RBI assistant cut off: prelims, mains and the office wise merit list

Why the RBI assistant cut off differs by office

When you apply, you choose one recruiting office, such as Ahmedabad, Chennai, Guwahati or New Delhi, and you can only be selected for that office. Each office has its own vacancies split by category, and its own set of applicants. The Reserve Bank ranks candidates within each office and category and stops when it has the number it needs.

That is why the prelims and mains cut offs come as long tables, one row per office, with columns for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, General and the PwBD and ex-servicemen sub-groups where vacancies exist. A dash in a column usually means no vacancy existed for that group at that office.

RBI assistant prelims cut off

The prelims has three sections: English (30 marks), numerical ability (35) and reasoning (35), each with its own 20 minute clock. Shortlisting needs two things: a passing score in every one of the three sections, and a total at or above the line for your chosen office and category. Some readers call this the RBI assistant pre cut off.

Reports of recent cycles put the prelims line for general candidates in most offices above 85 out of 100, and in some cycles above 90 in several offices. With so little room, two or three careless wrong answers, each costing a quarter mark on top of the lost mark, can decide whether you move ahead.

Since nothing from prelims is added to your final rank, the only aim in this paper is to be safely over your office's line. Accuracy matters more than finishing every question.

RBI assistant mains cut off and sectional minimums

Mains is made of five tests worth 40 marks apiece, covering reasoning, English, numbers, awareness of banking and current events, and computers. You need a minimum in every test, and then a total high enough for your office and category.

For the mains held in 2022, two separate reports gave general category cut offs ranging from about 105 to about 128 out of 200 across offices, with the sectional minimum for general and EWS candidates reported as 14 of 40. Treat these as rough historical figures; the official office wise table is the only reliable source.

Final selection and the language test

Candidates are ranked on mains marks within each office and category. Candidates who fall within the vacancies then take a test in the official or local language of that office's state. Failing it ends your chance, though a pass earns no extra marks.

The final cut off, then, is the mains total of the last candidate selected for each category at each office, after the language test. If you fail the test, the next candidate on the list may be called instead. Choosing an office whose language you read, write and speak comfortably protects a good mains score.

What will move the RBI assistant expected cut off

• Vacancies per office: an office with very few posts in a category will close higher.
• Applicants per office: metro offices may attract many applicants, but big vacancy counts can offset that.
• Paper difficulty: a tough reasoning or numerical section drags every office's line down.
• Normalisation across shifts: when the prelims runs over several days, scores are adjusted and the published marks reflect that.

Any figure labelled expected is only a guess. Plan to finish clear of the highest recent lines you can find for your office rather than aiming for an average.

How to check the RBI assistant cut off officially

1. Visit the RBI opportunities site or the main Reserve Bank website.
2. Look under current vacancies or results for the Assistant recruitment of your year.
3. Open the notice of cut off marks for the stage you need; RBI has also released mark sheets for candidates after each stage.
4. Find the row for your office and read across to your category column.

The exam pattern and topics are on our RBI assistant syllabus page, and you can practise with RBI assistant previous papers. For other RBI and bank exams, see RBI grade B cut off, IBPS clerk cut off and the bank exams hub.