFs and asset reconstruction companies, since the Phase II descriptive answers are drawn from these areas.
- Practise typing an essay, a précis and a business letter within 75 minutes for Phase II Paper I.
- Check your eligibility route first: if you qualify through a graduation degree or CS/CMA/CFA, you need two years of relevant officer experience.
- Keep banking and financial awareness current through daily topic-wise practice quizzes on the free Improvam app.
Practise SIDBI Grade A syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Photo and signature
- Photo: 200 x 230 pixels preferred, 20 KB to 50 KB
- Signature: 140 x 60 pixels preferred, 10 KB to 20 KB
Source: official instructions ↗
Resize your photo and signature for SIDBI Grade A
SIDBI Grade A FAQs
21 to 30 years on 14 July 2025. OBC get 3 more years, SC/ST 5, PwBD 10 to 15 and ex-servicemen 5.
Sources
- SIDBI advertisement No. 03/Grade 'A' and 'B'/2025-26 ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.