RBI Grade B 2022 Preparation Strategy Section-wise

RBI Grade B Preparation Strategy: The RBI Grade B officer exam which is conducted by the Reserve Bank of India is the most aspired government exam in India. And if something that’s too fruitful, and rewarding; doesn’t come easy.  

It will be unfair to say that the RBI Grade B exam is not a hard nut to be cracked. And for somebody who has just had a look over the syllabus and phases of this exam can experience a feeling of being overwhelmed.  However, you should know that it’s okay to feel so. RBI has the most unique exam pattern if we compare it with other banking and insurance exams.  

If you blame RBI for setting such a different exam pattern then you clearly don’t understand what you are diving into.  

RBI is the governing body that does the work from scratch, issues directives, coordinates with the government, manages their funds, looks after all the banks, etc.  

Now, does any other bank like SBI, or regional banks do that? 

Of course not. And this should tell you why stakes are so high for RBI exams and for their selection process.  

RBI Grade B Preparation Strategy

Some things you should do first before jumping onto the preparation: 

Read about the exam extensively. You should be even aware of the tiny details. You should know everything regarding syllabus, eligibility criteria, age limit, exceptions or relaxations for aspirant’s application, tentative dates, exam pattern, etc.  

Syllabus for RBI Grade B

Phase I Syllabus:

Reasoning: Syllogism, Circular Arrangement, Verbal Reasoning, Data Sufficiency, inequality, Coding-Decoding, Arrangement and Pattern, Blood Relations, Ordering & Ranking, Direction and Distance, Machine Input-Output, Linear Arrangement.  

Quantitative Aptitude: Ratio and Proportion, Algebra, Time and Work, Average, Trigonometry, Percentage, Set Theory, Mensuration, Data Interpretation, Permutation & Combination, Speed, Probability, Distance and Time.  

English Language: Vocabulary, Grammar, Error Spotting, Passage Making, Jumble Words, Sentence Framing, Fill in the Blanks, Reading Comprehension.  

General Awareness: Indian Financial System, Indian Banking System, Banking Terms, National Institution, Monetary Plans, Current Affairs. 

Strategy for Phase I:

General Awareness – Current Affairs and Static GK

• You should forget about working at RBI if you don’t develop a habit of newspaper reading and that too good ones. Papers like “The Hindu,” “Mint,” or “Indian Express.” In fact, start reading right away. Even if it’s a year left it doesn’t matter.
• Some of the current affairs can be hard to remember or have much more depth. You should make notes of such pieces and have an explanatory answer for yourself.
• It would be great if you look at last year’s question papers for the section of general awareness. Doing so will help you understand what is being expected, are you even reading the right stuff, etc.
• General awareness is one of those sections which is very different from quants or reasoning. Anybody can score marks in this section provided you are consistent with your efforts.
• Keep going through the updates issued by RBI on their website about economic policies.
• For static GK you can purchase various books which are read by every aspirant no matter on what exam they are focused.

English Language

• If you excel at reading comprehensions then you will able to cope up with the entire syllabus directly and indirectly.
• Look for passages that are based on economics and finance.
• Sign-up for free mini mocks for sectional preparations. You will get good exposure to specific types of questions that are preferred by the examiners.
• Work on your grammar and tenses because phase-2 will have various writing-based questions.
• Reading newspapers for the English section is super beneficial for RBI Grade B aspirants. It helps them at multiple fronts – English, current affairs, financial and economics aptitude, etc.

Reasoning

• The reasoning will only be needed for phase-1 but that doesn’t mean you should take it for granted. Without phase-1 qualification, there is no phase-2.
• If you are weak or moderate with reasoning then give it more time than usual. Such a section is way too dependent on your speed and accuracy.
• Regular mock tests will help you achieve the much-needed speed and accuracy.
• With time you should be targeting 50 questions a day for reasoning.
• If you aren’t able to solve questions post some preparation then you should go back and study all the concepts, maybe with an expert because that’s what’s the probable root cause

Quantitative Aptitude

• Don’t be too scared about quants. There are sectional cut-offs. You have no other way.
• Focus on learning speed maths techniques. Otherwise, it would be impossible to keep up with the questions in the given time.
• Give daily mocks for quants or you will face issues with consistency during the actual exam.
• Get your hands on RBI Grade B notes if you can. It surely adds an advantage from an overall perspective of the preparation.

That’s all for Phase 1. Give a read here for the analysis of the Phase-2 strategy. 

RBI Grade B Preparation Strategy – Conclusion

Follow tips as mentioned. Not being consistent with RBI exams can be detrimental. People think they have a year to prepare but what they don’t understand is that even an entire year can be short for some people to crack RBI Grade B.  

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