RBI Grade B Syllabus & Exam Pattern — Complete Guide

RBI Grade B (Direct Recruit, General) is selected through three phases. This guide breaks down every paper, its marks and duration, and shows where daily editorial reading fits into the descriptive papers that decide the final list.

Phase 1 — Preliminary (objective)

200 marks · 120 minutes · online objective screening test

  • General Awareness

    80 marks

    Economy, banking, RBI policy, budget, schemes and last 8–12 months of current affairs.

  • English Language

    30 marks

    Reading comprehension, cloze, error spotting, para jumbles and vocabulary in context.

  • Quantitative Aptitude

    30 marks

    Data interpretation, arithmetic, number series and simplification.

  • Reasoning

    60 marks

    Puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, inequality and logical reasoning.

Phase 2 — Main examination

Three papers of 100 marks each · mix of objective and descriptive

  • Paper I — Economic & Social Issues (ESI)

    100 marks

    Growth and development, Indian economy since 1991, inflation, poverty, globalisation, social structure, education, health and sustainable development. Objective plus descriptive.

  • Paper II — English (Writing Skills)

    100 marks

    Fully descriptive: precis, essay and comprehension-based writing on economic and policy themes.

  • Paper III — Finance & Management (F&M)

    100 marks

    Financial system, regulators, financial markets, risk management, derivatives, corporate governance plus management theory, motivation, ethics and communication.

Phase 3 — Interview

75 marks · personality and domain awareness

  • Interview board

    75 marks

    Tests clarity on the economy, RBI's role, recent policy decisions and your own background and optional language choice.

How to prepare

  1. Read two newspaper editorials daily and write one structured answer from each — this feeds ESI, English and the interview at once.
  2. Maintain a running glossary of economy, banking and finance terms; Phase 2 rewards precise terminology.
  3. Revise the last 8–12 months of current affairs, with extra depth on RBI monetary policy, the Union Budget and the Economic Survey.
  4. Practise objective sets under timing for Phase 1, then shift weight to writing practice for Phase 2.

Our daily Editorial Preparation pack does steps 1 to 3 for you: two editorials a day with descriptive answers, key terms, MCQs and detailed vocabulary.

Frequently asked questions

What is the RBI Grade B syllabus?

RBI Grade B (DR General) is tested in three phases. Phase 1 covers General Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. Phase 2 covers Economic & Social Issues (ESI), English (Writing Skills) and Finance & Management (F&M). Phase 3 is the interview.

What is the RBI Grade B exam pattern?

Phase 1 is a 200-mark objective online test of 120 minutes. Phase 2 has three papers of 100 marks each — ESI (objective + descriptive), English (fully descriptive) and F&M (objective + descriptive). Phase 3 is a 75-mark interview.

How many months of current affairs are needed for RBI Grade B?

Aim for the previous 8 to 12 months of economy, banking and policy current affairs up to the exam date, with extra depth on the last 6 months of RBI policy, Union Budget and Economic Survey.

Is RBI Grade B tough?

It is competitive rather than conceptually extreme. The difficulty comes from Phase 2's descriptive ESI and F&M papers, which reward daily editorial reading and structured written answers more than rote learning.

Can final year students apply for RBI Grade B?

No. Candidates must have completed the minimum required qualification (usually a bachelor's degree with the specified marks) by the date given in the notification.

What is the difference between RBI Grade A and Grade B?

Grade A is the Assistant Manager level and is usually recruited in specialised streams, while Grade B (Direct Recruit) is the Manager-level generalist entry post. Grade B has the larger vacancy count and the three-phase pattern described above.