The RBI Grade B Notification does not just announce an exam, but it defines timelines, fixes eligibility boundaries, clarifies the exam structure, and quietly tells you how prepared you really need to be. The RBI Grade B Notification 2026 is expected between July and September 2026. While the exact date cannot be predicted, the trend of the last few years gives us a reliable window. More importantly, it gives aspirants enough time to plan backward, instead of reacting late. In this article, we’ll discuss everything the RBI Grade B notification 2026 is expected to contain, important dates, vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, salary, exam centres, application process, and what you should do once the notification is out.
RBI Grade B Notification 2026: Important Dates
The Reserve Bank of India does not follow a fixed calendar for releasing the Grade B notification. Over the years, the release month has shifted steadily.
Here is the notification release trend from recent cycles:
- 2021 – 28 January
- 2022 – 28 March
- 2023 – 9 May
- 2024 – 25 July
- 2025 – 10 September
If RBI follows a similar 9–12 month gap after the 2025 cycle, the RBI Grade B 2026 notification is most likely to be released between July and September 2026.
Expected Important Dates for RBI Grade B 2026
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Event
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Expected Timeline
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RBI Grade B Notification 2026
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July to September 2026
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Online Application Start Date
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Same day as notification
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Last Date to Apply Online
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20–25 days after release
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RBI Grade B Phase 1 Exam
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To be announced
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RBI Grade B Phase 2 Exam
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To be announced
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RBI Grade B Interview
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To be announced
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Once the notification is released, everything moves fast. This is not an exam where you can afford late decisions.
RBI Grade B Vacancies 2026
For the RBI Grade B 2026 recruitment cycle, vacancies are expected to be in the range of 100–120 posts.
This estimate is based on recent trends, especially the 2025 cycle, where around 120 vacancies were announced across:
- Grade B (DR) – General
- DEPR
- DSIM
Where Can You Download the RBI Grade B 2026 Notification PDF?
Once released, the RBI Grade B Notification 2026 PDF will be available on the official RBI website under the recruitment section.
Steps to Download the RBI Grade B Notification
Here are the steps you need to take to download the notification as soon as it is out:
- Go the official website of the Reserve Bank of India.
- Scroll to the bottom and click on “Opportunities@RBI”.
- Under Current Vacancies, click on Vacancies.
- Select Direct Recruitment for Officers in Grade ‘B’ (DR/DEPR/DSIM) – Panel Year 2026.
- Click on the PDF icon to download the notification.
If you want to understand what to expect, reading the previous year’s notification remains the most reliable reference.
What Information Will Be Mentioned in the RBI Grade B Notification 2026?
The RBI Grade B notification is detailed and formal. Beyond dates and vacancies, it clearly defines the framework of the exam.
Let’s go section by section.
RBI Grade B Eligibility Criteria
The RBI Grade B eligibility criteria will be clearly specified in the 2026 notification.
Age Limit
- Minimum: 21 years
- Maximum: 30 years
- Age relaxation applies to reserved categories as per government norms.
Educational Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree with 60% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD)
OR
- Master’s degree with 55% marks (pass marks for SC/ST/PwBD)
Nationality
Number of Attempts
- General / EWS: 6 attempts
- SC / ST / OBC / PwBD: No limit (subject to age criteria)
Eligibility rules are strict. Even a small mismatch in dates or marks can lead to rejection at a later stage.
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern
The RBI Grade B exam pattern remains consistent across years and is conducted in three phases.
- Phase 1 – Objective (Screening)
- Phase 2 – Mains (Objective + Descriptive)
- Phase 3 – Interview
RBI Grade B Phase 1 Exam Pattern
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Section
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Questions
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Marks
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Time
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General Awareness
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80
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80
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25 min
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Reasoning Ability
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60
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60
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45 min
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English Language
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30
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30
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25 min
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Quantitative Aptitude
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30
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30
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25 min
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Total
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200
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200
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120 min
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NOTE: Phase 1 is qualifying, but sectional cut-offs and overall cut-offs both matter.
RBI Grade B Phase 2 Exam Pattern
The RBI Grade B Phase 2 exam tests depth of understanding rather than surface knowledge. It evaluates how clearly you think, how logically you structure answers, and how effectively you apply concepts under time pressure.
Your Performance in Phase 2 will play a pivotal part in shortlisting candidates for the interview stage.
Paper 1: Economic & Social Issues (ESI)
- Objective: 30 questions | 30 minutes | 50 marks
- Descriptive: 6 questions (attempt 4) | 90 minutes | 50 marks
Paper 2: Descriptive English
- Precis, Reading Comprehension, Essay
- 90 minutes | 100 marks
Paper 3: Finance & Management (FM)
- Objective: 30 questions | 30 minutes | 50 marks
- Descriptive: 6 questions (attempt 4) | 90 minutes | 50 marks
Phase 2 decides the shortlist for the interview. Writing quality, structure, and clarity matter as much as content.
RBI Grade B Interview
Before the interview, candidates must appear for a psychometric test. This test carries no marks, but it is mandatory.
- Interview Marks: 75
- Mode: In-person
- Language: Hindi or English
Final selection depends on Phase 2 + Interview scores.
RBI Grade B Syllabus
The RBI Grade B syllabus sets the direction of your preparation but not its limits. Phase 1 demands breadth and awareness, while Phase 2 checks conceptual clarity and writing ability. The official syllabus is indicative, so previous year questions remain the most reliable guide for understanding what actually gets tested.
- RBI does not define the Phase 1 syllabus in detail.
- Phase 1 topics are inferred via previous year papers.
- Phase 2 syllabus is mentioned in the notification but remains indicative, not exhaustive.
Understanding the syllabus properly requires paper analysis, not just reading bullet points.
Salary of an RBI Grade B Officer
The salary of an RBI Grade B Officer reflects the responsibility the role carries. Along with a strong basic pay, officers receive multiple allowances that steadily raise the in-hand amount. Over time, regular increments, promotions, and institutional benefits make this position financially secure and professionally rewarding.
Here’s what you’ll get after clearing the exam:
Pay Structure
- Basic Pay: ₹78,450 per month
- Pay Scale:
₹78450–4050(9)–114900–EB–4050(2)–123000–4650(4)–141600
Allowances Include
- Dearness Allowance
- Grade Allowance
- Special Allowance
- Local Compensatory Allowance
- Learning Allowance
- House Rent Allowance
Gross Salary
- Approximately ₹1.5 lakh per month (without HRA)
The role offers stability, growth, and policy-level exposure.
RBI Grade B Exam Centers
The notification lists separate centres for Phase 1 and Phase 2. Candidates must choose those carefully when applying.
RBI Grade B Phase 1 Exam Centers
| State/UT/NCR |
Centre |
| Andaman and Nicobar (UT) |
Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh |
Guntur, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Tirupati, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Vizianagaram, Vishakhapatnam, Eluru, Ongole. |
| Arunachal Pradesh |
Naharlagun |
| Assam |
Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur. |
| Bihar |
Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Gaya, Purnea |
| Chandigarh (UT) |
Mohali |
| Goa |
Panaji |
| Gujarat |
Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar. |
| Haryana |
Ambala, Hissar, Kurukshetra, Faridabad, Gurugram. |
| Himachal Pradesh |
Hamirpur, Solan, Shimla, Bilaspur, Kangra. |
| Jammu and Kashmir (UT) |
Jammu, Srinagar, Sambha, Baramulla. |
| Ladakh (UT) |
Leh, Kargil |
| Jharkhand |
Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi. |
| Karnataka |
Bengaluru, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Hubballi(Hubli), Dharwad, Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Udupi. |
| Kerala |
Kannur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam. |
| Puducherry (UT |
Puducherry |
| Punjab |
Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Moga, Phagwara, Pathankot |
| Madhya Pradesh |
Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Ujjain |
| Maharashtra |
Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, (Aurangabad), Jalgoan, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Akola, Jalna, Chandrapur, Solapur, Dhule |
| Manipur |
Imphal, Kakching, Churachandpur |
| Meghalaya |
Shillong, Tura |
| Mizoram |
Aizawl |
| Nagaland |
Kohima, Dimapur |
| Delhi |
Delhi |
| Odisha |
Balasore, Berhampur (Ganjam), Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Baripada, Puri. |
| Rajasthan |
Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Sikar. |
| Sikkim |
Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu |
Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Salem, Namakkal, Thiruchirapalli, Tirunelvelli, Thanjavur, Vellore, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Viluppuram, Cuddalore, Ramanathapuram. |
| Telangana |
Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Mehbubnagar, Nizamabad, Khammam. |
| Tripura |
Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh |
Agra, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Aligarh, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida & Greater Noida. |
| Uttarakhand |
Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
| West Bengal |
Asansol, Kolkata, Greater Kolkata, Kalyani, Siliguri, Burdwan, Durgapur, Hooghly, Howrah |
RBI Grade B Phase 2 Exam Centers
| State/UT/NCR |
Centre |
| Gujarat |
Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar |
| Karnataka |
Bengaluru, Mysuru (Mysore) |
| Madhya Pradesh |
Bhopal |
| Odisha |
Bhubaneswar |
| West Bengal |
Kolkata |
| Punjab |
Mohali |
| Tamil Nadu |
Chennai |
| Assam |
Guwahati |
| Telangana |
Hyderabad |
| Rajasthan |
Jaipur |
| Chhattisgarh |
Raipur |
| Jammu and Kashmir (UT) |
Jammu |
| Uttar Pradesh |
Kanpur, Lucknow |
| Kerala |
Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Maharashtra |
Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, |
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Raigad, Nagpur, Pune |
| New Delhi |
New Delhi |
| Bihar |
Patna |
NOTE: Interviews are conducted at selected Phase 2 centres.
How to Apply for the RBI Grade B 2026 Exam?
The application process is online only and explained step-by-step in the notification.
- Register using basic details
- Upload photograph and signature
- Fill academic and personal information
- Pay application fee
- Submit and download confirmation
Apply early. Server issues near the last date are common.
RBI Grade B Application Fee
The RBI Grade B application fee varies by category and is clearly mentioned in the official notification. General, OBC, and EWS candidates pay a higher fee, while SC, ST, and PwBD candidates get a concession. RBI staff are exempted. The fee must be paid online during application submission.
- General / OBC / EWS: ₹850 + GST
- SC / ST / PwBD: ₹100 + GST
- RBI Staff: No fee
What Next?
If you are serious about the RBI Grade B 2026 exam, the right time to begin is not after the notification drops. It is now. Most candidates will wait for the official 2026 notification and lose precious months doing nothing but tracking updates.
You already know what matters:
- When the exam is likely to be held
- How the exam is structured
- Which stages actually decide selection
Starting early gives you space to think, revise, and correct mistakes without pressure. This is how you stay ahead of the crowd, by preparing quietly while others are still waiting. Preparation should move with intent, not delay.
Disclaimer: RBI Grade B 2026 notification details are tentative. The Reserve Bank of India has not yet released the official notification. Please check rbi.org.in for authentic updates