Sudipa Roy RBI Grade B Success Story: A 7-Year Journey

This is the story of Sudipa Roy, who cleared the RBI Grade B exam. Her journey is not about clearing the exam on the first go. It’s a story about waiting, trying new things, feeling a little lost, and then coming back stronger. She was working a full-time job, just like many of you.

“I just want to say just never lose hope and faith in yourself. I didn’t crack it in 2019, but five years down the line, hopefully, I will be in the RBI. If it’s meant to happen, it will happen.”

If you have ever felt that you are taking too long, or if you are worried about gaps in your preparation, Sudipa’s story is for you. It will feel like a friend telling you, “It’s okay, you can do it too.” Let’s listen to her story together.

First, we will see where this long and beautiful journey began for her.

A Journey That Started in a Bank, Not a Classroom

Sudipa is an engineer, just like many students in India. She studied Electronics and Communication and even got a job at Cognizant through campus placements. But something didn’t feel right.

“I was not finding the interest in coding… I was not seeing my future at Cognizant.”

So, she decided to try something new. She prepared for banking exams because she was already good at Quant, Reasoning, and English from her placement preparation. Soon, she got a job as a clerk in UCO Bank. From there, she moved to Oriental Insurance as an officer.

But her heart was looking for something more. She wanted a job where she could feel truly satisfied. This feeling of wanting something better is what kept her going.

Her journey towards her dream job had started, but the road was not straight.

Her First Attempt At The RBI Grade B

In 2019, Sudipa appeared for the RBI Grade B exam for the first time. But she could not clear it. She was honest about why it happened.

“I was taking Current Affairs a bit lightly then.”

She couldn’t even clear the 1st stage, Phase 1.

It can feel very sad. But Sudipa didn’t let this stop her. She learned a very important lesson from it.

The 2020 exam was cancelled because of COVID. In 2021, the exam pattern changed, and Sudipa felt she was not ready for the new pattern.

So, what did she do?

Did she give up?

No. She changed her focus for a little while. For 2 years, she prepared for the West Bengal State Civil Services. She even wrote the Mains exam twice, but did not get an interview call.

This was a long gap of almost 4 years. Many of us would have felt like giving up. But for Sudipa, this was a time of learning and growing. She was getting stronger, even if she didn’t know it yet.

But things were about to change for her…

The Big Comeback At RBI Grade B After 4 Years

In 2023, Sudipa sat down and thought about her goals again. She decided to give her RBI dream another chance. This decision to come back after so many years shows her true strength.

She knew this time had to be different. She had more experience and was more mature. She felt she could understand topics better now.

Many of you might be working and wondering, “How can I find time to study?” Sudipa has a simple answer for you.

She started her preparation in January 2024. First, she looked at the syllabus to see what she already knew from her civil services preparation. This was a smart move! She didn’t start from zero.

Here is her simple timetable:

On working days, she studied for 3 to 4 hours every day.
On weekends, she put in more effort and studied for 12 to 15 hours.

This balance is how she covered the entire syllabus while still doing her job. You can also make a simple plan like this!

Now that she had a plan, let’s see how she studied each subject.

Her RBI Grade B Study Plan

Time to see how she made her plan work in real life.

For RBI Grade B Phase 1: General Awareness

Sudipa knew that General Awareness (GA) was her weak point in 2019. This time, she made it her strength. She focused on Mains from the beginning.

“I knew that current affairs is a big part of the syllabus and I have to give more focus to current affairs.”

Here’s what she did for GA:

Sources: She used AffairsCloud monthly compilations and EduTap’s materials like CurrentTap, RBI NewsTap, and ReportsTap.
Revision: Every month, she would revise everything she studied in the previous month. Just one solid revision every month.
How many months: She covered 8 months of current affairs, from January to August.
Smart skipping: Because she had less time, she focused on important topics like schemes, reports, and RBI news. She skipped things like sports and awards. This was a risk, but it was a calculated one.

For RBI Grade B Phase 1: Keeping QRE Strong

For Quant, Reasoning, and English (QRE), her plan was simple.

Her English was always strong. Her reasoning was good too. But she noticed that her speed in Quant had become slow. What did she do? She practiced one sectional mock test for Quant every single day for about two months before the exam. This simple habit helped her get her speed back.

For RBI Grade B Phase 2: ESI & FM – The Mains Game

For Phase 2, her strategy was a mix of using her old knowledge and learning new things smartly.

Finance: She already knew the static part.
Management: She used EduTap’s notes.

“The chapters are very clearly and precisely made.”

Economics & Schemes: Her civil services prep helped a lot here. For schemes, she used Vision IAS PDFs and EduTap’s Schemes Tab.
Descriptive Writing: She practiced writing essays on her laptop. She also joined Telegram groups to get her answers reviewed by friends.

It’s amazing how she broke down such a big syllabus into small, simple steps, isn’t it?

Facing the Real Exam and RBI Interview

Studying is one thing, but facing the exam is another challenge. Let’s see how Sudipa handled the pressure.

The Day of the Exam: Staying Calm is a Superpower

In the Mains exam this year, the Management paper had very different, paragraph-based questions. Many students panicked. But Sudipa stayed calm.

“I thought that I must read the paragraph first and see if I can find the answers in the paragraph… most of the answers were in those paragraphs themselves.”

The Interview: Being Honest is Your Best Answer

Sudipa was very nervous before her interview. She had hardly slept! But she walked in with a smile.

The interview was almost entirely about her long work experience. They asked her why she had changed so many jobs. For some questions, she didn’t know the answer. Instead of guessing, she politely said, “I really do not know those answers, and I will look them up after the interview.”

Being honest and calm is your best tool in an interview. They are not just testing your knowledge, but also your personality.

No one makes such a long journey alone. Let’s see who her pillars of support were.

The People Who Stood By Her During Her RBI Journey

Here’s how Sudipa kept her motivation alive for so many years.

When asked how she stayed motivated for 7 long years, Sudipa didn’t talk about watching motivational videos. Her motivation came from within and from the people around her.

“My family was always there for me, motivated me throughout.”

Her father told her to study as much as she wanted, without any pressure. This kind of support is priceless.

A friend already working in RBI guided her throughout the process. Good friends who believe in you are a real blessing.

Sudipa never focused on the negative things. She always thought, “Maybe I’ll get it if I work harder.” This inner belief is the most powerful motivation.

Finally, here is some simple advice from Sudipa, straight from her heart to yours.

Sudipa’s Advice

Here are the final words of wisdom from your senior, Sudipa.

Her journey teaches us so many things. It teaches us to be patient, to be strong, and to always believe in ourselves. If you are preparing for any exam, remember these simple things from her story:

Never, Ever Lose Hope: Sudipa cleared her dream exam after a 5-year gap from her first attempt. Your time will also come. Just keep putting in the work.
Motivation Comes from Inside: You don’t need fancy videos. Your dream and your belief in yourself are your biggest motivators. Find that reason “why” you started.
Learn from Your Mistakes: She failed in 2019 because of weak GA. In her next attempt, she made GA her strength. Don’t be sad about your mistakes; learn from them.
Be Consistent: 3-4 hours daily is much better than studying all day on one weekend. Small, daily steps lead to big success.

Sudipa’s final message for you is simple and beautiful:

“Just have faith and keep the inner motivation alive throughout. And that’s it.”

We hope Sudipa’s story gave you a lot of strength and hope. Your journey is your own, and it is beautiful. Just keep walking, one step at a time.

FAQ

Is the RBI Grade B exam tough?

Generally speaking, RBI Grade B is a moderately tough exam to crack.

And based on the analysis of previously held exams, the difficulty level of the RBI Grade B exam has been increasing.

Does RBI select candidates with prior working experience only?

No, in fact for Grade B (DR) (General), the Bank encourages candidates with no prior experience to apply. This is also written in the official notification of RBI Grade B on page 11.

Do the cut off marks change every year?

Yes, the RBI Grade B cut off marks vary each year depending on several factors like the number of vacancies, the difficulty level of the exam, the number of applicants, and the overall performance of the candidates.

Learn the cut off trends, sectional, overall, and final marks to plan your preparation, then visit the RBI Grade B cut off.

What are the average RBI Grade B interview marks?

RBI doesn’t release individual scores; however, based on our discussion with toppers, we can say that the average RBI Grade B interview marks are around 40 to 50 marks.

Understand more about the pattern, then go through the RBI Grade B Exam pattern carefully.

What are the⁠ requirements for a scribe in the RBI Grade B exam?

At the time of online/written RBI Grade B examination, those PwBD candidates (with 40% or more disability) who have physical limitations in typing/writing, including that of speed, would be allowed the facility to use the service of a scribe.

However, such candidates will have to arrange their own scribe at their own cost.

If you want to learn more about this, then go through the RBI Grade B official notification to know better.

Is there any bond for RBI Grade B officers?

No, there is no bond for RBI Grade B officers. However, if they avail of the Golden Jubilee Scholarship, they must serve a bond period of a minimum of 5 years after passing out.

Go and read about the job profile, duties, powers, lifestyle, promotions, transfers, workload, work timings, leaves, and more on the RBI Grade B Job Profile.

Do I have to follow the timetable exactly as it is given?

While there’s nothing wrong with following the above timetable, you can make necessary changes to suit your needs better.