RBI Grade B is the toughest banking exam in India with the highest perks. If you are planning to prepare for the RBI Grade B 2026 exam, you need to be aware of the detailed syllabus and exam structure, which is given below.
The RBI Grade B syllabus for DR (General) includes 4 subjects: English Language, Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness (Current Affairs + Banking focused) in the Phase 1 (Prelims) exam. The Phase 2 (Mains) exam consists of 3 papers: (i) Economics & Social Issues (ESI), (ii) Descriptive English (Writing), and (iii)Finance & Management (FM).
RBI Grade B Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2026
RBI Grade B 2026 Notification has been released with 60 Officers Vacancies, announcing that the prelims exam will be conducted on 13 and 14 June 2026 and the Mains exam on 25 and 26 July 2026. Candidates must be aware of the RBI Grade B syllabus topics, pattern, mode of exam, type of questions, and the time duration. Check all important points below.
| RBI Grade B Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026- Summary | |
| Bank | Reserve Bank of India (RBI) |
| Exam Name | RBI Grade B 2026 |
| Type of Exam | General (Prelims)- ObjectiveGeneral (Mains)- Objective & DescriptiveDEPR/DSIM- Objective & DescriptiveInterview (For all posts) |
| Exam Dates | Prelims- 13th & 14th June 2026 Mains- 25th & 26th July 2026 |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Total Marks | Prelims: 200Mains: 300Interview: 75 |
| Total Questions | Prelims: 200Mains: 60 (MCQs) and 15 Descriptive (to be attempted 11) |
| Negative Marking | Phase 1: 1/4th marks (.25 marks) Phase 2: ¼th for objective type & no negative marking for descriptive paper |
| Selection Process | For General- Prelims, Mains and Psychometric Test & Interview For DEPR / DSIM- Online/ Written Examination and Psychometric Test & Interview |
RBI Grade B Selection Process
There are three types of posts in the RBI Grade B exam. The RBI Grade B Exam selection process involves several stages, each designed to test different aspects of a candidate’s knowledge and skills. Each post has its own selection process, which is as follows-
- For RBI Grade B DR (General)- Prelims, Mains and Psychometric Test, Interview
- For RBI Grade B- DEPR- Online/ Written Examination and Psychometric Test, Interview
- For RBI Grade B- DSIM- Online/ Written Examination and Psychometric Test, Interview
The detailed syllabus for all 3 posts is given below.
RBI Grade B Syllabus 2026 for DR (General)
To appear for the RBI Grade B Exam, all the candidates need to know the RBI Grade B syllabus and exam structure, which is discussed below for Prelims & Mains in detail.
RBI Grade B Prelims Syllabus for DR (General)
The preliminary examination of the RBI Grade B exam 2026 will comprise Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language and General Awareness. Here is the detailed RBI Grade B Prelims syllabus:
| Section Asked | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| General Awareness | 80 | 80 | 25 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 | 25 minutes |
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 25 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 60 | 60 | 45 minutes |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 120 minutes |
Reasoning Topics
- Logical Reasoning
- Alphanumeric Series
- Ranking/Direction/Alphabet Test
- Data Sufficiency
- Coded Inequalities
- Seating Arrangement
- Puzzle
- Tabulation
- Syllogism
- Blood Relations
- Input Output
- Coding Decoding
Quantitative Aptitude Topics
- Simplification
- Profit & Loss
- Mixtures & Alligations
- Simple Interest & Compound Interest & Surds & Indices
- Work & Time
- Time & Distance
- Mensuration – Cylinder, Cone, Sphere
- Data Interpretation
- Ratio & Proportion, Percentage
- Number Systems
- Sequence & Series
- Permutation, Combination &Probability
English English Language Topics
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Para jumbles
- Miscellaneous
- Fill in the blanks
- Multiple Meaning /Error Spotting
- Paragraph Completion
General Awareness Syllabus
- Current Affairs
- Indian Financial Systems
- Indian Banking Systems
- Monetary Plans
- National Institutions
- Banking Terms
RBI Grade B Mains Syllabus 2026 for DR (General)
| Sections / Subjects | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration (minutes) |
| Paper I: Economics and Social Issues | Objective – 30 QuestionsDescriptive – 6 Questions (to be attempted – 4) | 50 50Total-100 | 30 minutes 90 minutes Total-120 minutes |
| Paper II: English (Writing Skills) | Descriptive – 3 Questions (Precis, RCs, & Essay) | 100 | 90 minutes |
| Paper III: Finance and Management | Objective – 30 QuestionsDescriptive – 6 Questions (to be attempted – 4) | 50 50 Total-100 | 30 minutes 90 minutes Total-120 minutes |
Note- Wrong answers carry a negative marking of –0.25 for 1-mark questions and –0.50 for 2-mark questions.
The Mains Examination of the RBI Grade B exam 2026 will constitute 3 sections: Economic & Social Issues, English, Finance and Management. The complete syllabus is discussed below:
Paper 1- RBI Grade B Economic & Social Issues (ESI) Syllabus
1. Basic Economic Concepts
- National Income Accounting
- Schools of Economic Thought
- Economic Growth and Development
- Human Development
- Sustainable Development
2. Indian Economic Development (Historical Perspective)
- Nature of Indian Economy, India’s Economy on the Eve of Independence
- India 1947–1991: Macro Economy, India 1947–1991: Agriculture,
- India 1947–1991: Industry, India 1947–1991: Services, India 1947–1991: External Sector,
- Economic Reforms
- Indian Economy Post-1991 – Macro Economy, Indian Economy Post-1991 – Agriculture,
- Indian Economy Post-1991 – Industry, Indian Economy Post-1991 – Services, Indian Economy Post-1991 – External Sector
3. Public Finance and Macroeconomic Policies
- Public Expenditure and Receipts
- Public Debt
- Fiscal Policy
- Federal Finance,
- Inflation
- Indian Taxation System
- Planning Period in India (Five-Year Plans)
4. Social and Development Issues
- Poverty
- Unemployment
- Population Growth and Demographic Issues
- Health, Education, Gender
- Positive Discrimination
- Multiculturalism,
- Urbanisation and Migration
5. Banking, Institutions and Development
- Key International Economic Institutions,
- Role of Banks and RBI in the Development Process,
- Rural Credit and Microfinance
Paper 2- English Syllabus
1. Essay Writing
- Economic and financial issues
- Social or contemporary developments,
- Governance and public policy
- Technology and society
- Environmental concerns
- Ethical or abstract themes
2. Precis Writing
- A long passage is given and candidates are required to condense it into a precis of about 170–180 words.
- The precis must reflect the essence of the original passage without adding personal opinions.
3. Reading Comprehension (Descriptive Answers)
A passage is provided, followed by approximately five questions that require short, well-structured descriptive answers.
Paper 3- Finance and Management Syllabus
1. Banking & Financial System
- Regulators of Banks and Financial Institutions
- Reserve Bank of India- functions and conduct of monetary policy
- Banking System in India – Structure and concerns, Financial Institutions – SIDBI, EXIM Bank, NABARD, NHB, etc, Changing landscape of banking sector.
- Impact of the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08 and the Indian response
2. Global Finance and Financial Developments
- FinTech, Global Financial Markets and International Banking
- Impact of Global Financial Crisis
- Recent Developments in Digital Payments
3. Public Finance and Government Policies
- Inflation
- FDI, FPI and Disinvestment
- GST, Indian Taxation System and Public Expenditure
- FRBM Act and Finance Commission
- Alternate Sources of Finance
- PPP and Social Cost–Benefit
4. Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis
- Basics of Accounting
- Preparation of Company Final Accounts
- Cash Flow Statements
- Ratio Analysis
5. Fundamentals of Management & Organisational Behaviour
- Introduction to management
- Evolution of management thought
- Scientific, Administrative, Human Relations
- Systems approach to management
- Management functions and Managerial roles
- Nudge theory
- Meaning & concept of organisational behaviour
- Personality: meaning, factors affecting personality, Big five model of personality
- Concept of reinforcement
- Perception: concept, perceptual errors
- Motivation: Concept, importance
- Content theories (Maslow’s need theory, Alderfer’s ERG theory, McCllelands’ theory of needs, Herzberg’s two-factor theory)
- Process theories (Adams equity theory, Vroom’s expectancy theory).
- Leadership: Concept, Theories (Trait, Behavioural, Contingency, Charismatic, Transactional and Transformational Leadership
- Emotional Intelligence: Concept, Importance, Dimensions.
- Analysis of Interpersonal Relationship: Transactional Analysis, Johari Window
- Conflict: Concept, Sources, Types, Management of Conflict
- Organisational Change: Concept, Kurt Lewin’s Theory of Change
- Organisational Development (OD): Organisational Change, Strategies for Change, Theories of Planned Change (Lewin’s change model, Action research model, Positive model).
6. Leadership and Managerial Skills
- Leadership, Authority and Power
- Communication
- Emotional Intelligence
- Decision Making and MBO
- Organisational Conflict
7. Organisational Development and Ethics
- Organisational Change and Group
- Organisational Development
- Nudge Theory
- Ethics
- Corporate Governance
RBI Grade B DEPR Syllabus 2026
| Phase | Papers | Marks | Duration |
| Phase I (Objective) | Paper-I Economics | 100 | 120 minutes |
| Paper – II English – Descriptive (To be typed with help of keyboard) | 100 | 120 minutes | |
| Phase II (Descriptive) | Paper-II Economics | 100 | 180 minutes |
| Paper-III English | 100 | 90 minutes | |
| Total | 400 | ||
The syllabus for RBI Grade B (DR) DEPR is designed as per the job profile, which includes primarily undertaking economic analysis and research and contributing to policy formulation, apart from a compilation of data relating to select sectors.
| RBI Grade B Syllabus for DEPR | |
| Paper I: Economics Related | based on the Master’s Degree examination in Economics |
| Paper-II: Economics Related | based on the Master’s Degree examination in Economics |
| Paper III: English | The English paper will be framed to assess the candidates’ writing skills, expression, and understanding of the topic |
RBI Grade B DSIM Syllabus 2026
| Phase | Paper | Marks | Duration |
| Phase I (Objective) | Paper-I Statistics | 100 | 120 minutes |
| Phase II (Descriptive) | Paper-II Statistics (Descriptive) | 100 | 180 minutes |
| Paper-III English (Descriptive) | 100 | 90 minutes | |
| Total | 300 | ||
RBI Grade B Syllabus for DR- DSIM has been discussed below for Papers 1, 2, and 3 as mentioned by RBI.
Paper I: Statistics Syllabus
Probability
- Definition of Probability
- Standard distribution
- Large and small sample theory
- Analysis of Variance
- Estimation
- Testing of Hypotheses
- Multivariate analysis
- Stochastic Processes
Paper-2: Statistics
- Probability and Sampling
- Linear Models and Economic Statistics
- Statistical Inference: Estimation, Testing of hypothesis and Non-parametric Test
- Stochastic Processes
- Multivariate analysis
- Numerical Analysis and Basic Computer Techniques
Paper 3: English
The English paper will be framed to assess the candidates’ writing skills, expression, and understanding of the topic
RBI Grade B Syllabus PDF Download
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mentioned the detailed exam pattern and syllabus in the previous notification PDF. Candidates can download the official syllabus PDF from the link below and start their preparation without any further delay.
RBI Grade B Interview Round
This is the final round of the selection process. In the interview round, they test your knowledge of finance and economics, along with your personality assessment, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Candidates need to appear for the Psychometric Test before the interview. It carries no marks but is part of the official selection process.
The Interview will be of 75 marks for each post (General, DEPR & DSIM). Candidates will be shortlisted for the interview based on an aggregate of marks obtained in the Mains Exam. Candidates may opt for an interview either in Hindi or English. The final Selection will be through a merit list, which will be prepared by adding marks secured by candidates in the Phase-II examination and interview.
Besides the preliminary exam and the main exam, an interview process is also conducted for candidates who qualify for the first two phases of the RBI Grade B Officer Exam.
The final merit list is made on the basis of marks obtained by a candidate in his/ her main exam and interview process