The RBI Grade B exam is considered one of the toughest bank exams in India, and the syllabus is a key reason why. Compared to other banking exams, it demands greater conceptual clarity and in-depth understanding across subjects like Economics, Finance, and Statistics. There are three distinct recruitment streams—General (DR), DEPR, and DSIM—and each has a unique syllabus.
The 2026 notification also brought new syllabus updates, so it's important to have the latest information as your foundation.
Know the Exam Pattern
Understanding the exam structure helps you grasp the syllabus better. The selection process has three stages:
- Phase 1 (Prelims): A screening test with objective-type questions. Marks are qualifying in nature and not counted in the final merit.
- Phase 2 (Mains): A mix of objective and descriptive questions. Marks from this phase and the interview determine final selection.
- Interview: A personality assessment carrying 75 marks.
|
Stream
|
Phase
1 Papers
|
Phase
2 Papers
|
|
General
(DR)
|
General
Awareness, Reasoning, English, Quantitative Aptitude
|
Paper‑I:
Economic & Social Issues (ESI) Paper‑II: English (Writing Skills) Paper‑III:
Finance & Management (FM)
|
|
DEPR
|
Paper‑I: Economics (Objective) Paper‑II: English
(Descriptive)
|
Paper‑I: Economics (Descriptive) Paper‑II: Economics
(Descriptive)
|
|
DSIM
|
Paper‑I:
Statistics (Objective)
|
Paper‑II:
Statistics (Descriptive) Paper‑III: English (Descriptive)
|
Phase 1 Syllabus: RBI Grade B General (DR)
Phase 1 is common for all General stream aspirants and tests fundamentals across four sections within a strict time frame.
|
Section
|
Questions
|
Marks
|
Duration
|
Key
Topics
|
|
General
Awareness
|
80
|
80
|
25 mins
|
Current
Affairs (last 6–8 months), Indian Financial/Banking Systems, RBI policies,
Monetary Plans, National Institutions, Banking Terms
|
|
Reasoning
|
60
|
60
|
45 mins
|
Puzzles & Seating Arrangement, Logical Reasoning,
Syllogism, Coding‑Decoding, Blood Relations, Direction & Distance, Data
Sufficiency
|
|
English
Language
|
30
|
30
|
25 mins
|
Reading
Comprehension, Cloze Test, Para Jumbles, Error Spotting, Fill in the Blanks,
Sentence Improvement
|
|
Quantitative Aptitude
|
30
|
30
|
25 mins
|
Data Interpretation, Simplification, Number Series, Ratio
& Proportion, Time & Work, Profit & Loss, Permutation &
Combination
|
Pro Tip: Topic-wise Weightage
In General Awareness, current affairs alone can fetch 50-55 marks, making it the most scoring section. In Reasoning, puzzles and seating arrangements hold the most weight (30-35 marks). For Quant, Data Interpretation and Arithmetic together contribute nearly 20-24 marks.
Phase 2 Syllabus: RBI Grade B General (DR)
This is the make-or-break stage. Phase 2 has three papers—ESI, English, and FM—that test both your objective knowledge and descriptive writing skills. The 2026 notification has introduced some important changes here.
Key Syllabus Updates for 2026
- ESI Paper: Higher weightage is now given to Sustainable Development, Social Sector Initiatives, and Environmental Issues.
- FM Paper: New topics like FinTech, Alternative Sources of Finance (PPP, Impact Investing), and Behavioral Finance have been formally added.
- Marking: The objective sections now have a mix of 1-mark and 2-mark questions.
This paper checks your awareness of the Indian and global economy and Indian society.
| Topic Area | Key Sub‑Topics |
| Growth and Development | National Income, Poverty Alleviation, Employment Generation, Sustainable Development, Environmental Issues |
| Indian Economy | Economic History of India, Industrial & Labour Policy, Monetary & Fiscal Policy reforms, Economic Survey & Union Budget, Agriculture & Services Sector |
| Globalization | Balance of Payments, IMF & World Bank, WTO, Regional Economic Cooperation |
| Social Structure in India | Multiculturalism, Demographic Trends, Urbanization, Migration, Gender Issues, Social Justice |
This descriptive paper tests your ability to structure thoughts and write coherently.
- Essay Writing: You will have to choose one topic from a set of options.
- Precis Writing: Summarizing a given passage in your own words.
- Reading Comprehension: Answering short descriptive questions based on a passage.
This is a vast paper that is split into two equal halves of 50 marks each.
(A) Finance: Topics include the Indian Financial System, Financial Markets, RBI functions, Monetary Policy, Inflation, and Risk Management. Special focus is needed on Unions Budget, Banking systems, and the newly added FinTech and Alternative Finance areas.
(B) Management: Topics include Fundamentals of Management, Leadership Theories, Motivation concepts, Organizational Behavior, Corporate Governance, Ethics, and Communication processes.
Specialist Streams Syllabus
The DEPR and DSIM streams have distinct, advanced-level syllabi based on Master's degree standards.
DEPR Syllabus
The standard is based on a Master's degree examination in Economics from any Central University. Phase 1 is an objective screening test, while Phase 2 is entirely descriptive.
|
Phase
|
Paper
|
Type
|
Key
Modules / Topics
|
|
Phase 1
|
Paper‑I:
Economics
|
Objective
|
Microeconomics,
Macroeconomics, International Economics, Public Finance, Quantitative
Methods, Current Developments in Indian Economy
|
|
Paper‑II: English
|
Descriptive
|
Writing skills, expression, and comprehension
|
|
|
Phase 2
|
Paper‑I:
Economics
|
Descriptive
|
Microeconomics: Consumer & Production
Theory, Market Structures, Welfare Economics. Macroeconomics: National
Income, Employment & Output, Inflation, Money & Banking, Growth
Theories
|
|
Paper‑II: Economics
|
Descriptive
|
Quantitative Methods: Mathematical &
Statistical methods, Econometrics, AI/ML basics. Indian Economy: Fiscal
& Monetary policy, Banking, External Sector, Sectoral Developments
|
DSIM Syllabus
Designed for statistics and data science post-graduates.
|
Phase
|
Paper
|
Type
|
Key
Modules / Topics
|
|
Phase 1
& 2
|
Paper‑I
& II
|
Objective
& Descriptive
|
Probability
& Distributions, Linear Models, Statistical Inference, Multivariate
Analysis, Stochastic Processes, Econometrics & Time Series, Data Science,
AI/ML Techniques
|
|
English Paper
|
Descriptive
|
Writing skills, expression, and comprehension, as with
other streams
|
