Mistakes to Mastery: Score high marks in Rbi Grade B interview

For RBI Grade B | 22nd September 2023 – 12 mins read

“An astounding success is often found to be an amalgamation of determination, confidence, and consistent improvement in the right direction”

– Anuj Jindal

Many able individuals miss out on the opportunity to fulfill their dreams not because they lack in potential but it is often their reluctance to overcome their fears that comes in the way of their progress. The same holds true for aspirants who are preparing for competitive exams like RBI Grade B!

There have been instances where many of my students have asked me on how to prepare well for the final stage of the exam, i.e., the Interview round.

For candidates who are aspiring to crack banking exams like RBI Grade B, it becomes highly crucial to prepare well in advance for the Interview since marks scored in the Interview can be a game–changer for the aspirants in their final selection.

Since it is quite well-known that in the past I scored 42 marks out of 50 in my RBI Interview, however, what most of my students don’t know is that in my previous interview which was also my first for the RBI, I attained an average score of 26 out of 50 marks.

So, I am often asked to elaborate on preparation tips to ace the Interview, dos and don’ts, and especially the changes I made in order to score these phenomenal marks in the Interview.

So what exactly were the mistakes I made during my first Interview and what were the measures I took to rectify them in order to achieve this great score?

Well, let me take you through my journey which will help enlighten you on the steps you can take to prepare well for the Interview and fulfill your glorious dream of becoming an RBI Grade B officer.

Mistake No. 1: Adopting an Approach Similar to UPSC CSE

To begin with, my preparation journey for competitive exams first began with UPSC CSE, therefore I went for my first RBI Interview with an attitude of know -it –all.

I know this will sound familiar to many aspirants who have previously prepared for UPSC and mistakenly assumed the Interview for RBI Grade B to follow the same pattern.

Hence, candidates must save themselves from forming an inherent arrogance about having prepared for UPSC in the past since the pattern for an RBI Grade B Interview is different from UPSC CSE.

Mistake No. 2: Attending the Interview Unprepared

One of the biggest missteps candidates make is to proceed to the final stage of the Interview without any proper preparation.

It is crucial to know all about the post that you are aspiring for and not solely rely on the preparation done for the previous exams.

Speaking of huge errors, during my first attempt, I did not rehearse my answers either by writing them or speaking out loud in front of the mirror.

In short, I didn’t bother to cross-check or verify my answers whether they are appropriate in its structure.  Therefore, I believe that my preparation for the first RBI Interview was not up to the mark.

Mistake No. 3: Beating Around The Bush While Answering The Questions

Understanding that the format for answering questions in the UPSC CSE Interview is largely different from an RBI Grade B Interview is of profound significance for the aspirants.

In the case of UPSC CSE, the candidates are required to elaborate on their answers along with presenting their personal opinions on the topic of the matter asked.

However, unlike the former, the aspirants are needed to provide more concise answers for the RBI Interview.

Talking about my first RBI Interview, I gave my answers rather extensively in the form of stories when the answers were expected to be given in a more precise manner which I guess cost me a lot in the final selection process.

Now, that I have explained my mistakes in detail, it’s time that I take you through the correct measures I took to rectify my mistake which helped me attain a good score in my next RBI interview.

Right Step No 1: Create separate notes for the subjects in section – wise way

Upon realizing the errors, I committed the first time, the next time, I started off by devising separate notes for the different subjects given in the syllabus for example – Banking, Finance, and Economy, and since my background was in Commerce, I had a separate section for Accountancy as well.

Apart from that, as questions can be asked from a variety of topics, I created different sections for other important themes like Current affairs, hobbies, biodata as well as my educational background.

Next, I wrote down all the possible questions for each section and prepared the answers for it simultaneously.

Right Step No. 02: Answering questions in a format appropriate to RBI Grade B

Taking about correct measures, I made drastic changes to the way I answered my questions in my earlier attempt.

Instead of presenting answers in a story-telling manner, I started practicing my answers in comparatively shorter and in more precise form.

For this, I wrote down answers in pointer form for all possible questions that could have been asked in my Interview.

Therefore, my suggestion for the RBI aspirants is to think, write, and speak out your answers in points which will help in presenting your answers in a precise manner as well as recall the information efficiently.

This makes it easy for the interviewer to assess your personality, your conceptual understanding as well as provide an opportunity for them to ask you more questions!

Right Step No 03: Employing creative methods to ensure thorough preparation

As I mentioned earlier, for my previous attempt, I had missed out on preparing rigorously for the Interview by not practicing enough.

This time, I ensured not to let that chance slip by and decided to practice writing down answers and rehearsing them by speaking in front of the mirror for at least half an hour.

Inculcating these practices helped me to assess my confidence, facial expressions, hand gestures, voice tone, audibility, and accuracy of the answers spoken.

Right Step No. 04: Seeking constructive feedback from my trusted support

Having valuable feedback for your performance is essential in order to assess your preparation level and to check whether you are heading in the right direction!

Well, this time around, I made sure that I left no stone unturned in my preparation and had a weekly session with my friends as we all were preparing for either RBI Grade B or UPSC CSE at that point in time.

In those particular sessions, we created an exam-like environment and interviewed each other.

The purpose behind conducting this was to assess our accuracy level as well as confidence level while answering difficult or unexpected questions.

This weekly ritual greatly benefited me not just by controlling facial expressions but also by staying calm and confident for a longer duration.

My advice to the aspirants

Lastly, my advice to the aspirants is to take the Interview into serious consideration as it can either make or break our chances to succeed in the exam.

Therefore, remember to make notes, allocate sufficient time to practice, seek feedback on your performance, and not lose your calm while handling tough questions.

With adequate practice, focused efforts, and confidence you can definitely increase your chances of success in this exam!

To conclude, I would like to suggest that by inculcating these above-mentioned practices and by learning from my personal experiences you can definitely prepare well for the exam.

My personal journey from scoring low in my first attempt to attaining great marks in my next should be a testament to the fact that there is nothing impossible to achieve in this world.

So, stretch your capabilities, prepare thoroughly, stay confident and I assure you that your dreams of becoming the future RBI Grade B officer are not that far!

I wish you all the best for your exam preparation and let your wings fly higher because truly the sky is limitless when it comes to defining the human spirit!