RBI Grade B Eligibility Criteria 2026
Before starting your preparation for the RBI Grade B 2026 exam, it’s important to understand the RBI eligibility criteria. These criteria include education, age, nationality, and other basic requirements. Fulfilling them is essential to avoid rejection at any stage of the selection process.
The Reserve Bank of India, or RBI, is always looking for new officers in Grade 'B' every year. With the current recruitment cycle nearing its end, the focus shifts to 2026. This is a great job for people who want to work for the country's central bank. You can apply for a job in three different areas: General, DEPR, and DSIM.
As we mentioned earlier, the current exam cycle is at its end. This means that aspirants who were unable to appear for the exam this time will have to wait till 2026 for the new recruitment. The notification for 2026 will carry all the important details, including eligibility, exam details and deadline links for the application. If you have not applied more than six times, you can still send in your applications.
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RBI Grade B Educational Qualification 2026
To apply for the RBI Grade B 2026 exam, candidates must meet the required educational qualifications. As per the guidelines, the minimum qualification is:
- A Bachelor’s degree with at least 60% marks (or equivalent grade).
- For candidates from SC/ST/PwBD categories, the minimum required marks are 50%.
- This is the basic qualification needed to apply for the post of RBI Grade B Officer.
- Make sure your academic records meet this requirement before applying.
- Take note that you can confirm these details once the full notification is released. If you're applying for specialized positions in the RBI Grade B 2025 exam, additional qualifications are required.
- You must have:
- A Postgraduate degree in the relevant field or
- An MBA in Finance
This extra requirement ensures candidates have the specialized knowledge and skills needed for these specific roles.
So, if you're aiming for a specialized post, double-check your qualifications before applying. It’s important to confirm your eligibility early on to avoid issues later.
| Name of the Post | Educational Criteria |
|---|---|
| Officers in Grade 'B' (DR) - (General) | Graduation in any discipline /Equivalent technical or professional qualification with minimum 60% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD applicants) or Post-Graduation in any discipline/ Equivalent technical or professional qualification with minimum 55% marks (pass marks for SC/ST/PwBD applicants) in aggregate of all semesters / years.
|
| Officers in Grade 'B' (DR) - DEPR | A Master's Degree in Economics / Econometrics / Quantitative Economics / Mathematical Economics / Integrated Economics Course/ Finance, with a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in aggregate of all semesters /years from a recognised Indian or Foreign University /Institute. OR PGDM/ MBA Finance with a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in aggregate of all semesters /years from a recognised Indian or Foreign University /Institute. OR Master’s Degree in Economics in any of the sub-categories of economics i.e. agricultural/ business/ developmental/ applied, etc., with a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in aggregate of all semesters /years from a recognised Indian or Foreign University /Institute. |
| Officers in Grade 'B' (DR) - DSIM | A Master's Degree in Statistics/ Mathematical Statistics/ Mathematical Economics/ Econometrics/ Statistics & Informatics from IIT-Kharagpur/ Applied Statistics & Informatics from IIT-Bombay with a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in aggregate of all semesters / years. OR Master's Degree in Mathematics with a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in aggregate of all semesters / years and one year post graduate diploma in Statistics or related subjects from an Institute of repute. OR M. Stat. Degree of Indian Statistical Institute with a minimum of 55% marks in aggregate of all semesters / years. OR Post Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics (PGDBA) jointly offered by ISI Kolkata, IIT Kharagpur and IIM Calcutta with a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in aggregate of all semesters/years. |
RBI Grade B Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit
To apply for the RBI Grade B exam, your age should be between 21 and 30 years. This meant that they must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on the age deadline that will be mentioned in the 2026 exam notification. To know what that will be, you have to wait for the notification to be released.
If you hold an M.Phil. or Ph.D., the upper age limit may be relaxed for you. Details about age relaxation and category-wise limits will be shared in the official notification. Make sure you meet both the education and age criteria before applying.
| Name of the Post | Age Criteria |
|---|---|
| RBI Grade B Officer | Minimum Age - 21 Years / Maximum Age - 30 Years |
RBI Grade B Age Relaxation
The RBI also provides relaxation in age for certain categories of candidates, as per the Government rule, for which you must produce valid documents at the time of your RBI Grade B Interview. The criteria of age relaxation vary according to the categories, as indicated below:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC | 3 years |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| Ex-employees of banking institutions whose services had to be terminated for reasons of economy or because of bank going into liquidation and personnel retrenched from Government Offices after at least one year's service and currently registered with Employment Exchange | 5 years |
| Candidates who had ordinarily been domiciled in Kashmir Division of the State of Jammu and Kashmir between 1st January, 1980 and 31st December, 1989 | 5 years |
|
5 years |
|
5 years |
| Ex-employees of banking institutions whose services had to be terminated for reasons of economy or as a result of bank going into liquidation and personnel retrenched from Government Offices after at least one year’s service and currently registered with Employment Exchange | 5 years |
| PwBD* (GENERAL/EWS) | 10 years |
| PwBD(OBC) | 13 years |
| PwBD(SC/ST) | 15 years |
RBI Grade B Eligibility Criteria: Number of Attempts
There is a limit on how many times you can appear for the RBI Grade B exam, depending on your category. If you have already used up your allowed attempts, you won’t be able to apply for the 2026 exam. So, it’s important to check your attempt count before filling out the form to avoid disqualification.
Below is the number of attempts allowed for different categories:
| Category | Number of Attempts |
|---|---|
| General | 6 attempts |
| SC/ST/PWD/EXSM | No limit |
RBI Grade B Nationality
A candidate applying for the RBI Grade B exam must be either:
- A citizen of India, or
- A subject of Nepal, or
- A subject of Bhutan, or
- A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
- A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Note: If you belong to a case where a certificate of eligibility is necessary, then you may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to you by the Government of India.
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