RBI Grade B Exam Analysis: 2023, 2022, and 2021

RBI Grade B exam analysis is critical for understanding its difficulty level and weightage of topics. Skipping the analysis of the RBI Grade B exam can lead to a mismatch between your preparation and the actual need of the RBI Grade B exam. You might spend more time studying topics that rarely appear in the exam or underestimate the difficulty level and be underprepared. 

Therefore, analyzing the RBI Grade B exam papers of phase 1 and 2 empowers you to tailor your preparation strategy according to the actual demand of the RBI Grade B exam. This, in turn, significantly increases your chances of securing the RBI manager position.

Below, we have provided a year-wise RBI Grade B exam analysis, including subject-wise difficulty level, topic-wise weightage and cut off marks. 

RBI Grade B 2023 Analysis of Phase 1

The RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 1 (prelims) exam was held in two shifts, morning and evening on 9 July 2023. 

Based on the analysis of both shifts, we can say that the overall toughness level of the RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 1 exam was moderate to difficult.

After getting the overview of the RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 1 exam analysis, let’s understand the section-wise analysis of the RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 1 exam.

RBI Grade B 2023 Reasoning Ability Difficulty Level 

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 reasoning difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The overall difficulty level of reasoning in 2023 was moderate to difficult, with only 6 easy questions. 
• This trend aligns with observations of increasing difficulty levels in reasoning compared to previous years. 
• Interestingly, the cut off for reasoning remained at 9 marks (out of 60) for both 2022 and 2023. 
• The consistent cut off despite rising difficulty indicates that candidates are increasing their reasoning preparation level. 
• Moreover, thorough preparation is crucial to secure good marks in reasoning and stay ahead of the competition, especially if it’s not your strongest area.

RBI Grade B 2023 Reasoning Ability Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 reasoning topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Around 50% of the reasoning questions come from puzzles and seating arrangements. These types of questions are time-consuming and come in a set of 4 to 5 questions. 
• The 2023 exam saw a rise in the difficulty level of puzzles and seating arrangements as the RBI increased the number of questions based on new patterns. This further impacts the time needed to solve them effectively.
• Analytical reasoning has also shifted towards lengthy paragraph-based questions, making them more challenging and time-consuming.
• Miscellaneous topics like directions, blood relations, and coding-decoding now involve a combination of two or more concepts, thus increasing their difficulty level and making them more time-consuming.
• Given the increasing level of the reasoning questions, aiming for 20-23 questions is an ideal attempt, provided you have only 45 minutes for the reasoning section.

RBI Grade B 2023 Quantitative Aptitude Difficulty Level 

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 quant difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The difficulty level of the quant section in the RBI Grade B 2023 exam saw a significant increase compared to previous years. 
• With only 1 easy question, the focus shifted towards challenging problems. 
• Despite the increased difficulty, the cut off for the quant section remained at 4.5 marks (out of 30) for both 2022 and 2023. This suggests that candidates are adapting their preparation strategies.

RBI Grade B 2023 Quantitative Aptitude Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 quant topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Around 50% of the quant questions come from data interpretation (DI). These types of questions are time-consuming and come in a set of 4 to 5 questions. 
• The 2023 exam has seen a rise in the difficulty level for DI questions, as RBI increased the new DI patterns, making them more calculative and time-consuming.
• Arithmetic-based questions are constantly evolving. The inclusion of lengthy, statement-based problems with missing information adds another layer of complexity and can take up your valuable time.
• Given the increasing level of the quant questions, aiming for 15-17 questions is an ideal attempt, provided you have only 25 minutes for the quant section.

RBI Grade B 2023 English Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 English difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The RBI Grade B 2023 English exam can be classified as easy to moderate in nature.
• New types of questions, like word reshuffle and word replacement, were asked in the exam, but the level of the questions was not too difficult. 
• Overall, the paper was doable within the stipulated time limit and could be called a scoring section amongst QRE. 
• Focus on grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension to ace this section.

RBI Grade B 2023 English Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 English topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Comprehension was easy to solve, and questions were direct and factual. 
• The rest of the exam focused on different questions based on vocabulary and grammatical sections. 
• Questions were on the easy side, and 25/30 questions could have been targeted.
• Practice MCQs and mock tests are crucial to score well here.

RBI Grade B 2023 General Awareness (GA) Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 General Awareness (GA) difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• GA questions were moderate to difficult in nature.
• The easy questions were spread between moderate and difficult ones. If the examination is attempted with a calm mind and enough practice/revision has been done before the examination through mocks and quizzes, then a decent score can be attained.
• Emotional intelligence is also going to play a vital role, as the paper pattern can change with many surprise elements. However, if a student understands that it is a shock for everyone and then utilizes the time and implements the knowledge, then he/she will get the edge.
• Many easy questions were lengthy and time-consuming, thus making them moderate. So, students are advised to be selective while attempting the questions in the first round and then review what is left in the second round.
• Given the increasing level of the GA questions, aiming for 35+ questions is an ideal attempt, provided you have only 25 minutes for the quant section.

RBI Grade B 2023 GA Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 GA topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The majority of the questions were from February 2023 to June 2023 (5 months before the exam date,i.e., 7 July 2023).
  • July – 3 questions
  • June – 27 questions
  • May – 26 questions
  • April – 5 questions
  • March – 2 questions
  • February – 3 questions
  • Before February – 8 questions
• Most of the questions in GA were related to the ESI and finance syllabus.
• Static GA
  • Most questions were asked from finance and ESI Static, which were moderate to difficult in nature and required in-depth preparation.
  • The questions in GA were statement-based and lengthy in nature, which were time-consuming.
  • The past trend of questions on topics like dams, countries, capitals etc., was changed, and this year, there were no questions on these topics.
• Current GA
  • ESI Current Affairs
    • The majority of questions were asked from current affairs related to the syllabus.
    • Out of 8 report-based questions, 6 were from reports released by national organizations.
    • 3 to 5 months of ESI current affairs before examination month are very important and the paper requires a balance of thorough understanding of current knowledge with static topics of the news to crack answers.
  • Finance Current Affairs
    • RBI notifications play an important role, and the majority of questions (8) in RBI notifications were based on the RBI annual report.
    • A thorough understanding of the current knowledge with static topics of the news was required to answer.

After analyzing the RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 1 exam, let’s review the Phase 2 (mains) exam.

RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 2 Exam Analysis 

The RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 2 exam was conducted on 30 July 2023. Here is a detailed analysis:

Based on our analysis, the overall toughness level of the RBI Grade B 2023 Phase 2 exam was moderate to difficult.

RBI Grade B 2023 Finance and Management (FM) Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 FM difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Both finance and management contributed almost equal weightage to the FM paper, with finance carrying 16 questions worth 26 marks and management carrying 14 questions worth 24 marks. 
• You should aim for 40 to 45 marks in the FM objective paper and 35+ marks in the FM descriptive paper.

RBI Grade B 2023 FM Topic-Wise Weightage 

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 FM topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The finance part was worth 26 marks. It consisted of 10 2-mark questions and 6 1-mark questions. 
• 10 marks came from current affairs topics, such as RBI notifications and financial inclusion schemes. Current affairs weightage was increased in 2023 compared to 2022.
• Numerical questions were asked in the 2023 finance paper.
• No questions were asked from the budget and economic survey.
• RBI concentrated only on some key chapters of finance this time, and they did not opt for topic diversification.

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The management part was worth 24 marks. It consisted of 10 2-marks questions and 4 1-mark questions. No questions were asked from current affairs. 
• Overall, the paper was well-diversified, testing a majority of the topics from the management syllabus. These topics included leadership, corporate governance, motivation, communication, ethics, and etc.
• You should thoroughly cover all chapters mentioned in the syllabus, as in 2023, questions came from every major topic.
• You should focus on understanding concepts, not just cramping the information, as application-based questions were asked in 2023.  
• Practice paragraph-based questions, as these types of questions were seen in the 2023 exam.
• Fundamental questions were asked from ethics.

* We analyzed all the questions, including the optional ones. Hence, the total marks are 75. However, students need to attempt 4 questions, i.e., 50 marks (2 questions each from the 10-marker and 15-marker categories).

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• In 2023, more weightage was given to management as there were 2 (15-marker) and 1 (10-marker) questions asked from the management part 
• From finance, 1 (15-marker) and 2 (10-marker) questions were asked.
• Questions were asked from the expected topics that we asked in our mock tests.
• The 2023 descriptive questions were directly based on the topics mentioned in your syllabus. So, follow the syllabus tags for expected descriptive questions.
• Learn the importance of current affairs.

RBI Grade B 2023 Descriptive English Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 descriptive English difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Overall, the exam level was moderate to difficult considering the word limit for the answers and passages were lengthy for Precis and Reading Comprehension. 
• It would be difficult to complete the paper on time without prior practice and simulation of the exam interface. 
• This section is common for aspirants from all the streams, so it is a low-hanging fruit and hence must not be ignored.

RBI Grade B 2023 Descriptive English Topic-Wise Weightage 

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 descriptive English topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Essay topics were based on FM, ESI, and current affairs based topics. 
• Precis passage was based on gender inequality, and RC was based on inflation in European countries. 
• Aspirants need to stay updated with national and global happenings and have regular editorial reading habits to tackle such passages during the exam. 
• The topics are slightly based on economic issues, so aspirants should also be well-versed with the terminologies of economics.

RBI Grade B 2023 Economic and Social Issues (ESI) Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 ESI difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• In 2022, 9 questions worth 17 marks were asked from economics, and 21 questions worth 33 marks were asked from social issues, making social issues the dominating part of the ESI objective paper. 
• Economics consisted of 8 2-mark questions and 1 1-mark question, and Social issues consisted of 12 2-mark questions and 9 1-mark questions.
• You should aim for 30 to 35 marks in the ESI objective and 35+ marks in the ESI descriptive paper.

RBI Grade B 2023 ESI Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2023 ESI topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Government schemes
  • 40% of the questions were asked from government schemes. 
  • 9 questions worth 9 marks were asked from the old schemes (launched more than a year before the exam). 
  • 3 questions worth 5 marks were asked from the new schemes (launched within one year before the exam).
  • The majority of the questions (5) were asked from the Ministry of Finance.
• Reports
  • 3 questions worth 6 marks were asked from the international reports, and no questions were asked from the national reports.
  • Questions were asked on the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook, where 1 question was about the static features of the IMF, which signifies that the reports mentioned in the syllabus are most important and need to be prepared thoroughly.
• Current Affairs
  • 4 questions worth 8 marks were asked from sustainable development and environmental issues.
  • 4 questions worth 8 marks were asked from social justice.
  • Questions were asked on Mission Life and E-shram portal, which suggests that every ESI’s current affairs should be given due importance.
• ESI Static
  • 5 questions worth 10 marks were asked from international economic institutions.
  • 2 questions worth 4 marks were asked from social issues.
  • A paragraph-based question was asked on WTO. Along with it, questions have been asked in relation to current affairs, for example, the IMF’s critical missions in relation to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook, which suggests that due importance should be given to ESI static also for the upcoming examination.

* We analyzed all the questions, including the optional ones. Hence, the total marks are 75. However, students need to attempt 4 questions, i.e., 50 marks (2 questions each from the 10-marker and 15-marker categories).

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• In 2023, more weightage was given to economics as there were 3 (15-marker) and 1 (10-marker) questions asked from the economics part. 
• From social issues, only 2 (15-marker) questions were asked.
• Questions were a mix of direct and application-based. 
• The 2023 descriptive questions were directly based on the topics mentioned in your syllabus. So, follow the syllabus tags for expected descriptive questions.
• Questions were framed from the reports mentioned in the syllabus. Therefore, reports need to be covered from the descriptive point of view as well.

After getting familiar with the RBI Grade B 2023 exam analysis, let’s review the RBI Grade B 2022 exam.

RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1 Exam Analysis 

The RBI Grade B 2022 Phase (prelims) 1 exam was held in two shifts, morning and evening on 28 May 2022.

Based on the analysis of both shifts, we can say that the overall toughness level of the RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1 exam was moderate to difficult.

After getting the overview of the RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1 exam analysis, let’s understand the section-wise analysis of the Phase 1 exam.

RBI Grade B 2022 Reasoning Ability Difficulty Level 

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 reasoning difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade aspirants

• The 2022 RBI Grade B exam witnessed a trend of increasing difficulty in the reasoning section, and the cut off marks dropped to 9 from 12 (2021) in 2022. 
• This combination of increasing difficulty and decreasing cut off suggests that a larger pool of candidates scored above the minimum threshold despite the increased difficulty.
• This highlights the importance of prioritizing strong preparation in this section, especially if reasoning is not your strongest area.

RBI Grade B 2022 Reasoning Ability Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 reasoning topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• 30 of the 60 reasoning questions come from puzzles and seating arrangements. These types of questions are time-consuming and come in a set of 4 to 5 questions. 
• The 2022 exam has seen a rise in difficulty for puzzles and seating arrangements, with new question patterns introduced by the RBI. This further impacts the time needed to solve them effectively.
• Analytical reasoning has also seen some lengthy paragraph-based questions, making them more challenging and time-consuming.
• Given the increasing level of the reasoning questions, aiming for 20-23 questions is an ideal attempt, provided you have only 45 minutes for the reasoning section.

RBI Grade B 2022 Quantitative Aptitude Difficulty Level  

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 quant difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The difficulty level of the quant section in the 2022 RBI Grade B exam saw a significant increase compared to previous years, and the cut off marks dropped to 4.5 from 6 (2021) in 2022. 
• With only 2 easy questions, the focus shifted towards moderate and difficult problems.
• This combination of increasing difficulty and decreasing cut off suggests that despite the increased difficulty, a larger pool of candidates scored above the minimum threshold.
• This highlights the importance of prioritizing strong preparation in this section, especially if quant is not your strongest area. 

RBI Grade B 2022 Quantitative Aptitude Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 quant topic-wise weightage:

Key takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• 15 out of a total of 30 questions come from data interpretation (DI). These types of questions are time-consuming and come in a set of 4 to 5 questions. 
• The 2022 exam has seen a rise in difficulty level for DI questions, as RBI introduced new DI patterns, making it more calculative and time-consuming.
• Arithmetic-based questions now include lengthy, statement-based problems with missing information, which adds another layer of complexity and can take up your valuable time.
• Given the increasing level of the quant questions, aiming for 15-17 questions is an ideal attempt, provided you have only 25 minutes for the quant section.

RBI Grade B 2022 English Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 English difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The paper was moderate this year, with questions based on similar topics to the previous year. 
• The areas of focus were comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. 
• 22- 25 questions were targetable in the exam and were a scoring section in the paper.
• With good practice and a regular habit of solving passages, aspirants could score very high in this section.

RBI Grade B 2022 English Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 English topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Questions were well distributed among the three verticals, i.e. comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, making it a balanced section. 
• Word replacement and double fillers were some new questions asked this year, but the level of the questions was moderate. 
• Idioms & phrases are also to be covered for this section of the exam. 
• Mock tests are a must to score high in this section.

RBI Grade B 2022 General Awareness (GA) Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 General Awareness (GA) difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• GA questions were moderate to difficult in nature.
• The easy questions were spread between moderate and difficult ones. If the examination is attempted with a calm mind and enough practice/revision has been done before the examination through mocks and quizzes, then a decent score can be attained.
• Emotional intelligence is also going to play a vital role, as the paper pattern can change with many surprise elements. However, if a student understands that it is a shock for everyone and then utilizes the time and implements the knowledge, then he/she will get the edge.
• Many easy questions were lengthy and time-consuming, thus making them moderate. So, students are advised to be selective while attempting the questions in the first round and then review what is left in the second round.
• Given the increasing level of the GA questions, aiming for 35+ questions is an ideal attempt, provided you have only 25 minutes for the quant section.

RBI Grade B 2022 GA Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 GA topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The majority of the questions were from December 2021 to May 2022 (6 months before the exam date,i.e., 28 May 2022).
  • May – 22 questions
  • April – 6 questions
  • March – 7 questions 
  • February – 5 questions
  • January – 1 questions
  • December – 5 questions
  • Before December – 20 questions

• The majority of the questions in GA were related to the ESI and finance syllabus.
• Static GA: The overall static GA was moderate to difficult level.
  • The past trend of questions on topics like dams, countries, capitals, etc., was changed.
  • Most questions were asked from international organizations, which require in-depth preparation.
  • There were statement-based questions on finance static which was time-consuming.
• Current GA
  • ESI Current Affairs
    • The majority of questions were asked from government schemes.
    • 2 questions were asked from international reports and 1 from a national report.
    • 3 out of 4 questions from the union budget were asked from government schemes.
    • 3 to 5 months of ESI current affairs before examination month are very important, and the paper requires a balance of thorough understanding of current knowledge with static topics of the news to crack answers.
  • Finance Current Affairs
    • RBI notifications play an important role and students should give due importance to them.​
    • A thorough understanding of the current knowledge with static topics of the news was required to answer.

After analyzing the RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 1 exam, let’s review the Phase 2 (mains) exam.

RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 2 Exam Analysis 

The RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 2 exam was conducted on 25 June 2022.

Based on our analysis, the overall toughness level of the RBI Grade B 2022 Phase 2 exam was moderate.

RBI Grade B 2022 Finance and Management (FM) Difficulty Level 

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 FM difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• In 2022, 12 questions worth 19 marks were asked from finance, and 18 questions worth 31 marks were asked from management, making management the dominating part of the FM objective paper. 
• You should aim for 40 to 45 marks in the FM objective paper and 35+ in the FM descriptive paper.

RBI Grade B 2022 FM Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 FM topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The Finance part was worth 19 marks. It consisted of 7 2-mark questions and 5 1-mark questions. 
• All the 2 marker questions were asked from static topics and 1 marker questions were asked from current affairs topics. 
• Current affairs weightage was less in 2022 as compared to 2021, where 7 to 8 questions were asked from current affairs. Most of the current affairs questions were asked from RBI in news and RBI notifications.
• No numerical questions were asked in the 2022 finance paper.
• No questions were asked from the budget and economic survey.
• RBI concentrated only on some key chapters of finance this time, and they did not opt for topic diversification.

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The management part was worth 31 marks. It consisted of 13 2-mark questions and 6 1-mark questions. No questions were asked from current affairs. 
• Overall, the paper was balanced, and questions were asked from almost every chapter. 
• Never leave any chapter. E.g., 7 questions came from communication, which students usually tend to ignore.
• No questions came from emotional intelligence and conflict.
• You should focus on understanding concepts, not just cramping the information, as application-based questions were asked in 2022.
• Practice paragraph-based questions, as these types of questions were seen in the 2022 exam. 

* We analyzed all the questions, including the optional ones. Hence, the total marks are 75. However, students need to attempt 4 questions, i.e., 50 marks (2 questions each from the 10-marker and 15-marker categories).

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• In 2022, more weightage was given to management as there were 2 (15-marker) and 1 (10-marker) questions asked from the management part. 
• From finance, 1 (15-marker) and 2 (10-marker) questions were asked.
• Questions were asked from the expected topics that we asked in our mock tests.
• The 2022 descriptive questions were directly based on the topics mentioned in your syllabus. So, follow the syllabus tags for expected descriptive questions.
• Only 1 descriptive question was asked from current affairs.

RBI Grade B 2022 Descriptive English Difficulty Level

Here is the analysis of RBI Grade B 2022 descriptive English paper.

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• 3 questions were asked in a similar pattern as the previous year, but the word limit for the essay was 600 words, which could have been a challenge for the aspirants. 
• Precis and comprehension passages were moderately easy to solve, and with the practice of interface and simulation of the exam, aspirants could target a good score in this section. 
• Overall, this paper can be classified as moderate for the aspirants.

RBI Grade B 2022 Descriptive English Topic-Wise Weightage 

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 descriptive English topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• The topics were mostly based on Economic & Social Issues and topics related to current ongoings during the time. 
• Regular editorial and periodical reading is the key to scoring well in this paper. 
• The precis passage was based on space exploration, and the comprehension passage was based on the merger of FMC with SEBI. 
• Regular drafting answers and having an extensive knowledge base are the keys to scoring high in this section. 
• Aspirants can score really high in this section and command a lead in the final score.

RBI Grade B 2022 Economic and Social Issues (ESI) Difficulty Level

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 ESI difficulty level:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• In 2022, 11 questions worth 21 marks were asked from economics, and 19 questions worth 29 marks were asked from social issues, making social issues the dominating part of the ESI objective paper. 
• Economics consisted of 10 2-mark questions and 1 1-mark question, and Social issues consisted of 10 2-mark questions and 9 1-mark questions.
• 1 question worth 2 marks was asked from static topics, and rest of the questions were asked from current affairs topics. 
• You should aim for 30 to 35 marks in the ESI objective and 35+ marks in the ESI descriptive paper.

RBI Grade B 2022 ESI Topic-Wise Weightage

Here is the RBI Grade B 2022 ESI topic-wise weightage:

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• Government schemes
  • 16 questions worth 23 marks were asked from the old schemes (launched more than a year before the exam). 
  • 4 questions worth 7 marks were asked from the new schemes (launched within one year before the exam).
  • The majority of the marks (13) came from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Reports
  • 3 questions worth 6 marks were asked from the international ,and no questions were asked from the national reports.
  • Questions were asked on the Human Capital Index, which signifies that the biennial reports are important till the new one is released.
• Current Affairs
  • 3 questions worth 6 marks were asked from sustainable development and environmental issues.
  • 4 questions worth 8 marks were asked from social justice.
  • Questions were asked on Raisina Dialog and India Australia ETCA which was quite unexpected. It suggests that due importance should be given to every ESI current affair.
• ESI Static
  • No questions were asked from ESI static topics.
• Questions on government schemes were asked in the form of case studies.​
• Practice paragraph- and statement-based questions.

* We analyzed all the questions, including the optional ones. Hence, the total marks are 75. However, students need to attempt 4 questions, i.e., 50 marks (2 questions each from the 10-marker and 15-marker categories).

Key Takeaways for RBI Grade B aspirants

• In 2023, more weightage was given to economics as there were 2 (15-marker) and 2 (10-marker) questions asked from the economics part. 
• From social issues, 1 (15-marker) and 1 (10-marker) questions were asked.
• Questions were a mix of direct and application-based. 
• The 2023 descriptive questions were directly based on the topics mentioned in your syllabus. So, follow the syllabus tags for expected descriptive questions.
• Questions were framed by integrating different topics under the same component as well as by integrating finance and economics components.

After understanding RBI Grade B past years’ exam analysis, let’s look at the cut offs of the past years. 

RBI Grade B Exam Analysis: Cut Off Marks

Below, we have mentioned the RBI Grade B cut off marks from 2018 to 2023.

*Please note that from 2021 onwards, the total marks for Phase 2 and Interview have been revised from 350 to 375.

Key Takeaways for future aspirants of RBI Grade B exam

• RBI Grade B cut offs are dynamic and influenced by various factors such as the difficulty level, the number of vacancies, and the overall performance of candidates.
• The constant decrease in cut off marks over the years suggests that the exam difficulty level has increased.
• With 60 marks difference between the 2023 Phase 2 and final cut offs, it becomes evident that merely clearing the cut off is insufficient. Scoring higher in Phase 2 helps alleviate the pressure during the Interview stage.

Now that you have understood the overall cut off marks analysis, let’s understand the sectional cut off marks analysis of the RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam. 

RBI Grade B Phase 1 Sectional Cut Off Marks Analysis

Here are the Phase 1 sectional cut off marks of the RBI Grade B exam.

Key Takeaways

• The RBI Grade B Phase 1 cut offs are constantly decreasing indicating that the difficulty level of the paper is increasing year-by-year. 
• The sectional cut offs are not random in nature. These are 25% in 2018 and 2019, 20% in 2020-21, and 15% in 2022 and 2023.
• Give as many mock tests as you can. They help you stimulate the exam environment with timed practice tests to build time management skills and reduce test anxiety.
• Most tests also help you identify the high-value questions that match your strengths.

Important Note: In addition to clearing individual subject cut offs, it’s crucial to meet the overall cut off for Phase 1.

Conclusion

The RBI Grade B exam analysis serves as a compass for aspirants navigating the complexities of this exam. We hope by understanding the difficulty levels, topic weightage, and cut off marks, you can tailor your preparation strategy to clear this exam as quickly as possible.