A Tale of Patience and Perseverance

Hello everyone, I am Manisha Baishnabi Patnayak. I have cleared RBI Grade B exam 2023 in
my fourth attempt (third serious attempt to be precise!). It has been a long 3 and a half years
journey for me. Let me begin by giving a brief background of myself.
I hail from the beautiful city of temples, Bhubaneswar, in Odisha. I have completed my
graduation in B.Sc. Economics Honours from St. Xavier’s (Autonomous) college, Kolkata in
2019. I have completed my Masters in Analytical and Applied Economics from Utkal University,
Bhubaneswar and have bagged the University gold medal in 2021. I did appear for IBPS PO in
2019 and got placed in the then Allahabad Bank. However, I did not join the same since I was in
the middle of my master’s degree. Later on, I joined Bank of India in 2021 by clearing IBPS PO
2020. RBI has been a dream since my graduation days. My first attempt went without any
preparation in 2019. The purpose was to analyse the pattern and difficulty of the paper. Of
course, I did not clear the prelims exam but I understood that it’s going to take a lot in order to
get into this esteemed organisation. And that’s when I started my preparation for this exam
seriously. I cleared prelims and wrote mains both in 2021 and 2022 but could not qualify for the
interview.
A PIECE OF ADVICE:
The exam syllabus, the limited vacancies and the coaching materials that are available online
tend to make us believe that we need to study everything under the sun in order to clear the
exam. As an aspirant we try to go through every source that is available because we don’t want
to take any chance. I did the same thing in my previous attempts and I learnt from my mistakes.
I take this opportunity to share my journey and strategy with you all. However, it is important to
remember that my strategy was formed by me over the years depending upon what worked for
me. It is not necessary that it will work for others as well. But there might be some information
which might help you. Always remember that we must obtain information and knowledge from
different sources but at the same time the strategy needs to be formed depending on one’s
strengths and weaknesses. We must not follow anything blindly. Because these strategies are
specific to each individual, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Initially, when I started my preparation, I was very confused regarding the sources. Skidha’s
blog turned out to be a saviour. It helped me structure my preparation and find a direction to
proceed. It provides a clear picture regarding the exam pattern and the sources to be used along
with the topper strategies. Also, there might be a few sources which I followed in my first two
attempts but not in the third one and vice versa. I also watched a lot of topper videos. The most
important rule is to stick to the syllabus. Take a print out of the syllabus and keep it in front of
you when you are studying so that you can refer to it at any time. Keep it handy. There are a lot
of irrelevant stuff available in the courses provided by the coaching institutes. Don’t study
everything blindly. Go through each and every topic mentioned in the syllabus and don’t waste
time studying the topics that are not mentioned there. It won’t be there in the exam as well.
PHASE 1:
QUANT, REASONING, ENGLISH (QRE)
Since I have had a fair understanding as well as practice of these subjects, all I did was give
multiple mock tests- sectional as well as full length ones. I brushed up some of the concepts
where I was facing difficulties by going through theories and YouTube videos. The key to crack
this section is not to attempt all the questions but to attempt as many no. of questions as you can
within the time frame with utmost accuracy. If you think that your accuracy is not 100%, then
work on your speed and try to attempt more no. of questions, so that after negative marking you
still manage to clear the cut off. If you are weak in one section then try to clear the sectional cut
off at least and try scoring maximum marks in the section where you are good at. Go through
PYQs, assess your strength and weakness and then prepare accordingly.
GENERAL AWARENESS (GA)
It plays a very crucial role in clearing phase 1 since it consists of 80 marks. I followed the pocket
pdf of AffairsCloud thoroughly. Revision is the key. Revise multiple times whatever you read
before the exam. Try to read all the important details since RBI has this habit of asking in-depth
questions. Hence, superficial reading of facts won’t do any good. Ensure that you make notes
(either hand-written or digital as per your convenience) while reading because it comes very
handy while revising just before the exam. Also make separate notes of the ESI and FM related
current affairs because that will be very helpful in phase 2 and will save time later on. I also
watched multiple videos of Current affairs of Adda247, Edutap, Anuj Jindal in order to
supplement the AffairsCloud pocket pdf. But at the same time, don’t get too lost in a particular
topic and don’t spend a lot of time on it because there are a lot of things to cover. Give as many
mocks as you can. Read, practice, revise!
Tip: -
Never wait for the entire syllabus to get over in order to give full length mock tests. That day
never comes. Even the day before the exam, you will likely still have the feeling that there are
some topics left to cover. Start giving full length mocks as early as possible. I started almost
daily from one month before the prelims exam. Then analysis of your mistakes is also very
important. Remember, you don’t have to top the prelims exam. You just have to clear the cut
off. So, take the pressure accordingly.

PHASE 2:
ECONOMIC & SOCIAL ISSUES (ESI)
This is the most mysterious section of phase 2. It is difficult to be entirely prepared for this
section, there will always be a catch. Very few questions are asked from the static portion. I read
a few topics mentioned in the syllabus from Edutap and Anuj Jindal. I also referred to a few
books such as The Indian economy by Nitin Singhania and Dutt & Sundaram. I did not read
them cover to cover. It was just for a few topics. I gave a lot of mocks topic wise which helped
me gain confidence. I read PIB partly from Anuj Jindal’s PIB247, Brajesh Mohan’s monthly
PIB pdfs (this was very much instrumental in my preparation as it was extremely detailed while
avoiding any unnecessary content) and my notes that I had prepared while studying GA for
phase 1.
Govt. schemes- I selected those schemes which were in news and I read them directly from PIB
and made my own notes. Brajesh Mohan’s compendium on government schemes, Edutap and
Anuj Jindal’s marathon sessions on govt. schemes were really helpful. No need to waste time
reading all the schemes under the sun. Look into those government schemes that are in news in
the past 1 year and some flagship schemes of important Ministries and study them in detail.
Descriptive questions in ESI were asked on various reports. Brajesh Mohan’s compendium on
Reports and indices helped me a lot in answering those questions.
FINANCE & MANAGEMENT (FM)
Management is the most scoring part. I read all the topics mentioned in the syllabus in detail
from the book Organisational Behaviour by S.P. Robbins and made my own notes. Then I
referred to multiple platforms online and gave mocks which helped me gain any additional info.
In this way I covered entire management portion holistically. Since, descriptive questions on
Management are a sure shot, I had practiced some questions topic-wise beforehand. It helped me
save time and write answers within the time limit during the actual phase 2 examination.
I went through notes of Edutap and Anuj Jindal for finance static portion. For current affairs of
finance, I followed partly from Brajesh Mohan’s pdf, Anuj Jindal’s RBI247 and videos of
Edutap. Taking a lot of mocks is advisable. It not only broadens your knowledge base but also
helps in retaining information for a longer period of time.
I did not want to repeat my mistakes of previous attempts and hence I decided to not miss out on
anything. For descriptive part, I read the model answers from Edutap, Anuj Jindal and Brajesh
Mohan’s pdfs and gave descriptive mocks on their platforms. They gave marks as well as
provided insights on how to improve the answers. This is something I did not do in my previous
attempt because I always thought of completing the entire syllabus, then revise and then write
answers. But the syllabus seems so vast that we always end up studying more and more topics
and we completely ignore practicing for descriptive. So, this time I tried to balance studying and
writing answers simultaneously. They went hand in hand. I made short pointers of the descriptive
questions which helped me in quick revision just before exam.
DESCRIPTIVE ENGLISH
I just gave mocks and made pointers for essays which I could revise just before the exam. Go
through the rules of precise thoroughly before practicing.
Tips: -
➢ Since the exam set up and the computer interface is very different than our regular
laptop/PC, I practiced using a spare keyboard. Also, this time we were also not allowed to
type more than the word limit. So, it was also not possible for us to exceed the word limit
and come back later to edit it and reduce the word count. This results in a lot of wastage
 of time during the exam. Hence, it is very important to practice descriptive answer
writing in an exam like interface and using not so properly working keyboards.
➢ Our brain takes up a lot of information but what is most important is whether it is able to
present the same in the exam given the time constraint and exam pressure. Moreover,
phase 2 exam takes almost an entire day and it is very easy to get tired towards the
second half. So, one should give a full day mock as per the actual phase 2 timings a few
days before the actual exam because practicing in a completely exam like setup was
really beneficial for me.
➢ Telegram groups also provide us with free resources but one must not waste too much
time in those groups since there is a lot of chit chat going on during this time. Stay away
from distractions.
➢ Revise a lot and make your own notes.

INTERVIEW:
This was going to be my first RBI Grade B interview. Since, we are not aware of our Phase 2
marks, it becomes even more crucial to score good in interview. Be thorough about whatever
you are mentioning in the Bio-data form. Most of the questions are going to revolve around
that. I prepared questions from each and every line of the Bio-data form in order to ensure that
no question goes unanswered.
I had divided my entire preparation into 4 parts:
1) Profile based (educational background and work experience)- I knew that I had to be
thorough with my profile, because my background in Economics and banking could
attract multitude of questions from these areas. Therefore, I comprehensively covered
every aspect of my profile. I brushed up some concepts of economics and went through
the circulars related to the work that I was doing in bank.
2) RBI website – I went through the website holistically. I read certain Masters circulars
and went through FAQs, recent speeches and notifications. This helped me understand
this organization in a better way and also enhance my knowledge base.
3) Economy and news- I am not very good at reading physical newspaper daily. But I
followed various newspaper and news channels online and was up to date with all the
recent happenings.
4) Miscellaneous- Questions like Why RBI, strength and weakness, hobbies, etc.
I gave a few mock interviews with Edutap, Brajesh Mohan, Ixambee, Byjus and Anuj Jindal
which helped me come across new questions and it also increased my confidence. The feedback
was really helpful. Brajesh sir even provided me with list of potential questions that could be
asked from Economics. In addition to that, it was the continuous brainstorming that was going on
with my family and a few very close friends before the interview. It was the most fruitful
exercise because in this process I had come across almost all the potential questions that could be
asked to me in the actual interview and had learnt to maintain my composure and not to show it
on my face if something is asked that I am completely unaware of.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Venue-Kolkata
Date-06/10/2023
Duration- approx. 27 minutes
6 panelist (5 male, 1 female)
I was the third person to go in. They were going through my Bio-data on their respective tabs.
Chairman (M1)- Which is your favourite subject in Economics and why?
Chairman (M1)-Tell us how GDP is calculated in the economy. We are not asking about the
three methods that we read in theory in all the economics books. We want to know how it is done
practically.
M2- What is the relation between Balance of Payments and Forex?
M2-Why did you appear for Generalist post and not for DEPR?
M3-What are the entities that are regulated by RBI?
M3- If given a chance, then which entity would you remove from the financial system? And
what will happen to its customers?
M4- What are the challenges that are being faced by Payment Banks and Small Finance Banks?
The Payment Banks cannot give loans but are still generating revenues. How?
M4-What are the KYC guidelines for locker in banks? What are the changes that have been
made in the new locker agreement? What is the progress of locker agreement in your branch?
M4- Name the guidelines on the basis of which KYC rules are formed in a financial system.
M5-Why is there a 400 days fixed deposit scheme in your bank that is giving the highest rate of
interest? Why does the rate of interest decrease when we opt for 399 days or 401 days?
M5- Follow up question on Liquidity gap and how to manage that.
Chairman (M1)- You have written a research paper on Gender pay gap. Does it really exist,
because here in RBI we are very gender inclusive? What are the reasons behind its existence?
Chairman (M1)- Follow up question on primary and secondary data.
Chairman (M1)- How do you get unemployment data and informal sector data?
M6- Since, you have mentioned chess as your hobby, what are the strategies of chess that are
commonly used in business?
M6- A question on a recent news regarding Small Finance Bank.
 Overall, the panel was very cordial. They were laughing and cracking jokes among themselves
which made me less nervous. There was a question to which I asked them if I can take a minute
to think and answer. The Chairman sir replied, “Sure, take your time. You have come this far.
So, we know that you know it. Think and answer.” A boost to your confidence during such high-
pressure situations can work magic. I answered most of the questions confidently. However,
there were 2 questions which I couldn’t answer. But as everyone says interview is not only about
knowledge, but also about your personality and how you function under pressure.
What worked in my case? Maybe my answers or maybe my confidence. This I will never
know. Nobody knows what works and what doesn’t. All I knew when I walked out of that room
was that I had given my 100% and my conscience telling me that the interview was decent
enough.
The exam is tough and the preparation itself drains us out. But self-confidence, consistency and
discipline are what kept me going. It is tough but we should always remember that it is doable.
Preparing alongside a full-time job in the banking sector was not at all easy. It happens that in
the morning you set your daily target and you go to work. But you are so exhausted after coming
back in the evening that you don’t study at all and just go to bed. This is very common when you
are already working. But that is when you should not give up. Get up early the next day and
study. Give yourself that extra push if you really want it that badly. Because in the end, those
sleepless nights, the hard work, the sacrifices….it will all be worth it.
It was definitely worth it when all my efforts, hard work, struggle of chasing my goal and the
long wait culminated on 13th December 2023 when the result was declared and my roll no.
appeared in the selected candidate list pdf. (After all, not all 13s are unlucky!).
PARTING WORDS:
There are a lot of times when we think that we are working hard but we are not getting any
results. That is when we feel like giving up. I would say that there is a right time for everything.
If you have dreamt of something, then work hard towards achieving it persistently. Do not give
up despite the terrible days that you see. Stay focused and be very patient. Hard work puts you
where good luck can find you. Don’t get disheartened on seeing people go ahead in life and
never compare yourself with them. Everyone’s struggle is different and so is the time when they
get paid off for their hard work. You will definitely get what you truly deserve when the right
time comes. Timing is very important because “Waqt se pehle aur Kismat se zyada, naa kisiko mila
hai, naa kisiko milega”. And I am very grateful and content with how things have turned out for me
in my life. Don’t compromise with your health during the preparation. Surround yourself with
people who genuinely wish good for you. Be kind to everyone. I am grateful to have such a
loving family and awesome friends who have always made me realise my true worth whenever I
used to feel lost and got disheartened.
I would like to end this by saying what my brother told me after the results were out:

“Zindagi ki yahi Reet hai, Haar ke baad hi jeet hai!”