If you are aiming for a coveted position with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a manager, the first step should be to compile the right resources. If self-preparation is your game plan, curating an ideal RBI Grade B booklist can put your RBI Grade B preparation on the right track.
With so many options in the market to confuse you, we have come up with a curated list of the best RBI Grade B books that would help ease your fears and may prove to be your ticket to success.
If you have gone through the official notification and looked at the syllabus, some books are already recommended by RBI, which will also make it to this list. Let’s explore some of these recommended reads for each exam stage.
Recommended RBI Grade B Books for Phase 1
Having a clear understanding of what books to read for this stage is crucial to get you to qualify for Phase 2. Let’s find out the most recommended RBI Grade B Phase 1 books that will help you soar through Phase 1!
1. Quantitative Aptitude Books for RBI Grade B
Quantitative Aptitude is one section of RBI Grade B Phase 1 that gives aspirants sleepless nights.
Why is this section so challenging?
For starters, it covers a wide range of topics, from arithmetic and algebra to data interpretation and geometry. Candidates find themselves grappling with complex challenges that not only require pinpoint accuracy but also speed.
Here are some of our recommended books that would strengthen your RBI Grade B Quantitative Aptitude along with the sources you can buy or download them from.
| RBI Grade B Books Quantitative Aptitude | ||
| Book | PDF Download Link | Shop Link |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal | Download Now | Buy Now |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma | Download Now | Buy Now |
| How to Prepare for Data Interpretation by Arun Sharma | Download Now | Buy Now |
2. Reasoning Ability Books for RBI Grade B
The Reasoning section covers a variety of topics, including verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and logical reasoning. This section is a true test of your mental agility and requires analytical skills as well as critical thinking ability.
Mastering RBI Grade B Reasoning is all about practice and the right guidance. Let’s find out the best books for RBI Grade B reasoning that will help you unravel the puzzles and boost your performance in the exam.
| RBI Grade B Books Reasoning | ||
| Book | PDF Download Link | Shop Link |
| Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal | Download Now | Buy Now |
| How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning by Arun Sharma | Download Now | Buy Now |
3. English Books for RBI Grade B
This section tests your proficiency in English through various components, including reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and language usage.
The English language section can seem like a double-edged sword for many candidates. To some, RBI Grade B English may seem relatively straightforward while others may struggle with the nuances of language, vocabulary, grammar etc. If you are in the latter category, below RBI Grade B English recommended books can help you ace this section.
| RBI Grade B Books English | ||
| Book | PDF Download Link | Shop Link |
| Objective General English by SP Bakshi | Download Now | Buy Now |
| Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis | Download Now | Buy Now |
| High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin | Download Now | Buy Now |
You can use the same resources for preparing for Descriptive English in Phase 2, which consists of reading comprehension, essay and precis.
4. General Awareness Books for RBI Grade B
General Awareness can be a particularly challenging subject due to its dynamic nature. Unlike other static subjects in Phase 1, there are no textbooks on current affairs that can be said to suffice.
No single book can encompass all the latest news, updates, and important information that one needs to know. Therefore, keeping oneself updated with topics in the GA syllabus is done through diverse RBI Grade B general awareness (GA) resources, such as newspapers, magazines, and credible online sources from the last 5 months of the Phase 1 exam.
Some easily available GA sources, however, include:
- Live Mint Newspaper
- PIB Website
- Current Affairs YouTube playlist from EduTap
- RBI Notifications on the RBI Website

Recommended RBI Grade B Phase 2 Books
As you transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the RBI Grade B exam, it’s time to elevate your preparation with targeted resources. Phase 2 requires a deeper understanding of subjects like Economic and Social Issues, Finance and Management.
The complex terrain of Phase 2 requires some seriously thoughtful navigation and the right materials. We have compiled a list of the best books for RBI Grade B exam that could help you tread this terrain and help you clear this crucial stage in the whole examination process.
Also, these RBI Grade B phase 2 books are not freely downloadable, so you may have to buy them online or from a local bookstore.
1. Economic and Social Issues (ESI) Books for RBI Grade B
This segment requires a deeper understanding of economic theories and key principles. This also requires delving into pressing social challenges such as poverty, unemployment, inflation etc.
This section, although, is dominated highly by current affairs questions, understanding basic economic concepts can be the key to boosting your performance in this section. Some Economic and Social Issues books for RBI Grade B that can help you with these key concepts are:
| RBI Grade B Books Economic and Social Issues | |
| Book | Shop Link |
| Indian Economy by Uma Kapila | Buy Now |
| Growth and Development by Debray Ray | Buy Now |
| Public Finance byK K Andley and Sundaram | Buy Now |
2. Finance Books for RBI Grade B
RBI Grade B Finance has a good mix of current affairs and static concepts in the examination. Here is the list of Finance books for RBI Grade B that could help you get hold of these concepts:
| RBI Grade B Books Finance | |
| Book | Shop Link |
| Indian Economy by Mishra and Puri | Buy Now |
| Economic Development and Growth by Meier and Baldwin | Buy Now |
| Financial Management by Prasanna Chandra | Buy Now |
3. Management Books for RBI Grade B
This section dives into everything from how to inspire a team to the ins and outs of effective management strategies. You’ll encounter fascinating topics like leadership styles, motivation techniques, and the psychology behind team dynamics that may be perfect for those who love understanding what makes people tick!
This is the only section in Phase 2 that doesn’t have any current affairs associated with it at all. RBI Grade B Management is all based on static theories and concepts that you can read and understand from the following Management books for RBI Grade B:
| RBI Grade B Books Management | |
| Book | Shop Link |
| Principles and Practice of Management by L.M. Prasad | Buy Now |
| Organisational Behaviour by L.M. Prasad | Buy Now |
| Business Ethics & Corporate Governance by B.N. Ghosh | Buy Now |
A word of caution that we would want to put out loud here is: Don’t read any book from cover to cover! Be highly selective and focus only on what each specific subject of the exam requires.

Are Books Enough for RBI Grade B Preparation?
While these traditional RBI Grade B preparation books that we suggested up there can be a great go-to resource for an aspirant, we recommend keeping it to just that and not solely relying on them for the RBI Grade B examination.
Why do we say that, you may ask? Because these books come with certain limitations that could jeopardise your shot at these exams. These limitations are:
- Bulky and Outdated:
- These books contain excessive, outdated content that is largely not relevant for the RBI Grade B exam.
- Additionally, you will have a hard time finding relevant content out of them. Also, since the exam is highly current affairs-centric, you would mostly only come across static stuff that would highly likely be irrelevant for this exam.
- Limited Interactivity:
- These books provide information but don’t allow for interactive elements like quizzes or videos, which are more engaging and make your retention better.
- Modern learners like you can benefit more from interactive and dynamic content that can better reinforce learning through immediate feedback.
- Not Personalised:
- All these books follow a one-size-fits-all approach which is not at all adaptive to individual learning pace or preferences. For eg. someone good at quant may not be as good at reasoning.
- The targeted assistance that is needed in this aspect is missing in books and online platforms can help you better with this.
- Time-Consuming:
- Reading through long chapters or sifting through hundreds of pages to find relevant things can take up a lot of time.
- RBI Grade B requires a more current affairs-oriented approach where you are able to connect some recent happening with a static concept. Books wont be useful to you in that respect and you would only end up wasting your valuable time.
- Expensive:
- Not only bulky, but these books are quite expensive too. Buying multiple books of Phase 1 and Phase 2 can quickly add up to your costs.
- If you compare it with online platforms or subscription-based models, these models and platforms would certainly fare much better in terms of adding value to your preparation while also costing exponentially less.

Other RBI Grade B resources to help you Prepare
Books aren’t all bad and completely ineffective. They are good for foundational knowledge but it’s crucial to put your focus completely on more dynamic and up-to-date resources that are more closely aligned to examination demands.
Here are some of the resources that we recommend putting on top of your priority list while preparing for this exam:
- Google and other free Resources:
If you want to do it all by yourself, Google is going to be your best friend in this preparation.
Search for individual concepts and you will find a lot of content, freely available for each concept.
Check on daily economic and other relevant news and make your notes out of each of them.
- Online Platforms
Staying updated with the changing demands of the exam every day is a huge challenge.
Platforms like Edutap, with our specifically tailored RBI Grade B courses, do the heavy lifting for you and provide real-time content.
These can be the latest policy changes and economic developments relevant to the exam.
- YouTube Channels
Just search the topic name mentioned in the syllabus on YouTube and thousands of relevant search results from learned people would pop up.
They would certainly fulfil your purpose but if you want more specific knowledge, you can follow our YouTube channel.
We regularly upload quality content and keep you abreast with relevant updates for the RBI Grade B exam.

Conclusion
It is certainly not a bad idea to start with the RBI Grade B exam books suggested above but keep your knowledge gathered from them confined to static concepts only. When you go beyond and dive into current affairs preparation which is of utmost importance, you will have to switch to more dynamic and up-to-date resources.
Free resources on the internet or online platforms, like ours, which provide tailored courses specifically designed for RBI Grade B aspirants, featuring comprehensive modules on current affairs, interactive exercises, and expert insights can be your best bet in this exam.
By deciding the best resource for you and being selective in your studies, you can only cover the whole syllabus effectively. So, gear up, stay motivated, and get ready to take your preparation to the next level. And remember, we’ve got your back, always!