IRDAI Assistant Manager Exam Pattern
Three stages, but only two count. Phase I qualifies you; Phase II and the interview decide the merit list.
The IRDAI Assistant Manager exam runs in three stages. Phase I is a 160-mark, 160-question objective online test lasting 90 minutes, with one-fourth negative marking, and it is qualifying only. Phase II is a descriptive online exam of three 100-mark papers. Final merit combines Phase II and the interview in an 85:15 ratio.
Read that again: Phase I marks are dropped entirely once you qualify. A candidate who scrapes past the Phase I cut-off and writes strong descriptive papers finishes ahead of one who tops Phase I and writes average ones. This single fact should shape your entire preparation split.
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Phase I: The Objective Screen
Four sections, 40 questions each, 90 minutes in total, with one-fourth negative marking.
Reasoning
Questions
40
Marks
40
English Language
Questions
40
Marks
40
General Awareness (incl. insurance & financial)
Questions
40
Marks
40
Quantitative Aptitude
Questions
40
Marks
40
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 |
| English Language | 40 | 40 |
| General Awareness (incl. insurance & financial) | 40 | 40 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 |
Phase II: Three Descriptive Papers
All three papers are typed on screen, 100 marks and 60 minutes each.
Paper I: English
Content
Essay, precis, comprehension
Questions
5
Marks
100
Paper II: ESI impacting Insurance
Content
Descriptive questions
Questions
7
Marks
100
Paper III: Insurance & Management
Content
Stream-oriented descriptive questions
Questions
7
Marks
100
| Paper | Content | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I: English | Essay, precis, comprehension | 5 | 100 |
| Paper II: ESI impacting Insurance | Descriptive questions | 7 | 100 |
| Paper III: Insurance & Management | Stream-oriented descriptive questions | 7 | 100 |
How Final Merit Is Calculated
Final selection combines the 300-mark Phase II with the interview in an 85:15 ratio, prepared stream-wise in order of merit. Phase I is only a gate. The interview cannot rescue weak descriptive papers either: at 15% weight, the written papers dominate the outcome.
The Phase I format, question by question. No signup.
Negative Marking Applies in Phase I Only
Phase I carries one-fourth negative marking per wrong answer. Blind guessing across 160 questions is a losing strategy; skipping a question you cannot eliminate options on costs nothing.
Terms Worth Knowing
- Qualifying phase
- A stage you must clear to move forward, but whose marks are not added to your final score. Phase I works this way.
- Descriptive paper
- A paper answered in typed prose rather than by selecting options. All three Phase II papers are descriptive.
- 85:15 merit ratio
- The weighting of Phase II (300 marks) against the interview in the final selection list.
- Sectional cut-off
- A minimum score required in each Phase I section, alongside the overall cut-off, to qualify.
Exam Pattern FAQs
Is Phase I counted in the final merit list?expand_more
No. Phase I is qualifying only. Final selection is based on the three Phase II descriptive papers, 300 marks at 85% weight, plus the interview at 15%.
How long is the IRDAI Assistant Manager Phase I exam?expand_more
90 minutes for 160 questions worth 160 marks, across Reasoning, English, General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude, with one-fourth negative marking.
Are the Phase II papers objective or descriptive?expand_more
All three are descriptive and typed online: English (5 questions), Economic and Social Issues impacting Insurance (7 questions), and Insurance and Management (7 questions), each worth 100 marks in 60 minutes.
How much does the interview count?expand_more
15% of final merit. Phase II carries the remaining 85%, so the written descriptive papers decide most of the outcome.
Next steps
- Syllabusarrow_forward
- Eligibilityarrow_forward
- Preparationarrow_forward
- IRDAI Assistant Manager Guidearrow_forward
Simulate the 160-question, 90-minute Phase I.