RBI Grade B exam is a highly competitive exam. Lakhs of student appear for this exam every year. As there are only 140-150 vacancies everyone, the competition is very high. A good strategy and a systematic study plan would help you ace this exam.
One has to clear 3 Phases to become a Grade B officer. Phase 1 which comprises of Quant, Reasoning, English and General Awareness. This is just a qualifying phase and one needs to get minimum marks to clear the cut off for reaching Phase 2. Marks of this phase doesn’t count. Thus, analyzing your weak areas in each section and working towards improving that would be the key here. Additionally focus on General Awareness section – this would help you in Phase 2 as well and could give you an important delta to clear this phase.
Coming to Phase 2- this is the most important phase as marks would be counted in your final selection. There are 3 sections in this Phase- ESI, F&M and Descriptive English.
A. Economic & Social Issue (ESI)
In this paper, one thing you must keep in mind is that this paper is not just about economics but also about Social Issues. Therefore, your preparation should be of optimum level. Keep in mind the following points.
1. First of all, go through the sample paper.
2. Read Economic Times and The Hindu on a regular basis.
3. Clear concepts of macroeconomics like national income, repo rate, bank rate, fiscal deficit, revenue deficit, budget, inflation, banking sector.
4. Read economics NCERT textbooks of class (X,XI,XII) for basic concepts of macroeconomics.
5. For social issues, the questions asked are of very generic nature. Read the social sector schemes, welfare programs, current affairs related to welfare schemes of at least last 6 months thoroughly.
You need to have a good grasp of the basic concepts and data related to macroeconomics. Also, refer to the FAQs section of the RBI website to brush the basic concepts like banking, currency, foreign exchange, securities market etc. Keep yourself updated with current affairs of last 6 months on these topics.
B. Descriptive English
Most of the topics given here are based on current events, so a considerable part of it gets covered while you prepare for current affairs. Important is while reading these events observe the writing style. Write on the trending topics yourself in the alloted time and get it checked by a mentor/teacher. Before you start writing, ensure that you spend some time to make an outline of the essay. It is recommended to write at least 3-4 essays in a week followed by an analysis.
C. Finance & Management
This section for some might be difficult because of its technical nature. Most of you will not have a background in finance and management, so this is the section you should work on the most.
Make sure you are aware of topics like Inflation, Banking Sector, Budget, Derivatives, Corporate, Governance, Portfolio investment. To cover regulatory and financial institutions like SIDBI, EXIM, NABARD etc. visit the official website and read the FAQs
Important topics from Management also needs to be prepared for. One needs to prepare thoroughly to ensure good score in this section. Tips For Preparing:
A. Previous years Question Papers
Have a look at the previous years’ papers. That is the best tool to understand the trend of the exam and to what extent questions have deviated from the given topics. You must prepare previous year question papers to know the exam pattern, difficulty level, topic-wise distribution of questions, marking scheme etc. Solving previous year question papers will build confidence in you and increase your question solving skills.
B. Mocks
Mock Tests plays an important role in RBI Grade B Preparation. You should attempt mock tests after completing the syllabus as it will fine tune your strategy and sharpen time management skills. Mock tests give you a simulation of the actual test and the analysis thereafter helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses. It also helps determine your speed & accuracy and help you improve on it. You also get your rank vis-a-vis other test-takers.
C. Time Management
Time management is one of the most important parts of exam preparation. This becomes more crucial in an exam like RBI Grade ‘B’ where you must large number of topics to prepare for.
Once you understand ‘What to prepare?’ it’s your turn to plan ‘How to prepare?’ Make a time-table with both short-term and long-term goals that would help you in timely RBI Grade B Preparation for the exam. Set realistic goals that you can achieve. Block your study hours during those times of the day when you think you are the most productive & can concentrate better and block more time for the more difficult subject.
D. Positivity
Belief’ is a very powerful tool. You must believe in yourself and your Preparation. Spend 10-15 minutes before going off to sleep to quickly recap all that you learnt throughout the day. A bit of physical activity and meditation helps to improve concentration.
Listen to everyone but find your own way. Take calculated risk, rely on your strengths, improvise when needed and give it your best shot!!
