Mayur Agrawal RBI Grade B Success Story: From UPSC Heartbreak to a Big Win in 3 Months

Have you ever felt that you tried your best, but things didn’t work out? That feeling in your heart when you are so close, yet so far? It’s a heavy feeling, isn’t it? Well, this is the story of a friend just like you, Mayur Agrawal. He felt all of this and more. 

But he turned his sadness into strength and cleared the big RBI Grade B exam in just 3 months. This is his simple and honest story, written to feel like a big brother sharing his secrets with you. 

Let’s begin this journey together.

A Boy from Jabalpur with a Big Dream

Mayur comes from a beautiful city called Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. Growing up, he saw many children around him who didn’t have much. Seeing them made his heart feel something special. He made a small promise to himself: “One day, I will do something big to help them.” 

This simple dream stayed with him always. He studied hard, went to a great college (Shri Ram College of Commerce), and even got a good job. But that little dream in his heart kept calling him.

He believed that being a part of the government, like an officer, was the best way to help millions of children.

But life doesn’t always go as planned, right? Mayur faced a big challenge first.

UPSC Setback: Missing the Cut by 0.7 Marks

Before RBI, Mayur’s big dream was to clear the UPSC exam. He studied day and night. In his first try, he missed clearing it by just 0.7 marks. He felt so sad and confused that he even tore up some of his notes. He started to think, “Maybe this path is not for me.”

But right then, his mother told him something beautiful. She said, “It’s not a failure, it’s a learning.” Those simple words were like magic. They gave him a little bit of hope.

So, with a heavy heart, what did he do next? He found a new door.

Finding a New Path: The Shift to RBI Grade B

Even with a good job, Mayur didn’t feel completely happy. The dream to be an officer was still alive. He looked at the RBI Grade B exam. Since he was a commerce student, subjects like Finance and Economics were his friends. It felt like the perfect new path for him. But a scary thought came to his mind: “If I couldn’t clear UPSC, how could I clear RBI?” 

To fight this fear, Mayur did something special. He started reading books that gave him strength, like “You Can” and “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.” He would even talk to himself in the mirror, giving himself courage.

This means that if your dream is huge, you have to work very hard, but what you get in the end will be amazing.

Once his mind was clear, it was time for action. Here’s how he planned his studies.

How He Prepared for RBI Grade B in Just 3 Months

Mayur knew he only had 3 months. So, he made a very clever plan. He divided his whole day into three parts, based on his energy levels. He called them the ‘Active Zone’ and the ‘Inactive Zone’. You can try this too!

Morning Time (Active Zone): For Fresh Topics

From 8 AM to 12 PM, when his mind was fresh like a flower, he studied the toughest things. He would read the newspaper and learn about General Awareness. This is the best time to learn new things because your brain is ready to absorb everything.

Afternoon Time (Inactive Zone): For Practice

From 1 PM to 5 PM, Mayur knew his energy would be a little low. It’s hard to study theory then. So, he smartly switched to practicing Quant and Reasoning. He would start with topics he was good at to build confidence, and then move to the harder ones. This way, he was still studying, but in a way that didn’t feel so heavy.

Evening Time (Active Zone): For Deep Study

From 6 PM onwards, he felt fresh again. This was his time to build a strong foundation. Since his Finance knowledge was already good, he focused on topics that were new for him in the RBI syllabus. He would dig deep into these topics and make his own notes.

His Secret Weapon: The Sticky Notes

If you looked at Mayur’s study table, you would see lots of small colorful papers stuck everywhere. These were his sticky notes! He used them for two things:

• For tough topics: If he kept forgetting something, like the types of money supply (M1, M2), he would write it on a sticky note and put it where he could see it all day.
• For a weekly plan: He would write small daily goals on them, like “Cover X topic today.” This kept him focused and on track.

So how did he actually prepare for each subject? Let’s get into the details you can use.

His RBI Grade B Subject-Wise Strategy

Here are his simple tricks for each part of the exam.

Mayur had a fear of MCQ questions from his school days. He thought he could never be good at them. But he found a way to work around his fear, not by fighting it, but by being smart about it.

For RBI Grade B Phase 1 Strategy

• Quant & Reasoning: Mayur knew he couldn’t solve all the questions. He would search for those easy questions first and solve them. This is a very smart strategy. You don’t have to be a hero and attempt everything.

• General Awareness: This was a scoring section. He focused only on the last 3 months of current affairs from good sources like PIB. He used the Evernote app to make quick notes that were easy to revise.
• The EduTap Help: Mayur also mentioned that watching EduTap’s current affairs marathon sessions by Gurkirat sir and Kritika ma’am helped him a lot to stay updated.

For RBI Grade B Phase 2 Strategy

• Finance & Management: This was his favorite area. He used his old UPSC notes. He also saw an EduTap video which said you can score 70+ marks in FM if you prepare well. This motivated him, and he actually scored 74.75 marks!
• ESI: His rule was simple: first understand the basic background of a topic, then read the current news about it. This helps you understand things much better.
• Descriptive English: Mayur had some amazing tips here!

• He practiced typing on Notepad instead of MS Word. Why? Because Notepad doesn’t correct your spelling mistakes automatically. This forced him to type carefully. This was a tip he got from EduTap!
• For essay writing, he prepared 7-8 topics beforehand that he thought were important.
• To improve his typing speed, he did something fun. He used WhatsApp Web to chat with his friends! This made practice feel less like studying and more like fun.
• He found Narveer Sir’s videos on precis writing very helpful too.

But beyond all the books and plans, what was the one thing that truly kept him going?

The Real Secret: A Calm Mind and a Hopeful Heart

More than any book or strategy, what helped Mayur was his belief in himself. When he was nervous before his interview, he didn’t ask other students how their interview went. He knew that would only make him more nervous. Instead, he just sat quietly and stayed calm. Sometimes, the best preparation is to just relax.

He also has a beautiful piece of advice for the interview.

 This shows honesty and a desire to learn, which is more important than knowing every single answer.

So, after hearing Mayur’s whole story, what can you do right now?

Your Simple Action Plan, Inspired by Mayur

Mayur’s journey is not just a story; it’s a friendly guide for you. It shows that even when you feel low, you can rise again. Here are a few simple steps you can take, starting from this very moment:

• Find Your ‘Why’: Just like Mayur wanted to help children, find your deep reason for wanting this job. Your ‘why’ will give you strength on difficult days.
• Make a ‘You’ Schedule: Don’t copy anyone’s timetable. Understand your own energy. When do you feel fresh? When do you feel sleepy? Make a plan that works for you.
• Be Smart with Your Study: You don’t have to study everything. Focus on what’s important and what you are good at. Smart work is always better than just hard work.
• Be Kind to Yourself: You will have good days and bad days. On bad days, don’t be harsh on yourself. Talk to yourself like a friend. Remember what Mayur’s mother said? It’s not a failure, it’s a learning.

Your journey is your own, and it’s beautiful. Mayur’s story is here to remind you that it is possible. You have all the strength you need inside you. Just take the first small step with a hopeful heart. We are all here, cheering for you!