The RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam is scheduled to be conducted on 18th October 2025 as per the short notification. It will test your English knowledge along with GA, Reasoning, and Quant. Many aspirants ignore this section, thinking it’s simple. But this is risky. The English section can either maximize your score or sink it. With 30 marks on the line, it can make the difference between clearing the cutoff and missing it by a few marks. In this blog, I’ll share a complete strategy for the remaining days. You’ll find topic-wise tips, tricks from toppers, and free tools to practice without paying a penny. Let’s start.
English carries 30 marks in Phase 1. It is smaller compared to GA or Reasoning, but very crucial. The section has around 30 questions. Each question holds 1 mark. And, beware! There is a negative marking scheme that says 0.25 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer given. Be ready to face objective questions that mostly test your understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
English may look simple to many aspirants, but speed and accuracy decide your score here. Many aspirants clear the overall cutoff because of English. Others fail because they ignore it. The section is a quick-scorer if you prepare it properly in the last 30 days.
In the next 30 days, your English prep must be consistent. Give at least 45 to 60 minutes daily to this section. Start with Reading Comprehension. Practice 2 to 3 RCs per week from banking-level sources. Next, build grammar basics. Focus on tenses, articles, subject-verb agreement, and sentence correction rules.
Divide days between topics from the English Syllabus, like para jumbles, cloze tests, error spotting, and fillers. Once you complete a topic, practice it through sectional tests. Maintain a notebook of your mistakes. Revise it every week. Plus, learn 10 to 15 new words every day, along with their usage and synonyms. Keep revising the words you learnt and practice them using in sentence examples daily.
If you stay consistent for 30 days, English will not trouble you in the exam.
The important topics are Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Error Spotting, Cloze Test, Fill in the Blanks, Vocabulary, and Grammar-based questions. Start with RCs. The trick is to skim the passage first, understand the tone, and then solve easy, direct questions. For para jumbles, look for connector words, pronouns, and dates. In error spotting, grammar rules matter more than speed. Cloze tests and fillers require good vocabulary, so focus on word usage.
Don’t guess blindly, use context. Vocabulary can be built through daily editorials. Note 10 words and revise them every Sunday. Simple tricks, daily practice, and weekly revision will give you accuracy.
Toppers follow simple but effective routines. They never read the passage word by word for RCs. They read questions first, then scan the passage. For Para Jumbles, they find the first and last sentences before linking others. For Error Spotting, they prepare a small grammar rules notebook and revise it daily.
In Cloze Tests, toppers guess the missing word before seeing the options. This saves time. Vocabulary is improved not by memorizing word lists but by using words in daily sentences.
Almost every topper says, practice one topic daily, analyze mistakes, and revise weekly. That’s their biggest secret.
Here are six topic-wise tips toppers swear by.
Toppers never read the passage line by line. They first read all the questions to understand what’s being asked. Then, they scan the passage and underline all the keywords. This makes it easier to locate answers quickly.
They also practice different types of RCs. RCs that are fact-based, inference-based, and vocabulary-based. One golden rule they follow is “don’t assume and stick to the passage.”
Many toppers also read editorials daily to improve speed and comprehension. They improve both accuracy and time management by practicing 2 to 3 RCs daily and revising their mistakes.
Toppers use a simple yet powerful approach for para jumbles. They first try to look for the opening and closing sentences. Usually, the opening sentence introduces an idea, and the last one concludes it. Then, they arrange the middle sentences.
And they do so by spotting connectors like pronouns, link-words, and transition phrases. They never waste time trying every possible order.
Instead, they build logical links and eliminate wrong sequences. With regular practice, toppers finish para jumbles faster and with fewer errors, boosting overall accuracy.
For error spotting, toppers create a “grammar notebook” that includes important rules, tenses, subject-verb agreement, prepositions, and articles. They revise it daily for 10 minutes, which keeps concepts fresh.
Instead of reading each sentence casually, they break it into smaller parts and check each segment. Toppers also keep track of common errors they make and review them before exams. Many solve 15 to 20 error-spotting questions daily and then analyze why an option is wrong.
This habit reduces silly mistakes and solidifies the grammar foundation. This is the prime practice for mastering error spotting.
When it comes to cloze tests, toppers always guess the missing word based on context before looking at the options. This prevents confusion from tricky choices. They look at the tone, flow, and grammar of the passage.
Reading habit plays a pivotal role here, as it helps them sense which word “sounds right.” Toppers also practice vocabulary-rich cloze tests where multiple answers seem correct.
They improve accuracy levels by practicing 1 to 2 cloze tests. Then, they also revise synonyms, antonyms, and collocations regularly. This is how they become adept at solving questions on a cloze test.
Toppers never cram endless word lists. Instead, they learn 5 to 10 new words daily. They improve their retention by using them immediately in their conversations and short sentences. This way, words stick longer.
They prefer reading newspapers, novels, or online articles to see words in real use. Many maintain a “word diary” with meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and example sentences. Once a week, they revise all learned words.
By actively using words, toppers gradually expand their vocabulary and can easily tackle RCs, cloze tests, and sentence completion questions with confidence.
Ask any topper and he’ll mouth this quote: ‘’Practice is the ultimate key to success.’’ Because it’s the reality. That’s why they invest 30 to 45 minutes daily just in English practice. Each day, they focus on one topic but also solve a few mixed questions for variety.
At the end of the week, they revise all topics and take a sectional test. This helps them analyze weak areas and improve. Toppers also keep track of their scores in a notebook, which motivates them.
After daily regular practice and weekly revisions, English becomes their strongest section.
Topic tests are the best way to prepare for English. They target one area, RCs, para jumbles, or error spotting, and let you test your speed and accuracy. Once you master the topics through these, move to full mock tests. Mock tests simulate the real exam.
They train your mind to handle English along with GA, Reasoning, and Quant under time pressure. Take 2–3 sectional tests every week and one full mock test on weekends. After each test, analyze your mistakes. Keep a notebook of mistakes. Revise them every week. This simple cycle of topic tests and full mock tests will boost both your speed and confidence.
The English section in RBI Grade B Phase 1 is short but powerful. You have just 30 days left. And so, you cannot afford to ignore even a single second now. Practice RCs, revise the basics of grammar, and add to your vocabulary daily.
Use toppers’ tricks to attempt smartly and save time by relying on topic tests for mastery, and take full mock tests to experience the real exam conditions. Most importantly, prepare regularly, because even 45 minutes a day of preparation can maximize your score.
In short, English can be your highest-scoring section if you prepare it with an effective strategy. So, start today. Take a free PracticeMock test and see where you stand.
For descriptive, focus on essay, précis, and letter writing. Read newspapers daily to pick points. Write one essay every two days and get it evaluated. Revise grammar rules. Build content on the economy, banking, and social issues. Practice is the real trailblazer.
On average, 5 to 6 months of consistent preparation is enough. Some toppers even crack it in 3 months with daily 6 to 7 hours. What matters is daily practice, revision, and mocks. Even a shorter time can work if efforts are smart.
Yes, Phase 1 is tough because of the high competition. But with strategy, it is manageable. GA is the real game changer here. If you are good in GA, plus average in English, Reasoning, and Quant, you can easily clear the cut-off.
In Phase 1, English has 30 marks out of 200, which is 15%. In Phase 2, descriptive English is of 100 marks. So overall, English carries good weightage. You can’t afford to neglect it at any stage of preparation.
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