The RBI Assistant exam is a highly sought-after opportunity for candidates aspiring to work with the Reserve Bank of India, the nation’s apex financial institution. To ace this competitive exam, understanding the RBI Assistant syllabus is crucial. The Reserve Bank of India Assistant syllabus is designed to assess candidates’ proficiency in Reasoning Ability, Numerical Ability, and English Language in the Preliminary phase, while the Mains phase includes additional sections like General Awareness and Computer Knowledge. A well-structured preparation strategy tailored to the syllabus helps candidates tackle each section effectively. This article provides a detailed overview of the RBI Assistant syllabus to streamline your exam preparation.
Like all Bank Exams, RBI Assistant Syllabus 2026 revolves around the basic tricks and techniques that a student learned in English, Maths and Reasoning during his/her high school. Apart from that, a candidate must have basic knowledge of General Awareness and Computer Application terms to excel in RBI Assistant Exam. Let’s have a look at the detailed RBI Assistant Syllabus for the same.
The questions in the English section will be asked from the below topics. The candidate must have the proper knowledge of tenses to score good marks in this section. Building a habit of reading newspapers and magazines daily would be of great help.
The questions of Numerical Ability/Quantitative Aptitude in the RBI Assistant Exam will be from the below-listed topics. The candidate must practice as much as questions to improve their speed and accuracy which is the most important thing to be taken care of this section.
The questions in the reasoning section will be assessing the candidate’s presence of mind and speed of solving tricky problems. To score good marks in this section, the candidate must focus on their speed. Practising previous year question papers would be of great help for the same.
A basic knowledge of Computer is mandatory for the post of Assistant in the banking sector as most of the job responsibilities revolves around working on computers. The candidates will be assessed on the basis of their knowledge of the below topics.
The candidates must be aware of their surroundings to ace good marks in this section. The candidates must have a habit of reading current affairs, geography, history, and other topics as mentioned below.
The RBI Assistant Exam is conducted in two main phases: the Preliminary Exam and the Mains Exam, followed by a Language Proficiency Test (LPT). Here’s the detailed exam pattern for both stages:
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 minutes |
| Section | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| Numerical Ability | 40 | 40 | 30 minutes |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 25 minutes |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 200 | 200 | 135 minutes |
The local language that is to be tested as per the official RBI Assistant notification are given below:
| Area | Language for LPT |
| Ahmedabad | Gujarati |
| Bengaluru | Kannada |
| Bhopal | Hindi |
| Bhubaneswar | Oriya |
| Chandigarh | Punjabi / Hindi |
| Chennai | Tamil |
| Guwahati | Assamese / Bengali / Khasi / Manipuri / Bodo / Mizo |
| Hyderabad | Telugu |
| Jaipur | Hindi |
| Jammu | Urdu / Hindi / Kashmiri |
| Kanpur & Lucknow | Hindi |
| Kolkata | Bengali / Nepali |
| Mumbai | Marathi / Konkani |
| Nagpur | Marathi / Hindi |
| New Delhi | Hindi |
| Patna | Hindi / Maithili |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Malayalam |
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducts the RBI Assistant examination in two main phases: Prelims and Mains. Each phase comprises multiple sections designed to assess various competencies. PDF Link will be updated soon.
Preliminary Examination:
Main Examination:
Subject-wise list of mandatory and highly recommended books you should consider for preparing for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Assistant Exam (Prelims + Mains), covering all core sections: English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Computer Knowledge.
These books help build grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and overall accuracy:
Word Power Made Easy – Norman Lewis (excellent for vocabulary)
Objective General English – S.P. Bakshi (grammar, usage + practice)
High School English Grammar & Composition – Wren & Martin (grammar basics)
English Language Question Bank – G.K. Publications (practice)
Important for both Prelims & Mains:
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations – R.S. Aggarwal (core concepts + examples)
Fast Track Objective Arithmetic – Rajesh Verma (shortcuts + speed methods)
Magical Book on Quicker Maths – M. Tyra (speed boosting tricks)
Data Interpretation & Analysis materials (Oliveboard or Testbook) for DI practice, especially for Mains
For puzzles, logical reasoning, seating, syllogism, etc.:
A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal
Analytical Reasoning – M.K. Pandey (strong reasoning foundation)
A New Approach to Reasoning (Verbal & Non-Verbal) – B.S. Sijwali & Indu Sijwal
Puzzle Mania / Logical Reasoning Practice – various practice sets (e.g., Oliveboard)
Important for Mains, especially GK & current events:
Manorama Yearbook – static general knowledge and yearly facts
Indian Yearbook – government data & facts
Banking Awareness / GK Book – Arihant Publications or similar banking guides
Daily Current Affairs (Hindu/The Indian Express/online monthly PDFs) – essential ongoing practice
This section is included in the Mains exam:
Fundamentals of Computers – E. Balaguruswamy
Computer Fundamentals – Pradeep K. Sinha
Objective Computer Awareness – R. Pillai (practice questions)
Great for revision & practice tests:
RBI Assistant – Study Guide (GK Publications) – includes PYQs + practice papers (Pre + Mains)
Any complete Mock Test / Practice Book with sectional + full-length tests (EduGorilla/Oliveboard) helps track progress
Start with basics from core books (R.S. Aggarwal, S.P. Bakshi).
Simultaneously do section-wise practice + mock tests to identify weak areas.
Keep a short GK notebook and revise daily current affairs.
Solve previous years’ papers for pattern insight.
The syllabus covers three sections for the Preliminary Exam:
For the Main Exam, it includes:
Yes, the Preliminary Exam focuses on basic skills in English, Numerical Ability, and Reasoning Ability.
The Main Exam is more comprehensive, adding General Awareness and Computer Knowledge.
The General Awareness section includes:
The Numerical Ability section is of moderate difficulty, covering:
The focus is on speed and accuracy.
Yes, some popular resources include:
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