RBI Grade B Officer (General): Mock Tests, Pattern & Syllabus
RBI Grade B (DR) General is one of India's top regulatory jobs, paying about ₹1.55 lakh a month gross. Prepare for Phase I, the descriptive Phase II papers and the interview with full-length mock tests built on the current RBI pattern.
- Selection stages
- 3
- Mock tests
- Soon
- Key dates
- 8 listed
- Category
- Regulatory
What the RBI Grade B Officer role is
An Officer in Grade 'B' (Direct Recruit) is the entry-level managerial post at the Reserve Bank of India. People in the General cadre work across regulation, supervision, currency management, payment systems, foreign exchange and banking operations at RBI offices around the country. The Reserve Bank of India Services Board runs the recruitment. In the 2026 cycle (Panel Year 2026) it advertised 60 posts: 40 General, 10 DEPR and 10 DSIM. The notification gave an initial gross pay of about ₹1,54,936 a month before HRA, plus RBI perquisites.
RBI hires DEPR (Department of Economic and Policy Research) officers for economics research and DSIM (Department of Statistics and Information Management) officers for statistics through the same advertisement. Both streams use a separate, subject-heavy exam scheme. This page covers the General stream.
Selection stages
- Phase I (online, objective): one 200-mark paper with sections on General Awareness, Reasoning, English Language and Quantitative Aptitude. Each section has its own time limit, and the paper runs 120 minutes in total. You must clear every section's cut-off as well as the overall cut-off. Phase I only decides who goes through to Phase II.
- Phase II (online, 300 marks): Paper I Economic and Social Issues, Paper II English (Writing Skills) and Paper III General Finance and Management. Papers I and III are half objective and half descriptive, and you type the descriptive answers.
- Interview (75 marks): you also take an unscored personality assessment beforehand. The final merit list adds Phase II and interview marks.
Who should apply
You need to be 21 to 30 years old as on the cut-off date and hold a graduate degree with at least 60% or a postgraduate degree with at least 55%. SC/ST/PwBD candidates get relaxed marks where posts are reserved for them. General and EWS candidates can take Phase I at most six times. The exam suits graduates who want a stable regulatory career and enjoy economics, finance and current affairs. It also attracts many working bankers and PSU employees.
How to prepare with mock tests
- Start with Phase I speed. Each section runs on its own clock, so take timed sectional tests until you can finish General Awareness and Reasoning without rushing. Reasoning carries the most questions.
- Make current affairs a daily habit. General Awareness is the biggest section in Phase I and leans heavily on banking, RBI policy and economic news. Short daily quizzes help it stick.
- Use full-length mocks. They show you how to split time between sections and where your accuracy drops. Wrong answers cost marks, so guessing has a price.
- Practise Phase II in the real format. Write ESI and Finance and Management answers on a keyboard against the clock, and practise essays and précis for the English paper.
- Review every mock. Track your weak topics and retest them, rather than taking test after test without analysis.
RBI Grade B exam pattern
Phase 1
| Paper | Section | Questions | Marks | Time (min) | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Objective, online) | General Awareness | 80 | 80 | 25 | 1/4 of marks |
| Paper 1 (Objective, online) | Reasoning | 60 | 60 | 45 | 1/4 of marks |
| Paper 1 (Objective, online) | English Language | 30 | 30 | 25 | 1/4 of marks |
| Paper 1 (Objective, online) | Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 25 | 1/4 of marks |
Phase 2
| Paper | Section | Questions | Marks | Time (min) | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I: Economic and Social Issues | Objective | 30 | 50 | 30 | To be confirmed (Information Handout) |
| Paper I: Economic and Social Issues | Descriptive (attempt 4 of 6, typed) | — | 50 | 90 | — |
| Paper II: English (Writing Skills) | Descriptive (typed) | 3 | 100 | 90 | — |
| Paper III: General Finance and Management | Objective | 30 | 50 | 30 | To be confirmed (Information Handout) |
| Paper III: General Finance and Management | Descriptive (attempt 4 of 6, typed) | — | 50 | 90 | — |
Interview
| Paper | Section | Questions | Marks | Time (min) | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interview | Personal Interview (Hindi or English) | — | 75 | — | — |
RBI Grade B syllabus
Phase I: General Awareness
- Current affairs (national and international)
- Banking and financial awareness
- RBI functions, monetary policy and recent circulars
- Government schemes and Union Budget
- Economy and economic indicators
- Static GK
Phase I: Reasoning
- Puzzles and seating arrangement
- Syllogism
- Inequalities
- Blood relations, direction and order/ranking
- Coding-decoding
- Input-output
- Data sufficiency
- Critical and logical reasoning
Phase I: English Language
- Reading comprehension
- Cloze test
- Error spotting and sentence improvement
- Para jumbles
- Vocabulary and fillers
Phase I: Quantitative Aptitude
- Data interpretation
- Quadratic equations
- Number series and approximation
- Arithmetic (percentage, ratio, profit and loss, time and work, SI/CI, speed and distance)
- Data sufficiency
Phase II Paper I: Economic and Social Issues
- Growth and development: national income, poverty alleviation, employment, sustainable development
- Indian economy: industrial, labour, monetary and fiscal policy since 1991, Economic Survey and Union Budget
- Money and financial markets and their links with the economy; role of banks and RBI in development
- Public finance, political economy, agriculture, industry and services
- Globalisation: balance of payments, EXIM policy, IMF, World Bank, WTO, regional economic cooperation
- Social structure: multiculturalism, demographic trends, urbanisation and migration, gender issues, social justice
Phase II Paper II: English (Writing Skills)
- Essay writing
- Précis writing
- Reading comprehension
- Expression and understanding of the topic
Phase II Paper III: General Finance and Management (Finance)
- Financial system: structure and functions of financial institutions, RBI functions, banking system, SIDBI/EXIM/NABARD/NHB/NaBFID
- Non-banking system, IT in banking, digital payments, global financial developments
- Financial markets: forex, money, bond and equity (primary and secondary)
- Financial risk management and basics of derivatives
- Financial inclusion, alternate sources of finance, PPP, corporate governance in banking
- Union Budget concepts; accounting basics and financial statements; ratio analysis
- Inflation: WPI/CPI, trends, and balancing inflation with growth
Phase II Paper III: General Finance and Management (Management)
- Fundamentals of management and evolution of management thought; nudge theory
- Organisational behaviour: personality (Big Five), perception, motivation theories
- Leadership theories and emotional intelligence
- Transactional analysis, Johari window, conflict management
- Organisational change and development (Kurt Lewin and others)
- Ethics at the workplace and corporate governance
- Communication: process, channels, barriers, role of IT
Mock Baba is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The logo is shown only to identify the exam and belongs to its owner. Exam details are compiled from official notifications; always confirm on the official website before applying.
Frequently asked questions
How many vacancies were there in RBI Grade B 2026?
The 2026 notification (Advt. No. RBISB/DA/01/2026-27) listed 60 posts: 40 in the General cadre, 10 in DEPR and 10 in DSIM.
What is the age limit for RBI Grade B (General)?
In the 2026 cycle you had to be at least 21 and under 30 years old on April 1, 2026. Reserved categories get upper age relaxation, and so do candidates with an M.Phil or PhD, whose limits rise to 32 and 34 years respectively.
What qualification do I need for the General stream?
You need a graduate degree in any discipline with at least 60% marks or a postgraduate degree with at least 55%, counted across all semesters or years. SC/ST/PwBD candidates get relaxed marks where posts are reserved for them.
How many attempts are allowed?
General and EWS candidates who have already taken Phase I six times cannot apply again. There is no attempt limit for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD candidates where posts are reserved for them.
Do Phase I marks count in the final merit list?
No. Phase I only screens candidates, but you must clear each sectional cut-off and the overall cut-off to reach Phase II. The final merit list adds Phase II marks (out of 300) and interview marks (out of 75).
Is there negative marking in RBI Grade B?
Yes. In the objective tests a wrong answer costs a quarter of that question's marks. Guess only when you can rule out some options, and use mock tests to find the attempt level where your accuracy holds up.
Are the Phase II descriptive answers handwritten?
Not in the General stream. You type the descriptive answers for ESI, English and Finance and Management on a keyboard, so practise typing timed answers before the exam.
What is the salary of an RBI Grade B officer?
The 2026 notification put initial gross pay at about ₹1,54,936 a month, not counting HRA. Officers also get perquisites such as bank accommodation where available, medical benefits and concessional loans.
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