RBI Grade B 2022 Preparation Strategy, Exam Analysis & Cut Off
Topics Covered: RBI Grade B Preparation Strategy, Study Plan, DOs & Don’ts, Exam Analysis Phase-1, Exam Analysis Phase-2, RBI Grade B Cut off
It does so by creating appropriate fiscal policies and banking regulations in order to manage price stability.
It also serves as the bank to the government of India and the only note-issuing agency to the government.
Impressive, isn’t it?
Now, given the merit of the organization of RBI, I want you to think about the abilities of the people that make it possible.
Imagine how impressive they must be. Now, the people I am talking about here, the foremost among them are the RBI Grade B officers.
They are the crème de la crème from amongst the academic and economic elites of our nation.
That said, these officers are recruited annually through the RBI Grade B recruitment process.
The recruitment process involves a challenging exam consisting of 2 phases and a final interview round.
Needless to say, these exams are no walk in the park. Only the most dedicated, smart, and hardworking aspirants get to make it through.
Having said that, I will also emphasize the fact that if you follow a time-bound & disciplined study plan, analyze the papers of the past years and solve them, draw out an intensive strategy and cover the most important topics from the syllabus, then the exam will not take its toll on you, and you shall be able to clear it.
Do you have what it takes to clear the RBI Grade B exam?
Well, if you do, I think you should thoroughly go over this article.
Table of Content – RBI Grade B Preparation, Exam Analysis & Cut Off
1. Preparation Strategy
1.1 Study Sequence
1.2 Important Techniques
1.3 Approach to Mocks
1.4 Do’s & Don’ts
2. Day-wise Study Plan
2.1 Quant & Reasoning – Phase 1
2.2 English – Phase 1
2.3 F&M – Phase 2
2.4 Finance Numerical – Phase 2
2.5 ESI – Phase 2
2.6 Annual Survey – Phase 2
3. Exam Analysis
3.1 Phase 1 2021
3.2 Phase 2 2021
3.3 Phase 1 2019
3.4 Phase 2 2019
3.5 Phase 1 2018
3.6 Phase 2 2018
4. Cut Off
4.1 Cut Off 2021
That said, if you go through this article and stick to what’s written in it to the T, you too will taste success in the RBI Grade B exam. I guarantee you that.
In it I have talked about all the preparation related topics like, what your study sequence should be, the important techniques to use while preparing for the RBI Grade B, how to approach mock tests, important dos and don’ts pertaining to your preparation, and day-wise study plan.
Apart from that, I have also listed down the detailed analysis of the RBI Grade B exams of 2022, 2021 and 2019 in this article.
So, without further ado let’s begin with our first topic.
Preparation Strategy: RBI Grade B Phase 1 & 2
In this section I have mentioned in detail, everything that you’d be needing to ace the RBI Grade B exam with flying colors. Do go through the topics written below as thoroughly as possible and implement them to your RBI grade B preparations.
I have also included detailed, time-bound, and subject-wise study plans for you, so that you can schedule your study accordingly. The best thing about these study plans is that they are extremely easy to understand and are in a tabulated format.
Anyway, let us start with the most important topics related to the RBI Grade B preparation:
Study Sequence
1. When you start with your preparation, take at least 3 mocks of both Phase 1 and 2 to identify your strong and weak areas. Scores < 50% shall be considered weak.
2. Categorize subjects falling under strong and weak categories, after carefully evaluating which of them you are strong in and which of them you are weak in. Be honest.
3. Next, you should Create a Study Timeline, I.e., Divide your preparation time into week-wise phases. Pick out 2 subjects at a time, one that you are strong at, and another you are weak at. You can also use the timetable given by me below. It is divided into morning and evening shifts.
4. Brush up on Current Affairs: You can make use of ‘Spotlight’, ‘PIB Current Affairs’, and ‘Finance Current Affairs’ to study current affairs. If you have limited time, start with current affairs when you are done with at-least 50% of your syllabus. Do not begin your preparation with the current affair.
5. Practice Writing: Attempt a test of Phase 2 FM or ESI and Essay every week to improve your writing skills.
At this point, I would suggest that you guys should be absolutely thorough with the updated RBI Grade B Syllabus.
Important Techniques
1. Have the schedule for your day prepared before leaving the bed in the morning and stick to it as steadfastly as you can.
2. Revise either daily or weekly, depending on your timetable. Working aspirants can follow weekly revision schedule and students can follow a daily revision schedule.
3. You should Analyze past year papers diligently. Doing so would help you to list the important static parts of the subjects and shed light on the shifting trends/Changing patterns.
4. Carry out a Self-Assessment every once in a while: Be sure to observe yourself, as you are the best guide of yourself. You must know where you lack and how much time you need to devote to a topic.
5. Don’t devote too much time on reading newspaper. Current affairs magazines are more helpful before interview. Argumentation and opinions help in the interview stage more. You can rely on monthly magazines for phase 1 and phase 2.
6. Avoid last minute hustles for important tasks such as filling your application form, downloading your admit card, etc.
Know how to fill your online application to avoid silly mistakes.
Approach to mocks
1. Writing mocks every week is very important. Mocks can be sectional or comprehensive, depending on the stage of your preparation. You can start with sectional tests by using my RBI Phase 1 and Phase 2 sectional mock books. When the examination is 1 month away, you can begin comprehensive mocks.
2. Sectional as well as comprehensive tests help by improving time management skills of the aspirant.
3. Mock analysis is as important as mocks itself. You can analyse mocks by dividing your answers into 3 parts- correct, incorrect and not answered. You need to work on questions that got correct by fluke and the answers that got wrong due to silly mistakes. Try to minimize these two.
4. Work on elimination technique to score higher and also enhance your accuracy. Under elimination, you eliminate all options before finalizing your answer choice. It is certainly more time consuming but more accurate as well. (Elimination is not always successful in quant and reasoning. If you have arrived at the right answer by solving a question, no need to apply elimination)
Do’s and Don’ts
1. Cramming Wisely: Question papers have become a mix of concepts and facts – this needs a holistic approach wherein you are cramming and understanding concepts together.
2. Limited your Sources of study: Sources are like old friends that are always there to help you in the time of need. You do not need to read from new books, decide on a few and stick to them, besides you won’t have the time to go through new books.
3. Practice on as many Aptitude tests as you can: Remember to practice Aptitude mock test as often as you can. GS paper will be evaluated only if you clear CSAT by getting 33% or 66 marks. Do not forget to cover aspects like mental ability, comprehension, and logical reasoning while taking aptitude tests.
4. Manage your time well: Make sure to not spend much of your time and energy on useless talks and discussions. Stay away from stressful people and Eat, Sleep, Study & Meditate for better results.
5. Stay away from things like Facebook, Instagram, or entertainment sources like Web series or other social media platform which can distract you.
6. Do not use your phone while studying. If you don’t have a laptop, get an old laptop or desktop. Phones aren’t meant to study. Keep your phone in another room or in a drawer while studying. This is rule 101.
Those were all the important points for you to keep in mind while preparing for the RBI Grade B exam.
Now let’s look at the Day-wise study plan that I have made for you in the form of tables, but before that, let us go through some important points that will help you understand the study plan better.
Day-Wise Study Plan
1. The plan has been divided into 3 parts- Phase 1 Quant, Reasoning, and English; Phase 2 Economic and Social Issues; Phase 2 Finance & Management. Based on your priority, you can pick up any one of the 3 parts.
2. If you have more than 4 months in hand for your prep, it is advisable to start with the Phase 2 F&M plan, followed by Phase 2 ESI, and finally Phase 1 QRE. However, there isn’t any hard and fast rule for it. You can also start with Phase 1 QRE if you feel that you are very weak in the same.
3. Pick up a maximum of 2 subjects in one day, as described in the study plan. Do not pick up more than 2 subjects at one point.
4. If you are a working aspirant, you need to divide your studies into 2 slots- morning and night. Get up before other aspirants and start your day with the morning targets provided in the below study plan. Try to leave your office by 6 PM, come back home and sleep for 1 hour straight. Start studying by 8 PM and give only 3 hours. You do not need to burn the proverbial midnight oil.
5. Repeat the cycle after you have completed your syllabus once. In the second reading, start with current affairs too. You need to cover Phase 1 and Phase 2 current affairs together. You can use Daily Current affairs by Neha Ma’am, PIB Current affairs by Manish sir, and Finance current affairs by Tanvi ma’am to cover current affairs daily (Available on YouTube).
6. Phase 1 current affairs are to be covered for 6 months before the exam. Phase 2 current affairs need coverage of 1 year prior to the exam.
Phase 1 – STUDY PLAN (Quant & Reasoning)
| Quantitative Aptitude | Reasoning | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Afternoon | ||
| Chapters | Days | Chapters | Days |
| Profit & Loss | Day 1 - Easy & Moderate Day 2 - Difficult |
Blood Relations | Day 1 & 2 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult |
| Time & Work | Day 3 - Easy & Moderate Day 4 - Difficult |
Directions | Day 3 & 4 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult |
| Ratio & Proportion | Day 5 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult | Syllogism | Day 5 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult |
| Variation | Day 6 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult | Number Series | Day 6 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult |
| Average, Mixtures & Alligations | Day 7 - Easy & Moderate Day 8 - Difficult |
Input Output | Day 7 - Easy & Moderate Day 8 - Difficult |
| Time Speed Distance | Day 9 - Easy & Moderate Day 10 - Difficult |
Ranking | Day 9 & 10 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult |
| Quadratic Equation | Day 11 - Easy Day 12 - Moderate Day 13 - Difficult |
Coding Decoding | Day 11 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult |
| Numbers, HCF, LCM | Day 14 - Easy Day 15 - Moderate Day 16 - Difficult |
Data Sufficiency | Day 12 - Easy & Moderate Day 13 & 14 - Difficult |
| Simple Interest & Compound Interest | Day 17 - Easy Day 18 - Moderate Day 19 - Difficult |
Statement & Conclusion | Day 15 & 16 - Easy & Moderate Day 17 - Difficult |
| Data Interpretation | Day 20-25 - Easy & Moderate & Difficult | Cause and Effect | Day 18 & 19 - Easy, Moderate Day 20 - Difficult |
| Partnership | Day 26 - Easy Day 27 - Moderate Day 28 - Difficult |
Statement and Assumption | Day 21 - Easy & Moderate Day 22 & 23 - Difficult |
| Probability | Day 29 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult | Strong & Weak Arguments | Day 24 - Easy & Moderate Day 25 - Difficult |
| Geometry Formulaes | Day 30 & 31 - Easy & Moderate Day 32 - Difficult |
Decision Making | Day 26 - Easy & Moderate Day 27 - Difficult |
| Inequality | Day 28 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult | ||
| Arrangement | Day 29 & 30 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult | ||
| Puzzles | Day 31 - Easy & Moderate Day 32 - Difficult |
||
Phase 1 – STUDY PLAN (English)
| English | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Afternoon | ||
| Chapters | Days | Chapters | Days |
| Phrase Replacement | Day 33 - Easy & Moderate Day 34 - Difficult |
Reading Comprehension | Day 33 & 34 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult |
| Sentence Correction | Day 35 & 36 - Easy, Moderate & Difficult | Combining Sentences | Day 35 - Easy & Moderate Day 36 - Difficult |
Phase 2 – STUDY PLAN (F&M)
| Finance Theory | Management | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Afternoon | ||
| Chapters | Days | Chapters | Days |
| Important Terms | Day 1 to Day 6 | Organization Theory | Day 1 to Day 3 |
| Intro to Financial System | Day 7 | Miscellaneous Theories | Day 4 |
| Reforms in Indian Financial System | Day 7 | mooney and reiley | Day 4 |
| Money and Capital Market | Day 8 | Contingency Approach | Day 4 |
| Stock Indices | Day 8 | Graicunas | Day 4 |
| Depository Receipts | Day 9 | Introduction to OB | Day 5 |
| Mutual Funds | Day 9 | Values, Attitudes, Johari & TA | Day 5 |
| RBI - Intro, Structure, CAMELS | Day 9 | Generational & International Values | Day 5 |
| RBI Subsidiaries, Monetary Policy Tools | Day 10 | Emotions, Emotional Intelligence | Day 6 |
| Monetary Policy Meets - Different Stances | Day 10 | Personality - 3 Parts | Day 6 |
| RBI Currency Mgmt., Debt Management | Day 11 | Perception & Decision Making | Day 7 |
| SEBI History, Functioning, Responsibilities | Day 11 | Motivation | Day 8 to Day 10 |
| NABARD | Day 11 | Leadership | Day 11 to Day 12 |
| NHB | Day 12 | Conflict | Day 13 |
| SIDBI | Day 12 | Conflict & Negotiation | Day 13 |
| RRBs | Day 12 | Authority, Power, Stress, Learning, Obmod | Day 13 |
| Credit Rating Agencies | Day 12 | Classical Conditioning | Day 14 |
| Negotiated Dealing System | Day 12 | Organization Culture | Day 14 |
| EXIM and ECGC | Day 13 | OCTAPACE, Org Climate | Day 14 |
| RBI Monthly Monetary Policy Basics | Day 13 | Group Dynamics, Change, Change Models | Day 15 |
| Foreign Exchange Market Basics | Day 13 | Organisational Change, Theories of Change - Lewin’s Change Model, Action Research Model, Positive Model | Day 15 |
| History of Forex Market | Day 13 | Change Management | Day 15 |
| Special Drawing Rights | Day 14 | Theories of Group Formation, Quality Circle | Day 15 |
| Foreign Currency Accounts | Day 14 | Strategic HRM | Day 16 |
| Currency Convertibility | Day 14 | Best Practice vs Best Fit Approach | Day 16 |
| Forex Risk | Day 14 | Intro to HRD | Day 16 |
| Fx-retail | Day 14 | Evolution & Goals of HRD | Day 16 |
| History of Banking System | Day 15 | Emerging Dimensions in HRM | Day 16 |
| Classification of Banks | Day 15 | HRM vs HRD | Day 16 |
| Priority Sector Lending | Day 15 | HR Planning | Day 16 |
| PSL for RRBs | Day 15 | Recruitment & Selection | Day 17 |
| MCLR | Day 15 | Induction & Orientation | Day 17 |
| FEOA | Day 15 | Movement of Personnel | Day 17 |
| Measures of Money Supply, Money Multiplier | Day 15 | Employee Turnover | Day 17 |
| SARFAESI act, CERSAI | Day 16 | Realistic Job Preview | Day 17 |
| Universal vs Niche Banking | Day 16 | Psychometric Tests | Day 17 |
| Balance Sheet of RBI and Commercial Banks | Day 16 | Delayering | Day 17 |
| BPSS, Electronic Payment Systems | Day 16 | Job Analysis | Day 17 |
| Payment & Settlement System Act | Day 16 | Job Design, Job Evaluation | Day 17 |
| Prepaid Payment Instruments | Day 16 | Potential Appraisal | Day 18 |
| Foreign Exchange Transactions by Commercial Banks - Concepts & Laws | Day 17 | Fringe Benefits | Day 18 |
| Inflation | Day 17 | Incentives | Day 18 |
| Stagflation | Day 17 | Theories of Compensation | Day 18 |
| Theories of Inflation | Day 17 | TQM, Kaizen | Day 18 |
| Imported Inflation, Deflator, Misery Index | Day 17 | Lean Systems | Day 19 |
| Debt Market & Types of Bonds | Day 18 | Quality of Worklife, Collective Bargaining | Day 19 |
| Bonds Concepts | Day 18 | Employee Welfare | Day 19 |
| Yield Curve | Day 18 | Morale | Day 19 |
| Masala Bonds | Day 18 | Employee Counselling | Day 20 |
| FCCB, FCEB | Day 18 | Industrial Relations | Day 20 |
| Derivatives | Day 18 | Grievance Handling, Disciplinary Action | Day 20 |
| FPI | Day 19 | Communication | Day 21 |
| FDI | Day 19 | Corporate Governance | Day 22 |
| Disinvestment | Day 19 | Organization Control | Day 23 |
| Participatory Notes | Day 19 | Nudge Theory | Day 23 |
| IBC | Day 19 | Weighing Social Cost & Benefit, Rights & Duties, Justice and Fairness | Day 24 |
| NPA | Day 19 | Integrating Utility, Rights, Justice, Caring | Day 25 |
| BASEL | Day 20 | Alternative to Moral Principles - Virtue Ethics, Theories | Day 25 |
| PCA | Day 20 | Moral Issues in Business | Day 25 |
| Basics of GST | Day 20 | Ethical Principles in Business, Organization Structure & Ethics, Role of Board of Directors, Code of Ethics | Day 25 |
| Finance Commission | Day 20 | Corporate Governance - Factors Effecting CG, Mechanisms of CG | Day 26 |
| FRBM | Day 20 | Communication, Steps in Communication, Channels of Communication, Barriers to Communication, Role of IT | Day 27 |
| 15th Finance Commission | Day 20 | ||
| Financial Inclusion | Day 21 | Alternate Source of Finance | Day 21 |
| Public Private Partnership | Day 21 | Private & Social Cost Benefit | Day 21 |
| Fiscal Policy | Day 21 | Revenue & Capital Receipts | Day 21 |
| Risk Management in Banking | Day 22 | Corporate Governance | Day 23 to Day 25 |
| Impact of Global Financial Crisis & Indian Respons | Day 26 | RBI FAQs | Day 27 to Day 30 |
Phase 2 – STUDY PLAN (Finance Numericals)
| Finance Numericals (Least Important) | |
|---|---|
| Chapters | Days |
| Financial Management - TVM, PV and FV, NPV, IRR, COC, | Day 28 to Day 30 |
| Bond Valuation | Day 31 |
| Leverage Analysis | Day 32 |
| CVP Analysis | Day 33 |
| Accounting Ratios | Day 34 to Day 35 |
Phase 2 – STUDY PLAN (ESI)
| ESI (Indian Economy) | Government schemes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Afternoon | ||
| Chapters | Days | Chapters | Days |
| Important Terms (RBI Interview Book) | Day 1 to Day 4 | Government Schemes | Day 1 to Day 15 |
| Micro vs Macro, Circular Flow, NI Accounting, Depression | Day 5 | ||
| Macroeconomic Identities | Day 5 | ||
| Purchasing Manager's Index, IIP | Day 5 | ||
| New Method of NI Accounting | Day 5 | ||
| BOP, Forex | Day 6 | ||
| BOP - Autonomous vs Accomodating | Day 6 | ||
| BOP Crisis | Day 6 | ||
| Fiscal Policy - Receipts & Expenditures | Day 7 | ||
| Tax & Non Tax Sources of Revenue | Day 7 | Union budget | Covered in Annual Surveys |
| Growth vs Development, Sustainable Development | Day 7 | ||
| Environment Conventions & Treaties | Day 8 | ||
| International Organizations | Day 8 | ||
| Regional Organizations | Day 8 | ||
| India Before 1991 | Day 9 | ||
| Agriculture | Day 9 | ||
| Industry | Day 9 | ||
| Foreign Trade & Foreign Capital | Day 9 | ||
| India After 1991 | Day 10 | ||
| Social Sectors In India -Eemployment | Day 10 | ||
| Poverty | Day 10 | ||
| Population | Day 11 | ||
| Gender | Day 11 | ||
| Education | Day 11 | ||
| Health | Day 11 | ||
| Social Movements | Day 11 | ||
| Urbanization | Day 11 | ||
| Migration | Day 12 | ||
| Social Justice | Day 12 | ||
| Monetary & Fiscal Policy | Covered in Finance | ||
| Indian Money & Financial Markets | Covered in Finance | ||
| Role of Banks & RBI in Development | Day 12 | ||
| International Economic Issues | Day 13 | ||
| Positive Discrimination | |||
| Regional Cooperation | Day 14 | ||
| Multiculturalism | |||
| Demographic Trends | Day 15 | ||
Phase 2 – STUDY PLAN (Annual Survey & Indices & Report)
| Annual Surveys | Indices & Reports | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Afternoon | ||
| Chapters | Days | Chapters | Days |
| Economic Survey | Day 16 | Indices & reports | Day 16 to Day20 |
| Union Budget | Day 17 | Committees | Day 21 & 22 |
| New Education Policy | Day 18 | GDP Forecasts | Day 23 |
| Aatmanirbhar Bharat | Day 18 | ||
| Census 2011 | Day 19 | ||
| Census 2021 | Day 19 | ||
| National Family Health Survey | Day 19 | ||
| Periodic Labour Force Survey | Day 19 | ||
| State of Forest Report | Day 20 | ||
| ASER Report | Day 20 | All India Survey on Higher Education | Day 20 |
| Sample Registration Survey | Day 21 | ||
| 15th Finance Commission | Day 21 | ||
That brings us to the end of this section. Now I know that the tables given above are quite a handful and that you’d prefer to go through them in your own time.
For that reason, I have made these tables available for you in PDF format. You can download these with just a click of a button.
The button to download the RBI Grade B study plan PDF is given below:
Download RBI Grade B Study Plan PDF
Throughout this strategic approach, I would suggest that you stay updated with the exam dates for the upcoming RBI Grade B Exams. For your convenience, I have linked the respective section above.
Now since we are done with the preparation strategy or the study plan, whatever you call it, there’s one more thing that you need to do if you want to maximise your chances of selection in the RBI Grade B Exam.
You must be wondering what I am talking about. Well, I’m talking about the RBI Grade B Exam Analysis. Exam Analysis holds a very important key to your selection because it helps you identify the areas from which questions are regularly framed and you also get to know the level of questions asked.
So, without wasting any time let’s move on to the RBI Grade B Exam Analysis of the Previous year papers.
RBI Grade B Exam Analysis
As I have already mentioned before, to ensure victory in any battle or sport, just the preparation from your side is not enough.
You also need to gauge the abilities of your opponents and also the playing/battlefield where the clash is to take place by analyzing the past year’s trends and records.
According to the subsequent findings you’ll get from the analysis you’ll become aware of how prepared you are and also know how much more effort you’d need to put in to ensure a sure-shot victory.
This is the formula you’d need to apply to ensure success in the upcoming RBI Grade B exam as well.
But, before we head to the exam analysis I am providing you the link to the blog where you would be able to access the previous years’ papers (from 2010 to 2021) and download them.
So, let’s begin with the RBI Grade B exam analysis of the year 2022.
RBI Grade B 2022 Exam Analysis for Phase 1
The RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1 successfully took place on 28th May 2022. The exam transpired in two shifts: Morning and Afternoon. Both the shifts followed the same exam pattern.
Here’s the pattern of RBI Grade B 2022 Phase-1:
| Sections | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 80 | 80 | A total time of 120 minutes is given to complete the Phase 1 Paper |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | |
| Reasoning Ability | 60 | 60 | |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
| RBI Grade B 2022 Exam Analysis: Phase 1 (Both Shifts) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shifts | Level of Exam | Good Attempts |
| Shift 1 | Moderate to Difficult | 85 Above |
| Shift 2 | Moderate to Difficult | 80 Above |
I have mentioned the section-wise RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1 exam analysis below:
| RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1 Exam Analysis (Section-Wise) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Shifts | Subjects | Level of Exams | Good Attempts |
| Shift 1 | English Language | Moderate | 20-25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate | 10-15 | |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate to Difficult | 24-25 | |
| General Awareness | Moderate | 50-60 | |
| Shift 2 | English Language | Moderate | 20-25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate | 10-12 | |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate to Difficult | 20-25 | |
| General Awareness | Moderate to Difficult | 50-60 | |
RBI Grade B 2022 Exam Analysis for Phase 1: Section-wise
I have mentioned below the topics that came in the RBI Grade B 2022 exam from each of the sections.
The English section gets designated with 30 questions, one question a mark. Over the years this section has played a crucial role in the qualification of many candidates, and in this year’s edition as well this section was comparatively doable, as per the general mandate.
In the table, I have filled the topics that represented the entire English section of RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1.
Take a peek at the representation and get the general idea of the English section.
| English Language | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Number of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension | 12-16 |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 2 |
| Fill in the blanks | 4-5 |
| Error Spotting | 6 |
| Idioms and Phrases | 2 |
| Phrase Replacement | 3 |
From the table that I have mentioned below, you’ll get a fair idea about the approximate distribution of questions asked pertaining to different topics of the Quantitative Aptitude Section in the 2 shifts of the Phase 1 paper.
| Quantitative Aptitude | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Number of Questions |
| Data Interpretation | 11 |
| Number Series | 4 |
| Data Sufficiency | 4-5 |
| Arithmetic Questions | 10-12 |
| Quadratic Equations | 3 |
They were lengthy questions but were doable.
The problems asked for in the arithmetic section were based on Mensuration, Time and Work, Percentage, Age problems, etc.
The overall level of this section was between moderate to difficult.
In the table that I have mentioned below, you’ll get an idea about the approximate distribution of questions asked pertaining to different topics of the Reasoning Ability Section in the 2 shifts of the Phase 1 paper.
| Reasoning Ability | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Number of Questions |
| Reasoning Puzzles | 35 |
| Machine Input and Output | 5 |
| Critical Reasoning | 5-10 |
| Alphanumeric Series | 3 |
| Syllogism | 4-5 |
| Blood Relation | 1 |
| Data Sufficiency | 3 |
| Coding-Decoding | 4 | Miscellaneous | 1 |
- Linear Seating Arrangement – 2 Rows
- Blood Relations based puzzle
- Tabulation based puzzle
- Puzzle based on designations
- 2 Rows that are parallel with 6 people in each row
- Floor based puzzle
- Circular Arrangement
- Car Parking based puzzle
The overall level of this section was between moderate and difficult.
General Awareness
I have mentioned below a few of the questions that were asked to test your memory in the General Awareness section, based on the 2 shifts combined.
- Author of the book -” My country my life”
- Who is the google policy head of India?
- Delimitation has happened in which state recently?
- Who is the runner-up of pro kabaddi league 2022?
- Ownership ratio in RRB by state, Centre, & Sponsor banks
- Questions based on Union Budget 2021
- Questions on RBI Financial Report
- Question on PM SVANIDHI
Apart from the questions that I have mentioned above, around 8 to 10 questions were based on Static GK, and in terms of difficulty level, this section was of easy to moderate difficulty.
That brings us to the end of the analysis of phase 1, let’s now analyze the phase 2 paper of the 2022 RBI Grade B exam.
RBI Grade B 2021 Exam Analysis for Phase 1
The RBI Grade B Exam involves 3 stages, Phase 1 or prelims, Phase 2 or Mains, and finally Phase 3 or the interview round.
The 2021 phase 1 exam was held on 6th March 2021.
Given below is the typical breakdown of the Phase 1 Exam :
| Sections | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 80 | 80 | A total time of 120 minutes is given to complete the Phase 1 Paper |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | |
| Reasoning Ability | 60 | 60 | |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
Having said that, it should be noted that the Phase 1 exam was conducted in two shifts. The difficulty level of the 2 shifts is given below:
| RBI Grade B 2021 Exam Analysis: Phase 1 (Both Shifts) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shifts | Level of Exam | Good Attempts |
| Shift 1 | Moderate to Difficult | 100-106 |
| Shift 2 | Moderate to Difficult | 102-107 |
After analyzing the papers of both the shifts, it can be said that the overall level of the 2021 Phase 1 exam was moderately difficult as far as the difficulty level goes.
I have mentioned the section-wise RBI Grade B 2021 Phase 1 exam analysis below:
| RBI Grade B 2021 Phase 1 Exam Analysis (Section-Wise) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Shifts | Subjects | Level of Exams | Good Attempts |
| Shift 1 | English Language | Moderate | 23-25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate | 21-22 | |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate to Difficult | 24-25 | |
| General Awareness | Moderate | 32-34 | |
| Shift 2 | English Language | Moderate | 23-24 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate | 23-25 | |
| Reasoning Ability | Moderate to Difficult | 29-30 | |
| General Awareness | Moderate to Difficult | 27-28 | |
Now, let’s delve into the detailed exam analysis of the various sections of the RBI Grade B 2021 phase 1 exam.
RBI Grade B 2021 Exam Analysis for Phase 1: Section-wise
I have mentioned below the topics from which questions were asked corresponding to each of the sections of the RBI Grade B 2021 Phase 1 exam.
English Language
In the table that I have mentioned below, you’ll get an idea about the approximate distribution of questions asked pertaining to different topics of the English Language Section in the 2 shifts of the Phase 1 paper:
| English Language | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Number of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension | 12-16 |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 4 |
| Cloze Test | 4-5 |
| Error Spotting | 4-5 |
| Idioms and Phrases | 3 |
The reading comprehensions were based on:
- Increasing cases of Tuberculosis and its preventions
- The role of smartwatches in detecting cardiac arrests
The overall level of this section was moderate.
Quantitative Aptitude
In the table that I have mentioned below, you’ll get an idea about the approximate distribution of questions asked pertaining to different topics of the Quantitative Aptitude Section in the 2 shifts of the Phase 1 paper.
| Quantitative Aptitude | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Number of Questions |
| Data Interpretation | 10-12 |
| Number Series | 5-6 |
| Data Sufficiency | 5-6 |
| Quantity Comparison | 3-4 |
| Arithmetic Questions | 4-5 |
| Quadratic Equations | 4-5 |
The questions that were asked on Data Interpretation were in the Caselets, and pie chart formats.
They were lengthy questions but were doable.
The problems asked for in the arithmetic section were based on Mensuration, Time and Work, Percentage, Age problems, etc.
The overall level of this section was between moderate and difficult.
Reasoning Ability
In the table that I have mentioned below, you’ll get an idea about the approximate distribution of questions asked pertaining to different topics of the Reasoning Ability Section in the 2 shifts of the Phase 1 paper.
| Reasoning Ability | |
|---|---|
| Topic | Number of Questions |
| Reasoning Puzzles | 25-30 |
| Machine Input and Output | 5 |
| Logical Reasoning | 5-10 |
| Alphanumeric Series | 2-3 |
| Syllogism | 2-3 |
| Direction Test | 3 |
| Data Sufficiency | 2-3 |
| Coding-Decoding | 1-3 | Miscellaneous | 8-10 |
I have mentioned below the types of puzzles and seating arrangement questions that were asked in this section:
- Linear Seating Arrangement – 2 Rows
- Blood Relations based puzzle
- Tabulation based puzzle
- Schedule based puzzle
- 2 Rows that are parallel with 6 people in each row
- Floor based puzzle
- Box based puzzle
The overall level of this section was between moderate and difficult.
General Awareness
I have mentioned below a few of the questions that were asked to test your memory in the General Awareness section, based on the 2 shifts combined.
- First Novel of Amitav Ghosh
- Question on Indian Innovation Index
- When is the ‘International Tea Day’ observed?
- Question on Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
- Pradhan Mantri Kushal Yojana
- When is the ‘Good Governance Day’ observed?
- Questions based on Union Budget 2021
- Questions on RBI Financial Report
- West Indies and Bangladesh Series
Apart from the questions that I have mentioned above, around 8 to 10 questions were based on Static GK, and in terms of difficulty level, this section was of moderate difficulty.
That brings us to the end of the analysis of phase 1, let’s now analyze the phase 2 paper of the 2021 RBI Grade B exam.
RBI Grade B 2021 Exam Analysis for Phase 2
The RBI Grade B 2021 phase 2 exam was held on 1st April 2021 and consisted of 2 shifts. The morning shift comprised of paper 1, namely Economic & Social Issues, and paper 3, namely, Finance and Management.
The afternoon shift comprised of paper 2, namely English Writing Skills.
Given below is the typical breakdown of the RBI Grade B Phase 2 Exam:
| Paper | No. of Questions | Time Duration | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Economic and Social Issues | Objective - 30 Questions | 30 minutes | 50 |
| Descriptive - 6 Questions (to be attempted - 4) | 90 minutes | 50 | |
| Paper 2: English (Writing Skills) | Descriptive - 3 Questions (Precis, RCs, & Essay) | 90 minutes | 100 |
| Paper 3: Finance and Management (Objective Type Questions) |
Objective - 30 Questions | 30 minutes | 50 |
| Descriptive - 6 Questions (to be attempted - 4) | 90 minutes | 50 |
Having said that, according to me the overall difficulty level of the exam was MODERATE.
Given below is the paper wise difficulty levels of the phase 2 exam:
| Paper | Name of the Paper/Subject | Overall Level |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 3 | Finance Management | Easy to Moderate |
| Paper 1 | Economic and Social Issue | Moderate to Difficult |
| Paper 2 | English Writing Skills | Moderate |
I have mentioned the section-wise RBI Grade B 2021 phase 2 exam analysis below.
Let’s glance through the Good Attempts for RBI Grade B Phase 2 Objective sections of papers 1 and 3:
| Paper | Name of the Paper/Subject | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 3 | Finance Management | 13-17 |
| Paper 1 | Economic and Social Issue | 10-15 |
Now let’s analyse all the 3 papers, one by one, and in detail.
The ESI paper had to be completed within a total time duration of 2 hours. Out of the 2 hours or 120 minutes, 90 minutes were allocated for the descriptive portion of the paper, and the remaining 30 minutes were allocated for the objective portion.
In the descriptive portion, you would have needed to write answers to 4 out of the 6 questions asked in the paper (2 out of 3 – 15 marks questions & 2 out of 3 – 10 marks questions). The word limit for the 15 marks questions was 600, and for the 10 marks questions, it was 400.
The objective portion consisted of 30 questions. 10 Questions of 1 Marks each & 20 Questions of 2 Marks each.
As I have already mentioned above, the overall difficulty level of the ESI paper was moderate to difficult. As far as the difficulty level of the objective and descriptive portions go, the descriptive part was tougher than the objective part.
Descriptive Questions asked in the ESI paper:
15 marks questions (word limit of 600):
- How have the different aspects of Globalisation evolved since the 2008’s Global Financial Crisis. Analyse its impact.
- What is meant by the vertical & horizontal allocation of resources to states as per the 15th Finance Commission? How can this objective be achieved?
- Describe the various Poverty Estimation Method in relation to the following?
- Per Capita
- Inflation & Consumption
- Safety Net Program
10 marks questions (word limit of 400):
- What is the influence of Demographic Transition on India’s economic growth?
- What are the 3 measures that are related to the Disinvestment of Strategic Sectors & Non-Strategic sectors in Union Budget 2021-22. Discuss.
- Rationale
- Impact
- Discuss India’s commitment to climate change in light of its socio-economic, health & developmental projects.
Some of the objective questions asked in the ESI paper:
- Question on PM KISAN Yojana.
- Question on OECD.
- India’s GDP is Forecasted by which organization?
- Odd One Out Based question on Govt Schemes.
- Labour reforms-based comprehension question. (2 Marks)
Finance & Management (F&M) Paper Analysis:
The FM paper had to be completed within a total time duration of 2 hours. Out of the 2 hours or 120 minutes, 90 minutes were allocated for the descriptive portion of the paper, and the remaining 30 were allocated for the objective portion.
In the descriptive portion, you would have needed to write answers to 4 out of the 6 questions asked in the paper (2 out of 3 – 15 marks questions & 2 out of 3 – 10 marks questions). The word limit for the 15 marks questions was 600, and for the 10 marks questions, it was 400.
The objective portion consisted of 30 questions. 10 Questions of 1 Marks each & 20 Questions of 2 Marks each.
As I have already mentioned above, the overall difficulty level of the FM paper was moderate to difficult. As far as the difficulty level of the objective and descriptive portions go, the descriptive part was tougher than the objective part.
Descriptive Questions asked in the FM Paper:
15 marks questions (word limit of 600):
- Function on the following Regulatory Bodies: SIDBI, EXIM, NABARD, NHB & RRBs
- What are Basel Norms & what are the Pillars of Basel 3 Norms.
- Question on Corporate Governance & its key Principles.
10 marks questions (word limit of 400):
- What the major/key announcements of Union Budget 2021-22 (5 Announcements)
- Question on the difference between Transformational and Transactional leadership.
- Question on Behavioural Reinforcement. Explain Positive & Negative reinforcements.
Some of the objective questions asked in the F&M paper:
- Question on Government Model for building National Highways for construction of roads in the country. (2 Questions)
- Question related to Depository.
- Question on Hybrid Annuity Model.
- Question on Organisational Behaviour.
- Question on NPCI.
- Question on Shares, SEBI & ASBA.
Note: I will update this section as and when I receive more information regarding the above topics.
English Descriptive Paper Analysis:
The English descriptive paper is framed to test your writing skills, expression, and understanding of a topic.
There were 3 questions asked in the paper. The three were:
- An essay writing question
- A precis writing question
- A comprehension
Since the paper was online, candidates had to type the answers via a keyboard.
The overall difficulty level of the English Descriptive paper was moderate.
I have mentioned the questions that were asked in the paper, below:
- Precis writing question was based on Sand Mining (Related to Urbanisation & Soil Exploitation) – Words Limit of 140
- Reading Comprehension Question was based on Counter Economy (Black Marketing): In this, there were 5 Questions asked based on the comprehension were of 6 marks each. The word limit for each answer was 50-60.
- Essay Topics (300 Words) that were asked were:
- An ounce of prevention is a pound worth of cure.
- Future of BPO industries in India.
- Importance of Creative thinking in business.
- Pros & Cons of teaching Coding/ Computer Language to school Students.
That brings us to the end of the 2021 RBI Grade B exam analysis of both phases.
RBI Grade B 2019 Exam Analysis for Phase 1
In this section, I have given tables through which you can get an idea about the difficulty level of the questions asked in phase 1 of the 2019 RBI Grade B exam.
I have also provided for your benefit, the topics, and subjects that the questions belonged to.
| Section | No. of MCQs | Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 80 | 43-50 | Moderate |
| English Language | 30 | 20-23 | Moderate |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 17-21 | Moderate |
| Reasoning Ability | 60 | 30-34 | Moderate |
| Total | 200 (120 Mins) | 120-130 | Moderate |
RBI Grade B 2019 Exam Analysis for Phase 1: Section-wise
I have mentioned below the topics from which questions were asked corresponding to each of the sections of the RBI Grade B 2019 Phase 1 exam.
General Awareness
| Questions Asked |
|---|
| Current Affairs |
| Nobel Prize 2019 |
| Static & Banking Awareness |
| Banking Terms |
| Greta Thunberg |
English Language
| Topic | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 10 | Moderate |
| Error Detection | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Cloze Test | 6 | Easy-Moderate |
| Sentence Rearrangement | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Word Swap | 4 | Easy-Moderate |
| Total | 30 | Easy-Moderate |
Qunatitative Aptitude
| Topic | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Quantity 1, Quantity 2 | 4 | Moderate |
| Data Sufficiency | 3 | Moderate |
| Missing Number Series | 6 | Easy-Moderate |
| Miscellaneous (Time & Work, Percentage, Boat & Stream, Partnership) |
12 | Easy-Moderate |
| Total | 30 | Easy-Moderate |
Reasoning Ability
| Topic | No. of Questions | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzle & Seating Arrangement: Day-based, Floor Based, Month-based |
20 | Moderate-Difficult |
| Syllogism | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Logical Reasoning | 8 | Easy-Moderate |
| Logical Reasoning | 8 | Easy-Moderate |
| Blood Relation | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Direction Sense | 5 | Easy-Moderate |
| Inequality | 5 | Moderate |
| Machine Input-Output | 5 | Moderate |
| Coding-Decoding | 5 | Easy |
| Alphanumeric | 2 | Easy |
| Total | 60 | Moderate |
RBI Grade B 2019 Exam Analysis for Phase 2
Let us quickly go through the constitution of the RBI Grade B phase 2 exam.
Phase 2 is divided into 3 papers, which are Paper 1 or ESI, Paper 2 or F&M, and Paper 3 or English Descriptive.
In this section, I have provided an analysis of all the 3 phase 2 papers so that you can get an idea about the type of questions that are asked in the phase 2 exam.
RBI Grade B 2019 Exam Analysis for Phase 2: Paper 1 (ESI)
Here I have listed the topics from which questions were asked In the 2019 ESI or the Economics and Social Issues paper:
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
- PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana
- Ayushman Bharat
- Initiatives are taken by the HRD ministry
- Robot Bank launched by which bank?
- FDI (Advance Question)
- SDG Index (Health)
- SDG- Global Green Fund
- UNCTAD or the UN conference on Trade and Development
- GDP estimation according to Economic Survey
- India’s GDP forecast according to IMF
- MSF/SLR – Definition
- Amount of sanctioned issued to Maharashtra Government by ADB
- Loan sanctioned to an Indian State by World Bank
- Question related to Union Budget (scheme allocation)
- Funds allocated in MNREGA
- Amount of Capital Infused by the Union Government in Public Sector Banks
RBI Grade B 2019 Exam Analysis for Phase 2: Paper 2 (F&M)
Here I have listed the questions that were asked in the 2019 F&M (Finance and Management paper):
Finance:
- FRBM Act
- Motivation
- Capital Market
- A Bond with multiple maturities
- Managerial Grid
- ERG Theory
- 360-degree app
- Risk Management
- Commercial Paper
Management:
- Corporate Governance
- Communication
- Leadership Style
- Motivation Theories
- Career Path, Development & Management
RBI Grade B 2019 Exam Analysis for Phase 2: Paper 3 (English Descriptive)
Here I have listed the questions that were asked in the 2019 English Descriptive paper:
Reading Comprehension: IMF & It’s Functionality.
Precis: Capital & Current Account Convertibility
Essay Writing: For the essays, these were the topics that were asked.
- Higher Education
- Stress among youth
- NBFC Loan collection issues.
- Importance of a Vote in Democracy
- 5G scope in India
That brings us to the end of the 2019 RBI Grade B exam analysis.
Now that you know the type of questions that were asked and their difficulty levels in the 2019 exams, do not make the mistake of assuming that these are the only types that are asked in every exam.
RBI Grade B Cut Off
The RBI Grade B Cut Off for the Phase 1 exam in 2021 was been released on 31st March 2021. We have updated it in the table below. Typically, it is released in about 2-3 weeks’ time after the Phase 1 Exam.
Along with the RBI Grade B Phase 1 cut offs, the RBI Grade B mark sheet for the phase 1 paper has also been released.
To check your marks, you can go over to the official RBI website and punch in your date of birth and roll number. This will lead you to your mark sheet.
The cut off for the Phase 2 2021 Exam will be released once the selection process is complete.
RBI Grade B Cut Off 2021
The RBI Grade B Phase 1 exams were held on 6th March 2021. Having said that the cut offs for the same were declared on the 31st March 2021.
RBI Grade B Cut off 2021 ((DR)-General) – Phase 1
You can check the 2021 RBI Grade B Cut off for Phase 1 in the table below:
| Section | Category-Wise Cut Off | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | PwBD (OH/HI/VH/MD) | |
| General Awareness | 16 | 16 | 12 | 10.25 | 10.25 | 10.25 |
| Reasoning | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7.75 | 7.75 | 7.75 |
| English Language | 6 | 6 | 4.50 | 3.75 | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 6 | 6 | 4.50 | 3.75 | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Total Score | 66.75 | 66.75 | 63.75 | 53.50 | 52.75 | 52.75 |
Now that you have gone through the cut off for Phase 1, you might be wondering about the phase 2 cut off, how to check it & want to look at and previous years’ cut off marks as well. You may check these in the blog linked below.
Read more about the RBI Grade B Cut Offs and check past years’ cut offs.
Conclusion
To conclude, I want to say that this article is a very important one as far as RBI Grade B exams go. Everything that I have mentioned in this article would be of immense benefit to you provided you go through it with the utmost sincerity and earnestness.
Having said that, I just want you to know that I have absolute confidence in your ability to crack the RBI Grade B exam, and I wish you all the very best for the preparations that lie ahead.
Have a great day!
About Anuj Jindal
━━━━━
Anuj Jindal, the founder, is an ex-manager from SBI, with an M.Com from Delhi School of Economics. He also has a JRF in Commerce & Management and NET in HRM, along with more than 5 years of experience in the field of Education.
FAQs: RBI Grade B 2022 Preparation Strategy, Exam Analysis & Cut Off
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Does the RBI Grade B exam has negative marking?
Yes, unfortunately, there is 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer. This applies to both the RBI Grade B Prelims, as well as the Mains exams. I know it’s a little disheartening. So, make sure you choose your answers after much deliberation. That way you don’t have to worry about getting negatively marked.
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How long does it take to prepare for RBI Grade B?
Well, the question that you ask is fairly simple, but the answer to this is pretty complex. You see the time that you’d require to prepare perfectly for the RBI Grade B exam is something that would depend on a lot of things.
Things like your education background, meaning if you are from the science, commerce, or humanities streams. Or the fact that you have or have not appeared for other govt. job exams before, and if you are a working professional or not.
So, the preparation time varies from candidate to candidate. If you’re still adamant about an answer, I think it’s safe to say that if you starting your preparations from scratch, you’d need 6 months if you are from a commerce background, and 9 if you are from a non-commerce background.
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Is there any reserve list Cut Off?
Yes, there are reserve list cut off marks for most of the reserved categories. I have mentioned the RBI Grade B Cut off 2019 ((DR)-General) – Phase 1 cut-offs and RBI Grade B Cut off 2019 ((DR)-General) – Phase 2 cut-offs in tabular format in the article above. I have also given the same for the year 2018 as well.
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I have scored just above the cut-off. What are my chances for final selection?
If you have scored just above the Phase cut off, don’t’ worry, Phase 1 is basically an elimination round. The marks obtained by candidates in it are not taken into consideration when the final RBI Grade B exam scorecard is computed.
So, that basically means, by scoring above the cut off marks in phase 1 you have just been able to secure yourself a seat in the phase 2 paper, nothing more than that. It’s entirely up to you now to score well in the Phase 2 exam and Interview to place yourself on the final selection list.
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Can I prepare for RBI Grade B by practicing mock tests only?
Well, my friend, if only clearing the RBI Grade B exam were that easy. So, if you are a virtuoso who has covered the entire RBI Grade B syllabus already, has been reading newspapers daily for the current affairs section, and has also gone through all the RBI Grade B past years question papers, then by all means just practicing mock tests would suffice.
However, if you are an average Joe like most others, then my answer would be a big “NO”. Just practicing mock tests will not help you. Apart from that, you’d need to cover the entire RBI Grade B syllabus absolutely thoroughly, and also repeatedly practice on as many RBI Grade B past year question papers as you can. You’d also have to check the RBI website for all the updates that the organization releases, and read the newspaper daily for your current affairs preparation.
Having said that, if you are too inclined on solving them, you can practice on the Mock Tests that I have created for you.
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Which will be the most scoring section in the RBI Grade B Exam 2022?
If we are to go by the exam that happened in 2021, the most scoring section in the 2021 RBI Grade B was General Awareness. So, I think in the 2022 RBI Grade B exams too, the General Awareness section would be the most scoring.
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In how many shifts will the RBI Grade B Exam 2022 be conducted?
There were 2 shifts in the 2021 RBI Grade B exam, so there is a possibility in the 2022 RBI Grade B exam too that it will have the same number of shifts. But this information will be known for certain only after the 2022 notification is released.
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