RBI Grade B Syllabus: Reserve Bank of India conducts the recruitment of eligible candidates for the selection for the RBI Grade B posts including RBI Grade B Officers (General), RBI Grade B Officer – DEPR, and RBI Grade B Officer - DSIM. Candidates should always refer to the official RBI Grade B syllabus to get an understanding of the subject, topic-wise weightage, etc for all the phases. Eligible candidates will be called for the RBI Grade B 2023 in different phases for each post. Candidates have to secure minimum marks separately for each test as well as aggregate, as prescribed by the Board.
RBI Grade B Syllabus 2023
The RBI Grade B syllabus for each is available separately for phase and subject relevant for Gr. B (DR) for General, DEPR, and DSIM streams. Candidates who are preparing for any of the two posts can go through the syllabus of RBI Grade B and ensure that all the topics are covered during their preparations.
Note: Standard of papers would be that of Master's Degree examination of any Central University in India.
Officers in Gr B (DR)- General
Phase-1 Syllabus
| General Awareness |
Reasoning |
English Language |
Quantitative Aptitude |
| Static GK |
Inequality |
Reading Comprehension |
Speed, Distance and Time |
| Current Affairs |
Direction and Distance |
Grammar |
Ratio and Proportion |
| Banking Terms/ Banking Abbreviations |
Coding-Decoding |
Error Spotting |
Average |
| Indian Banking, Types & Functions of Banks |
Blood Relations |
Para Jumble |
Time and Work |
| RBI & its Monetary Policy |
Puzzle & Arrangement |
Fill in the Blanks |
Percentage |
| Govt Schemes & Polices |
Ordering and Ranking |
Vocabulary |
Speed, Distance and Time |
| Money Market in India |
Linear Arrangement |
Sentence Framing |
Permutation and Combination |
| Economic Planning |
Circular Arrangement |
|
Trigonometry |
| Inflation |
Data Sufficiency |
|
Algebra |
| Bills |
Machine Input Output |
|
Data Interpretation |
| Finance Commissions |
Syllogism |
|
Mensuration |
| Taxes on Income & Expenditure |
Verbal Reasoning |
|
Set Theory |
| Union Budget |
|
|
Probability |
Phase-2 Syllabus
| Subject |
Syllabus |
| Paper-I: Economic and Social Issues |
• Growth and Development – Measurement of growth: National Income and per capita income – Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation in India – Sustainable Development and Environmental issues. • Indian Economy – Economic History of India - Changes in Industrial and Labour Policy, Monetary and Fiscal Policy since reforms of 1991 – Priorities and recommendations of Economic Survey and Union Budget – Indian Money and Financial Markets: Linkages with the economy – Role of Indian banks and Reserve Bank in the development process - Public Finance - Political Economy - Industrial Developments in India- Indian Agriculture - Services sector in India. • Globalization – Opening up of the Indian Economy – Balance of Payments, Export-Import Policy – International Economic Institutions – IMF and World Bank – WTO – Regional Economic Co- operation; International Economic Issues • Social Structure in India – Multiculturalism – Demographic Trends – Urbanization and Migration – Gender Issues – Social Justice: Positive Discrimination in favour of the under privileged – Social Movements – Indian Political System – Human Development – Social Sectors in India, Health and Education. |
| Paper II: English (Writing Skills) |
The paper on English shall be framed in a manner to assess the writing skills including expression and understanding of the topic. |
| Paper-III: Finance and Management |
a) Financial System 1. Regulators of Banks and Financial Institutions 2. Reserve Bank of India- functions and conduct of monetary policy 3. Banking System in India – Structure and concerns, Financial Institutions – SIDBI, EXIM Bank, NABARD, NHB, etc, Changing landscape of banking sector. 4. Impact of the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-08 and the Indian response b) Financial Markets Primary and Secondary Markets (Forex, Money, Bond, Equity, etc.), functions, instruments, recent developments. c) General Topics 1. Risk Management in Banking Sector 2. Basics of Derivatives 3. Global financial markets and International Banking – broad trends and latest developments. 4. Financial Inclusion 5. Alternate source of finance, private and social cost-benefit, Public-Private Partnership 6. Corporate Governance in Banking Sector, role of e-governance in addressing issues of corruption and inefficiency in the government sector. 7. The Union Budget – Concepts, approach and broad trends 8. Inflation: Definition, trends, estimates, consequences, and remedies (control): WPI, CPI - components and trends; striking a balance between inflation and growth through monetary and fiscal policies. 9. FinTech d) Management • Fundamentals of Management & Organizational Behaviour: Introduction to management; Evolution of management thought: Scientific, Administrative, Human Relations and Systems approach to management; Management functions and Managerial roles; Nudge theory Meaning & concept of organizational 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, Alderfers’ ERG theory, McCllelands’ theory of needs, Herzberg’s two factor theory) & Process theories (Adams equity theory, Vrooms 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; Organizational Change: Concept, Kurt Lewin Theory of Change; Organizational Development (OD): Organisational Change, Strategies for Change, Theories of Planned Change (Lewin’s change model, Action research model, Positive model). • Ethics at the Workplace and Corporate Governance: Meaning of ethics, why ethical problems occur in business. Theories of ethics: Utilitarianism: weighing social cost and benefits, Rights and duties, Justice and fairness, ethics of care, integrating utility, rights, justice and caring, An alternative to moral principles: virtue ethics, teleological theories, egoism theory, relativism theory, Moral issues in business: Ethics in Compliance, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, etc. Ethical Principles in Business: introduction, Organization Structure and Ethics, Role of Board of Directors, Best Practices in Ethics Programme, Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, etc. Corporate Governance: Factors affecting Corporate Governance; Mechanisms of Corporate Governance Communication: Steps in the Communication Process; Communication Channels; Oral versus Written Communication; Verbal versus non-verbal Communication; upward, downward and lateral communication; Barriers to Communication, Role of Information Technology. |
Officers in Gr B (DR) – DEPR
| Name of Paper |
Syllabus |
| Economics (Paper I & II) |
Standard of papers on Economics would be that of Master's Degree examination in Economics of any Central University in India Suggested reading material: RBI publications viz., Annual Report, Report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India, Monetary Policy Report and the Financial Stability Report and the Economic Survey published by the Government of India over the previous two years |
| English (Paper III) |
The paper on English shall be framed in a manner to assess the writing skills including expression and understanding of the topic. |
Officers in Gr B (DR)- DSIM
| Name of Paper |
Syllabus |
| Paper I |
Probability: Definition of Probability, Standard distribution, Large and small sample theory, Analysis of Variance, Estimation, Testing of Hypotheses, Multivariate analysis and Stochastic Processes |
| Paper II |
(i) Probability and Sampling, (ii) Linear Models and Economic Statistics, (iii) Statistical Inference: Estimation, Testing of hypothesis and Non-parametric Test, (iv) Stochastic Processes, (v) Multivariate analysis and (vi) Numerical Analysis and Basic Computer Techniques. There will be sufficient choice for candidates to attempt the required number of questions from any three or more of the above six groups. |
| Paper III |
English: The paper on English shall be framed in a manner to assess the writing skills including expression and understanding of the topic. |
RBI Grade B 2023 Exam Pattern
RBI has prescribed the RBI Grade B exam pattern separately for the Officers in Gr B (DR)- General and Officers in Gr B (DR)- DEPR/DSIM. The following section talks about the detailed exam pattern, phase wise subjects, marking scheme, duration etc.
RBI Grade B General Officers in Gr B (DR) Pattern
| Officers in Gr B (DR)- General |
Phase-1 – Online Exam |
| Phase-2 – Paper I, II & III Online Exam |
RBI Grade B General Officer Phase 1 Exam Pattern
RBI Grade B phase 1 online exam is going to be held as a single paper. Depending on the number of candidates, the examination may be held in multiple shifts and on some other days also. The ‘corrected scores’ obtained by each of the candidates in different sessions (if held) will be normalized using the equipercentile method. (If the examination is held in more than one session, the scores across various sessions will be equated following IBPS’ standard practice
| Subject |
No. of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
Time Allotted |
| General Awareness |
80 |
80 |
25 Minutes |
| Reasoning |
60 |
60 |
45 Minutes |
| English Language |
30 |
30 |
25 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
30 |
30 |
25 Minutes |
| Total |
200 |
200 |
120 Minutes |
NOTE: There will be penalty for wrong answers marked by you. For every wrong answer marked by you, 1/4th of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty. Candidates who secure minimum marks separately for each Test will be shortlisted for Phase-II of the Examination based on the aggregate marks obtained in Phase-I.
RBI Grade B Phase 2 Exam Pattern
The RBI Grade B phase II will be held only for the candidates who are shortlisted on the basis of results of Phase-I and based on the cut-off decided by the board. The Phase-II examination will be in shifts and candidates have to compulsorily appear for all shifts. Phase II will have three papers.
| Subject |
Type of Paper |
No. of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
Time Allotted |
| Paper-I: Economic and Social Issues |
50% Objective Type 50% Descriptive (answers to be typed with the help of the keyboard) |
Objective – 30 Descriptive – 6 Total - 36 |
Objective – 50 Descriptive – 50 Total - 100 |
Objective – 30 Descriptive – 90 Total - 120 |
| Paper II: English (Writing Skills) |
Descriptive (answers to be typed with the help of the keyboard) |
3 |
100 |
90 Minutes |
| Paper-III: Finance and Management |
50% Objective Type 50% Descriptive (answers to be typed with the help of the keyboard) |
Objective – 30 Descriptive – 6 Total - 36 |
Objective – 50 Descriptive – 50 Total - 100 |
Objective – 30 Descriptive – 90 Total - 120 |
NOTE: All question papers (in both the Phases, except the test of English) will be set bilingually in Hindi and English.
For both Paper I and III Objective Questions (some questions carry 2 marks each and some carry 1 mark each).
For Paper I and III Descriptive Paper, 6 questions will be asked of which candidates will be required to attempt 4 questions. (2 of 15 marks each (with difficulty level) and 2 of 10 marks each). In case, candidate answers more than 4 questions in descriptive, first 4 shall be evaluated.
Officers in Gr B (DR) – DEPR
The Bank has prescribed an online written examination comprising three papers for the RBI Grade B Officers in Gr B (DR)- DEPR/DSIM. Candidates appearing for DEPR have to attempt the Economics section and those appearing for DSIM have to attempt the Statistics paper.
Check out the exam highlights below:
- Paper 1 will be an objective exam and those who secure minimum qualifying marks will be shortlisted for Paper II and Paper III
- Paper II and III both will be a descriptive paper but answers of paper II has to be written using pen and paper and answers of Paper III has to be typed using keyboard
- Question papers for 'WE' will be set in Hindi and in English (except Paper-III in English). The answers for Paper II may be written either in Hindi or English. Paper III will have to be answered in English only
- The standard of papers would be that of a Master's Degree examination of any Central University in India
| Officers in Gr B (DR) – DEPR* |
Phase 1 - Paper - I - Online Exam |
| Phase 2- Paper - II & III Online/Written Exam |
* Department of Economic and Policy Research
RBI Grade B DR Officer Phase 1 Exam Pattern
| Name of Paper |
No. of Questions |
Duration |
Maximum Marks |
| Paper-I Objective Type (on Economics) |
62 |
120 minutes |
100 |
| Total |
|
|
100 |
NOTE: For wrong answers, there will be negative marking. The extent of negative marks will be 1/3 marks for 1 mark questions, 1/2 marks for 2 marks questions, 1 mark for 3 marks questions and 2 marks for 4 marks questions for all sections.
Phase-2 Exam Pattern
| Name of Paper |
No. of Questions |
Duration |
Maximum Marks |
| Paper-II Descriptive Type (on Economics) (Question paper displayed on computer, answers to be written on paper) |
5 |
180 minutes |
100 |
| Paper-III English – Descriptive (To be typed with help of keyboard) |
3 |
90 minutes |
100 |
| Total |
|
|
300 |
Officers in Gr B (DR)- DSIM
| Officers in Gr B (DR)- DSIM@ |
Phase 1 - Paper - I - Online Exam |
| Phase 2 - Paper - II & III Online/Written Exam |
@ Department of Statistics and Information Management
Phase-1 Exam Pattern
| Name of Paper |
No. of Questions |
Duration |
Maximum Marks |
| Paper-I Objective Type (on Statistics) |
20 |
120 minutes |
100 |
| Total |
|
|
100 |
NOTE: There will be penalty for wrong answers marked by you. For every wrong answer marked by you, 5/3 of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
Phase-2 Exam Pattern
| Name of Paper |
No. of Questions |
Duration |
Maximum Marks |
| Paper-II Descriptive Type (on Statistics) (Question paper displayed on computer, answers to be written on paper) |
5 |
180 minutes |
100 |
| Paper-III English – Descriptive (To be typed with help of keyboard) |
3 |
90 minutes |
100 |
| Total |
|
|
300 |
