Understanding the RBI Assistant Exam Pattern: A Detailed Breakdown
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) organizes the RBI Assistant Exam annually to recruit candidates for Assistant positions in its various branches across India. This blog will delve into the RBI Assistant Exam Pattern, covering Prelims, Mains, and Language Proficiency Tests.
An Introduction to the RBI Assistant Exam
The RBI Assistant Exam is conducted in three distinct phases:
- Preliminary Exam
- Main Exam
- Language Proficiency Test (LPT)
The Prelims and LPT are qualifying stages, and the final merit list is prepared on the basis of scores obtained in the Mains exam.
RBI Assistant Preliminary Exam Pattern
The Preliminary Exam is a screening test designed to filter out candidates who are not serious about the competition. The exam comprises a total of 100 questions divided into three sections: English language, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability. Here is the detailed pattern:
| Section | Number of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 20 minutes |
Each question carries one mark, making the total marks for the Preliminary Exam as 100. There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer.
RBI Assistant Mains Exam Pattern
Candidates who qualify the Preliminary Exam are eligible to appear for the Mains Exam. The Mains Exam consists of 200 questions divided into five sections. Here is the detailed pattern:
| Section | Number of Questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning | 40 | 30 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 40 | 30 minutes |
| General Awareness | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 20 minutes |
Each question carries one mark, making the total marks for the Mains Exam as 200. For every incorrect answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted as negative marking.
Language Proficiency Test (LPT)
Applicants who qualify the Mains Exam are eligible to appear for the LPT. The LPT is conducted in the Official/Local Language of the State concerned. Candidates who are unable to demonstrate proficiency in the official or local language will not be considered eligible for the position.
RBI Assistant Exam Pattern-Detailed analysis
After understanding the RBI assistant exam pattern, let’s look at the subjects in detail for a detailed understanding.
Quantitative Aptitude
- HCF & LCM.
- Time & Work.
- Time & Distance.
- Problems on Trains.
- Simple & Compound Interest.
- Probability.
- Assumptions & Conclusion.
- Pipes & Cistern.
- Number System.
- Permutation & Combination.
- Geometry.
- Mensuration.
- Percentage.
- Algebra.
- Trigonometry.
English
- Sentence correction.
- Reading Comprehension.
- Synonyms & Antonyms.
- The Cloze test.
- Word meanings.
- One-word substitution.
- Sentence completion.
- Sentence rearrangement.
- Active & Passive voice.
- Phrases.
General Knowledge
- Current affairs of India.
- Current affairs of the World.
- History.
- Political Science.
- Geography.
- Banking Terms and Awareness.
- RBI terms.
- Acts & laws related to RBI.
- Acts & laws related to banks.
- Emoluments & other benefits related to RBI.
Computer knowledge
- Basic knowledge of computer hardware and software.
- Computer languages.
- History of computers.
- Different devices related to computers.
- Knowledge about Viruses.
- Basic knowledge of hacking.
After understanding the RBI assistant exam pattern, let’s look at some preparation tips for the exam.
RBI Assistant Exam Pattern Tips
Focus on high-weightage sections
It is important to cover the entire RBI assistant exam syllabus 2023 to prepare for the exam. But, more focus should be given to the higher weightage sections. This would help the candidates score more marks in the exam.
Improving weaker sections
Along with preparing for the entire syllabus and focusing on higher-weightage topics, the candidates must focus on weaker sections. Working on weaker sections would help the candidates solve more questions in the exam. This would give them an edge over others in the exam.
Practice mock papers and previous year’s papers
It won’t be useful if the candidates do not practice what they have learned. So, they should attend as many mock papers as possible and solve the previous year’s papers. This would help them to understand the RBI assistant exam pattern and level.
This would help them to get a feel of the exam level. This will give them confidence. It will help them to realize their weak points and work on them.
The previous year’s papers help the candidates understand the weightage of the topics. This would help the candidates focus on topics with more weightage to score well in the exam.
Time management
The candidates should understand that the RBI assistant paper pattern exam is time-bound. So, they should practice keeping time as a critical factor. This will help them to attempt all the questions and help them to score well on the exam.
There are some common mistakes that candidates do while preparing for the exam. Let’s look at them and avoid them.
Ignoring weaker sections.
- If the candidate starts preparing without a study plan, chances are high that they will not clear the exam.
- Without planning, they are likely to skip many topics. They will not get time to prepare and revise. So, never prepare without a study plan.
Bad time management.
- Many candidates do not consider time important while preparing for the exam.
- This would affect them in the exam. So, they should always prepare to keep time to attempt the question, checking and solving unattempted questions.
Over-reliance on guesswork.
- This is a competitive exam. The candidates cannot rely on scoring marks through guesswork. This would arise when the candidate is unprepared for the RBI assistant exam pattern.
- Many tick the answers on guesswork to attempt all the questions. As there are negative marks for wrong answers, it is better to leave the question unattempted rather than get it wrong by guessing it.
Not solving mock papers and previous year’s papers.
- Not solving several mock papers and previous year’s papers would keep them ignorant about the exam’s level and pattern.
- Many candidates prepare till the last and ignore solving them. This should be avoided at all costs.
Not staying updated on current affairs.
- The candidate should stay updated with current affairs. This has the major weightage in general knowledge. Without it, scoring high makes in the general awareness segment is not easy.
- Besides current affairs, the candidates should concentrate on other topics to score well in the exam.