RBI Grade B Exam Pattern 2021- Section Wise (Updated), and Marking Scheme
Updated On -
May 3, 2021
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern 2021 is decided by the exam authority of the Reserve Bank of India. The RBI Grade B exam is conducted in three phases –
- Phase I examination
- Phase II examination
- Interview
Phase I comprises objective type questions, whereas, in the Phase-II exam, the candidates have to write the explanatory answers. The candidates can download practice papers to know the exact question type.
RBI Grade B exam Pattern 2021 has been revised. As per Revised exam pattern-
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern (Revised)
For DR - General Phase I, II exam and interview stage, here is the detailed exam pattern for each stage:
- Phase-I - consists of four sections
- General Awareness
- English Language
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Reasoning.
- Phase-II:- consists of following papers -
- Paper-I - 50 % Objective (30 minutes , 50 marks) + 50% descriptive ( 90 minutes , 50 marks ) (descriptive answers is to be typed using keyboard) - total 120 minutes and 100 marks
- Paper-II - descriptive( 90 minutes, 100 marks )
- Paper-III - 50 % Objective (30 minutes,50 marks) + 50% descriptive ( 90 minutes , 50 marks )(descriptive answers is to be typed using keyboard) - total 120 minutes and 100 marks
- The interview will be conducted for 75 marks.
- In Phase-I, Multiple choice questions are asked from General Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning subjects.
- RBI Grade B Main exam has three separate papers on Economic and Social Issues, English Language and Finance and Management.
- Candidates qualifying for Phase I and Phase II will have to face an interview round carrying 75 marks.
- The final Merit List will be formulated based on the marks of the Main exam and interview.
- Duration will vary for both exams. Negative marking is applicable for both the papers of RBI Grade B.
In this article, we will cover RBI Grade B exam pattern details such as number of questions, mode of examination, total marks, number of sections, marking scheme, syllabus etc.
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern 2021: Highlights
The following table highlights some of the important aspects of RBI Grade B Exam Pattern 2021:
| Exam Name | RBI Grade B |
| Conducting Body | Reserve Bank of India |
| Exam Level | National |
| Name of the Posts | Officers in Grade B (DR)- General- PY 2021 Officers in Grade B (DR)- DEPR PY 2021 Officers in Grade B (DR)- DSIM PY 2021 |
| Selection Process | Phase I Phase II Interview |
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern 2021
- RBI Grade B conducts in an online mode that a computer-based test.
- Except the English language section, the papers will be set bilingually in English and Hindi.
- RBI Grade B exam pattern and difficulty level vary for Prelims and Main exam as shown below:
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern (General) for Phase-I 2021
RBI Grade B Phase I is the primary screening process and hence, the score will not be added for the RBI Grade B Selection process. In the phase I exam, the aspirants have to answer objective type questions. The exam will be conducted online.
- Time duration of phase I exam is 120 minutes
- Total marks: 200
| Sections | Number of questions | Maximum marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 80 | 80 |
| English Language | 30 | 30 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 | 30 |
| Reasoning | 60 | 60 |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
Important Points to Note
- The RBI Grade B exam is held in multiple shifts, and it is dependent on the number of aspirants applied for the exam.
- The candidates will get detailed information related to the exam date, time, venue and exam centre in the RBI Grade B admit card.
- The obtained scores will be normalised by applying the equipercentile method to evaluate the RBI Grade B Cutoff.
- The minimum RBI Grade B cutoff score will be decided based on the number of vacancies, the total number of aspirants who appeared for the exam and the difficulty level of the questions by the exam conducting authority.
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern (General) for Phase-II 2021
The Phase-II exam is an objective and descriptive type of online exam. The obtained score from this phase will be added for the RBI Grade B Final selection process. More precisely, the final merit list will be prepared based on Phase-II and the interview score. Check the following Phase-II (General) exam pattern:
| Name of Paper | Type of the Paper | Number of Questions | Time Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper–I Economic & Social Issues | 50% objective type 50% Descriptive type and the answers will need to be typed with the help of keyboard |
30 Objective Questions & 6 Descriptive Questions of which 4 have to be answered | 30 minutes 90 minutes Total: 120 minutes |
50 50 Total: 100 |
| Paper-II: English – Writing Skills | Descriptive Typing and the answers will need to be typed with the help of keyboard | 3 (Descriptive) | 90 minutes | 100 |
| Paper -III Finance and Management | 50% objective type 50% Descriptive type and the answers will need to be typed with the help of keyboard |
30 Objective Questions & 6 Descriptive Questions of which 4 have to be answered | 30 minutes 90 minutes Total: 120 minutes |
50 50 Total: 100 |
Important Points to Note
- All the questions of Phase-II (except for English language) will be set for both Hindi and English
- Phase-II exam will also be held in multiple shifts.
- The exam time table will be highlighted in the RBI Grade B admit card
- The aspirants have to choose only one subject out of three, based on their preference and eligibility.
- Candidates who choose Hindi as the exam medium may type with the help of either. (i) inscript or (ii) Remington (GAIL) keyboards layout for Paper I and Paper-II.
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern: Interview (Phase-III)
- Based on the aggregate score obtained in the Main exam (Paper-I +Paper-II +Paper-III), candidates will be invited for the interview round.
- RBI will decide the minimum cutoff which must be cleared by candidates in order to be shortlisted for the Interview round.
- RBI will publish the result in a PDF format containing the roll number of candidates shortlisted for the interview.
- Candidates will receive interview call letters on their registered email ID.
- RBI Grade B Interview round will be 75 marks.
- Candidates can choose the medium for interview amongst Hindi or English languages.
- Final Selection will be based on the candidate's performance in the Phase-II examination and interview. Candidate should follow proper preparation strategy and relevant subject wise books for RBI Grade b Exam.
- Candidates will undergo a Psychometric Test conducted by the Bank before appearing for the Interview. No marks will be allotted for the same and this will not form part of the final selection criteria.
Pre-Examination Training
Pre - Examination Training for certain category i.e. SC/ST/OBC/PwBD CANDIDATES. The Bank will arrange free of cost, online pre-examination training for Phase-I and Phase-II examinations. Candidates who desire to avail of the training programme may indicate their willingness while filling the online application form. Please note that undergoing the training will not confer any right to the candidate to be called for the Examination or for recruitment in the Bank's service.
Note: Pre Examination Training is only conducted for candidates of Gr B (DR)- General
RBI Grade B DEPR Exam Pattern 2021
The selection process for the RBI Grade B DEPR exam pattern will be conducted through an Online /Written Test and Interview. The interview will be a 75 marks exam.
Paper I Objective Type (on Economics) to be held on March 6, 2021 while Paper II & III will be held on March 31, 2021
There are three papers in the examination:
- Paper-I (Objective type on Economics)
- Paper-II (Descriptive type on Economics)
- Paper-III (Descriptive type on English)
| Phase of the exam/ Name of Paper | Duration (minutes) | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I Objective Type (Economics) | 120 | 100 |
| Paper-II Descriptive Type (Economics) (Question paper displayed on computer, answers to be written on paper) | 180 | 100 |
| Paper-III English – Descriptive Type (To be typed with help of keyboard) | 90 | 100 |
| Total | - | 300 |
Important Points to Note
- The aspirants scoring the minimum scores in Paper-I will be qualified for the Paper-II and III.
- The roll number of the shortlisted aspirants for Paper-II and III will be released on the official website.
- The minimum cutoff marks for Paper-II and III will be decided by the exam conducting authority based on the available number of vacancies.
- Paper-II and III exam will be conducted in multiple shifts
- The question paper will be set in Hindi and English.
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern 2021- DSIM Exam
The selection process for the RBI Grade B DEPR exam pattern will be conducted through an Online /Written Test and Interview. The interview will be a 75 marks exam. Paper I Objective Type (on Statistics) to be held on March 6, 2021 while Paper-II & III will be held on March 31, 2021
There are three papers in DSIM exam:
- Phase-I (Objective type on Statistics)
- Paper-II (Descriptive type of Statistics)
- Phase-III (Descriptive type on English)
| Phase of the exam/ Name of Paper | Time Duration | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I Objective Type (on Statistics) | 120 minutes | 100 |
| Paper-II Descriptive Type (on Statistics) (Question paper displayed on computer, answers to be written on paper) | 180 minutes | 100 |
| Paper-III English – Descriptive Type (To be typed with help of keyboard) | 90 minutes | 100 |
| Total | - | 300 |
Important Points to Note
- The aspirants scoring the minimum scores in Paper-I will be qualified for Paper-II and III.
- The roll number of the shortlisted aspirants for Paper-II and III will be released on the official website.
- The minimum cutoff marks for Paper-II and III will be decided by the exam
- Phase-II and III exam will be conducted in multiple shifts
- All the questions (except for Paper-III on English) will be set for both Hindi and English
RBI Grade B Exam Pattern: Interview (DSIM and DEPR)
The number of candidates to be called for an interview will be decided by the Board. The final selection will be on the basis of performance in Paper-I, II and III and interview taken together. The interview will be of 75 marks. Candidates may opt for the interview either in Hindi or English. Candidates will undergo a Psychometric Test conducted by the Bank before appearing for the Interview. Though No marks will be allotted for the same, and will not form part of the final selection criteria.
RBI Grade B Marking Scheme
| Marking scheme | Marks Given |
|---|---|
| For correct answers | 1 mark |
| For wrong answers | -1/4 marks |
| For not attempted | 0 (no marks) |
Total Scores= (1*Number of correct answers)- (0.25* Number of wrong answers)
FAQs
Ques. What are the total allocated marks for the Phase-I General Exam?
Ans. Total allotted marks for RBI Grade B Phase-I(General) is 200 marks
Ques. Is there any negative marking in the RBI Grade B exam?
Ans. Yes, for every incorrect answer, the aspirants will get a deduction of 0.25 marks.
Ques. What is the time duration of the RBI Grade B Phase-I exam?
Ans. The time duration of the RBI Grade B Phase-I exam is 1.5 hours (120 minutes).
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.