Dear Readers,
RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam result was announced yesterday. Phase 2 of RBI Grade B will be conducted on 7th July 2017. This gives us approximately 15 days to prepare for this exam. To help students prepare for this exam properly, we are here with some important tips about how you can prepare for RBI Grade B Mains Exam 2017. Mains phase of RBI Grade B is unlike other banking exams and will test your core knowledge of Finance, Management, Economy and Social issues. As a result of this, your preparation strategy for this exam will also vary. Let us now have a look at the preparation tips for RBI Grade B Phase 2 Exam 2017.
First and foremost, a clear understanding of the overall exam pattern of RBI Grade B Phase 2 exam is essential. Also have a thorough look at the cut off of previous year's RBI Grade B Exam, so that you clearly understand the minimum number of questions that should be attempted accurately.
How to prepare for RBI Grade B Phase II Exam 2017?
We will now discuss the preparation strategy for individual sections for this exam.
English (Writing Skills)
This section will carry a total of 100 marks. This is one section where you can gain an edge over others with minimal effort. Understand that ESI, English & FM have the same weightage. And to make sure that your name appears in that list, please treat English as an equal with the other two.
Let us now discuss the topics from which questions would be asked in this section.
Essay
This topic will carry total 30 marks.
- Respect the word limit. Write less, make fewer mistakes.
- Read the question correctly whether it says 200 or 400 words. It changes every year.
- Make sure you practice typing essays on computer to avoid typing errors.
- Every grammatical mistake you make in sentence formation, you risk losing marks.
- A personal hack: Whenever you have your mains exam, there are always a few hot and conventional topics doing the rounds.
- Practice essays on some 10 probable topics, get them evaluated and learn them by heart.
- You anyways get to practice writing and also just in case the topic clicks, LOTTERY.
- Fall short of the word limit, but don’t exceed it.
- Keep the content strong and simple.
- As future Managers at the RBI, we are expected to draft letters and notifications in a very simple and lucid language, so that the general public can understand and comprehend that communication.
- Hence, avoid using unnecessary high-profile words and a flowery language. Keep it simple.
Precis
This topic again will carry 30 marks.
- Just don’t copy sentences verbatim from the given passage.
- There’s no need to reproduce trivial data and numbers.
- Represent the idea and crux of the passage.
- Practice typing at least 10 précis and run a spell check using MS Word, it will help you detect typing errors and also grammatical errors in sentence formation.
Comprehension
This topic will carry total 40 marks.
- Check for instructions mentioned in the questions, in regard to the word limit, the marks allotted for each question, etc.
- For instance, last year, beside the first question it said, “Add your own suggestions.”
- Never copy paste lines from the passage, please use your own simple language.
Economic & Social Issues
This section will carry a total of 100 marks that need to be answered in 90 minutes. 65 questions will be asked in this section where 35 questions will carry 2 marks and 30 will carry 1 mark each.
- You need to read no text book in specific to tackle this section if you have already been preparing for Competitive exams for the last few years.
- Follow one Business newspaper (for instance, Economic Times).
- If you are new to these exams, refer to Ramesh Singh, and Sanjeev Varma’s book.
- Also, you are only advised to refer to the above sources to just understand the basics, and apply it while tackling questions from current affairs.
- Do not read anything from cover to cover. Read very selectively keeping in mind the trend of questions.
- This section has questions mostly based on current affairs. The span of current affair questions will not beyond 5 months prior to the date of exam.
- To break it down, Budget, Economic Survey, Reports from WB, IMF, WEF, WTO, BIS, RBI etc.
- You will also come across passage based questions. For instance, last year, there were some 12 questions based on three passages. The topics of these passages were Government Employment Schemes, Kudankulam Power Plant, Land Reforms, etc.
- You’ll not find the answers directly in the passage; they are just a reference to the questions asked. Just trying to give you a glimpse of the trend of questions asked.
- Another question asked this year was “By how many points did the Sensex crash after the announcement of BREXIT?” Imagine the extent to which we are expected to remember the data and numbers.
- Booklist /Sources: Vision IAS Current Affairs (not the whole booklet, go through all the different areas, but pick and choose the news and issues in accordance to the demand of the exam, you are expected to read only 40% and skip 60%).
- Read the Highlights “only” of the Budget and Economic Survey from three different sources. Pick any three you like but stick to them.
- You are not expected to write answers on issues mentioned in there. So just focus on data, Government schemes, Amount allocated for various sectors and schemes, growth projections from various bodies, etc.
- RBI Website (About us, FAQ and Recently Updated), RBI Annual Report. Read just the highlights of the various annual reports available.
- Go through the previous year papers 10 times to understand what to read and what to skip.
Finance & Management
This section again will carry 65 questions with a breakup of 35 questions (2 marks each) and 30 questions (1 mark each). The Break up is 60% of Finance & 40% of Management.
Finance
- In Finance, numericals would be for about 20 marks. You cannot afford to skip it.
- The competition is way too tough. Also, the level of numericals asked so far has been basic. But, this year as the new pattern settles down, the numericals are expected to be a little more difficult.
- Let us deal with numericals first. Balance Sheet (including ratios), P&L statement (including BEP), Pricing of Bond, YTM, Cash Flow Statement, Operating and Financial Leverage, Financial Statement Analysis are a few common topics in this section.
- Overall Booklist for Finance: Prasanna Chandra : Financial Management, Ramesh Singh, Principles and Practices of Banking-(Module A: Indian Financial System), Accounting and Finance for Bankers (Ch 3&4), Advance Bank Management(Ch-2,3,4,17), Bank Financial Management (Module B:Risk Management, Ch 18: Derivative Products), NCFM -Securities Market Module(Basic- Ch 1 to 5), jaiibcaiibmocktest.com, YouTube, Investopedia, RBI Website(About us, FAQ’s & Recent Notifications), RBI Annual Report(Highlights).
- Read very selectively from the above sources. All possible references that one can use have been mentioned above. Choose what you like and stick to it.
- Stick with the syllabus at all times.
- Make sure you solve a lot of MCQ’s once you have completed the syllabus and have a fair understanding of it.
- Make exhaustive use of internet.
- Keep a mind map, of the topic and the source that you read it from. Make a good mix of the Books, Internet, Online Coaching material and You Tube.
Management
- Focus your attention and it can, for sure become a high scoring section.
- Book-list: NCERT Business Studies 1 & 2 Class 12, Organizational Behavior by SP Robbins, Principles and Practices of Management by LM Prasad, Advanced Bank Management (Module C – Human Resource Management).
- Again, these are reference books; nothing has to be read cover to cover.
- Our objective is to choose the source that suits us best and cover up the syllabus.
- Google can help you complete the Management syllabus.
- It will be quick and easy provided you know what are the important topics in Management. Practice MCQ’s.
Please be very judicious in the selection of the material that you will be reading and also, the source of MCQ’s that you ‘will be practicing. Half the battle would be won if you follow the right mix of text and MCQ’s. No one book or source can guarantee you success. The syllabus and the trend of questions are very dynamic, so you have to specifically focus on your strategy and sources.
Source: The above strategy has been shared by Radhey Shyam Baid (RBI Officer Grade B, 2016).
All the best for your Exams..
Team aimsuccess.....!!!!!
