Table of Contents
With the release of the official notification, RBI has commenced the RBI Grade B Officer Recruitment 2026 (Recruitment of Officers in Grade ‘B’ (Direct Recruit- DR) (On Probation-OP)- General/DEPR/DSIM Cadres – Panel Year 2026) process. This is the golden opportunity for Graduates/Postgraduates to join India’s apex banking institution.
The Reserve Bank of India is responsible for managing the country’s monetary policy and regulating banks. So, use this chance to join RBI by applying at https://opportunities.rbi.org.in/ before 20th May 2026.
RBI Grade B Notification 2026 Out
The notification has opened doors to individuals who are preparing for bank jobs. The starting gross salary is Rs. 1.54 lakh per month and selection will be done based on performance in 3 stages (Prelims, Mains, Interview). Read the official notification here to get in-depth information.
RBI Officer Exam 2026- Highlights
The RBI Grade B Exam is conducted annually at the national level. Candidates from all States and Union Territories can apply, provided they meet the required educational qualifications and fall within the age limit of 21 to 30 years. General category candidates are allowed a maximum of six attempts, so it is important to plan your preparation early and use each attempt wisely.
| Particular | Details |
| Organisation |
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
|
| Post |
Officers in Grade ‘B’ DR – General / DEPR / DSIM
|
| Total vacancies |
60 (General: 40, DEPR: 10, DSIM: 10)
|
| Exam level | National |
| Job location |
RBI offices across India
|
| Application Mode | online |
| Application dates |
29 April – 20 May 2026 (6 PM)
|
| Selection process |
Phase I (Prelims) → Phase II (Mains) → Interview
|
| Age limit |
21–30 years (as on 1 April 2026)
|
| Qualification (General) |
Graduation min. 60% or Post-graduation min. 55% (any discipline)
|
| Qualification (DEPR) |
Master’s in Economics or Finance, min. 55%
|
| Qualification (DSIM) |
Master’s in Statistics / Data Science / AI / ML or equivalent, min. 55%
|
| Number of attempts |
General: 6 · SC/ST/PwBD: No limit
|
| Probation period | 2 years |
| Exam frequency | Once a year |
| Official website |
www.rbi.org.in/www.opportunities.rbi.org.in
|
Post-wise Vacancy Details
| Post | GEN/UR | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | Total | PwBD A | PwBD C | PwBD D |
| Officers in Grade ‘B’ (DR) – General Cadre | 16 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 40 | – | 1 | 1 |
| Officers in Grade ‘B’ (DR) – DEPR Cadre | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | – | – | – |
| Officers in Grade ‘B’ (DR) – DSIM Cadre | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 10 | 1 | – | – |
| Total | 24 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 60 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Last 4 Years Vacancy Trend
The vacancy trend for RBI Grade B Recruitment has shown a continuous decline over the last five years. The highest number of vacancies was released in 2022, while 2026 has recorded the lowest vacancy count, indicating a steady decrease in available posts over the years.
- 2026: 60
- 2025: 120
- 2024: 94
- 2023: 291
- 2022: 294
With a lower number of vacancies, the competition is expected to be more intense and cut-off marks may rise. Eligible candidates should complete the application process and begin their preparation without delay.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
| Notification released | 28 April 2026 |
| Applications open | 29 April 2026 |
| Last date to Submit form | 20 May 2026 (6 PM) |
| Admit card (Phase I) | June 2026 |
| Phase I exam (General) | 13 June 2026 |
| Phase I exam (DEPR/DSIM) | 14 June 2026 |
| Phase II exam (General) | 25 July 2026 |
| Phase II exam (DEPR/DSIM) | 26 July 2026 |
The gap between Phase 1 and Phase 2 is approximately 6 weeks. This is not sufficient time to build Phase 2 from scratch; we strongly advise preparing both phases together from Day 1.
Application Process
The Online Form is now available on the official website of the Reserve Bank of India. Candidates must complete the process by registering, entering their personal and educational details, uploading the required documents (photograph, signature, and certificates), and paying the application fee within the deadline.
Applicants should carefully review all the information before final submission to avoid errors that could lead to rejection.
RBI Grade B Apply Online link – Click to Apply
RBI Grade B 2026 Eligibility Criteria
To become an RBI Grade B officer, the first step is to ensure eligibility for the post. Candidates should be Indian citizens within the age limit (21 to 30 years) and must possess the required qualification as discussed here.
Age Limit (As on 1/4/2026)
| Category | Age Limit |
|---|---|
| General /EWS | 21-30 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 21-33 years (+3 years) |
| SC / ST | 21-35 years (+5 years) |
| PwBD (General/EWS) | 21-40 years (+10 years) |
| PwBD (OBC) | 21-43 years (+13 years) |
| PwBD (SC/ST) | 21-45 years (+15 years) |
Qualification
| Stream |
Required Qualification
|
| General |
Graduation with 60% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD). Post-graduation with 55% marks (pass marks for reserved categories). CA/CS/ICWA also eligible.
|
| DEPR |
Master’s Degree in Economics/Finance (Quantitative/Financial/Mathematical Economics, etc.) with 55% marks
OR
MBA/PGDM (Finance) with 55% marks OR Master’s in Economics (any specialization) with 55% marks Candidates with teaching/research experience may get up to 3 years age relaxation. |
| DSIM | Master’s in Statistics / Mathematical Statistics / Econometrics / Mathematical Economics with 55% marks OR Master’s in Mathematics + 1-year PG Diploma in Statistics OR M.Stat from Indian Statistical Institute with 55% marks OR PGDBA (ISI Kolkata, IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta) with 55% marks. |
Number of Attempts
| Category |
Attempts Allowed
|
| General/EWS |
Maximum 6 attempts
|
| SC/ST/OBC/PwBD |
No limit (subject to upper age limit)
|
Nationality
Applicants must be either:
- A citizen of India, or
- A subject of Nepal/Bhutan, or
- A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1st January 1962, or
- A person of Indian origin who migrated from specified countries with the intention of permanently settling in India.
RBI Grade B Selection Process
The selection process consists of the following stages:
| Stage | Mode of Exam | Nature | Purpose |
| Phase I (Prelims) | Objective | Qualifying |
Shortlisting candidates for Phase II
|
| Phase II (Mains) | Objective + Descriptive | Merit-making |
Marks counted for final selection
|
| Interview | Interview (75 marks) + Psychometric Test + Document Verification | Interview: Merit-making Psychometric Test: Qualifying |
Final selection based on Phase II + Interview
|
RBI Grade B 2026 Exam Pattern
This section provides a detailed overview of the Exam Pattern, helping candidates understand the exam structure, number of questions, sectional distribution, and time duration.
Prelims Exam Pattern
- There will be a specific sectional duration, which will be mentioned in the admission letter.
- There will be four main sections.
|
Sections
|
No. of Questions
|
Marks
|
Duration
|
|
Reasoning Ability
|
60
|
60
|
45 Minutes
|
|
English
|
30
|
30
|
25 Minutes
|
|
Quantitative Aptitude
|
30
|
30
|
25 Minutes
|
|
General Knowledge
|
80
|
80
|
25 Minutes
|
|
Total
|
200
|
200
|
120 Minutes
|
The candidates who qualify for the Prelims will be eligible to appear for the Mains exam or Phase 2.
Mains Exam Pattern
- There are three separate papers in the main exam.
- For RBI Grade B Officers in Gr B (DR)- General, candidates have to appear for papers I, II, and III.
- Papers I & III are 50% Objective & 50 % descriptive, while Paper II is Descriptive only.
- Each paper will be worth 100 marks.
- The English paper is a descriptive test.
|
Paper
|
Format
|
Duration
|
Marks
|
|
Paper-I (Economic & Social Issues)
|
Objective
|
30 Minutes
|
50
|
|
Descriptive
|
90 Minutes
|
50
|
|
|
Paper-II English (Writing Skills) 3 Questions
|
Descriptive
|
90 Minutes
|
100
|
|
Paper III (Finance and Management)
|
Objective
|
30 Minutes
|
50
|
|
Descriptive
|
90 Minutes
|
50
|
Q. Does RBI release answer key for Phase 1 and Phase 2?
Ans. No, in the history of the RBI Grade B Exam, RBI has not released any official answer key for either Phase 1 or Phase 2. Soon after the exam is conducted, the Bank releases the results in PDF format within 20-25 days.
How Many Attempts Are Allowed in RBI Grade B?
|
Category
|
Number of Attempts
|
|
General
|
6 Attempts
|
|
SC/ST/PwD
|
No Limits
|
Interview
Candidates will be shortlisted for the interview based on the aggregate marks obtained in Papers I, II, and III of the Phase II exam. The interview process will carry 75 marks.
Candidates will be shortlisted for the interview based on the aggregate of marks obtained in Phase 2 (Paper 1 + Paper 2 + Paper 3).
A Psychometric test will be conducted before the interview, and it is only a qualifying. A final merit list will be prepared based on the Mains and Interview marks in the ratio 80:20.
For interview, candidates can opt from English or Hindi medium.
RBI Grade B 2026 Salary
The basic salary of a Grade B Officer starts at Rs 78,450, and the monthly gross salary is Rs 1,54,936 (without HRA in some cases).
Overall, the Grade B Manager payscale starts from Rs. 78,450 – 4,050(9) – 1,14,900 – EB – 4,050(2) – 1,23,000 – 4,650(4) – 1,41,600 (16 years), and yearly increments are provided.
Also, additional benefits like HRA (or leased accommodation), Dearness Allowance, medical facilities, education allowance, loans at concessional rates, pension, gratuity, and more. Annual CTC can reach Rs. 34+ lakhs in metro cities.
2 Year Probation Period After Selection
The Grade B Officer role is not only well-paying but also highly engaging and responsible. Once selected, candidates undergo a two-year probation period, during which their performance and suitability for the role are evaluated. Below are some of the key responsibilities carried out by a Grade B Officer.
RBI Grade B 2026 Exam Centres
The details of the RBI Grade B Exam Centres 2026 are provided below. The Reserve Bank of India will conduct the Prelims and Mains exam at the specified centres listed in the table.
| State/UT |
NCR (Exam) Centre for Prelims
|
| Andaman & Nicobar (UT) | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh |
Guntur/Vijayawada, Kakinada, Tirupathi, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Eluru, Ongole, Srikakulam
|
| Arunachal Pradesh | Naharlagun |
| Assam |
Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur
|
| Bihar |
Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Gaya, Purnea
|
| Chandigarh (UT) |
Mohali (SAS Nagar)
|
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur, Bhilai |
| Delhi | Delhi/NCR |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat |
Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar, Anand/Vadodara, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat/Bardoli
|
| Haryana |
Ambala, Kurukshetra, Faridabad, Gurugram
|
| Himachal Pradesh |
Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Kangra
|
| Jammu & Kashmir (UT) |
Jammu, Srinagar, Samba
|
| Jharkhand |
Bokaro Steel City, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi
|
| Karnataka |
Bengaluru, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Hubballi (Hubli)/Dharwad, Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Udupi, Davanagere
|
| Kerala |
Kannur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam
|
| Ladakh (UT) | Leh, Kargil |
| Madhya Pradesh |
Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Ujjain, Satna
|
| Maharashtra |
Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai/Navi Mumbai/Thane/MMR, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Akola, Jalna, Chandrapur, Solapur, Dhule, Nanded, Latur, Beed, Parbhani, Ahilyanagar
|
| Manipur |
Imphal, Kakching, Churachandpur
|
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima, Dimapur |
| Odisha |
Balasore, Berhampur (Ganjam), Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Baripada
|
| Puducherry (UT) | Puducherry |
| Punjab |
Amritsar, Bathinda, Patiala, Moga, Phagwara
|
| Rajasthan |
Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Sikar
|
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu |
Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Salem, Namakkal, Thiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Thanjavur, Vellore, Nagercoil/Kanyakumari, Viluppuram, Cuddalore, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirupur
|
| Telangana |
Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Mehbubnagar, Nizamabad, Khammam
|
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh |
Agra, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida & Greater Noida
|
| Uttarakhand |
Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee
|
| West Bengal |
Asansol, Kolkata, Kalyani, Siliguri, Burdwan, Durgapur, Hooghly, Howrah
|
|
Uttarakhand
|
Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee City
|
|
West Bengal
|
Asansol, Kolkata, Greater Kolkata, Kalyani, Siliguri
|
The exam centre for Mains and Interview are few as compared to the Prelims exam.
|
RBI Grade B Mains Exam Centre
|
|
|
Ahmedabad – Gandhinagar
|
Jammu
|
|
Bengaluru
|
Kanpur
|
|
Bhopal
|
Kochi
|
|
Bhubaneswar
|
Lucknow
|
|
Kolkata
|
Mumbai – Navi Mumbai
|
|
Chandigarh – Mohali
|
Nagpur
|
|
Chennai
|
New Delhi – NCR
|
|
Guwahati
|
Patna
|
|
Hyderabad
|
Pune
|
|
Jaipur
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
Raipur
|
|
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