RBI Grade B
Reserve Bank of India — Grade B Officer
RBI Grade B (Officer in Grade B - DR) Exam - Reserve Bank of India
The RBI Grade B Exam is a national-level competitive recruitment conducted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to select Officers in Grade 'B' (DR) across three cadres - General, DEPR (Department of Economic and Policy Research) and DSIM (Department of Statistics and Information Management). It is one of the most prestigious banking examinations in India because of its attractive pay, job security and the opportunity to work in monetary policy and financial regulation.
The recruitment is conducted by RBI itself (through the RBI Services Board) on an annual basis. For the 2026 cycle, the notification was released on 29 April 2026 with 60 vacancies (40 General, 10 DEPR, 10 DSIM). Phase 1 was held on 13-14 June 2026, and Phase 2 was scheduled for 25 July 2026, followed by an interview in August 2026. Candidates must follow the official RBI website for current-cycle updates.
Overview / Key Highlights
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Reserve Bank of India (RBI Services Board) |
| Exam Name | RBI Grade B (Officer in Grade 'B' - General / DEPR / DSIM) |
| Mode of Exam | Online CBT for Phase 1 and Phase 2; Personal Interview offline; medium English |
| Selection Stages | Phase 1 (Prelims) → Phase 2 (Mains) → Interview |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 marks per wrong answer in objective sections (tentative) |
| Vacancies (2026) | 60 (40 General, 10 DEPR, 10 DSIM); annual frequency |
| Official Website | https://www.rbi.org.in/ |
Selection Process
The RBI Grade B selection process is a three-stage process; candidates must clear each stage to progress to the next:
- Phase 1 - Preliminary Examination (Online): A screening test of objective questions on General Awareness, English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. It is qualifying in nature; its marks are not counted in the final merit.
- Phase 2 - Main Examination (Online, Objective + Descriptive): Three papers for the General cadre - Paper I Economic & Social Issues, Paper II English (Writing Skills) and Paper III Finance & Management. Marks of Phase 2 are counted in the final merit.
- Personal Interview (75 marks): The final stage assessing personality, communication, domain knowledge and suitability. A personality assessment is held before the interview but carries no marks.
The final merit list is prepared by adding the marks of Phase 2 and the Interview (plus any applicable grace marks). Phase 1 is only a qualifying/screening stage.
Exam Pattern
Phase 1 - Preliminary Examination (Objective, Online)
Phase 1 is conducted online and consists of four sections for the General cadre. Based on the recent cycle pattern:
| Section / Paper | Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General Awareness | 80 | 100 | Combined 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes) |
| Paper 2 | English Language | 30 | 50 | |
| Paper 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 50 | |
| Paper 4 | Reasoning | 60 | 100 | |
| Total | - | 200 | 300 | 2 hr 15 min |
Note: There is 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer in Phase 1 (tentative). Phase 1 is qualifying in nature - it only shortlists candidates for Phase 2. For DEPR and DSIM cadres, Phase 1 may be a single professional-knowledge paper as per the official scheme.
Phase 2 - Main Examination (Online, Objective + Descriptive)
Phase 2 for the General cadre has three papers. The objective sections carry 0.25 negative marking; descriptive sections have none (tentative).
| Paper | Type | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I - Economic & Social Issues (ESI) | Objective + Descriptive | 30 objective + 6 descriptive (attempt any 4) | 100 (50 + 50) | 30 min objective + 90 min descriptive |
| Paper II - English (Writing Skills) | Descriptive | 3 questions | 100 | 90 minutes |
| Paper III - Finance & Management (FM) | Objective + Descriptive | 30 objective + 6 descriptive (attempt any 4) | 100 (50 + 50) | 30 min objective + 90 min descriptive |
| Total | - | - | 300 | - |
Note: For DEPR and DSIM, Phase 2 comprises papers on Economics / Statistics respectively plus English (Writing Skills), as per the official scheme.
Interview
The Personal Interview carries 75 marks. Candidates are shortlisted for it based on Phase 2 marks. A personality assessment is held just before the interview without marks; the interview may be in English or Hindi.
Detailed Syllabus
Phase 1 - General Awareness
- Banking and financial awareness (RBI functions, monetary policy, CRR, SLR, repo rates)
- Economy of India and the global economy - GDP, inflation, fiscal deficit, taxation
- Current affairs - national and international events of the last 6-8 months
- Government schemes, budgets, Economic Survey and policy statements
- International organisations - IMF, World Bank, WTO, UN and allied bodies
- Financial institutions and regulators - SEBI, IRDAI, PFRDA, NABARD, SIDBI
- Banking terms, ratios, financial markets; static GK and recent agreements
Phase 1 - English Language
- Reading comprehension (moderate-to-high level passages)
- Grammar - subject-verb agreement, tenses, articles, prepositions
- Error spotting and sentence correction
- Vocabulary - synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases
- Fill in the blanks (single and double blanks) and cloze test
- Para jumbles / sentence rearrangement and para completion
- Sentence improvement and word substitution
- Essay and precis fundamentals (foundation for Phase 2 writing)
Phase 1 - Quantitative Aptitude
- Data interpretation - tables, bar graphs, line charts, pie charts
- Number series; simplification and approximation
- Percentages, ratio and proportion, partnership
- Profit, loss and discount; simple and compound interest
- Time and work; speed, time and distance
- Mixtures and allegations; permutation, combination and probability
- Mensuration and geometry; quadratic equations
Phase 1 - Reasoning
- Seating arrangements - linear and circular (single/double rows)
- Puzzles - floor, scheduling, box and day-based puzzles
- Syllogism and Venn diagrams
- Inequalities - coded and direct; blood relations and coded relations
- Direction and distance; order and ranking
- Coding-decoding and alphanumeric series
- Data sufficiency and input-output
- Logical reasoning - assumptions, conclusions, cause-effect
Phase 2 - Economic & Social Issues (ESI)
- Growth and development of Indian economy - planning, NITI Aayog, reforms
- Monetary policy, fiscal policy and economic reforms since 1991
- Poverty, unemployment, inequality and human development indicators
- Agriculture, rural development, land reforms and food security
- Banking and financial system - commercial banks, NBFCs, payment systems
- External sector - balance of payments, exchange rate, FDI and FII
- Social issues - education, health, demography, migration, urbanisation
Phase 2 - English (Writing Skills)
- Essay writing on economic, social and banking topics
- Precis writing - summarising a given passage within word limits
- Reading comprehension with analytical answers
- Paraphrasing and summarisation techniques
- Business and formal communication writing
- Grammar, vocabulary and expression for formal writing
- Structuring arguments with examples and data
- Time management and word-limit discipline in descriptive papers
Phase 2 - Finance & Management (FM)
- Financial system - markets, instruments and institutions in India
- Financial management - capital budgeting, cost of capital, working capital, leverage
- Corporate finance and capital markets - SEBI regulations, IPOs, M&A
- Risk management - credit, market, operational and liquidity risk; Basel norms
- Regulatory environment - RBI, SEBI, IRDAI and financial sector regulators
- Indian banking structure - commercial banks, cooperative banks, RRBs, payments banks
- Financial inclusion - PMJDY, microfinance, financial literacy and digital payments
- Management, organisational behaviour, HRM and corporate governance; forex markets
Marking Scheme
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Marks per question (Phase 1) | 1 mark per question (some sections up to 2 marks as per the paper scheme) |
| Negative marking | 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer (Phase 1 and Phase 2 objective parts, tentative) |
| Unattempted questions | No deduction for unanswered questions |
| Qualifying stage | Phase 1 (Prelims) is qualifying only; marks not counted in final merit |
| Merit stage | Phase 2 (Mains, 300 marks) + Interview (75 marks) |
| Cut-off factors | Category-wise cut-offs with sectional and overall minimums |
As a reference, the Phase 1 cut-off for the General category in recent cycles has ranged roughly between 54 and 67 marks, and the final cut-off (Phase 2 + Interview) between roughly 226 and 252 marks. These are indicative figures that vary yearly.
Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification
| Cadre | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Grade B (DR) - General | Graduation in any discipline / technical or professional qualification with 60% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD) OR Post-Graduation with 55% marks (pass marks for SC/ST/PwBD) |
| Grade B (DR) - DEPR | Master's degree in Economics / Applied Economics / Econometrics / Finance or related fields with 55% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD); doctorate or research experience preferred |
| Grade B (DR) - DSIM | Master's in Statistics / Mathematics / Quantitative Economics / Data Science / AI / ML with 55% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD), or a 4-year Bachelor's in the same fields with 60% |
Age Limit
Candidates must be between 21 and 30 years of age as on the reference date fixed by RBI (for 2026, 1 September 2026, i.e., born not earlier than 2 September 1995 and not later than 1 September 2004). Category-wise upper-age relaxations:
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD - General/EWS | 10 years |
| PwBD - OBC / SC-ST | 13 / 15 years |
| Ex-servicemen / ECO / SSCO | 5 years |
| M.Phil / Ph.D. holders (DEPR/DSIM) | Up to 32 / 34 years (as applicable) |
| RBI staff and experience candidates | As per official notification |
Nationality and Number of Attempts
- Nationality: A citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries (with eligibility certificate) can apply.
- Number of attempts: There is no limit on attempts, subject to the age limit.
Application Process & Fees
Applications are accepted online only through the RBI opportunities portal. For the 2026 cycle, registration was open from 29 April 2026 to 20 May 2026. Steps to apply:
- Visit the RBI opportunities portal (opportunities.rbi.org.in) and go to Current Vacancies → Vacancies → Online Application Form.
- Register as a new user to generate a provisional registration number and password.
- Log in and fill in personal, academic, communication and reservation details.
- Upload the photograph, signature, left thumb impression and handwritten declaration.
- Review details, pay the fee online and click Final Submission; save the e-receipt and printout.
Application fees (as per the 2026 cycle, tentative):
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| GEN / OBC / EWS | Rs. 850 + 18% GST (application fee including intimation charges) |
| SC / ST / PwBD | Rs. 100 + 18% GST (intimation charges only) |
| RBI Staff | Nil |
Payment can be made via debit/credit card, net banking, UPI, IMPS or mobile wallets. Fees are non-refundable.
Salary / Pay Scale
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Starting Basic Pay | Rs. 78,450 per month |
| Pay Scale | Rs. 78,450 - 4050(9) - 1,14,900 - EB - 4050(2) - 1,23,000 - 4650(4) - 1,41,600 (16 years) |
| Gross Monthly Emoluments (without HRA) | Rs. 1,50,374 (approx.) |
| House Rent Allowance | 15% of basic pay (if accommodation not provided) |
| Other Allowances | Dearness, Grade, Special, Learning and Local Compensatory allowances |
Official Links & PDFs
- RBI Official Website - official announcements, results and updates
- RBI Opportunities Portal - online application, notifications and admit cards
- RBI Notifications Page - detailed notification PDF and corrigenda
- RBI Careers & IBPS portal - official references for pattern, syllabus and updates
Note: The detailed notification and syllabus PDF for the current cycle should always be downloaded from the official RBI website / opportunities portal.
Preparation Tips & Strategy
- Master the pattern first: Understand the section-wise question and mark distribution of Phase 1 and Phase 2 before planning preparation.
- Read the newspaper daily: General Awareness and ESI demand daily reading of a financial newspaper and business/money sections; revise RBI Monetary Policy Committee statements.
- Practise reasoning and quant daily: Solve puzzles and data interpretation sets regularly - speed and accuracy are decisive in Phase 1.
- Build ESI and FM notes: Prepare crisp, answerable notes on economic issues, government schemes, banking regulation, financial management and management concepts.
- Write full-length descriptive answers: Practise essay and precis writing under timed conditions for Phase 2.
- Attempt mocks and previous year papers: Analyse mistakes and track sectional scores after every mock; revise current affairs of the last 6-8 months before the exam.
FAQ
Q: How many stages are there in the RBI Grade B selection process?
A: Three stages - Phase 1 (Prelims, qualifying), Phase 2 (Mains, three papers) and a Personal Interview of 75 marks. Final merit is based on Phase 2 plus Interview marks.
Q: Is there negative marking in RBI Grade B?
A: Yes - 0.25 marks are deducted per wrong answer in the objective sections of Phase 1 (and the objective parts of Phase 2) as per the recent cycle. Confirm the exact provision in the notification.
Q: What is the age limit and educational qualification for RBI Grade B?
A: Candidates must be 21-30 years old, with category relaxations. General cadre: graduation in any discipline with 60% (or post-graduation with 55%). DEPR and DSIM require relevant master's degrees.
Q: How many vacancies were announced in the RBI Grade B 2026 notification?
A: A total of 60 - 40 General, 10 DEPR and 10 DSIM.
Q: What is the starting salary of an RBI Grade B officer?
A: Basic pay is Rs. 78,450 per month; gross monthly emoluments around Rs. 1,50,374 (excluding HRA), plus Dearness, Grade, Special and Local Compensatory allowances.
Q: Where can I download the official RBI Grade B notification?
A: From the official RBI website (rbi.org.in) and the opportunities portal (opportunities.rbi.org.in) under Current Vacancies / Notifications.
Final Note
RBI Grade B is a highly competitive career opportunity for graduates and postgraduates interested in economics, banking and policy. Since the pattern, vacancies and dates change every cycle, candidates should keep following the official RBI website and the opportunities portal for the latest notification, admit cards, results and cut-offs.