What the RBI Grade B cut-off means
There are three qualifying bars. In Phase I you must clear a minimum in each of the four tests and an aggregate cut-off; the Board sets both. In Phase II candidates are shortlisted for the interview on their aggregate across the three papers, against a cut-off the Board fixes in relation to the vacancies. The interview carries 75 marks, and the final merit list adds it to your Phase II marks. Phase I marks only get you into Phase II.
Phase I cut-off: every test, plus the aggregate
Phase I is a single 200-mark objective paper split into four separately timed tests. The Phase I information handout says you must pass each test, with the passing marks decided by the Board on the performance of all candidates, and also reach the aggregate cut-off. The Phase II shortlist is then drawn on aggregate Phase I marks, with the cut-off fixed in relation to the number of vacancies.
| Test | Questions · time | Cut-off rule |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 80 Q / 80 marks · 25 min | Minimum marks set by the Board |
| English Language | 30 Q / 30 marks · 25 min | Minimum marks set by the Board |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 30 Q / 30 marks · 25 min | Minimum marks set by the Board |
| Reasoning | 60 Q / 60 marks · 45 min | Minimum marks set by the Board |
| Total | 200 Q / 200 marks · 120 min | Aggregate cut-off; Phase II shortlist on aggregate marks in relation to vacancies |
Source: Appendix II of advertisement RBISB/DA/01/2026-27 and the Phase I information handout. Scores from different sessions are equated, and corrected scores are reported to two decimals. Phase I marks are used only to shortlist for Phase II. General cadre candidates can see their own Phase I scorecard and the category-wise cut-off on RBI’s interactive scorecard page after logging in; RBI doesn’t print the numbers in any notice.
General cadre vacancies, by category
Cut-offs are fixed in relation to the vacancies, and RBI publishes them category-wise, so each category’s line depends partly on how many posts it has. These are the 40 General cadre vacancies in the 2026 advertisement.
Source: the vacancy table in advertisement RBISB/DA/01/2026-27. PwBD reservation is horizontal: 1 post for category C and 1 for category D in the General cadre. EWS vacancies are tentative. DEPR (10 posts) and DSIM (10 posts) are separate streams with their own papers and lists, so they aren’t shown here. For comparison, the 2025 advertisement had 83 General cadre posts (including backlog).
Phase II cut-off: the aggregate of three papers
Appendix II says candidates are shortlisted for the interview on their aggregate marks in Paper I, Paper II and Paper III of Phase II, with the cut-off decided by the Board in relation to the number of vacancies. The shortlist is published as a list of roll numbers on RBI’s website, and the cut-off marks come out only after the final result.
What decides the cut-off
RBI doesn’t fix the marks in advance. According to the advertisement and the handouts, these things shape where the line falls:
Number of vacancies
The Board prescribes minimum standards “in relation to number of vacancies” (para 31(j)). The General cadre has 40 posts in 2026, against 83 in 2025.
Category-wise lists
RBI publishes the cut-off category-wise, so the line differs for UR, EWS, OBC, SC and ST candidates.
Everyone’s performance
The Phase I passing marks for each test are decided on the performance of all candidates, so a harder paper can lower them.
Negative marking & equating
Each wrong objective answer costs a quarter of that question’s marks, and Phase I scores are equated across sessions before cut-offs apply.
How the final merit list works
The final merit list for the General cadre adds your Phase II marks (300) and your interview marks (75), plus any grace marks under the rules in force. Phase I marks aren’t added. The interview is held in Hindi or English, as you choose.
Before the interview, RBI also runs a personality assessment, sent as a link by e-mail and to be completed within five days. It carries no marks and isn’t part of the final selection. In the 2025 cycle, the General final result came out in March 2026, and its notice said scorecards and cut-off marks would be shown on RBI’s website, in interactive mode, within 15 working days.
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