Frankly, all this gyaan about strategy followed during preparation comes only after the exam is over and the final results are out. My preparation for RBI Grade B 2018 was definitely not as structured as what I am mentioning below. But based on my own experience with this exam and that of my batchmates here at RBI, I have tried to jot down an integrated approach towards studying for all 3 phases of this exam. Some aspects of this apply specifically to the 2020 exam due to the extra free time that most aspirants have on their hands due to the pandemic.
Interview
What matters the most here is keeping abreast of the latest developments (domestic and global) in the world of finance and banking. Not only do you need to know the facts but also form opinions on the current happenings. Consistently studying a good Business newspaper along with the editorial section of a good newspaper like The Hindu or Indian Express on a daily basis, would help immensely.
I say this because during my interview in Dec 2018, I was asked questions like ‘if you were the RBI Governor, how would you steer RBI in these troubled times?’, ‘explains functions of a central bank’, ‘what do you know about the Eurozone debt crisis, GFC?’, ‘tell us some profitability ratios’ etc.
Additionally, you may also start working on your profile because a lot of questions are asked from here as well. Say if you are aiming to prepare for interview from now itself, reading books by central bankers/economists etc may come in handy. You may also want to pick up a new skill or a hobby or do something creative during the lockdown, rather than studying all the time.
Phase II
- It is best to start off with the static portion of the syllabus like Management, Finance concepts and numericals and basic concepts of Economics.
- Weekly practice of typing an essay or two on a computer would help with English Descriptive.
- Since the dates for 2020 exam have not yet been announced, I wouldn’t recommend studying current affairs magazines on a daily basis at this stage for Phase II CA portion of ESI and Finance. That can be covered once exam dates are announced.
- For now, once you are done with the static portion mentioned above, focus on revising this on a continuous basis to help you recall facts during the exam.
Phase I
- Again, I don’t see a point in studying current affairs from magazines till exam dates are announced. This can be easily covered and revised multiple times for both Phase I and II once the dates are announced.
- For now, you can solve a few free mocks from the net and
- firstly, identify topics from Quant, LR and English which you are unable to solve or are taking longer time to solve
- then try and solve these problems in a logical manner yourself, and then look up tricks and shortcuts from the net to solve these problems faster
- finally, practice these problems from any standard source or from the mocks available for free on the net
Current Affairs
- Studying and making notes from Current Affairs magazines for both Phases I and II can be begun once dates for the exam are announced
- Please note that when I say there no need to study current affairs before the dates of the exam are announced, I am referring only to studying these from magazines. Studying current affairs from newspapers on a daily basis is essential
Please also note that above mentioned points need to carried out simultaneously and not sequentially for an integrated approach to all 3 phases.
Skidha's blog 
which magazines should be followed for current affairs?
LikeLike
Hi Sandesh, please refer to Phase I tab of the blog. I’ve mentioned some good magazines over there. For Phase II, I believe you can continue using the magazine you used for Phase I.
LikeLike
Sir I have no background in economics or finance. I find it tough to understand these topics. How should I start my preparation in these topics? I really really want to clear RBI Grade B exam. Do I have sufficient time to prepare if I start from scratch ?
LikeLike
Hi Shikha, if you are finding it difficult to understand a concept from a particular source, try understanding the same from a different source. For example, for Finance concepts, you can refer to Investopedia which has excellent explanations. Similarly for other topics, refer to youtube for some good video explanations. It is a good thing that you are taking the pains to actually UNDERSTAND concepts rather than just mugging things up. Keep it up. Given the current uncertainties, you do have enough time to prepare for this year’s exam even if you are a complete beginner.
LikeLike
Sir.. I am a graduate fresher.. With no work experience.. Will i be able to crack this exam if started studying today..? Is it necessary to hv a high qualified degree frm IIM or something..? I did my graduation frm normal clg. Plz help.
LikeLike
Yes, it is possible for anyone to crack this exam with sufficient and smart hard work. Please don’t worry about things like not having an IIM tag. It does not matter at all.
LikeLike
Thank u Sir! ☺
LikeLike
From where should I cover(compilations) the current affairs for ESI and FM?
LikeLike
Hi Parvathy, it is okay to refer to the same magazine that you referred to for Phase I. Just omit the irrelevant sections like sports, authors, dates etc. for Phase II.
LikeLike
Sir will I be able to clear the RBI grade B exam as i am very weak in quant section and which resources should i follow to improve quant.
LikeLike
Hi Chandni, I faced similar issues with LR, but was able to overcome my fear of LR. You may want to refer to Phase I tab of the blog to know how I dealt with itr. Following a similar strategy for Quant would help you. Also, I did not study much for Quant and hence am not aware of resources for this. Any standard source like R S Aggarwal should suffice. Just be regular with your practice.
LikeLike
Hi Sir.
First of all Thank you for all of your efforts that you are doing for the community to guide them through the preparation process.
My Query is, basically I have seen a lot of videos and read answers on how to prepare for RBI Grade B exam and I am pretty much ready with my strategy (I know all the sources now). But, I have one query that is still unclear to me regarding Government Schemes.
1. Most of the people (and even you) told that govt schemes can be covered from Vision IAS resource, but that material doesn’t provide the launch year of the scheme and it is generally said that to cover the launch year as well for the exam. So, how to deal with it ?
2. It is generally said that start covering current affairs/govt schemes once the notification is out, but being a non-upsc/non-esi and an engineering background student, I feel to go through the schemes atleast once (before notification is out – no matter if they won’t be relevant in future) so that I atleast gain some idea regarding the same. So is this right strategy or do you want to some throw light on this?
Thanks,
Anant
LikeLike
Hi Anant,
1. It is next to impossible to remember launch years of all schemes or even the major schemes. I do not recommend mugging those up. I don’t think RBI asks these either.
2. Sure, if you go through the schemes now and keep revising these, you would be at an advantage. The earlier you start, the better
LikeLike
Hi sir
Thank you for your guidance.
Sir as I work in Bank(BOI) it is very difficult to manage time and I m very confused where to start from.
Pls guide me.
LikeLike
Hi Suraj, you can start with the static portion of Phase II. You can finish off Economics, Finance and Management before this year’s notification is out. You can also solve a few free Phase 1 mocks and start practicing questions which you find difficult.
LikeLike
Hello Sir,
How much ideal time (Months)required to study actually clear the exam , if one is non-UPSC background and From engineering field. I m currently working as site engineer in psu. I have once read static portion of the syllabus( just skimming). Is making short notes necessary, if we already have Xyz digital notes. And how to make short notes? Sir is there any issue for engineers during interview to justify switching of career field.
LikeLike
Hi Baldev, the syllabus for this exam is not huge. 5-6 months of dedicated preparation should suffice. I think making short notes is necessary as it helps with faster revisions. On how to make notes, please refer to my notes uploaded on the blog.
There won’t be any issue as such, but you need to be prepared with an answer as to why you are changing fields.
LikeLike
Sir mai abhi graduation me hu kya mai rbi grade b exam ke liye prepare kar sakti hu and sometimes I feel that this exam is very tough and it is very difficult to qualify this exam sir plz give guidelines about this exam how can i prepare for this exam i am week in English reasoing from which sources i give free mock test which book you recommend for reasoing and essay and precise part are also very tough how can i improve my writing skill.
LikeLike
Hi Anshika, all these queries have been addressed in various sections of this blog. Please go through the blog carefully and let me know in case you have any other queries which have not been answered here. With smart and hard work and sufficient practice and understanding of concepts, you would surely be able to clear this exam.
LikeLike
Hi sir.
This blog is very useful for reference! thanks a lot for all the compilations provided.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello sir can you give some guidance from where should I start from if I just graduated from a mathematics hons and I have not prepared for any competitive exam earlier and is it necessary for me to buy any course as i don’t have any experience as i am targeting for 2021 exam
LikeLike
Hi Kunal, you can start from the static topics of Phase 2 like finance, management and economics. These were entirely new to me as well but studying from standard textbooks helped me understand the concepts. Also, go through the syllabus prescribed by RBI and stick to it. RBI asks only basic concepts about the topics from the syllabus.
LikeLike
Is 2 months enough for preparation ,M commerce student and good in maths,
LikeLike
Hi Preety, the syllabus for this exam is not as vast as some other exams like say, UPSC CSE. Given your background, it is indeed possible to clear the exam even with 2 months of dedicated preparation. But if you can, no harm in starting your prep now itself when the notification is not yet out. The more time you have to prepare, the more you can revise and get exposure towards new concepts.
LikeLike
One more help plz
Which book should I studied after completing edutap FM notes and is Ramesh Singh enough for ESI for static
LikeLike
Hi Preety, I haven’t studied coaching notes, so won’t be able to comment on the first part. And no, only Ramesh Singh is not sufficient for ESI static. There are certain additional topics in the syllabus as well. Please refer to my ESI blog post and RBI syllabus for details.
LikeLike
Sir, I am pursuing Bcom(H) from Delhi University. This is my final year. I have also been preparing for banking exams. As the notification for next year is unpredictable, I request you to guide me from where should I prepare for the phase 2 especially ESI. Thank you in advance.
LikeLike
Hi Nishant, please refer to the ESI post under Phase II under Rbi Grade B header on this blog. I’ve explained everything in detail over there.
LikeLike
Hi sir, currently i am preparing for banking exams like ibps, rrb.In parallel i am also preparing for RBI(my main goal). i believe my quant, reasoning part is prepared enough to clear the cut off. I am preparing current affairs(from gradeup and adda247) just by reading and giving weekly quiz(on affairscloud). Is this approach ok? No doubt when the rbi notification is out i will switch to the magazine you suggested.
another question, for rbi like you said to read any newspaper regularly, but for how many previous months from the date of exam?
Thanks
LikeLike
Hi Aman, reading a newspaper should become a habit, irrespective of when the exam is conducted. Study of current affairs magazines can be done only for 5-6 months prior to the date of the exam, but newspaper reading is done keeping in mind overall knowledge and personality development. To answer the first part of your question, your approach seems ok. However, I would recommend covering all static portion of Phase 2 before notification is released.
LikeLike
Sir your way of explaining things is really amazing.
I am from engineering background and so i have no idea about finance and economics.I want to know for finance can i directly start from the NCFM module which you provided or should refer any other source first to clear basics?I will do rest from the sources you provided.
And for ESI can i directly go for Sriram ias notes ? will i be able to understand them directly or should i go for ncert first and Ramesh Singh? And how to read those indices and reports, i mean in what manner so as to direct focus for exam as it is very lenghty. And sir,will u please provide Economic Survey 2020 Vol 2 summary?
Thanks a lot in advance.
LikeLike
Hi Shalvi, thanks for the positive feedback. For Finance, you can start with NCFM and for concepts/terms that you are unable to understand from that book, you can refer to Investopedia and youtube videos where these terms would be explained through simple examples.
I haven’t studied Sriram IAS notes, but I believe they will cover all the basics as well. Try reading these. If unable to understand, you can refer to Mrunal’s free videos on economics. I wouldnt recommend NCERTs.
Indices and reports need not be studied in detail. Also, due to time constraints, I am not in a position to prepare ES 2020 Vol 2 summary.
LikeLike
Sir just now I have completed my degree….I’m finding difficulty in scoring good Marks in English section can u pls suggest me some suitable measures..pls sir
LikeLike
Sir i have one question,
For govt schemes in ESI Is it enough to just go through briefly like when and where schemes started OR do i need to read entire scheme word by word comprehensively detailed matter
Please answer this Sir 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks in Advance 🙂
LikeLike
Hello Sir,
Can you please guide regarding the reports and schemes section that needs to be covered and related source also.
LikeLike
Cover whatever is there in the current affairs magazine that you might be referring to. That should suffice.
LikeLike
Hi Sir,
How many months of CA should we cover for Phase 2 exam?
LikeLike
Hello Sir.
I have a fairly good handle on phase 1 syllabus as I have been preparing for PO and Clerk exams.
My question is about how to go ahead with phase 2 prep? how do I start? I have compiled some sources with help from you and people like you on the internet. Where do i go from here?
LikeLike
Thankyou so very much sir for ur help. I really wish god that u get all kinds of success in this world.
LikeLiked by 1 person