Does it sometimes feel like you are working so hard, but nothing is going right? Do you see your friends moving ahead and feel a little stuck? If yes, then today we are going to talk about someone just like you. Someone who had a brilliant start, then saw some really tough days, but came back stronger.
This is the story of Taveesh Garg, a boy from IIT Bombay who cleared the RBI Grade B exam in his very first attempt. And the most amazing part? He did it with just 1.5 months of preparation and without spending a single rupee on any course!
Let’s listen to his simple and honest story.
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The Golden Start: IIT Bombay Journey to Corporate Success
Like many bright students, Taveesh worked very hard in school. He got into one of India’s best colleges, IIT Bombay, and then got a job at a big company called Bain & Company. His life’s graph was only going up, up, and up.
We often think that for people like him, clearing any exam is super easy. But is that really true?
His journey was about to take a completely new turn.
Why Taveesh Left a High-Paying Job for UPSC Preparation
Taveesh had a great job and a wonderful salary. But something was missing. He felt a desire to do something for our country, for our society. This feeling became stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic. He wanted his work to have a real meaning.
So, he did something very brave. He decided to leave his comfortable job to prepare for UPSC. It wasn’t just about power or money for him. He actually spoke to real IAS officers to understand their work. He asked them, “What does your daily schedule look like?” He wanted to see if that was the life he truly wanted.
This is such a big lesson for all of us. Before we jump into preparing for any exam, shouldn’t we ask ourselves, “Why do I really want this job?”
But this brave decision led him to a very difficult path.
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UPSC Struggles: Lessons From 3 Years of Tough Attempts
Taveesh was super confident. He thought he would clear UPSC in his first or second attempt. But life had other plans. For 3 long years, he tried his best, but he could not even clear the prelims exam.
His confidence started to shake. He saw his friends getting promotions, earning more, and moving ahead in their lives.
“If these failures wouldn’t have happened, I would not have been a humble person today. I might have been a very egoistic person.”
He learned that it’s okay for things not to go as planned. These tough times taught him how to handle difficult feelings, a lesson no school or college can ever teach. He learned to accept where his friends were and be proud of his own courageous journey.
But his story of hard work was just about to find its true destination.
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Switching Gears: RBI Grade B Preparation in Just 1.5 Months
After his UPSC journey, Taveesh decided to appear for the RBI Grade B exam. But he had only one and a half months! Many people would have given up right there. But Taveesh used all his past learnings to make a brilliant strategy. And he did all this using only free material available online from places like EduTap and others.
Here’s how he studied for Phase 1.
Quant and Reasoning Strategy for RBI Grade B
For Quant, he knew he was good at Data Interpretation (DI). So, his plan was simple: first, he would solve the DI questions to get sure-shot marks. For Reasoning, he did something very unusual. After giving many mock tests, he realized that puzzles took up too much of his time and made him nervous.
So, what did he do? He decided not to touch a single puzzle in the exam! Yes, you read that right. He focused only on the other 30 questions in Reasoning and made sure he did them perfectly. This helped him clear the sectional cut-off easily.
This teaches us that you don’t have to know everything. You just need to know your strengths and weaknesses.
Free Resources and Smart Notes for RBI Grade B GA Preparation
Taveesh used free materials from many places, including EduTap’s free PDFs, which he got from a friend. But he didn’t just read them. He made his own notes in Excel sheets. For every piece of news, he would write just one line with only the important numbers and facts.
For example, if the news was “India’s exports reached $800 million,” he would just write “Exports – $800 million.” He removed all the extra English and just kept the data.
This helped him revise everything super fast. He says the exam is mostly about numbers, so why waste time on anything else?
Now, let’s see how he handled the pressure on the final exam day.
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His RBI Grade B Phase 2 & Interview Experience
Even after all this preparation, the exam day was not easy. When Taveesh saw the Phase 2 paper, he felt a moment of pure panic. The questions were completely new and unexpected. What did he do?
“I panicked for 2 minutes, absolutely panicked. I was literally sweating in November. Then I calmed myself down in 2 minutes.”
Instead of giving up, he took a deep breath. He started with the easy one-marker questions first. This gave him confidence. He then realized that the difficult-looking questions were actually the easiest because the answers were hidden in the paragraph itself! They were just testing if he could handle pressure.
In his interview, he was asked a very tough question: “You are from IIT, you worked in a big company. Why do you want this RBI job?” Taveesh answered with complete honesty. He told them about his desire to work for the country and that money was not his motivation. Because he was being true to himself, the interviewers could see his passion.
This is what honesty does. It shines through!
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Family and Support System Behind RBI Grade B Success
When the result came out, Taveesh couldn’t believe it. He had to ask his friends to check his roll number again and again. The first person he called was his mom.
Even she couldn’t believe it at first! This small moment shows how much our families are invested in our dreams. Taveesh says that having a small circle of close friends and family who support you is the most important thing. You don’t need 100 friends; you just need a few who truly care.
Don’t be afraid to talk to them when you feel low. They are your real strength.
Taveesh’s RBI Grade B Preparation Advice for Future Aspirants
At the end of his journey, Taveesh shared some advice that feels simple yet powerful — lessons that can help you in exams and in life.
- Believe in Yourself: No matter how many setbacks you face, never stop trusting your hard work. It’s okay if you stumble; setbacks make you stronger and kinder.
- Listen to Your Heart: Do what you truly want, not what society expects. When you follow your own path, you don’t need outside motivation. Remember, what works for others may not work for you — build your own strategy.
- Stop Worrying About Opinions: People will always talk, but your journey is yours alone. Don’t run away from comparisons; accept that every path is different and be proud of your own.
- Hard Work Is Never Wasted: Taveesh’s UPSC preparation helped him in RBI. Past achievements may not guarantee future success, but consistent effort always pays off. Even free material can take you far if your intent is strong.
He also advised keeping preparation practical: skip weak topics if needed, focus on strengths, and make very short notes with only keywords and numbers for easy revision.
Taveesh’s story shows that honesty, patience, and self-belief can turn struggles into success.
