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RBI Grade B notification 2026: phases, dates and eligibility
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The RBI Grade B (DR) General notification for Panel Year 2026, advertisement RBISB/DA/01/2026-27, was issued in April 2026, and applications ran from 29 April to 20 May 2026. It scheduled Phase I for 13 June 2026 and Phase II for 25 July 2026. That is a big change from the previous cycle, which was advertised in September 2025 with Phase II in December. We found no newer advertisement as of early October 2026, so there is nothing to apply for right now, and this page records how the 2026 cycle worked.
RBI Grade B 2026 at a glance
| Item | Panel Year 2026 |
|---|---|
| Conducting body | Reserve Bank of India Services Board (RBISB), Mumbai |
| Advertisement | RBISB/DA/01/2026-27 |
| Post | Officer in Grade B (DR) General (the advertisement also covers the DEPR and DSIM cadres) |
| Application period | 29 April to 20 May 2026 |
| Phase I | 13 June 2026 |
| Phase II | 25 July 2026 |
| Later stages | Personality Assessment (no marks), then Interview |
| Final merit | Phase II marks plus Interview marks. Phase I marks are not counted |
| Starting basic pay | ₹78,450 per month |
This page covers the General stream. DEPR (Economic and Policy Research) and DSIM (Statistics and Information Management) have their own papers and eligibility in the advertisement.
Why the calendar matters
The previous cycle, Panel Year 2025 (advertisement RBISB/DA/03/2025-26, dated 10 September 2025), had its Phase II on 6 December 2025 according to RBI's Panel Year 2025 result page. Panel Year 2026 moved the whole exercise to April through July. We do not predict when RBI will next advertise. If you are planning a year, do not assume a month; keep your preparation continuous and watch RBI's Opportunities website for the next advertisement.
Eligibility
| Requirement | Rule in the 2026 advertisement |
|---|---|
| Age | 21 to under 30 as on 1 April 2026 (born 2 April 1996 to 1 April 2005); M.Phil holders up to 32, Ph.D. holders up to 34 |
| Graduation route | At least 60% in aggregate (50% for SC/ST/PwBD) |
| Post-graduation route | At least 55% in aggregate (pass marks for SC/ST/PwBD) |
| Marks basis | Aggregate of all semesters or years. A CGPA conversion table is in the advertisement (6.75 is 60% and 6.25 is 55% when the university gives no rule) |
| Attempts | Six appearances in Phase I for General and EWS candidates. No limit for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD |
| Experience | None needed. The advertisement encourages candidates without prior experience |
Age relaxations: SC/ST 5 years, OBC 3 years, benchmark disabilities 10 years (General/EWS), 13 (OBC) and 15 (SC/ST), and ex-servicemen and commissioned officers 5 years. Officers with experience in scheduled commercial banks, public sector insurers, all-India financial institutions or RBI can claim up to 3 years, and the maximum age including experience is 33.
The marks rule is where many applicants slip. Banks like IBPS PO ask only for a degree; RBI Grade B asks for a percentage. Do the arithmetic on your mark sheets before you invest in the exam. Also note the attempt rule counts Phase I appearances only for General and EWS candidates, so skipping the exam on the day does not count against you, but sitting it does. The bank exam eligibility guide compares RBI with the other banks.
The phases
Phase I is one online objective paper of 200 marks and 120 minutes, with sectional timing, covering General Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. There is a sectional minimum and an aggregate cut-off. The advertisement does not give per-section question counts (those are in the information handout) and it does not state the negative marking. Check the handout for both, and be wary of any website that gives numbers without citing it.
Phase II is online, with all three papers compulsory and 300 marks in total.
| Paper | Format | Time | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I: Economic and Social Issues (ESI) | 30 objective questions (50 marks, 30 min) plus typed descriptive answers, 4 of 6 (50 marks, 90 min) | 120 min | 100 |
| Paper II: English (Writing Skills) | Descriptive, typed, 3 questions | 90 min | 100 |
| Paper III: Finance and Management (F&M) | 30 objective questions (50 marks, 30 min) plus typed descriptive answers, 4 of 6 (50 marks, 90 min) | 120 min | 100 |
Objective questions in Papers I and III carry 1 or 2 marks each. In the descriptive section, the answers are two of 15 marks and two of 10 marks, typed on a keyboard, and if you write more than four answers only the first four are evaluated. Hindi typing uses the Inscript or Remington (GAIL) layouts. All papers are bilingual (Hindi and English) except the English test.
Interview and final merit. The Personality Assessment carries no marks. The interview is for 75 marks and may be taken in Hindi or English. Final selection is based on Phase II plus the interview.
The syllabus headings for Papers I and III are in the advertisement. ESI includes growth and development, the Indian economy after 1991, Economic Survey and Budget, financial markets, public finance, globalisation (balance of payments, IMF, World Bank, WTO) and social structure. F&M includes the financial system, financial markets, risk management, derivatives, financial inclusion, corporate governance, accounting and ratio analysis, inflation, and management basics. See the RBI Grade B exam guide for how to prepare, and banking awareness for the base knowledge.
Pay
The starting basic is ₹78,450 a month, in the scale 78450-4050(9)-114900-EB-4050(2)-123000-4650(4)-141600 (16 years). The advertisement states initial gross emoluments, without house rent allowance, of about ₹1,54,936 a month. HRA is 15% of pay if no bank accommodation is provided, and NPS is mandatory. Treat the gross figure as RBI's own illustration for that cycle.
How to apply when the next advertisement is out
- Watch RBI's Opportunities website (opportunities.rbi.org.in) and rbi.org.in. RBI publishes the advertisement and the dates there.
- Check your marks against the percentage rule, and your age against the cut-off date.
- Apply online in the window, upload what the advertisement lists and pay the fee, which is in the advertisement.
- Download the call letter and the information handout. For how call letters work, see bank exam admit cards.
For the descriptive papers, practise typing as well as writing. The descriptive writing guide is a start, and the interview preparation guide helps with the last stage. The bank exams hub has the full list.
Preparing with PrepMatic
RBI Grade B rewards steady study across Quant, Reasoning, English and general awareness, plus a descriptive Phase II. PrepMatic's free assessment (about 15 questions, no timer) shows which of the objective subjects is weakest, and a plan is built from your exam date and daily hours. Mocks are objective only and can be full-length or custom, with negative marking, so use them for Phase I and the objective parts of Phase II. PrepMatic does not evaluate descriptive answers, so write and review those separately.
Frequently asked questions
When is the RBI Grade B 2027 notification?
RBI has not announced one. The 2026 advertisement came in April, while the previous one came in September 2025, so do not assume a month.
What marks do I need to apply for RBI Grade B?
You need at least 60% in graduation (50% for SC/ST/PwBD), or at least 55% in post-graduation (pass marks for SC/ST/PwBD), as an aggregate over all semesters or years.
How many attempts are allowed in RBI Grade B?
General and EWS candidates can appear in Phase I six times. SC/ST/OBC/PwBD candidates have no limit when posts are reserved for them.
Is Phase I counted in the final selection?
No. Phase I decides whether you reach Phase II. The final merit is Phase II marks plus the interview marks.
Can freshers apply for RBI Grade B?
Yes. The advertisement says RBI encourages candidates with no prior experience to apply.
Official sources
- RBI Services Board advertisement RBISB/DA/01/2026-27: eligibility, phases, syllabus headings and pay.
- RBI Opportunities: advertisements, handouts and results.
RBI can amend the schedule and rules, so confirm in the latest advertisement and handout.
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Start free assessment →Free forever plan · No credit card · 2-minute setupRelated guides
- RBI Grade B examRBI Grade B (DR) General exam guide: Phase I, the three Phase II papers (ESI, English writing, F&M), the 75-mark interview, eligibility, pay and how to prepare.
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- Banking awarenessBanking awareness for bank exams: where it appears, RBI tools (repo, CRR, SLR), NPAs, schemes and payments explained, plus a sourcing system to stay current.
- Descriptive writingDescriptive writing for bank exams: SBI PO's email, situation analysis, report or précis and IBPS PO's essay, with structures, outlines and typing practice.
- Bank PO interviewBank PO interview guide: IBPS and SBI marks and weightage, the Personality Test and Group Exercise, question themes, documents and a three-week plan.
- Bank exam resultsHow bank exam results, cut-offs, scorecards and final merit work for IBPS, SBI and RBI: shortlisting, sectional cut-offs, reserve lists and allotment.
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