Many candidates feel nervous by the mere mention of English grammar and vocabulary. And there are those who get overconfident and avoid devoting sufficient time in its preparation. Both these categories often bore the brunt of the hard questions that sometimes show up in the exam. The RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam’s English section is as important as other sections of the exam. It tests candidates English Language Skills and can quickly push your overall score higher. Why? Because unlike Reasoning or Quants, English questions take less time if you’ve practiced well. The section carries 30 marks, and scoring 25+ here is very much possible. And this is what we’re discussing in this. Read on to get enlightened with 20 practical rules that will help you do just that.
Quick Highlights
This blog brings you a complete English prep plan for RBI Grade B Phase 1. You’ll discover how to score 25+ marks with smart tricks, practical rules, and focused revision.
- What the Trends Say: Understand which English topics repeat every year and which ones carry heavy weightage.
- 20 Golden Rules to Maximize Your Marks: From mastering comprehension and grammar to improving reading speed and accuracy.
- Smart Revision Strategy: Learn how to revise selectively, manage time, and avoid common traps.
- Mock Test Insights: Discover how to analyze your mock tests, find weaknesses, and remove them swiftly.
- Last-Minute Plan: What to pay attention to in the final 5 days for maximum improvement.
RBI Grade B Phase 1 English, Topic-Wise PYQ Analysis (2017–2023)
Before we move on to the golden rules and tips for maximum marks in the English section of the Phase 1 exam, we’ll delve into the previous years’ trends. Below, we’ve showcased previous years’ exam analysis that highlights the number of questions asked from each topic in the past few years. It will help you learn about the most important areas for the upcoming exam.
| English Topic | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Trend |
| Reading Comprehension | 6-7 | 5-6 | 12-13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | Frequently repeated, moderately important. |
| Sentence Correction | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Comes irregularly but is easy to score. |
| Error Detection/Spotting | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Lost frequency, but good practice topic. |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Appears every few years |
| Word Replacement | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | Comes irregularly but easy to score. |
| Word Reshuffle/Word Swap | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Newly introduced and seen in recent papers. |
| Fill in the Blanks | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | Common in earlier years, occasional now. |
| Cloze Test | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Appears alternately and is often RC-based. |
| Sentence Completion | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Always the most scoring topic. |
| Statement Correction | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Occasionally appears and is similar to sentence correction. |
| Double Fillers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Appears rarely and focuses on connectors. |
| Starters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Appears rarely and focus on connectors. |
| Sentence Connectors | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Context-based and moderately tough. |
| Idiom / Phrase Usage | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | Appears infrequently and is a test of contextual grammar. |
20 Golden Rules to Score 25+ Marks in English Section in RBI Grade B Phase 1
Here are 20 surefire ways to score high in the English section of the RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam 2025:
Rule 1: Practice Comprehension Every day
Reading Comprehension (RC) carries the maximum weightage, as it attracts around 8 to 10 questions. These passages are directly linked to banking, finance, or social issues. Read one editorial from The Hindu Business Line or Indian Express every day till the exam. PracticeMock’s English Topic Tests have dedicated RC sets that help you understand tone, inference, and vocabulary. They are exactly like the exam.
Rule 2: Read the Question Before Reading the Passage
It is a small but powerful trick. You need to read the questions first and then go to the passage. It can help you find the answers faster and saves your precious time. Because, in the time-based exam like RBI Grade B Phase 1, time management is everything. You can practice this trick via RC Topic Tests where you can get the real-exam feel.
Rule 3: Master the Art of Elimination
RC and Grammar questions often have close options. Instead of finding the right one immediately, start eliminating the wrong ones. It’s easier, faster, and reduces confusion.
Rule 4: Revise Grammar Rules Smartly
With only a few days left, don’t start learning grammar from scratch. Focus only on the rules that RBI repeatedly tests: subject-verb agreement, tenses, articles, prepositions, and modifiers. PracticeMock’s Topic Tests cover these exact areas.
Rule 5: Practice Error Detection Daily
In almost every year’s paper, 4 to 5 questions come from Error Detection. Read one set daily. Focus on sentence structure, verb tense consistency, and preposition usage. The trick is not just knowing grammar but practicing as many questions as you can to master the art of detecting errors. Try to attempt at least 20 error questions every day.
PracticeMock’s full-length mock tests include such questions for realistic practice.
Rule 6: Strengthen Vocabulary via Context
In RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam, the difficulty level of the questions based on vocabulary is moderate to tough. The best practice to practice the types of questions that appear in the exam is to use mock tests and read editorials to develop familiarity
Don’t mug up words now. Instead, understand them through usage. Read one paragraph from editorials and note how words are used.
Rule 7: Revise Commonly Confused Words
Words like affect-effect, accept-except, and principal-principle often appear in fillers or word replacement questions. Revise them in short intervals. Make quick flashcards to cover such pairs effectively.
Rule 8: Practice Cloze Tests in Exam Conditions
Cloze tests usually have 5-7 questions. Focus on grammar and context. Don’t guess blindly. Read the entire paragraph once and sense the tone. The Topic Tests mimic real exam-level cloze tests questions, so as to give you the real experience of the actual questions asked in the Phase 1 exam.
Rule 9: Don’t Overthink in Para Jumbles
Arrange the jumbles logically. How? first find the opening line, identify the connectors, and look for chronological clues. RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam’s para jumbles are more logic-based than grammar-based. So, you should practice 2 sets daily till the exam day.
Rule 10: Focus More on Context than Grammar in Fill in the Blanks
Modern RBI questions test your understanding of context. Grammar helps, but the real trick is understanding tone and meaning. Keep an eye on collocations like commit a crime, make a decision, etc.
Rule 11: Revise Connectors and Conjunctions
Go through the concepts related to questions based on connectors (like however, therefore, moreover, nevertheless). For instance, you’ll face a type of question where two separate sentences are given, and you need to join them correctly using the right connector. You’ll get five options to choose from, and your task is to pick the one that connects both lines meaningfully and grammatically right.
Rule 12: Take One Full-Length Mock Test Every Alternate Day
Nothing beats the real test feel. Take a PracticeMock full-length test every second day. Analyze it the same day and check what types of errors you made. In the next test, fix them. That’s how consistent improvement happens.
Rule 13: Find Your Weak Area by Sectional Analysis
After every mock, check your sectional accuracy – RC, Grammar, Vocabulary, Para jumbles. Identify your weakest one and spend the next day mastering it with Topic Tests.
Rule 14: Time Management is Everything
You’ll have around 25 minutes for 30 questions. Don’t spend more than 8 minutes on RC. Keep 10 minutes for grammar-based questions and the rest for vocab and jumbles. PracticeMock’s timed tests help you build this discipline.
Rule 15: Avoid Blind Guessing
Remember, every wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. So, only attempt when you are at least 70% sure. Logical elimination is your safest bet.
Rule 16: Improve Reading Speed
Even a 10% increase in reading speed can save 2–3 minutes. They are enough to solve 3 more questions. Read 2 editorials daily. Use a timer. Focus on comprehension, not on pronunciation.
Rule 17: Note Down Mistakes from Every Test
Make a small “Mistake Journal.” Write down the type of question and error you made. Revise this notebook before the exam. You’ll instantly notice how not to repeat them.
Rule 18: Focus More on Strengths in the Last 5 Days
If you’re already good in Grammar, strengthen it. Don’t waste hours on weak areas now. Build your strong areas so that they fetch you maximum marks confidently.
Rule 19: Revise Formulae of Grammar Tenses and Prepositions
In the last 3 days, revise only the basics like tenses, articles, prepositions, and connectors. These make up more than half of the grammar-based questions in RBI Grade B.
Rule 20: Get the Real Exam Environment via Mock Tests
Take your final 2 mock Tests exactly at the time of your actual exam, that is Phase 1 exam, in morning or afternoon. Sit in silence and take the mock test just as you’ll take the real exam with complete seriousness. This trains your brain to perform under real pressure.
After taking each test, go through the detailed solution. Don’t just note the correct answers, understand the logic. This is what PracticeMock’s mock test feedback helps you do automatically.
Conclusion
English can be your most scoring section if approached smartly. You don’t need perfection, just regularity and accuracy. In the last few days, rely only on structured resources. PracticeMock’s English Topic Tests, Full-Length Mocks, and PDF Notes are your best tools right now. Don’t chase too much new content. Revise, practice, and focus on accuracy.
Don’t forget that English isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about applying what you know, smartly, quickly, and confidently. Follow these rules, and 25+ in English will be yours.
- Sign Up on Practicemock for Updated Current Affairs, Topic Tests and Mini Mocks
- Sign Up Here to Download Free Study Material
Free Mock Tests for the Upcoming Exams
- IBPS PO Free Mock Test
- RBI Grade B Free Mock Test
- IBPS SO Free Mock Test
- NABARD Grade A Free Mock Test
- SSC CGL Free Mock Test
- IBPS Clerk Free Mock Test
- IBPS RRB PO Free Mock Test
- IBPS RRB Clerk Free Mock Test
- RRB NTPC Free Mock Test
- SSC MTS Free Mock Test
- SSC Stenographer Free Mock Test
- GATE Mechanical Free Mock Test
- GATE Civil Free Mock Test
- RRB ALP Free Mock Test
- SSC CPO Free Mock Test
- AFCAT Free Mock Test
- SEBI Grade A Free Mock Test
- IFSCA Grade A Free Mock Test
- RRB JE Free Mock Test
- Free Banking Live Test
- Free SSC Live Test