IRDAI Assistant Manager Syllabus 2026: Phase I and II
The IRDAI Assistant Manager syllabus has two very different halves. Phase I tests general aptitude through Reasoning, English, General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude, much like other officer-level financial sector exams. Phase II is where the exam becomes specific to insurance: a descriptive English paper, a paper on economic and social issues that affect insurance, and a paper on insurance and management.
This page is built on the 2024 notification issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, the latest cycle as of 4 November 2026. IRDAI names the Phase I tests but publishes no topic list for them, so the Phase I topics below come from previous papers. For Phase II Papers II and III, the notification gives an indicative syllabus, which we have grouped into study units with a suggested starting point for each.
Table of Contents
Syllabus at a Glance
Stage | Section or Paper | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase I | Reasoning | 40 | 40 | Composite 90 minutes |
Phase I | English Language | 40 | 40 | Composite 90 minutes |
Phase I | General Awareness | 40 | 40 | Composite 90 minutes |
Phase I | Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | Composite 90 minutes |
Phase II | Paper I: English (Descriptive) | Descriptive | 100 | 60 minutes |
Phase II | Paper II: Economic and Social Issues impacting Insurance | Descriptive | 100 | 60 minutes |
Phase II | Paper III: Insurance and Management | Descriptive | 100 | 60 minutes |
Phase I has negative marking of one-fourth of a mark per wrong answer and is qualifying only. Final merit uses Phase II and the interview in the ratio 85:15. The full marking rules are on the IRDAI Assistant Manager exam pattern page.
Key Points to Know Before You Start
Same syllabus for all streams: Actuarial, Finance, Law, IT, Research and Generalist candidates sit the same Phase I and Phase II papers. Cut-offs can differ by stream, but the content does not.
Phase II syllabus is indicative: The notification itself says the listed topics are not exhaustive, so questions can come from related areas.
Insurance knowledge is tested twice: General Awareness in Phase I and Papers II and III in Phase II both reward regular reading on the insurance sector.
English is English-only: The English test in Phase I and Paper I in Phase II are only in English. Other papers are available in English and Hindi.
Do not borrow other syllabi: Grade A exams of other financial regulators have different papers, such as finance or accounting. Follow the IRDAI notification for paper names and scope.
Phase I Syllabus
IRDAI names the four Phase I tests in its notification but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The topic lists below are built from the notification and from the question types seen in previous papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list.
Section | Topics to Cover | Start With |
|---|---|---|
Reasoning | Puzzles, linear and circular seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality, blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking, coding-decoding, input-output, data sufficiency, logical reasoning (statements, assumptions, conclusions) | Puzzles and seating arrangement |
English Language | Reading comprehension, cloze test, error detection, sentence improvement, fillers, para jumbles, word usage, vocabulary in context | Reading comprehension |
General Awareness | Current affairs of the last 6 to 8 months, insurance sector news, IRDAI regulations and initiatives, banking and financial awareness, government schemes, budget and economic survey highlights, static GK | Insurance and financial current affairs |
Quantitative Aptitude | Data interpretation (tables, bar, line, pie, caselets), simplification and approximation, number series, quadratic equations, percentage, ratio, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, speed and distance, mixtures, probability | Data interpretation and arithmetic |
Data interpretation and puzzles usually carry the largest share of questions in their sections and also take the most time. Reading comprehension sets the tone of the English section. In General Awareness, insurance-specific questions are what set this exam apart from bank exams, so give them a daily slot.
General Awareness: What Insurance Topics to Track
Regulator updates: New IRDAI regulations, master circulars, product rules and consumer protection measures.
Sector data: Insurance penetration and density figures, premium growth and major insurer results, from the IRDAI annual report.
Government schemes: Social security and insurance schemes for farmers, workers and low-income households.
Institutions: Public sector insurers, reinsurers, insurance-related bodies and their heads.
Phase II Syllabus
Phase II has three descriptive papers of 100 marks each, written within 60 minutes per paper. You must appear in all three. The notification gives an indicative syllabus for Papers II and III and describes the format of Paper I.
Paper I: English (Descriptive)
Component | What It Tests | How to Prepare |
|---|---|---|
Essay | Structured argument on economic, social, insurance or current topics | Practise a fixed outline: introduction, three or four arguments, a counterpoint, conclusion |
Precis | Summarising a passage to about one-third of its length without losing key points | Count words and keep the original order of ideas |
Comprehension | Answering questions on a passage in your own words | Answer briefly and avoid copying sentences from the passage |
Business or office correspondence | Formal letters, emails or notes in an office setting | Learn standard formats and a clear subject line |
In the 2024 cycle, questions for the English paper appeared on screen and answers had to be written on answer sheets. Practise by hand, at speed, so your writing stays legible within the time limit.
Paper II: Economic and Social Issues impacting Insurance
The topics below group the indicative syllabus from the 2024 notification into study units.
Study Unit | Topics to Cover |
|---|---|
Growth and insurance | Economic growth, business cycles and their link with insurance penetration; demographic and age structure changes |
Risk and pricing concepts | Utility theory in premium setting; macroeconomic shocks such as catastrophes and pandemics; systemic and concentration risk |
Financial system links | Financial markets and interconnected risks; economic and risk-based capital; reinsurance and risk transfer |
Development role | Insurance in sustainable development; long-term investment in infrastructure |
Reforms and regulation | Economic and insurance sector reforms in India; financial and market-conduct regulation; functions of IRDAI; role of the actuary; de-tariffing and motor insurance; changes in law and the FSLRC |
Social issues | Social structure in India; rural and micro-insurance; social security legislation; government health insurance schemes |
Start with the regulation and reforms unit, because it links directly to General Awareness in Phase I and to Paper III. Then move to the social issues unit, which is easier to write about with current examples.
Paper III: Insurance and Management
Part | Topics to Cover | Start With |
|---|---|---|
Insurance | History and principles of insurance; risk, pooling and indemnity; legal basis of group, health and pension cover; intermediaries and bancassurance; insurer functions (product design, pricing, distribution, underwriting, claims, investment, reinsurance); property and liability, life and health insurance; liability valuation and solvency; agricultural insurance and export credit guarantee; role of the national reinsurer and obligatory cessions | Principles of insurance and insurer functions |
Management | Nature and scope of management; planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling; leadership; human resource development and career planning; performance appraisal and employee welfare; motivation, morale and incentives; communication; role of information technology; corporate governance | Functions of management and motivation theories |
Management questions reward clear definitions, a named theory and a short example. Insurance questions reward correct terms and Indian context, such as how a particular IRDAI rule applies to an insurer or a policyholder.
Overlap Between Phase I and Phase II
Much of the reading you do for one phase helps the other. Plan these areas once and revise them twice.
Area | Phase I | Phase II | How to Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
Insurance current affairs | General Awareness questions | Examples for Papers II and III | Keep one monthly insurance notebook for both |
Economy and schemes | Budget, survey and scheme facts | Paper II answers on growth and social security | Note the fact plus one line of analysis |
English | Reading comprehension and grammar | Essay, precis and letters | Daily editorial reading serves both |
Data skills | Data interpretation | Using numbers to support answers | Learn key insurance figures from the annual report |
Is There a Syllabus for the Interview?
No. IRDAI does not publish a syllabus for the interview. It carries 15% weight in the final merit, alongside 85% for Phase II. In practice, candidates should expect questions on their stream background, the insurance sector, IRDAI's role and current developments, plus questions arising from their own application.
Reliable Sources for Each Paper
Because Phase II is descriptive, the quality of your sources shows directly in your answers. Prefer official and primary material over long third-party summaries.
Paper or Section | Useful Sources | What to Take From Them |
|---|---|---|
General Awareness and Paper II | IRDAI annual report and press releases, Economic Survey, Union Budget documents | Penetration and density figures, reforms, scheme updates |
Paper III (Insurance) | Standard insurance principles textbooks and IRDAI regulations on products, claims and policyholder protection | Correct terminology, principles, insurer functions |
Paper III (Management) | Any standard principles-of-management textbook | Definitions, theories of motivation and leadership, examples |
Paper I (English) | Daily editorials from a national newspaper | Essay topics, vocabulary, argument structure |
Keep a single page of key numbers, such as the latest insurance penetration figure and premium growth, and refresh it whenever a new annual report or survey is released. Quoting one accurate figure makes a descriptive answer stronger than a paragraph of general statements.
How to Cover the IRDAI Assistant Manager Syllabus
With no fixed exam calendar, it helps to prepare in phases so that both stages are ready when the notification arrives. A practical plan for about four months looks like this:
Weeks 1 to 6: Foundations. Arithmetic, data interpretation basics, reasoning puzzles and grammar. Start reading one editorial a day and begin a monthly insurance current affairs file.
Weeks 3 to 10: Phase II reading. Cover insurance principles and insurer functions, then management functions, then the Paper II reforms and regulation unit. Make short notes as you go.
Weeks 6 to 12: Topic and sectional tests. Take 20-minute sectional tests for each Phase I section and write two Phase II answers a week. A Testkart test series lets you schedule these tests and track sectional accuracy over time.
Weeks 10 to 16: Full-length practice. Attempt full Phase I mocks twice a week and one full Phase II set every week, handwritten and timed.
Final phase: Revision. Revise from your notes and error log, and update current affairs right up to the exam.
Always check the syllabus and paper names in the latest notification on the official website, https://irdai.gov.in/, before you finalise your plan.
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