RVI

Kehta
Hai
Samajhdar Rahiye
Grade B Baniye

Aman Jain
 Why this Book..?
I have written this book because we can find strategies all
around internet regarding RBI Grade B, but very few
people provides the story which everyone has. So it is an
effort to provide the same through a story.

In the end chapter of the book, I have provided my sources

and notes. So also go through them and they are editable so
you can update them as well.

Dedicated to Everyone,
who has helped me to clear this prestigious
exam
RBI Grade B
 Contents

From Brilliance to Baggages ........................................ 1

Chapter-1: From Brilliance to Baggages ...................... 2
Chapter-2: The Hustle Begins....................................... 8
Chapter-3 Gaining Control: ........................................ 13
Chapter-4: The Heartbreak ......................................... 20
Chapter-5: The Main Part: Mastering Phase-2 ........... 26
Chapter-6: Inside-Out ................................................. 32
Chapter-7: Final Showdown ....................................... 38
Chapter-8: The Success Story ..................................... 47
 Chapter-One

From Brilliance to

Baggages

1
 Chapter-1: From

Brilliance to Baggages

The winning prize in the state-level GK competition goes to

Ravi. He was very elated, not just because he was chosen
among 40 members, who were some of the best minds in the
state, but also because of the prize that he got, which was a
brand new microwave oven, which he keenly wanted to gift
his mother.

So the major question is: Who is Ravi? RaVI is a brilliant

young mind who hails from a small village named Sherpur.
Since childhood, he has showcased exceptional intelligence
both academically and spiritually.

Currently, he was in 10th grade, and he started to envision

various things, like, "I will get a 10 CGPA in my 10th grade,
and one day I will reach a great position in the administrative
field like IAS." He started to complete his dream and hustled
day and night to fulfil it.

2
The result day came, and he became the topper of the class
and got 10 CGPA grade points. He said to his very close
friend Abhijit, See Abhijit, I told you na that I would achieve
a full grade in my class, and I did it.

But soon, he was puzzled about which subject he should go

for in his 11th and 12th grades. He was looking for some arts
subjects, but he contacted his cousin, who was working for
an IT company and was earning well. So she said, Ravi, you
are brilliant, so why don't you prepare for the IIT-JEE exam,
get into a good college, get the tag of IIT, and then prepare
for whatever exams you want to follow?

3
This is the age where you just need to feed something into
the mind of a child, and he will start to follow it without even
thinking about whether I really need it.

So Ravi was also filled with the dream of cracking the

engineering entrance exam. With dreams of IIT and a
promising future, Ravi left the comforting cocoon of his
hometown to venture into the bustling city of Kota.
Enthusiastically, he joined a coaching institute renowned for
shaping young minds into future engineers. The initial days
were filled with hope and determination as he embraced the
challenging curriculum. But soon he was left alone in his
vision, where he had not seen such extraordinary students
who were also the same and even better than him. Soon, his
marks in the monthly tests started to drop.

Overwhelmed by a sense of failure and a fear of

disappointing his family, Ravi spiralled into a dark abyss.
The shadows of depression cast long and heavy shadows
over him. In the darkest moments, he contemplated the
unthinkable—an escape from the pressures and the pain. He
started to indulge in wrongful activities like watching vulgar
movies and smoking. He started to go to the coaching in the
morning and indulged in these activities after coming back.

But how will the family, government, and society would ever
understand that they are ruining the demographic dividend of
this country into a demographic disaster because the youth is
indulged in some unthinkable activities and nobody is taking
strong action? The family is wrong, because they are
overloading their children with big aspirations but with no
path, and when in reality he feels that he is failing, he is left
with nothing but these wrong activities. Also, the
government at one side is talking about youth power but not
talking about what would happen when the youth loses their

4
internal and external power, in one form they are losing their
vital energy, and in another, their physical.

Oh, sorry, I forgot that the government of the nation is

blinded in its own work and can do nothing to curb the
vulgarism among the youth; they can't even ban the vulgar
keywords and foreign websites because, first, they do not
have the intention, and second, society's intellectuals will not
allow it because it will curb their so-called favourite
fundamental right, which is the right to Privacy. So now the
time has come to amend our constitution and identify the
priorities of the fundamental right, whether the right to life
(of youth) is important or the right to privacy (to access
vulgarism) is important.

So finally, the time for examination came, and Ravi failed

miserably. He was so frightened that he even didn't attempt
the JEE-Advance exam. A failed attempt at suicide brought
him back from the brink, but the scars on his soul ran deep.

Returning to Sherpur, Ravi confronted the wreckage of his

dreams. He was not able to show his face to his friends,
family, and relatives. His body has become so weak; the
lustre has gone now. Now he has left with almost nothing—
no skills, no spiritual activities, and no activities. The only
thing that was still with him were his bad habits, which his
family members are still not able to understand.

He called his friend Abhijit and asked him what he can do

now to overcome this situation. Even coming from a village,
and completing his schooling from Sherpur, Abhijit also
aspires to become a civil servant. So he said Ravi that you
said me that you want to reach a high position in the
administrative field so why don't you pursue that. Ravi said
that I do not have much resilience now to reach to that height,
it seems almost impossible for me. He asked Abhijit which
5
exams have limited syllabus, a good respect, and a faster
recruitment cycle. The answer comes so obvious to Abhijit
that these exams are none other than Banking and Insurance
exams. After pondering, Ravi asked him again, see Abhijit, I
want to reach to the apex height in the banking sector, is there
any exam through which I can do so? The answer came -
"RBI Grade B."

It was in this despair that the seed of redemption was sown.

The world had cast him aside, but Ravi was not ready to give
up on himself. It was in the quiet solitude of his hometown
that he found the strength to rebuild. He said to himself that
I have reached from Brilliance to Baggages but now it is my
duty that I need to revert it back.

6
Chapter-Two

7
 Chapter-2:

The Hustle Begins

As Ravi stood at the crossroads of his life, he gazed at the

daunting challenge ahead—the RBI Grade B exam. The
transition from a science-oriented background to the
banking industry was not simply a professional shift, but
rather a revitalization of his ambitions. But the first
challenge before him is to complete his graduation in any
subject so that he can complete his graduation with more
than 60% marks to become eligible for the RBI exam.

8
Ravi doesn't want to go out now and wants to stay with his
family and bring his life and confidence back on track. So
Ravi selected his hometown college and Bachelor of
Computer Application as his subjects because there were
only two students who had taken BCA in his college, so he
thought I would not get distracted and could focus on my
goal in a much better way. Now again, many people have
said that Ravi, instead of joining a local college, you should
go for a drop-year and prepare again for JEE, or you can
also join an IPMAT-like course so that you can join IIM
just after the 12th, but this time Ravi rejected all their
opinions and went on with his decision to crack the RBI
exam.

Even one of his friends who did not want him to succeed in
life said, Hey Ravi, do you know that you are talking about
cracking the exam where only 0.13% of candidates
succeed? Additionally, Ravi, your pursuit may not have the
same prestige as that of other aspiring students due to the
absence of prestigious IIT and IIM labels. Your fellow
aspirants may hold these tags, but you do not. So it will be
better that you do not get into these exams and instead
handle your father's Kirana shop. That will be better for
you.

Abhijit came in between. Come, Ravi, let's go from here.

He is a negative person, so it is better to avoid him. Okay.
But later on, Ravi said, Abhijit, how will I fight in this
exam? I do not have enough confidence and I do not have
any good background to clear this exam, so how am I going
to crack it?

Abhijit said I believe in you, my friend. You will find a way

to clear this exam; just spend some days with yourself and
9
understand what the exam demands. Ravi said, Right, I will
do the same.

Now, he has started the exam preparation. The first thing he

decided was that I would not take any paid coaching as I
had time, so I could hunt for my sources and develop my
own strategy, and I could also show my worth to everyone
and the candidates by showing that even though they do not
have a sufficient amount of money, background, or
expertise, still they can crack this exam. With this
unwavering determination, he embarked on a journey to
understand the intricacies of the exam and prepare for
success.

Understanding the Exam's Demand:

Ravi began by immersing himself in the world of RBI

Grade B. First, he began by looking into the syllabus for
Phases 1 and 2. He started thinking that if I prepared for all
the banking exams, my Phase 1 would be sorted, and had I
prepared for UPSC, I would only have to study for one
subject in RBI, which is GS-3. So the exam is doable.

But why are so many candidates fearful then? Then he went

on the internet to look for the figures for the total number of
candidates appearing in the exam. And he got to know that
if 2 lakh candidates have registered for this exam, only 1.5
lakh students appear, so what happened to those 50
thousand students? He gets his answer that it is the "lack of
why." The students feel that they want to crack the exam,
not with the motive of getting into the job, but they are just
thinking of taking the exams because of the salary and
benefits that the job will provide, and they are just building
a castle in the air and are underprepared, which made them
feel even less prepared to appear for the exam. Ravi feels so
connected because he has also faced the same situation
10
during his JEE-Advance exam, where he also did not
appear.

Distraction-Free World:

He also thought that what has caused my downfall and is

causing for many in the current era. It is a distraction, and
for a teenager, this distraction comes mostly from the
improper use of the Internet and social media. So he
removed all the social media apps, apart from WhatsApp
and Telegram. He downloaded a browser named Kiwi so
that he could add various extensions to his phone rather
than the applications. Also, he used various blockers so that
he would not fall again into the trap where he was trapped
earlier. Even for the most useful app, "YouTube," he has
removed the app and watched videos only in the browser,
removing the thumbnail so that he does not fall into the
loop of binge-watching. But till now, the main question has
been: was he able to live his life in this way? The answer is
yes, because he was away from the mental drain of energy
that gets sucked through social media apps, and now he can
connect with real-life people in his college. Also, he
minimised maximum settings in WhatsApp and Telegram
so that he could only read and answer important messages.

11
SWOT Analysis:

He then went on to understand that I do not have any

previous background in mathematics, reasoning, or english.
While I previously excelled in my studies, the last two years
have significantly impacted my knowledge and confidence.
As a result, I must begin anew. So he started looking for
various previous year question papers of all the banking
exams over the internet.

He gave the first mock of the SBI Clerk Prelims and scored
35/100. He knew that this was his lowest score and now he
has to move up from here and this is how his hustle for the
exam begins.
12
 C hapter-Three

Chapter-3:

Gaining control

13
As Ravi ventured into the world of RBI Grade B
preparation, he quickly realised that gaining control over his
plans was crucial for success. With a strategic mindset, he
divided his journey into six attempts, each lasting for three
months. This meticulous planning laid the foundation for
his path to success.

For a fresher, there is an ample amount of time, and the

candidate can get distracted. For a working candidate, he
has to use every single minute to crack the exam. So Ravi,
being a fresher, has taken three months for each attempt so
that he can reach his goal. A working aspirant can increase
or decrease his range of months and sources of preparation
based on their background knowledge and hold over the
exam.

First Attempt: Laying the Foundation

In the initial phase, Ravi's focus was on building a strong

foundation. He dedicated time to research and collecting
quality materials, videos, and strategies that are available
for free over the internet.

Ravi initially adopted a fundamental approach to Quants,

where his focus was on comprehensively covering all
essential concepts through YouTube. He diligently followed
lectures by different instructors, selecting those whose
methods he could grasp easily. As he gained hands-on
experience and analysed the previous-year questions, he
realised the relevance of practicing with actual exam-style
questions. He started to learn even the most basic
calculations through techniques like Vedic math and a
faster-solving approach to every question. After covering
videos, he simultaneously started preparing notes for every
chapter. He began the process of note-taking using the
"Zoho Notebook" app, ensuring that he had a personalised
14
repository of key concepts and strategies. Then, after
covering the basics, he went on to look for various tricks,
tips, and formulas to solve the questions.

For reasoning too, he went through the same strategy as that

of Quants. Collecting sources, covering basic concepts
through videos, forming notes, and finding the best ways to
get to the solution in the minimum amount of time.

English was a subject that Ravi feared the most, not because
he didn't know it, but because scoring and knowing are
different in a competitive exam. The first thing he did was
to prepare notes for grammar and follow various YouTube
channels like YET, Meritshine, etc. Also, for vocabulary, he
started to follow the RAMSIR method of Ratnabha Sir so
that he could understand the in-depth meaning of a word
and its root. And for comprehension, he was lacking a bit
now because he wanted to become well versed in the
concepts first.

At the end of the first attempt, Ravi took a mock test,

mirroring the difficulty level of the SBI Clerk exam. He
scored an average of 54 marks out of 100 consistently, so he
saw an improvement of 19 marks from the beginning.
While this progress was commendable, Ravi knew he had to
push himself further. He recognised the need to focus on
high-level exams' mocks like the IBPS PO and SBI PO in
his next attempt.

Second Attempt: Rising to Preliminary Challenges

With the lessons learned from the first attempt, Ravi

embarked on his second endeavour with renewed vigour.
His primary focus shifted towards solving questions from
random YouTube channels to various banking exam books.
Day and night, he toiled over problems, covering playlists
15
of certain topics from YouTube to strengthen his
understanding.

To stay motivated throughout the gruelling preparation,

Ravi discovered the "Hum Jeetenge" YouTube channel. The
channel's inspirational content became a beacon during
moments of self-doubt, reminding him of the larger goal he
was working towards.

Then he went for sectional mocks, solved a number of

questions, and filled various notebooks. So in the first two
attempts, that is, the time span of six months, he was able to
cover basic concepts and notes for every topic.

Daily Schedule:

Balancing his aspirations with the demands of his BCA

degree wasn't easy. Ravi crafted a meticulous daily
schedule, carving out dedicated hours for both academics
and RBI Grade B preparation.

He used the Blocos app to divide his time into blocks of 10

minutes; this helped him manage the time efficiently. Time
and again, he made improvements and changes to his plans
as and when required.

His days began early, often before the sun cast its first light.
He started to wake up at 4 o'clock. The morning hours were
devoted to covering basic concepts and solving questions,
and then by 7 a.m. he finishes his first round, completes his
basic chores, and starts another study session by 8 a.m. by
having a prelims mock until 9 a.m.

After that, he leaves for college lectures and coursework.

The afternoons, evenings, and late nights were reserved for
intense preparation. Whereas in the afternoon, he prepared
16
notes (for working aspirants, of course there is no note
preparation; they can follow any course), in the evening, he
analyses the mock, improves the ways of attempting the
question, see the questions and analyse why they went
wrong, and before sleeping, he forms the next day's to-do
list and also watches some videos, plays some games, or
talks to his parents.

Consistency Amidst Challenges:

Despite the rigorous schedule, challenges were inevitable.

There were moments of exhaustion, self-doubt, and
pressure to conform to societal expectations. Yet Ravi
remained resolute. He drew strength from his conviction
that consistency was the key to success. Every setback
fueled his determination to push forward, and every doubt
only strengthened his resolve.

17
By the end of the second attempt, Ravi felt confident in
handling the prelims phase of almost all the banking exams.
This marked a significant milestone in his preparation
journey. However, he realised that the journey to success
involved more than just clearing prelims; he needed to
prepare for the challenges that awaited in the mains.

As Ravi started to gain control over his plans and hone his
skills, the narrative of his journey can continue to inspire
aspirants and underscore the significance of adaptability
and continuous improvement in the pursuit of success. But
there is a catch.

18
Chapter–four

19
 Chapter-4:

The Heartbreak

In the successful phase of Ravi's life, a chapter unfolded

that would prove to be a defining moment — an inciting
20
incident that tested not just his academic mettle but also the
resilience of his spirit. It began with a feeling he had seldom
explored amidst the pages of textbooks — love.

Ravi, the studious aspirant immersed in the world of RBI

Grade B preparation, found his heart following to a
different rhythm. Love, however, proved to be an
unexpected curveball, because the girl who captured his
heart did not reciprocate his feelings. The rejection which is
a novel experience for the dedicated student has shattered
the walls of his emotional aspect.

For a man who had devoted his time to the pursuit of

excellence, the emotional setback hit harder than expected.
The rejection played on the insecurities he harboured about
his appearance and physique.

As Ravi grappled with the weight of heartbreak, his studies

suffered the greatest impact. Overwhelmed and
disheartened, he turned to unhealthy habits and gave in to
the same darkness he had once battled. Doubtful taunts and
the lingering wounds of unfulfilled love echoed in the hush
of his study room.

21
In his third attempt, the consequences of this emotional
turmoil manifested in his mock test scores. The once-
promising aspirant, who was supposed to be preparing for
the mains, found himself grappling with a decline in
performance.

It was in this period of despair that Ravi confronted his own

vulnerabilities but the girl who had rejected his proposal
unknowingly became the catalyst for a self-discovery
journey. Ravi thought that now he has to definitely become
an RBI Grade B Officer. So he accustomed to finding
solace in the realm of academics, found himself that it is not
the love, but first he has to build his career and the love will
follow.

22
Fourth Attempt: Resilience and Redemption

The turning point arrived when Ravi, amidst the wreckage

of his third attempt, recognized his mistakes. With a
newfound understanding of the delicate balance between
personal and academic pursuits, he embarked on his fourth
attempt with a determination to reclaim control.

Recognizing the need to prepare for the challenging phase-2

part of RBI, incorporating General Awareness, and elevate
his QRE skills to mains level, Ravi refocused on his goals.
He understood the importance of advancing his skills and
raising the bar. With a renewed spirit, he sought inspiration
from advanced teachers on YouTube, expanding his study
materials and delving into complex problem sets and
advanced concepts.

For Quants Mains preparation, he followed Harshal

Agrawal sir on YouTube and various other teachers who are
teaching mains level content. Now he also started to
develop mock attempting strategy that find easy and doable
questions in the mock like Simplification (if any), Quadratic
Equations, Number Series, Miscellaneous, and Data
Interpretation. He implemented these strategies in the mock
tests, and adjusted according to his strengths and
weaknesses.

For Reasoning Mains preparation, he followed critical

reasoning playlist of Smartkeeda and also other playlists
that are available. For puzzles and seating arrangements, he
had form basic notes and then tried to attempt every
question with a timer if doing by book and also solving
various questions from YouTube too. He has also made one
statement for puzzles and seating arrangement that "Extract
all the statements from the question, and remember ek bhi
statement chodhna paap hai, after that just connect the dots,
23
and with time your speed will increase." For miscellaneous
too, he has followed even basic YouTube channels like
Banker's Point, then move on to advance level teachers. In
mock attempting strategy, first he solves all the
miscellaneous problems, then move on to critical reasoning,
and if time permits then puzzles and seating arrangements.

For English Mains preparation, he followed all the basic

points that he has been following for Quants and Reasoning,
like following the right teachers and sources. Also, he
started making vocab words mnemonics on Word Ninja
app, followed various editorials and comprehension
techniques like scanning every word of editorial. Till now
he didn't read any novels or newspapers because he thought
instead of reading these I should read articles which are
relevant for my exam syllabus of both phase 1 and 2 from
Google news. He started solving various new types of
questions that are being asked in english and attempted
numerous mocks. At last, he followed the mock attempting
strategy that I need to first solve miscellaneous english
questions (like Match the column, cloze test, etc.), then
error detection, RC, and at last parajumbles.

With this he was sorted for various banking exams mains.

Now comes the General Awareness. So he started watching
Ashish Gautam sir's lecture on YouTube daily. He also
started to make GK notes of static part and banking
awareness from his third attempt itself. He started watching
Sushmita Tripathi mam's banking awareness lectures.

This transition from prelims to mains preparation marked a

crucial phase in Ravi's journey. The pain of heartbreak and
the detour into bad habits had sculpted a more resilient and
self-aware aspirant. The multifaceted approach to conquer
the diverse challenges presented by the RBI Grade B exam
became not just a strategy but a metaphor for Ravi's life.
24
C h a p t e r –F i v e

25
 Chapter-5:

The Main Part -

Mastering Phase-2

Ravi is now well versed in Phase 1; now he just has to give

mocks and analyse them. Now it is time for Phase 2, the
major hurdle, for a variety of reasons. First, its marks will
actually be counted in the selection, as Phase 1 is just
qualifying. Second, he has never studied subjects like ESI,
finance, and management. Third, his descriptive English
was also not that good.

26
So, he started by looking at the syllabus of ESI and FM. He
also looked for what types of questions were being asked.
He said, Okay, they are asking for schemes, reports, some
static parts of the syllabus, current affairs, and descriptive.
He said, “Let me create my strategy for these one by one.”

Economic and Social Issues:

He started building notes in the Zoho Notebook app right

from the start of the chapter. With his notes, he also
incorporated various images, the lecture's screenshots, links
to various websites, burning issues, and MCQ links on the
web.

Government Schemes

After forming the notes, he went on to cover the

government schemes part with the help of video lectures by
Manish sir of Anuj Jindal on YouTube. Also, he made his
own strategy: he took a compilation of schemes from any
IAS coaching and added the "YPMG" section under it.

What is this YPMG?

Actually, it is Ravi's fun way of cursing the PM that Y our

PM G is launching so many schemes, which become very
difficult to remember for us, as aspirants.

Y = YouTube

P = PIB

M = MCQ

G = Google

27
So he added the links of the schemes with their names and
these platforms’ link just below that compilation. So that he
can update the schemes and have comprehensive coverage
of the schemes.

PIB

Another major challenge in ESI is PIB, so again, Ravi used

PIB 247 lectures and PDFs. Again, he went to the PIB
website daily and copied and pasted notes for every
important news item as per the syllabus of Phase 2, but after
1 month, he realised that he had made the notes in Onenote
but did not have the time to revise, and after all, he had to
cover around 5–6 months of PIB. So thankfully, he changed
his strategy; he said, "I will use a compilation of PIB like
Brajesh Mohan's PIB or LegacyIAS's PIB notes," then he
went to some telegram channels that were providing
important PIB articles of the day, and simultaneously, he
also went to the PIB website just to glance over the news
and copy important points or figures in a separate folder of
articles that had been left out; in this way, he was better
able to retain.

For ESI current affairs, he has saved the topics of the

syllabus by their names in Google News so that he can get
important articles related to that topic. Also, he used
AffairsCloud deeply whenever there was any important
news related to the syllabus, like news related to rankings,
reports, international organisations, social issues, banking,
and insurance.

Finance and Management:

Finance:

28
For Finance and ESI, he followed various YouTube
channels to understand the concepts, like Affairsmind and
Mrunal Sir's videos. Also, for any topic that he wanted to
understand more, he extensively used YouTube and
Google.

For finance current affairs, he followed RBI 247 of Anuj

Jindal and Edutap's Finance Current Affairs. Also, he had
covered the RBI website and searched for articles on the
internet to get the crux of the new regulations of the RBI.

Covered the budget and economic survey summary from

various IAS coaching institutes and solved MCQs from
YouTube and Google.

Management:

For management, he followed Amit Lal Sir's videos and the

Journey to Success channel's management videos. He made
notes for every chapter. Then he revised various theories
multiple times. He also made mnemonics so as to remember
the details of so many theories.

Descriptive:

But after covering so many things, one thing he lacked was

that now descriptive has also been added, so Ravi didn't
have a computer to practice, so he followed the mantra that
if one has dedication, one does not need any means but
creates it.

He bought a keyboard and mouse, connected them to his

smartphone, and started typing answers. He proceeds
syllabus-wise for both ESI and FM. This exercise helped
him revise his notes. He also created a mental image of all
the chapters so that he could retain the basic summary of all
29
the chapters. Ravi also joined Amit Lal's descriptive
programme to get a hold of descriptive writing.

Descriptive English:

"The things that are most important in our lives get ignored
if we take them for granted, for instance, our life itself."

Ravi has covered everything and put in all the efforts to

crack the exam, but one key pillar that he has ignored till
now has been descriptive English. As soon as he realised

30
this mistake in his fifth attempt, he started to chalk out a
strategy for the same.

He understood all the basics of precision, comprehension,

and essays from YouTube. Then, straight away, he started
writing descriptive English mocks weekly with a timer. In
the beginning, he was not able to complete the mock in
time. So he started taking a social issue article daily and
wrote a precis of the article and compared a perfect precis
of that article with the help of ChatGPT, and then he formed
five comprehension questions from that passage with the
help of AI, wrote his own answers, and compared the
answers of himself with the answers of ChatGPT.

He also gave a prompt to score his complete mock as the

marks that were being allotted to each question in
descriptive English.

With each passing day, Ravi's confidence in mastering

Phase 2 grew. The meticulous preparation, the immersive
study of ESI, finance, and management, and the honing of
his descriptive writing skills paved the way for a more well-
rounded aspirant, and this is how he completed the main
part of his journey.

31
 C h a p t e r –Six

Chapter-6:

Inside-Out

The final showdown had arrived for Ravi as he prepared to

face the culmination of his arduous journey—the RBI

32
Grade B examination. Little did he know that this last
stretch would be a test not just of his academic prowess but
also of his resilience and adaptability.

Phase 1: The Unexpected Challenge:

Ravi was prepared for Phase 1 but he encountered an

unexpected challenge. A mishap on his way to the
examination centre resulted in a minor accident. The
bustling traffic, the anxiety of reaching on time, and the
unpredictability of life had manifested in a moment that
threatened to derail his carefully laid plans.

However, the mock tests had prepared him for situations

like these. Instead of succumbing to panic, Ravi remained
calm. He navigated through the chaos, ensuring he reached
the examination centre with a composed mind.

He followed his mock attempting strategy even in the actual

mock that he will find easy questions in quants, he will do
miscellaneous questions first, in English he was not able to
follow his strategy and attempted almost all questions, and
in GA, he attempted the known questions first and
completed the other questions in second iteration.

Finally, he completed the exam well. After successfully

navigating the hurdles of Phase 1, Ravi had a month before
the Phase 2 examinations. There was no time to waste, and
he delved into an intense period of consolidation and
revision. The vast array of materials he had meticulously
curated over the months became his arsenal, and he
meticulously reviewed each topic, ensuring no stone was
left unturned.

However, the anticipation of facing the real examination,

coupled with the pressure of not having attempted it before,
33
weighed heavily on Ravi. The fear of the unknown led to an
unexpected turn of events—he was diagnosed with high
fever. The stress, coupled with the physical toll of his
relentless preparation, had taken a toll on his health.

Turning Point:

Within no time, he went to the doctor and was treated as

soon as possible. Then comes a turning point. Amidst the
hustle, Ravi got a chance to encounter a seasoned insurer,
who works as an LIC AAO, Aviral, who had attempted the
RBI Grade B exam multiple times and was also giving the
exam this time. This was a pivotal moment. The
experienced aspirant shared insights, strategies, and the
realities of the competitive landscape. Instead of
demoralising Ravi, this encounter fueled his determination.
He realised that, while experience was an advantage, his
fresh perspective and adaptability could be equally
powerful assets.

Finally, he gave Phase 2. The first paper was on finance and

management. The objective paper went well, but in the
descriptive paper, his keyboard was not working properly,
so his two minutes got wasted, but the invigilator got it
changed quickly. After the break, it was ESI; his eyes were
burning and his hands were shaking, but still, there was a
madness to clear the exam, so he completed the ESI paper.
Then came the descriptive English without a break, so first
he wrote precis and comprehension, then selected a doable
topic of essay among 4-5 topics and completed the paper.

But just after completing the paper, he came outside, and

the students were talking that the answer to that question
will be that, and Ravi felt that he had marked the wrong
answer. This created a self-doubt in his mind, and he called
his mentor-aspirant Aviral and said that he is not going to
34
clear this exam. But he said that have faith in yourself, your
efforts, and your preparation. I am also getting the same
feeling, but remember, "Perfection doesn't exist in the real
world," and we just have to perform above average in every
aspect to clear this exam. This helped Ravi to calm down.

Inside-Out:

Again, Ravi didn't waste any time thinking about what

would happen with his result, although this thought came
into his mind over 50 times a day. Also, now he has a friend
to prepare for the final stage of the preparation, which is the
interview.

35
So he called his veteran friend Aviral, and they devised a
strategy for how they will proceed further to prepare for the
interview. So they chalked up a strategy that, first of all,
they will prepare a basic outline of what they need to cover
for an interview on the "Notion" app.

The anticipation of the Phase 2 results added another layer

of suspense to Ravi's journey. In between, the results came,
and it came as a surprise to both Ravi and Aviral that they
both had cleared Phase 2. This moment provided them with
even more confidence.

So they have made 8–10 segments in that app. The first

section was Biodata, which contained all the questions that
could be asked from the biodata form that they had filled
out after the Phase-2 results. They took the help of
ChatGPTto form all the relevant questions that can be asked
from their biodata.

The second section they formed was the RBI Working and
Functions Book, so they made important notes of every
chapter of that book so that they could understand what RBI
is and how it functions.

The third section is about newspapers, where they read two

newspapers daily. They identify an important article and put
it into ChatGPT, summarise it, and form questions from it
that it had to summarise in the form of an interview and
expert-like conversation, and they both ask the same
questions to each other. This improved their awareness of
what was happening around them and also their
communication skills.

The fourth section was about questions, so they identified

all the previous RBI Grade B transcripts that are available
over the net. They ask GPT to form answers to those
36
questions, which they find can be asked of them. Under it,
they also formed the HR Questions part so that they could
handle the tricky and trapping questions that could be asked
in the interview.

The fifth section is the RBI website, and they have covered
almost everything from it, like its homepage, notifications,
about us, RBI speeches, etc.

The sixth section is about facts that they need to remember.

The seventh section is about a book that they have studied,

so if any question is asked regarding a book, they can
answer. The eighth section consists of pointers and fringe
topics, which contain very random topics right from PPIs to
their state's economy to UPI to the RBI's annual report.

Simultaneously, they were giving free mocks of various

institutes like Edutap, Ixambee, Adda247, Oliveboard, and
others. So that they can understand what they are doing in
the Notion app and whether they can implement it in the
mock interviews or not.

Ravi gained valuable insight during the interview process:

He said, “there were numerous concepts and aspects that I
have further enhanced during this interview preparation,
and I was also able to understand the purpose of why Iam
preparing for RBI.”

37
 C h a p t e r –S e v e n

Chapter-7:

Final Showdown

38
The much-anticipated day arrived for Ravi as he entered the
massive premises of the RBI office, well-groomed and
well-prepared for the final leg of his journey—the
interview.

The ambience exuded positive energy, and Ravi, after

completing the document verification, was ushered into the
room, where six panellists awaited him.

39
Panellists:

1. L1 (Lady Panellist)
2. L2 (Male panellist)
3. DS (Singhal Sir)
4. SS (Chairman Sir)
5. GSG (Ex-ED, UBI)

40
 6. R1 (Male panellist)

The Interaction:

SS: Reading Ravi's biodata. Ok, you are from village

Sherpur. What exams have you given so far, considering
you're not working?

Ravi: Sir, I have given the IBPS PO exam and cleared it,
but my joining is awaited.

DS: In between, why what happened?

Ravi: Sir, Jaundice.

DS: Hepatitis A or B?

Ravi: Hepatitis B. (DS seemed slightly shocked. "It is very

potent," he remarked. I explained that my bilirubin level
was slightly high, but I was not sure whether it was hepatitis
A or B. (He acknowledged it.)

R1: Which bank is allotted to you?

Ravi: Union Bank of India. (GSG looked at me carefully)

SS: What have you studied for the interview?

Ravi: Sir, RBI Working and Functions Book, RBI website,

RBI Act.

SS: Tell me what is in Chapter III - B of the RBI Act.

Ravi: Sorry, sir, I am not able to recall the exact details of

the chapter. (Actually, it was PROVISIONS RELATING

41
TO NON-BANKING INSTITUTIONS RECEIVING
DEPOSITS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS)

SS: OK, no issue.

L2: Why do we need NBFC?

Ravi: Sir, first, the NBFC acts as an alternate source of

funding and credit. Second, they are in direct contact with
clients and are working under a particular domain, like
gold-related NBFCs or asset finance-related NBFCs. Third,
they act as second-hand credit vehicles and help in credit
intermediation, apart from banks.

L2: What is P2P lending?

Ravi: Sir, Peer-to-peer lending is the practice of lending

money to individuals or businesses through online
platforms that match lenders with borrowers.

L2: Who regulates P2P?

Ravi: RBI.

L2: Which licence did P2P get?

Ravi: NBFC license (Everyone nodded in agreement.).

L2: Examples of P2P Lending?

Ravi: Sir. Faircent, LendingKart.

L2: Have you heard about green finance?

Ravi: Yes, sir.

42
L2: So what steps can RBI take in the future to improve
green finance?

Ravi: Sir, to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070.

The RBI is taking various initiatives, like green deposits.

L2 (in between): That RBI is doing currently. What about

the future?

Ravi: Sir, RBI can take steps to provide more credit and
loans to the infrastructure sector. (At this point, SS was
looking down, but he nodded his head.) And, sir, I am not
able to recall more steps. He said OK.

L1 (mam): Ravi, what is FinTech?

Ravi: Mam, FinTech is the integration of finance and

technology that seeks to improve and automate the usage
and delivery of financial services through technology.

L1: What did you study in the FinTech certification course?

Ravi: Mam, the certification was about the master course on

the Indian FinTech ecosystem, studied concepts like UPI,
NACH, etc.

L1: What is IndiaStack?

Ravi: IndiaStack is a set of APIs that helps in solving

India's social and financial problems through technology,
such as Aadhar, UPI, and CoWin.

43
L1: Why do we need CBDC?

Ravi: Mam, CBDC helps in reducing cross-border

transaction costs, improving monetary policy transmission,
and counteracting illicit activities.

L1: How will it help in reducing forex costs?

Ravi: Mam, currently we are getting a huge cost on forex

transactions, and with the help of CBDC, we can reduce the
cost significantly. (OK, He could have given a better
answer)

L1: What does a balance sheet consists of?

Ravi: Mam, assets and liabilities. (He was about to say

income, but she tried to correct him by signalling, and he
said that it contains only assets and liabilities, so at that
point, he corrected his mistake).

L1: Have you seen the bank's balance sheet?

Ravi: No, mam (okay, no issue).

R1: Tell me 5–6 functions of RBI.

Ravi: Sir, the first function is monetary authority; the

second is the issuance of currency; the third is regulation
and supervision of banks; the fourth is banker to banks and
banker to government; the fifth is managing foreign
reserves; and the sixth is development functions. (Told
them in the right sequence.).

R1: What is the developmental role of RBI?

44
Ravi: Sir, the developmental role includes financial
inclusion, consumer protection, and the development of
new sectors like FinTech.

R1: What is the share distribution in RRBs?

Ravi: Sir, (50:15:35) (Central Government: State

Government: Promoter Banks).

R1: Why do we need RRBs?

Ravi: Sir, RRBs play a crucial role in providing credit

facilities to the rural economy, developing rural areas, and
providing credit to small and marginal farmers and rural
artisans.

R1: Okay, Ravi, your hobby is playing the piano. Tell me

some Indian piano players.

Ravi: Sir, Lydian Nageswaran. (In between, he said

somebody with your name.)

Ravi: Sir, Ravi Bathla (Ahh..got impressed)

DS: Ravi, do you like Western classical music too?

Ravi: Sir, not much.

(But then also, he asked him the question.)

DS: Tell me some Western classical piano players.

Ravi: Sir there were two major piano players.

1. Mozart &
2. Ludwig van Beethoven
45
(Everybody nodded. Mam said, yes Ludwig van Beethoven
by seeing DS sir, even DS sir nodded his head by seeing
her)

SS: Okay, Ravi, your interview is over now.

Ravi: Thank you, sir. Thank you, mam.

GSG didn't ask any questions. It was a very good

experience for Ravi. In the final moments of the interview,
Ravi emerged with a sense of accomplishment, grateful for
the opportunity to showcase not just his knowledge but the
resilience and determination that had fueled his journey
from a small town to the gates of the RBI.

46
 Chapter–Eight

Chapter-8:

The Success Story

So, Ravi was now waiting for his final results, and to his
surprise, the results came very early. With trembling hands

47
and a heart pounding out of his chest, he frantically searched
for his roll number. And when he finally found it, tears burst
from his eyes. He hugged his father and mother. He received
kind regards from his family members who conveyed their
confidence in his ability to succeed.

He called his insurance friend, Aviral and was very elated to

know that he also cleared the RBI exam. Ravi thought that
this achievement at the age of 22 in the first attempt would
give him a headstart in his career.

He got calls from various coaching institutes to showcase his

success story. But he denied everyone because he thought

48
that coaching institutes' free materials did help him in his
journey, but they were not the ultimate contributors. At that
time, he asked his friend Aviral to share his success story
with everyone. So he interviewed Ravi:

Aviral (Interviewer): Good evening, everyone. I'm Aviral,

and today we have a special guest with us, Ravi, who has
achieved a remarkable feat by clearing the RBI Grade B
exam in his first attempt at the age of 22. Ravi, welcome to
the show!
Ravi (Interviewee): Thank you, Aviral. It's a pleasure to be
here.
Aviral: Ravi, let's dive into your journey. You cleared the
exam at a young age. Can you take us back to the beginning?
What inspired you to pursue the RBI Grade B exam?
Ravi: Well, Aviral, it all started with the realisation that I
wanted a challenging and dynamic career, so I started my
preparation in the final year of my college. I had cleared SBI
Clerk and IBPS PO exams but was still awaiting joining.
That's when I decided to take the RBI Grade B exam—a
pinnacle in the banking sector. Also to erase my past
mistakes of not able to succeed anywhere like IIT. I thought
RBI will be one of the best ways to get over that.

Aviral: Ravi You must have faced setbacks but eventually

found your way to RBI Grade B preparation. How did you
overcome those challenges, especially the tough times?
Ravi: It wasn't easy, Aviral. I faced heartbreak, fell into bad
habits, and my mock test scores suffered. However, realising
my mistakes, I redirected my focus to the preparation. The
setbacks became stepping stones for me, teaching me
resilience and self-awareness.

49
Aviral: Ravi, How did you go through Phase 1? Tell us in
brief.
Ravi: Phase 1 was the initial hurdle, and I approached it with
a strategic mindset. I went through the syllabus thoroughly,
cleared my concepts, solved a plethora of mock tests to
understand the exam pattern, and identified my strengths and
weaknesses. Time management was crucial, so I practised a
lot to improve my speed. The unexpected challenge of the
accident on the way to the examination centre during Phase
1 taught me to stay calm under pressure, reinforcing the
importance of adaptability in this journey.

Aviral: Many people fear English, so how do you reduce that

fear? Were you reading editorials?
Ravi: Yes, I also had the fear but I completed Grammar
notes, added vocabulary through mnemonics and I followed
an English editorial plan. I followed this plan twice a week
in the following manner.

1. Marking subject-verb of The Hindu's editorial.

2. Watching any editorial video of the same article from
YET or any YouTube channel.
3. After the video, write all important vocabulary,
grammar rules, tone, summary or precis of the
passage one day and an essay on one topic on the
other day out of one editorial. Formulate critical
reasoning questions through ChatGPT, answer them,
and analyse answers from GPT's model answer.
4. Wordninja app: Mark a bookmark of vocabulary and
add idioms and phrases.

Aviral: What steps did you follow to cover GA?

Ravi: For phase 1 GA, you can follow a 3-step process.
Step 1: You can use Edutap, Spotlight, and Beepedia monthly
free CA with AffairsCloud.
50
Step 2: Highlight important news from AffairsCloud and
copy and paste it into a separate folder daily.
Step 3: Revise twice and solve as many MCQs from YouTube
videos and mocks as possible.
Actually, there is no shortcut for GA. For remembering, try
to form flashcards, mnemonics, etc. and do continuous
revision weekly.

Aviral: Now moving on to Phase-2 preparation, mastering

economic and social issues, finance and management, and
the English descriptive paper. How did you navigate through
these intricacies?
Ravi: Phase 2 was a different ball game. I meticulously
studied ESI, finance, and management, referring to various
sources. Practical application was key. I honed my writing
skills for the English descriptive paper, ensuring a holistic
approach to tackle the challenges presented by RBI Grade B.

Aviral: Which newspapers you followed and when?

Ravi: I didn't follow any newspaper per se till Phase-2 but I
was following various important articles regarding topics
that were mentioned in the syllabus. But if possible one
should follow a newspaper or a news source like Google
News till Phase-2. For the Interview, I followed Business
Standard and Hindu Business Line.

Aviral: What was the turning point in your story?

Ravi: Meeting you, Aviral, the experienced aspirant, was a
game-changer. Instead of demoralising me, you fueled my
determination and guided me. I realised that while
experience was an advantage, my fresh perspective and
adaptability could be equally powerful assets.

51
Aviral: Can you share your interview experience? Can you
take us through the emotions of that day?
Ravi: The interview day was nerve-wracking, but I remained
composed. The panel asked questions about my background,
RBI functions, FinTech, and more. It was a blend of my
academic knowledge and practical understanding of the
banking sector.

Aviral: The moment of truth arrives when we receive our

results. Can you share that moment with us?
Ravi: Aviral, that moment was surreal. With shaking hands,
I searched for my roll number, and when I saw it, I burst into
tears. Hugging my parents and sharing the joy with friends
and relatives was the culmination of hard work and
perseverance.

Aviral: Has your success story caught the attention of

coaching institutes? Why did you choose not to collaborate
with them?
Ravi: While coaching institute materials did play a role, I
believe that success is about individual effort and
resourcefulness. I wanted to share my journey and the
sources that truly helped me, so I asked you, Aviral to take
my success story to everyone.

Aviral: Ravi, you've generously shared your journey, tips,

and sources with the aspirants. What message do you have
for those aiming to crack the RBI Grade B exam?
Ravi: My friends now call me RVI instead of RaVI. So my
message to all the people who want to prepare for this
prestigious exam through this interview will be: RVI Kehta
Hai, Samajhdar Rahiye, Grade B Baniye. Because there is
very less awareness about this exam and the post but people
must know the importance of this exam and a career in RBI.

52
So my message is simple: believe in yourself, stay consistent,
and adaptive. The journey will have challenges and setbacks,
but each of them is an opportunity to grow. Utilise free
materials, stay focused, and success will follow. Follow the
DPC method in your entire journey, which is dedication,
perseverance, and consistency.

Aviral: Thank you, Ravi, for sharing your inspiring journey

and insights. We wish you continued success in your career.
Ravi: Thank you, Aviral. It's been a pleasure. I hope my story
encourages others to pursue their dreams with determination
and resilience.

53
 Sources

Phase-1

YouTube channels that Ravi followed:

Quants:

1. Amar sir: For covering your Basics.

2. Learning Capsules - Harshal Agrawal sir: For mains
level
3. Sumit Jaiswal Sir
4. Sumit sir academy
5. Ashish arora sir

54
Reasoning:

1. Search topic-wise content on YouTube and select

those teachers from whom you are able to
understand.
2. Anshul Saini sir - Banker's Point
3. Sachin Adekar Sir
4. Sheetanshu Saurabh Sir
5. Puneet Sir
6. Smartkeeda - Critical Reasoning
7. Virtuous
8. Art of Reasoning

English:

1. YET:
2. Ashish Classes:
3. Harsh Sir - Wifistudy
4. Santosh Ray sir
5. SakshiPahwa mam
6. Various playlists on YouTube Topic wise

GA:

1. Ashish Gautam Sir

2. Benchmark Study
3. Current Affairs Funda
4. Affairscloud:
5. Anuj Jindal: (Spotlight)
6. Sushmita Mam: (Banking Awareness)
7. Supriyo Panda: (Banking Awareness and Strategy)
8. Parcham Classes: (Static)
9. Notes

55
 Notes that Ravi made:
Quants: Link

Reasoning: Link

English: Link

GA: Link

Mocks:

1. Smartkeeda:
2. Testbook:
3. Ixambee:
4. Practicemock:
5. Oliveboard:
6. Adda247
7. ShivamKushwaha
8. Kirti Maths
9. AnujVerma
10. Vision Banking
11. The Learning Easel

Phase-2:
ESI:

56
Notes: Google Drive Link

Government Schemes: Link

PIB: Use compilation of Brajesh Mohan’s PIB and PIB247

YouTube:

1. Mrunal sir videos

Others: (Sources from where PYQs are made)

1. Livemint
2. Buisness standard
3. CNBC TV I8
4. The Hindu
5. Economic Times
6. The Hindu buisness line
7. Major institutions Reports
8. PIB
9. Financial Express
10. DD News
11. Buisness Today
12. Economic survey
13. Budget
14. Google News
15. Yojana&Kurukshetra
16. Economic and political weekly
17. Indian express
18. Times of India
19. Mishra and Puri
20. HBR (Harvard)
21. Ibef

57
 22. Use PYQs and check paragraphs from plagiarism
website you will get to know from where the
question has been framed by RBI.

Finance:

YouTube:

Edutap - Kritika mam

Anuj Jindal: RBI247

Notes: Google Drive Link

RBI in News: Use any compilation

Others:

• Google
• Investopedia
• Bharti V Pathak

Management:

YouTube:

1. Amit lal videos

2. Journey to Success

Notes: Link

Mnemonics: Link

58
Descriptive English:

1. Amit Lal Sir Descriptive program:

2. Onenote Descriptive:

Interview:

1. Notion: (will share notes before 2024 interview

cycle)

Apps:

1. Zoho:
2. Blocos:
3. Kiwi:
4. WordNinja:
5. Remnote:

Others:

1. OneNote:

Generic:

1. AffairsMind
2. MeritShine

Strategy that helped:

1. Jiga Compilation Strategy
2. TanmayJaiswal Sir

59
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aman Jain, hailing from Ashta, Madhya Pradesh, has

achieved a significant milestone by cracking the RBI Grade
B exam in 2023 in his first attempt at the age of 22. His
remarkable success reflects his perseverance and
dedication. Aman's journey showcases that with
determination, even individuals from smaller towns with no
prior background and with no UPSC or IIT/IIM
background,aspirantscan also attain extraordinary
accomplishments in their careers.

60
 Aman's Final Marksheet

Connect with me via-

• LinkedIn : Aman Jain
• Instagram : aman_jain1004

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