RBI grade B eligibility: who can apply

Nationality conditions

You should be a citizen of India. Under central rules a few other groups may also apply, for instance Nepali or Bhutanese subjects, Tibetan refugees who arrived before 1 January 1962 to settle here, plus Indian origin migrants returning permanently from the nations the notice lists. If you fall in one of these groups without Indian citizenship, the Bank will ask for a Government of India eligibility paper before any offer. The exact list is printed in each notification.

Age limit and the reference date

For DR General you must be at least 21 and not above 30, measured on the first day of the month that the notice names. Candidates with a higher research qualification get a higher upper limit:

The same higher limits have applied to DEPR and DSIM candidates who hold an M.Phil or PhD. Check the latest notification for the date of birth window that applies in your cycle.

Age relaxation by category

Further relaxation has been given in some cycles to widows, divorced women and women judicially separated, and to candidates with experience as officers in banks or financial institutions. Because these conditions are specific, read them in the notification rather than relying on a summary.

RBI grade B qualification eligibility by stream

DR General

• Graduation in any subject, 60 percent or the equivalent grade (50 percent if you are SC, ST or PwBD), or
• Postgraduation with 55 percent or the equivalent grade (simply passing is enough for SC, ST and PwBD).

The percentage is counted on the aggregate of all semesters or years. Rounding up of marks is not allowed: 59.99 percent does not become 60.

DEPR (Department of Economic and Policy Research)

A master's degree in economics or a closely related field such as econometrics, quantitative economics, mathematical economics, integrated economics or finance, with the minimum marks set in the notification. Certain finance qualifications have also been accepted. Check the list of accepted degrees for your cycle.

DSIM (Department of Statistics and Information Management)

A master's degree in statistics, mathematical statistics, mathematics, quantitative economics, econometrics or a related subject, with the minimum marks set by the Bank. Recent notices, as reported, have widened the list to master's degrees in data science, machine learning, big data analytics and related newer fields, and to four year bachelor's degrees in these fields with 60 percent. The full list of accepted degrees and institutions is in the notification.

Limit on attempts

In the DR General stream, RBI has limited the number of attempts for candidates of some categories, and recent notices cap General category applicants at six, while reserved SC, ST, OBC and PwBD applicants have had no cap and can keep trying until the upper age limit. If you are EWS, read how the current notice treats your category. An attempt is generally counted once you appear in Phase I; merely applying is not counted. The rules for counting attempts are spelled out in each notification, so read that clause before your first attempt.

Documents to keep ready

• Proof of date of birth, such as the class 10 certificate
• Mark sheets for every year or semester of your degree, and the degree certificate
• Caste or category certificate in the format and validity window set by the notification (for SC, ST, OBC NCL, EWS)
• Disability certificate for PwBD candidates
• Discharge certificate for ex servicemen, and experience certificates where relaxation is claimed
• Photo identity proof and the call letter on exam days

RBI grade B eligibility checklist before you pay the fee

Answer four questions honestly first, since this is also the quickest test of RBI grade B exam eligibility: Is my age within the window on the reference date? Does my aggregate meet the percentage for my category, without rounding? Is my degree on the list for my stream? How many attempts have I used? If all four answers are yes, apply, and then build your plan around the RBI grade B syllabus.

If rules like reference dates confuse you, the eligibility checker page walks through them, and our note on grade B cut offs shows what each phase demands after you get in.