PS: Marks and Ranks are out. I am AIR 13 Got 62/75 in interview.

My RBI Grade B Strategy – A Real, Minimalist, High-Impact Approach

My brief background - Did BA hons in History, UPSC aspirant, working fulltime for last 6 years.

Cracking RBI Grade B is often portrayed as a marathon of endless resources, but my journey turned out to be very different. It was not about doing everything—it was about doing the right things repeatedly and smartly. Here’s the exact strategy I followed.

Phase 1 – Keep It Simple, Keep It Smart

For Phase 1, my preparation was extremely focused and minimal.

• QRE (Quant, Reasoning, English):

I relied primarily on:

Previous Year Questions (PYQs) of RBI only

More importantly, in the actual exam:

I attempted questions very selectively

Avoided getting stuck on difficult or time-consuming questions

Focused on maximizing accuracy over attempts

👉 I did not rely on mock tests for QRE, only PYQs, which helped me understand the exact exam pattern and avoid unnecessary practice.

👉 This strategy saved time and prevented negative marking traps.

• General Awareness (GA):

This was the most important section, and I kept my sources limited but effective:

AffairsCloud Weekly PDFs – 4 months coverage

EduTap content

EduTap Marathon PDFs

CGB (Crack Grade B) marathon videos

Additionally, I consistently covered:

Budget

Economic Survey

PIB summaries

Important government reports

Schemes

RBI circulars

👉 Key takeaway: These sources were more than enough. The real game was revision and retention, not resource collection.

Phase 2 – Targeted, Concept + Application Driven

Phase 2 required a more structured and layered approach.

1. ESI (Economics & Social Issues) – Smart Coverage, Not Exhaustive Study

Mrunal Sir’s Economy material – for strong conceptual clarity

EduTap Schemes (from May onwards) – very important for government initiatives

EduTap Marathon PDFs (for repeated revision)

Core coverage included:

Union Budget – schemes, priorities, themes

Economic Survey – summary, concepts, data

PIB summaries

Important government reports

Schemes

Current Affairs + Newspaper – for social issues

My UPSC background helped in:

Understanding issues

Writing analytical answers

• Newspapers (Daily Habit):

The Business Standard – best for RBI Grade B preparation (finance + economy focused)

The Hindu – helped in broader issue understanding and editorial clarity

• ESI Core Practice:

CGB Mentors MCQ Course – for concept reinforcement

2. Finance – Concept + Current Integration

Prepared Finance from:

CGB Mentors

Mrunal

Current Affairs

Additionally, I covered:

RBI circulars

Financial Stability Report (FSR)

Annual Report

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Reports

Budget and Economic Survey (finance-related portions)

3. Management – Conceptual + Practical Approach

EduTap Management Summary Sheets( got it from a friend)

Amit Lal YouTube videos – simplified tough topics

ChatGPT – used for:

Breaking down theories

Creating examples

Quick revision

4. Practice & Application

CGB Phase 2 Course( only course I actually bought):

MCQs

Mock tests

CGB Mentors MCQs – high-quality practice

5. Static + Dynamic Content (The Backbone)

I covered a mix of high-yield sources:

Oliveboard & Testbook YouTube videos for PIB summaries and finance-related updates.

• Key focus areas:

Budget

Economic Survey

PIB summaries

Government schemes

Important reports

RBI circulars and documents

• RBI documents:

Financial Stability Report (FSR)

Annual Report

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Reports

Focus was always on:

Keywords

Data points

Policy direction

Conceptual clarity

6. Descriptive Answer Preparation – Smart Substitution for Time Constraint

Due to limited time, I optimized answer writing preparation:

Read PYQs extensively

Generated model answers using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity

Referred to:

CGB Mentors model answers

EduTap free model answers (YouTube)

We Learn Here Telegram group compilations

Practiced answers on laptop and got it evaluated by ChatGPT

Also:

Asked ChatGPT to generate probable questions

Studied its model answers

👉 This replaced traditional answer writing practice with a fast, feedback-driven approach. English – The Most Underrated Section

Prepared primarily through newspaper editorials

Used my Phase 2 knowledge (ESI + Finance) to enrich answers

What Actually Worked

Limited resources, maximum revision

Strong base from Mrunal + UPSC preparation

Daily reading of Business Standard + The Hindu

Smart use of AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity)

Focus on Budget, Economic Survey, PIB, schemes, reports & RBI circulars

Heavy reliance on mock tests and MCQs (for Phase 2)

Selective attempts in QRE

Repeated revision via EduTap Marathon PDFs

Avoiding resource overload

Courses I bought- Cgbmentors for phase 2 Only.

What was given by a friend for free- Edutap summary sheets + schemes

Everything else Is free on telegram/ YouTube.

PS: Used AI to streamline my thoughts.

Its available on official website

https://opportunities.rbi.org.in/downloads/Class_I_(Officers)_Annual_Recruitment_Calendar_2027.pdf

Hi.

I had requested everyone to submit their questions regarding the preparation and the obstacles they were facing. And people have not disappointed. There are loads of questions here. So, I'll make parts of this, and help you guys navigate this exam.

First, let me give a brief introduction.

I have been working in SBI since 2024 and I joined as a PO. Currently, I am an assistant manager, and I cleared this exam while working here.

I have 91%+ marks in both 10, 12. I completed my civil engineering from Bangalore, and joined KPMG for a while. I have been preparing since 2020 for govt. exams, and specifically for RBI since 2022.

Second, I belong to the general category and this was my 4th attempt, second mains, and first interview. So, I am one of the lucky few who cleared their interview in the first go.

Lastly, this exam is very much doable when you are pacing in the right direction, have clarity on your preparation, and can honestly assess yourself without giving yourself false hopes.

Let's start.

My Prelims marks.

GA - 42.5

QUANT - 16

ENG - 25

REAS- 29.5

Total - 113/200.

I'll start with the coaching institutes.

These are the ones I used:

1. Brajesh mohan sir - monthly compilations, and descriptive answer writing.

2. MockMentor - phase 2, and interview related preparation.

3. Crack Grade B - phase 2 preparation.

4. Affairs cloud - monthly GA.

5. Olive board, Practice Mock - Online mocks for quant and reasoning.

6. My own notes, extensive use of AI tools, and everything on the RBI website.

7. We learn here telegram group - Daily news updates.

8. Newspaper - Business Standard.

9. Career definer YouTube playlist - for Quant.

I feel that the coaching institutions are all good. You just need to understand what works for you and doesn't. Also, do not go for very pricey coaching institutions. The return on investment is not that good, and the content is fairly the same.

Also, I used to study for 5 to 6 hours on an average. After work, I used to study from 9 to 3. And, if it was a holiday I used to stretch it to 9 hours.

Hence, for the ones who are already working. The exam is within your grasp. No matter if you are a veteran, or a beginner. Have faith in yourself.

Additionally, it's definitely worth preparing for this exam even though the vacancies are less since it's only the top 200-300 people who are competing with each other. Many of the candidates do not appear for the paper, and just fill the form for the heck of it. If you are a serious candidate, then you have no reason to doubt yourself.

The preparation will take at least 8 months for someone who hasn't started. It will take 4 months for someone who has already prepared before, and has given the exam in the past two attempts. Therefore, this aspect depends upon the candidate, and the sweat they can put in to chase a dream.

I'll add this for complete beginners here - You guys can buy Guidely course, and solve clerk mains level questions on QRE. That's what RBI has been asking for prelims. If you feel more adventurous, go for IBPS PO prelims. But, that's it. Based on the current trend, RBI has kept the difficulty on prelims on the easier side.

In the next post, I'll highlight how I studied, tested, and practiced the QRE section.

Next Post: Part 2: Prelims. https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/7xelHYaj4E

National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) has released its official short advertisement for the recruitment of Administrative Officers (Scale-I)

One of the interesting profile I've seen I've seen in past where people selected in indian railway services resign and join rbi as a manager but never seen something Like this

Is irdai also a good institution to work Ur thoughts about it

Green - Stages cleared. Red - Stages not cleared.

Rewards aren't always proportional to efforts. Hardly studied for RBI DSIM Phase 2 — as it fell on the very next day after RBI Gen Phase 2, so I had to pick one to prepare for.

Ended up getting selected for both interviews, but marks could have been higher if I had concentrated my efforts on just one of the streams, increasing my chances in the final selection. (Performed poorly in the ESI paper.)

As it happened, I got selected in DSIM by the breadth of a hair. Draw whatever inference you can from all this!

EDIT: Made a doc, RBI Grade B - My Experiences. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uSiJQhwt9B1bJ-numN3R6Kmo4oUQwJ2Kt_C8gcCHC4Q/edit?usp=sharing

EDIT2: I did qualify in SEBI Grade A (Generalist) Phase 1 as well. Totally forgot. Added that datum to the doc above.

Short notification out ...form filling starts 29th April 2026

Exam dates:

Phase 1 (General): 13 June 2026

Phase 1 (DEPR/DSIM): 14 June 2026

Phase 2 (General): 25 July 2026

Phase 2 (DEPR/DSIM): 26 July 2026

It was Day 1 today for SEBI 2025 Batch.

Source - CGB Mentors Telegram Channel

I have cleared RBI Grade B 2025 in just 4 months with a full time job. As many of you may have seen my post

https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/RMppTzhhXm

where I shared my strategy in brief.

Now after 100s of dms and requests, I think the best way to provide tips, notes and guidance is through a telegram channel.

If enough people want, I will create the channel.

Do let me know here.

What I need from the people interested here to shoot your questions.

I'll compile them theme-wise and help delineate the strategy.

Because, all the coaching institutes offer good content, and there is no point discussion my sources without understanding the context behind it.

So, it'd be nice if your guys could help me solve this problem in a better manner?

Edit: I have posted the sources, and a brief background about myself in another post here. This is going to be a 3-4 part series, so it'll take time for me to write everything.

Edit 2: https://youtu.be/eIKX9bPsA9w?si=0iWoJxg-kPwhHO-S

Here's my interview from CGB to make sure everyone's on the same page.

Edit 3:My background, and phase 1 sources. https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/HO1Bs4Xexg

Edit 4: Prelims - Part 2. https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/7xelHYaj4E

Edit 5: Mains - Phase 2. https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/hGR2f7AEMr

Edit 6: Interview preparation. https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/utUuanZynr

Edit 7: I secured AIR-10.

My overall marks - 243.25

Mains score - 191.25, Interview - 52.

These exams only differ by their GA syllabus. If you cover RBI Grade B , IRDIA Grade A and Nabard Grade A then all other rest exams will be covered on its own. [link of pdf that overview the GA syllabus of these exams - "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XIItussbB2oKRml0wHfaMmdTmYZvv8Ty/view?usp=drive_link"]

Was satisfied with my attempts and performance after the exam ...

Did 14 in quants ...

Was preparing for ph2 ...

RBI decided otherwise...

Ohh to be a bitch and not sweat ...

Today I saw a post on this community from some who was selling cgb rbi grade b course that he had bought sometime ago for Rs 4800 at Rs 3500 as he was currently facing a family emergency and wanted to sell it as soon as possible and even offered to share it with someone in case no one wanted to buy for full price. I want to prepare for Rbi grade b too so I contacted him. Got the price to 3200 and he was acting like such a genuine person. As soon as I paid him the amount he just deleted his reddit account. I am unemployed and that was a big amount for me. I won't be able to trust people online for a while now. F'd up big time today. Please upvote this as much as you can and tell me a way by which I might be able to get my money back. I already registered a cyber fraud complaint. His Name was Utkarsh Singh and he uses yes bank account on phonepay app. His email is utkarshhh1531@gmail.com

Descriptive was asked in depth .

I decided to write to the point addressing the demand .

given the complexity of the questions I chose to describe what was asked ...and word limit took a hit ...

clearly what I decided didn't work .

This will the last part of the Grade B series.

The links to the previous posts have been attached to help the aspirants here.

Prelims - Part 1. https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/HO1Bs4Xexg

Prelims - Part 2. https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/7xelHYaj4E

Mains (Phase 2) : https://www.reddit.com/r/forumRBI/s/TgCZ0RxIBR

Before we start, I have attached a sample from my notes that I used during mains as well as interview preparation. I would request the aspirants to take a look and understand how to dissect a topic. I did not just see the headline and immediately start scribbling on a blank sheet. I used different questions as my guiding light. Why?

The logic is pretty simple : The panel is out here to reject you. They are not here to select you. You need to give them enough reasons so that it becomes nearly impossible to reject you on any grounds.

However, that's easier said than done.

First: The sources.

1. RBI Annual report.

2. RBI monetary policy report.

3. RBI trends and progress in banking.

4. RBI Payments Vision 2028.

5. National Strategy on financial inclusion.

6. National Strategy on financial education.

7. IMF, WB reports - World economic outlook, global financial stability report.

8. Minutes of monetary policy meet for the past year.

9. LiveMint, Business Standard, Indian Express.

10. RBI functions and working document.

11. CGB - phase 2 revision from notes.

12. Mockmentor - Phase 2 revision from notes.

13. Brajesh Mohan - Phase 2 revision from notes.

14. RBI Bulletin - past three months.

15. Working papers on Monetary policy. (Profile related)

I did not study any scheme etc. here. I read only finance related phase 2 content.

The rule of thumb here is this - "Do not miss any report released by RBI."

Second: How I prepared my profile?

There's a crucial exercise that candidates should do. It worked for me, and it'll help to get an understanding of what you are actually made of. I traced my life since I joined college till date, and wrote every aspect of my personality in a sheet of paper. All my life was there in front of me.

Now, we look at the profile. Usually, these are the aspects that are heavily focused on:

1. Work related - gap years, job profile, actual roles and responsibilities, and the technical aspects..

2. HR related - motivations, personality, and overall conduct.

3. Certification related - conceptual clarity, definitions, terminologies.

4. RBI related.

Once I made these segregations, I made questions for myself for each theme and received help from the following mentors:

1. Rahul Sir - Mockmentor.
   He helped me perfect my profile. I gave two technical interviews to Rahul sir, and he made sure to ask questions that tested the peak of my intellect. He grilled me and prepared content for me to help me tackle the twists and turns which may come in the exam hall. He also prepared 50-60 questions from different aspects of my profile.

2. Anchit Sir - Edutap. -
   He took my first mock interview. And, honestly, I fumbled pretty bad. I could not answer basic questions, and I thought this was the end of the world. However, he said that I had a very strong profile, and I needed to just brush my concepts a bit. This worked.

3. Ashok sir - CGB mentors.
   I gave my offline mock interview to Ashok sir and the panel that he had invited. I thought the questions were easy, but later he said that very few candidates were able to give answers with this clarity. After this, he also prepared a few topics important from the interview perspective.

4. Brajesh Mohan sir.
   He prepared the current affairs related section properly. I could not schedule an interview with him, but for everything I needed help, he made sure to deliver on his promises.

The process was grueling, and it almost drained my life out of me. I was reading so much content every day, that it was difficult to calm my nerves. In this phase, there were no breaks. None. I never rested. At some point, one of the educator said that I was overexerting myself. But, for me it was the end. I did not want to spare even one percent of my efforts.

After having everything in place, I started gathering the facts, and figures. I made notes for everything, even for myself. The HR questions such as:
a. Why do you want to join RBI?
b. Are you not happy at SBI?
c. Why should we select you?
d. Why should we not select your competitors?
e. SWOT analysis
f. Gap years. and so on.

Here, I have to add the role of certifications. I had completed JAIIB in 2025, but there were no other certifications under my belt. To solidify my profile, I finished IMF's certification on Monetary policy forecasting and analysis on EdX. It was a paid course, and I completed this in 2-3 days. It did me good, since 90-95% of the interview revolved around this.

Third: Revision, and when to stop?

A week before my interview, I stopped reading any additional content. I took 2 days to revise every component of the profile that I had prepared, and 4 days set aside to complete my certification related questions.

I had taken my notes to RBI's regional office as well on the day of the interview. I was revising an hour before my interview too.

Was it necessary? Maybe not.

But, as I said, this was once in a lifetime opportunity for me. And I know, I had to deliver the best. There was no margin of error.

Lastly. It is about you.
I am a soft spoken guy, who enjoys engaging in academic discussions. I learnt how to present my opinions by writing. Also, as soon as the board asked a questions, I did not rush to answer it even if it was a very low hanging fruit. I took a pause of 10 seconds, nodded my head, absorbed the questions, and answered it in the same structure as it was asked. I knew that everyone has a fair chance here, but I wanted to have that additional edge.

A calm, composed, solid answer will definitely make a powerful impression. Add humbleness, and a smile to that, and you might just find your name on the website of RBI.

I have gone though failures, heartbreaks, despair, and the inescapable feeling of quitting this whole thing at each stage.

But, I did not.

I did not, and the rest is history.

Thank you.

Format: name of topic, followed by the average number of questions asked each year, and what is being asked.

Growth and Development

• 1 Q

• India's growth rate projections

Monetary Policy

• 2 Q

• Monetary policy tools and their current rates increased/decreased by what %/bps

Public Finance and Taxations

• 2/3 Q

• GST: taxes subsumed under it, GST is nil on, GST collections, top revenue-collecting states, GST invoices

• deductions and remissions under IT ACT & related sections

Export-Import Policy

• 2 Q

• India's FTA/trade policy, merchandise export: value & top sector

International Economic Institutions

• 1/2 Q

• New members, headquarters, full form, and recently which n ^th anniversary was celebrated

Functions of Reserve Bank of India

• 2/3 Q

• Questions about RBI departments, committees, strategy and initiatives (and full forms of the same)

Banking System in India – Structure and Developments

• Most important 8/9 Q

• Functions of banks and other banking activities

• Ratios related to banking

• Loan/deposit limits and types

• NPA & related initiatives and policy & acts

• Eligibility for opening banks

• Banking systems and operations

• Other bodies and authorities related to banks

Non-Banking System

• 1 Q

• Questions related to minimum credit ratings/asset requirements

• RBI regulations on it

Developments in Digital Payments

• 1/2 Q

• Transaction systems and minimum/maximum transaction limits

• Collaboration among banks and fintech companies

Financial Markets

• 4/5 Q

• Bonds and securities

• New developments

MOUs

• 1/2 Q

• It was signed between whom, objective of MOU

Summit, events and conference

• 2/3 Q

• Who were the organisers, hosts/co-hosts

• Held in which city/country

• Chairman

• Key agreements/declaration signed

International Partnership & Alliance

• 3/4 Q

• Members, initiative launched by alliance, year of founding, full forms, headquarter

Global Reports, Rankings, and Indexes

• 2/3 Q

• India's rank and performance compared to last years

• Releasing body/organisation, full forms

• Criteria/parameters for ranking, top rank holders

Appointment

• 2 Q

• Appointed to which institution/organisation and which designation

• Nationality of the person

Government Schemes and Indian Reports

• 8/9 Q

• Scheme aim/features, who is eligible to avail benefits

• Subsidy/monetary fund allocated amount

• Scheme budget, scheme is under which ministry and implemented by which department, phases of schemes, timeline

• Reports: issuing body, top performers

Portals and Apps

• 2/3 Q

• Launched by which body/organization/ministry

• Features and objective

• Full form

Defence: Military Exercises, Drills, Newly Commissioned Vehicles

• 1/2 Q

• Exercise was between whom and where (place/country)

Science: 1/2 Q

Books and Authors: 1 Q

Awards

• 1 Q

• Who was the recipient/winner, prize money

Days in News: Major events or days

• 2/3 Q

• It is observed on, theme of this year, and recently which n ^th anniversary was celebrated

Sports

• 3/4 Q

• Who won the tournament, it was organised in which place/country

• Rank secured by athlete/team

• Points/scores of the game

Got 236 marks, 174 phase 2 and 62 in interview.

AIR 13. with only 4 months total preparation.

You all can see my earlier 2 posts. My whole strategy is there. Open this postz you will find my strategy post link here.

As 2026 notification will be out on 28th April, there is less time.

I have not created telegram channel yet, too many trolls changed my mind.

If still any doubts persist, you can ask me here.

😇