The RBI Grade B exam pattern explained

Most aspirants meet RBI Grade B after a few bank exams, and they assume it is one more of the same. It is not. Phase 1 looks like a bank PO prelims, but Phase 2 asks you to type analytical answers on the economy and finance, and the interview tests whether you actually understand what the central bank does. Knowing the pattern precisely tells you where your months should go.

The three stages at a glance

The DEPR (economics) and DSIM (statistics) streams follow a different pattern with specialist papers. This guide covers the General stream; the differences are explained in the guide to the three streams.

Phase 1: four sections, four clocks

The last column is simple division (25 minutes is 1,500 seconds; 1,500 ÷ 80 = 18.75), but it explains the whole character of the paper. General Awareness gives you under 20 seconds a question: you either know the fact or you do not, and there is no time to reason it out. Reasoning gives you nearly a minute each, but puzzles eat several minutes per set, so the average hides a lot of pressure.

Three rules shape Phase 1:

• Sectional timing. Each section has its own clock. You cannot carry spare minutes from English into Reasoning.
• Negative marking. A quarter of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions cost nothing.
• Cut-offs. The RBI sets sectional cut-offs as well as an overall cut-off, and the overall cut-off varies by category and year. Phase 1 marks are not added to the final merit.

Worked example: what negative marking really costs

Suppose a candidate attempts 50 questions in General Awareness and gets 42 right and 8 wrong.

1. Marks for correct answers: 42 × 1 = 42.
2. Deduction for wrong answers: 8 × 0.25 = 2.
3. Net score: 42 − 2 = 40.

Now consider guessing. Bank-exam questions have five options. A blind guess is right one time in five, so over five blind guesses you expect +1 for the right one and −0.25 × 4 = −1 for the four wrong ones. The expected gain is zero. If you can eliminate even one option, the odds tip in your favour: one right in four gives +1 − 0.75 = +0.25 per four guesses. That is why "eliminate, then attempt" beats both blind guessing and leaving everything you are unsure of.

Phase 2: three papers of 100 marks

In Papers I and III the objective part is reported as 30 questions: ten of 1 mark and twenty of 2 marks (10 + 40 = 50). The descriptive part offers six questions, of which you answer four: two of 15 marks and two of 10 marks (30 + 20 = 50). Recent notices have been reported to set word limits of about 600 words for a 15-mark answer and 400 for a 10-mark answer, and to evaluate only the first four answers if a candidate attempts more.

Descriptive answers are typed on a keyboard. There is no pen and paper, and you should not expect spell-check. Papers I and III have been offered in Hindi as well as English in recent notifications; the English paper is, naturally, in English. Negative marking applies to the objective questions.

Interview and psychometric test

• Interview: 75 marks. Candidates are shortlisted from Phase 2 marks.
• Psychometric test: held for shortlisted candidates. It is reported as qualifying and carries no marks, but take it seriously and answer honestly.

Final merit

Phase 2 (300) + interview (75) = 375. That is a weight of 80:20 between the written stage and the interview.

A quick example: suppose a candidate scores 210 in Phase 2 and 50 in the interview. Their final score is 260 out of 375, or about 69.3%. A second candidate with 200 in Phase 2 needs 60 in the interview to finish level. The written papers carry most of the weight, but a 10-mark swing in the interview is real.

The RBI may also set minimum marks in each Phase 2 paper and in the aggregate. Check the notification for these.

What the pattern rewards

Common mistakes about the pattern

• Treating Phase 1 as the main event. It only shortlists. Many candidates clear it and then meet Phase 2 underprepared.
• Ignoring the objective half of ESI and F&M. It carries 100 of the 300 Phase 2 marks.
• Practising answers by hand only. The exam is typed; your speed and comfort at a keyboard are part of the test.
• Over-investing in one Phase 1 section. A sectional cut-off can eliminate a candidate with a strong total.

Quick check

1. How many marks does General Awareness carry in Phase 1, and how long do you get?
   • 80 marks in 25 minutes.
2. A candidate answers 40 reasoning questions: 34 right, 6 wrong. What is the net score?
   • 32.5 (34 − 6 × 0.25 = 34 − 1.5).
3. Which stages count for the final merit, and out of how many marks?
   • Phase 2 and the interview, 375 marks.
4. How many descriptive questions do you answer in Paper I, and of what value?
   • Four of six: two of 15 marks and two of 10 marks.
5. Is a blind guess on a five-option question worth it?
   • On average, no. The expected gain is zero; eliminate at least one option first.

What to do next

• Download the latest notification and check this table against it.
• Take one timed Phase 1 section to feel the 19-second pace of General Awareness.
• Type one 400-word answer and time yourself.
• Read the Phase 1 strategy and Phase 2 strategy guides.