JAIIB 2024 Complete Information

Your age is a big criterion when it comes to the topic of eligibility for the RBI Grade B. The age limit to be eligible for RBI Grade B 2025 is as follows: 

• The minimum age limit to apply for the RBI Grade B exam is 21 years, whereas the maximum age limit differs from category to category.  
• For candidates belonging to an unreserved category, the maximum age limit is 30 years,  
• Whereas, there is a relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST candidates and 3 years for OBC candidates.

To know more about RBI Grade B Eligibility for 2025 pertaining to age you can check here.

The RBI Grade B exam is conducted in 2 Phases. 

• For the first phase, you’d need to prepare for one paper with questions pertaining to, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, English, and General Awareness. 
• For the second phase, you’d need to study 3 papers based on Economics and Social Issues (ESI), Finance and Management (FM), and English Descriptive. 

You can check out the detailed RBI Grade B Syllabus here. Good Luck!

Okay, so let us be clear about this. There is no one book that can act as your guardian angel for this exam. You would need to masterfully choose the things to read from a host of different books. But if you really insist on having a single book, here is the link to one that should best help you prepare for the RBI Grade B 2025 exam: RBI Grade B 2025 Phase 1 Book

The UPSC Prelims syllabus 2025 which consists of General Studies Paper 1 and CSAT include subjects such as History, Polity, Indian constitution, Science & Tech, English Comprehension, Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude.   

Whereas the UPSC Mains syllabus 2025 is comprised of 1 essay, 2 Language Papers, 4 GS Papers and 2 Optional Papers.  

The syllabus of these papers includes subjects like Modern Indian History, World Geography, International Relations, Indian Economic development, Disaster Management and Ethics, Aptitude and Integrity.   

To know all the subjects in detail, you can check UPSC syllabus 2025 for CSE has been provided above.    

This is a pretty significant question, knowing the permissible number of attempts for the RBI Grade B exam might help you plan your future accordingly. So here’s the answer: 
• If you belong to the General category, you can appear no more than 6 times for the RBI Grade B Exam. 
• If you belong to SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/EWS category, then there are no restrictions on the number of attempts. 

The syllabus for UPSC Prelims is as follows: 

• GS paper 1 syllabus includes subjects like History, Polity, Economy, Environment, Geography, Science and Tech. 
• The CSAT syllabus or Paper 2 includes English comprehension, logical reasoning and analytical skills.  

The syllabus for both the papers has been explained in detail in this blog above. You can check the UPSC Prelims Syllabus. 

The UPSC provides a list of 26 optional subjects for CSE Mains, some of which are as follows: 

• Commerce and Accountancy,    
• Management, 
• Geography, 
• Economics    
• Political Science,   
• History etc.  

 You can check complete list of UPSC optional subjects  mentioned above in the blog. 

Yes, the UPSC Prelims Syllabus and UPSC Mains Syllabus are different in terms of total number of papers in both phases, e.g., –  

• There are 2 papers in Prelims and 9 papers in Mains examination. 
• Objective– based questions are asked in prelims and descriptive questions in mains exam.  
• There is also an addition of some topics in Mains exam.

To learn about the UPSC syllabus (Prelims + Mains), you can go through them in the blog above. 

Yes, there is 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer. This marking scheme applies to both the RBI Grade B Prelims, as well as the Mains exams.

The UPSC Mains syllabus has defined set of paper subjects that the candidates are required to cover in order to prepare for Mains Examination. These papers are as follows: 

• 1 Language Paper of your choice   
• 1 English Language Paper   
• 1 Essay Paper   
• 4 General Studies Papers   
• 2 Optional Subject Papers  

The syllabus prescribed for these papers include topics such as Ancient, Medieval and Modern History, Polity, Governance, Internal Security, Science and Tech, Ethics, Aptitude and Integrity.  

The IAS Syllabus has been talked about in detail in this blog above. To go through the UPSC Mains Syllabus, click here. 

Well, the question that you ask is fairly simple, but the answer to this is pretty complex. You see the time that you’d require to prepare perfectly for the RBI Grade B exam is something that would depend on a lot on the following factors: 

• For example, your education background, whether you are from the science, commerce, or humanities streams.  
• Or the fact appeared for other govt. exams before, and if you are a working professional or not. These factors can vary your preparation time.
• However, it’s safe to say that if you are beginning your preparations from scratch, you’d need 6 months.
• While you can allocate the time period of 9 months if you are an aspirant from a non-commerce background.

There are a few factors you need to take into consideration before choosing an optional subject such as: 

• Your graduation subject 
• Access to subject material 
• Familiarity and interest in a particular subject 

For better understanding of such factors, you can check this video on How to choose the UPSC Optional Subject. 

If you have scored just above the Phase cut off, don’t’ worry, Phase 1 is basically an elimination round.  

• The marks obtained by candidates in it are not taken into consideration when the final RBI Grade B exam scorecard is computed.  
• So, that basically means, by scoring above the cut off marks in phase 1 you have just been able to secure yourself a seat in the phase 2 paper, nothing more than that.  
• It’s entirely up to you now to score well in the Phase 2 exam and Interview to place yourself on the final selection list.

No, if you are beginning your exam preparation, then just solving mock tests won’t suffice.  There are few preparation tips you need to follow to ace the exam: 

• You’d need to cover the entire RBI Grade B syllabus thoroughly and then practice on as many RBI Grade B past year question papers as you can.  
• Check the RBI website for all the updates that the organization releases, and read the newspaper daily for your current affairs preparation.  

Having said that, if you are too inclined on solving them, you can practice on the Mock Tests that I have created for you.

Yes, there is a provision of negative marking in the UPSC IAS exam pattern 2025, and the marking scheme is as follows:  

• For Prelims : Every wrong answer will cost you 1/3rd of the marks for that answer, i.e., 0.66 marks for Paper 1 (GS) and 0.83 marks for Paper 2 (CSAT).  
• For Mains and Interview: There is no negative marking in these two stages.  

If we are to go by the exam that happened in 2022, the most scoring section in the 2022 RBI Grade B was General Awareness. So, I think in the 2023 RBI Grade B exams too, the General Awareness section would be the most scoring. 

Understanding the IAS exam pattern is an extremely important aspect of the IAS exam preparation. It helps you decide on the topics that you would need to prioritize and focus most on while identifying the ones that you can leave for later.  

Apart from this, it also helps in evaluating other factors such as the weightage of the given topics, and the nature of questions asked in the paper, providing you with a better way to assess your strengths and weaknesses.

For 2024 RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam, there were 2 shifts conducted.  Therefore, there is a possibility in the 2025 RBI Grade B exam too that it will have the same number of shifts. But this information will be known for certain only after the official 2025 notification is released.

Yes, Commerce and Management are definitely good choices for optional subjects as they have a good success rate among candidates. Even though they’re not as popular as the other optional subjects like Geography or Public Administration, there have been several IAS toppers who have chosen Commerce or Management as their optional subjects and made it big.    

Now to state, some advantages of choosing Commerce or Management as the subjects of your optional papers are that they’re generally scoring subjects as they’re logic and rationality-based by nature.  

The IAS exam pattern of the Prelims section consists of 2 papers. Both the papers have objective-type questions with a total of 200 marks each are as follows: 

• The GS Paper 1 –  It contains 100 questions and has negative marking. For each right answer, the candidate receives 2 marks, and for every wrong one, they lose 0.66 marks. The total time duration for the GS paper is 2 hours.   
• The CSAT paper –  There are 80 questions and has the provision of negative marking. For each right answer, the candidate receives 2.5 marks, and for every wrong one, they lose 0.83 marks. The total time duration for the CSAT paper is 2 hours. 

According to the UPSC Exam Pattern, the selection procedure for the UPSC CSE is a 3-stage process:   

• Prelims – This phase of the UPSC Exam is objective-based and consists of 2 papers. The 2 papers are the GS and CSAT papers.    
• Mains – After clearing the prelims exam, the candidate appears for the second stage of the exam cycle which comprises of 9 descriptive papers and finally,   
• Interview – After qualifying the Mains, the candidates undergo the third and the final round which is also known as the Personality Test.    

The final selection depends on the combined performance in both the Mains & Interview Round (i.e., marks obtained from a total of 2025 marks – 1750 for Mains & 275 for Interview Round). 

The pay scale for a newly recruited RBI Grade B officer starts with a basic salary of Rs. 55,200 a month (Gross salary is around Rs. 1,16,914 per month in metro cities). Initial Basic Pay is Rs. 55,200 p.m. with a yearly increment of Rs.2850 for 9 years. After 9 years, Rs. 80850 is your basic pay and yearly increment of Rs. 2850 for the next two years if you reach the Efficiency Bar (EB). After a total of 11 years, Rs. 86,550 is your basic pay and a yearly increment of Rs. 3300 for the next four years. Rs. 99,750 is the Maximum Basic Pay after 16 years.

According to the UPSC exam pattern, the IAS Mains exam has a total of 9 descriptive type papers. There is no negative marking and all the papers are of 3 hours each. The exam pattern for Mains is as follows: 

• Out of the 9 papers, there are 2 are language papers that are qualifying in nature with 300 marks for each, the candidate is required to score a minimum of 25% marks in the two language papers with 300 marks each  
• Among the remaining 7 papers, there is 1 essay paper, 4 General Studies papers, and 2 papers based on the optional subject that a candidate chooses. All the papers are maximum marks of 250 each. 

The basic pay of a Grade B Officer in the Reserve Bank of India is Rs. 55,200/month. Apart from the basic pay, the RBI Grade B salary includes various perks, benefits and allowances. The salary of an officer increases as the recruit gains experience in the organization. 

The two papers in the UPSC Prelims exam pattern include some of the subjects as follows:  

• GS paper –  For Paper 1 of CSE Prelims, some of the subjects are Economics, Geography, History, Environmental science, Sociology, Political science, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. 
• CSAT paper – The questions are asked primarily from 3 subjects – English, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning . 

As per the revised salary mentioned in the official RBI Grade B in the previous notification 2025. The total CTC of RBI Grade B officer can vary between 20 to 24 Lacs per annum. However, the CTC of RBI Grade B officer varies depending on the place of posting, i.e., it is different for metro cities and rural postings. 

There are a total of 9 descriptive type papers given in the IAS Mains which are as follows: 

• 2 language papers – Paper A (Compulsory Indian Language) and Paper B (English) which are qualifying in nature.  
• 1 Essay paper for which the candidate are required to write 2 essays.  
• 4 General Studies Papers, i.e., GS Paper I, II, III and IV.  
• 2 Optional Papers for which the candidate is required to select an optional subject. 

I get it. Getting to know the salary that a job offers, works as one of the greatest motivators for the person working to attain it. So, let me get to it right away. The initial in-hand salary of a Grade B officer of RBI is approx more than 1,16,000 INR/month.

The amount includes all the allowances, incentives and is adjusted for deductions. Moreover, this is just the initial salary. It further increases with experience, not to mention, with every promotion that an officer secures. It’s a quite handsome deal, isn’t it? Makes it even more worthy of being pursued. 

The admit card for the UPSC  Mains exam usually gets released within 2-3 weeks prior to the examination. The UPSC Mains exam is scheduled for 22nd August 2025. 

Answer: Apart from the prescribed RBI Grade B salary, an officer is also entitled to receive various perks and benefits. Written below are the various perks and benefits given to an Officer apart from RBI Grade B Salary: 

• Back Accommodation 
• Medical Allowance 
• Leave Fare Concession 
• Furnishing of Residence 
• Miscellaneous Allowance (Fuel, Furniture, etc.) 
• 1984 Riot Victims – 5 years 

The information written on the IAS admit card pertains to all the important inputs made by the candidate during the registration process such as: 

• Date of Examination 

• Name of the Candidate 
• Roll Number 
• Photo ID Card (e.g., Aadhar Card etc.) 
• Name of the Candidate’s Father 
• Name of the Candidate’s Mother 

• Physically Handicapped Status 
• Center & Venue of Examination 
• Time of the Examination 
• Candidate’s Photograph & Registration ID 

In case where a candidate applies for the IAS exam multiple times, only the last UPSC application form submitted successfully shall be considered for further processing. This means that all the previous application forms filled and submitted by the candidate will be ignored. 

Therefore, it is advised that you fill only one UPSC application form. 

The applicants can withdraw their registration form by following the steps mentioned below:

• Visit the UPSC website and click on the “What’s new” section.   
• Go to the “Withdrawal of Application: Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination”  
• After the new page appears, click on the link for withdrawal  
• On the right corner, select the link for “Application Withdrawl”  
• Upon reading the instructions carefully, click on the “Yes” button.   
• Enter your registration ID and click on continue.   
• Fill in your details like Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Fathers Name, Mothers Name, Mobile Number, et’c.   
• Finally, click on the option for the withdrawal of the application and select the button for “Agree”.  

Now, your UPSC Application form has been withdrawn successfully.

To attempt RBI Grade B free mock test provided on my website, you can take the following steps:  

• Visit the top of this page and click on the “Attempt Now” button for any of the Mock tests provided.   
• Then, click on “Enroll for free” option given on the right side of the page.   
• Next, sign up by using your e- mail and password to proceed.   
• Then, click the “Go to dashboard” button on the right side of the page.   
• Proceed to the dashboard and select the button to “take quiz”. Click on the button and start taking the test. 

In case there is any error or discrepancy you want to rectify in your IAS application form, you can contact the concerned authorities or officials. I mentioned the UPSC contact details as follows: 

• UPSC Help Desk/Phone numbers: 011-23098543 / 23385271 / 23381125 / 23098591.  
• UPSC Official Website – https://www.upsc.gov.in/. 

The syllabus for English Descriptive consists of Essay, Reading Comprehension & Precis. Since there is no definite study material for the section, you must practice answer- writing on a weekly basis. For a detailed strategy for the English Descriptive section, you can check out one of my Quora answers.  

The RBI Grade B mock tests available on my platform have been modelled on the latest exam pattern and have been compiled under supervision of experts. Therefore, I recommend you solve as many mock tests as possible to prepare your best for the exam.    

To make the best use of the books, you must choose to selectively study the chapters. For that you can follow the steps as mentioned below: 

• Collect all the study material listed here in this article.   
• Once you are done collecting the required study material, create a study plan and take notes accordingly.   
• Lastly, take out RBI Grade B syllabus and cover only those given topics from the books or study material 

To choose the best study material for RBI Grade B 2025, you can refer to the following steps:  

• Pick up some of the recommended RBI Grade B books and study material as listed above in this article and go through the relevant topics. 
• Make sure that all the study material you choose are recommended sources and cover the topics given under the exam syllabus   

If you want help choosing the best books, you can read more about the same in this article itself. 

• A total of 10 mock tests are provided for Phase 1 
• A total of 20 mock tests are given for Phase 2 out of which both ESI and FM subjects contain 10 mock tests each are provided on my platform. 

As these tests are designed on the latest pattern, it will help to enhance your preparation level for the exam 

To prepare well for RBI Grade B exam, you can enhance your memorization skills with the following steps: 

• Go through the recommended books/ notes at the regular intervals of your preparation. 
• Take a look into techniques of memory retention like mnemonics, flow charts and mind map.   
• Using a mind map, you can learn to memorize with the help of visualization and understand the topics in a better manner.  

The difficulty level of the IAS mock tests or the UPSC test series should be a little higher than the actual IAS exam. That is because by solving IAS mock tests of higher difficulty levels, you’d be able to prepare much better for the actual IAS exam. You might even find the actual paper to be easier and may score high marks. 

The advantages of attempting mocks are many and therefore should not be overlooked. Some of these benefits are as follows: 

• Better understanding of the exam pattern 
• Analyzing the difficulty level 
• Assessment of strengths and weaknesses 
• Enhancing the answer- writing skills 

There are several other benefits as well. You can check it out in the article given above. 

Yes. RBI releases the RBI Grade B notification every year. 

The best time to start with your UPSC Mock test series is right at the beginning of your preparation itself. Even before you have started with your syllabus. Then of course, as the exams come nearer and nearer, you should solve more and more mocks with increasing seriousness, making sure to do so as if solving an actual exam paper.    

No.

The notification for the recruitment of RBI Grade B officers 2023 has been officially released on 09th May 2023. 

Oh yes, certainly, there’s a sectional cut off in the RBI Grade B exam. Therefore, you need to remember not to just focus on the sections you are good at. Since every section carries its own separate cut off marks, you’d be wise to pay attention to all of them to the required extent. If you want to know about the cut offs in detail, I have made it available here. 

UPSC CSE or the Civil Services Examination is a nationwide exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment of officers to the elite services of the Indian Government, such as the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Foreign Services (IFS), Indian Police Services (IPS), Indian Revenue Services (IRS), etc. 
 

Yes, unfortunately, there’s negative marking in the RBI Grade B exam. 1/4th marks are deducted for every wrong answer. This applies to both the RBI Grade B Prelims, as well as the Mains exam. I know this somewhat of a letdown. Just make sure you choose your answers after much deliberation, and you’ll sail through unscathed. 

No, I wouldn’t say that the questions asked in the IAS exams are tough per se, but sure, if you have not prepared well enough, then it’s definitely one of the toughest exams you’ll come across. 

That said, the questions that are asked in the IAS exams are set with the intention of testing you on your grasp of the various concepts pertaining to the IAS syllabus. 

Therefore, if your concepts are clear and you can jot down your thoughts in an articulate manner, you can easily sail through across the exams and score well above the UPSC cut offs. 

The full form of UPSC is Union Public Service Commission, and CSE is Civil Services Exam. The full form of IAS is Indian Administrative Services.  
 

That said, the most commonly opted-for subjects for the optional paper are Geography, Public Administration, psychology, political science, History, Sociology, Philosophy, anthropology, etc.  

However, according to me, you should always choose the subject that you are most comfortable in. 

There are a lot of optional subjects to choose from when it comes to the UPSC Mains. There are 25 subjects in total. To know the names of the optional subjects, you can read the blog that I have written on the topic of the UPSC IAS syllabus.  

The job of an IAS officer can be extremely varied, but as the name suggests, it’s mostly to do with administrative and management-related works, such as advising ministers about issues, policy formulation, maintenance of law and order, implementation, and monitoring of policies, revenue collection, etc.  

To know more about the job profile of an IAS Officer in detail, read my blog on the same. 

Since the syllabus does not vary, the same topics find their place every year in the RBI Grade B examination. However, when it comes to whether the exact question can come again in the subsequent year’s exam, I would say, the probability of that happening is low.

RBI has given the provision of choosing the medium. Therefore, a candidate can pick between English and Hindi as the medium to answer RBI Grade B Question Paper. 

However, the English section of both Phase-1 & Phase-2 needs to be answered in English irrespectively.  

To prepare for UGC NET 2024 exam, solving mock tests is an excellent way to familiarize with exam pattern. You can find free UGC NET Paper 1 & 2 online mock tests  at the top of this page.

The Prelims papers of the UPSC CSE are entirely objective in nature, meaning that the questions asked are MCQ-based. Getting to the papers involved in the Prelims, they are General Studies (GS 1) or Paper 1 and the Civil Services Aptitude Test also known as GS 2 or Paper 2.  

Both Prelims papers have to be completed in a maximum duration of 2 hours and carry a weightage of 200 marks each with negative marking. To know the detailed exam pattern for UPSC CSE Prelims, check the linked blog. 

No, however, there are some exceptions. 

So, you won’t be allowed to use a calculator while solving your Prelims paper, and also in your Mains paper. However, in certain optional papers like Mathematics, Management, or other optional papers involving numericals, you are allowed to used calculators. 

The RBI Grade B exam is one of the most competitive exams in the country. For every seat, there is more than lakh students competing for it. Moreover, the syllabus is as vast as it gets, therefore, the exam can be everything but easy. But whether it can be termed as tough, depends on the degree of your preparation. 

To give you a better understanding of the level of the exam, I have given the previous year’s analysis of the RBI Grade B exam, and the information related to the cutoff of RBI Grade B exam. Explore these pages, to know the answer to this question. 

Yes, of course, you can get the Previous year’s question papers online on my website. To access downloadable pdfs of past year papers of UPSC CSE, check the linked blog

The RBI Grade B 2024 examination will take place in the online mode.

RBI Grade B Phase 1 Cut Off 2024 (Overall) – General – 67.25, EWS – 67.25, OBC – 65.00, SC – 58.00, ST – 54.00 & PwBD – 53.25. It was released on 1st October 2024 i.e. roughly 3 – 4 weeks after the 2024 Phase 1 exam which was conducted on 8th September 2024. Check the sectional cut-off in RBI Grade B Phase 1 Cut Off section in the section above.

RBI Grade B Phase 2 Cut Off 2024– The RBI Grade B 2024 Phase 2 exam took place on 19th October 2024, while the cutoff for the same is yet to be released,

Before attempting UGC NET mock tests, you can follow these steps I have suggested below:  

• Attempt a NTA NET mock test and identify your strong & weak areas first.   
• Work on eliminating your weaknesses and strengthening your strong points.    
• After doing so, take another mock test to again see where you stand as per your conceptual understanding of topics.  
• Repeat the process until you clear all weak points in your preparation.  
• Continue solving more mock tests till the very last day before the real exam 

That said, every mock that you successfully solve and the lesser and lesser time duration you do so in will increase your confidence exponentially. 

Since mock tests are a medium of practice and I am assuming that you know that no amount of practice is enough. Therefore, give as many UGC NET mock tests of Paper 1 & 2 as you can. 

If you have scored just above the Phase cut off, don’t’ worry, Phase 1 is basically an elimination round. The marks obtained by candidates in it are not taken into consideration when the final RBI Grade B exam scorecard is computed. 

So, that basically means, by scoring above the cut off marks in phase 1 you have just been able to secure yourself a seat in the phase 2 paper. Now you must focus on scoring well in the Phase 2 exam and Interview to place yourself on the final selection list. 

The UPSC prelims exam is scheduled to take place on the 25th May 2025. 

The UPSC Mains 2024 exam will commence on 20th September 2024 for 5 days. 

The UPSC online application process 2025 will begin with the release of the notification, i.e., 22nd January 2025 and will continue till 11th February 2025. Know more about the process to apply online for UPSC examination. 

Okay, this is a very important question because the current affairs topics form a major part of the question pool of the prelims stage. So let us understand the kind of topics that you should be aware of to successfully clear the UPSC cut offs for the prelims.  

So, UPSC usually asks questions from schemes, programs, acts, and National/international events that have been in the news for the last 2 years. Therefore, to ace the current affairs portion of the Prelims exam, you’d need to go through all the current affairs news daily without a miss. 

Yes, it is possible for you to prepare for UPSC through self- study as well as clear this prestigious exam. However, there are few important points you must keep in mind while beginning your exam preparation: 

• You must have a comprehensive IAS preparation strategy which includes a reliable booklist and the right study material to effectively cover the syllabus.  
• To clear the exam, you would also need to work hard, be dedicated, and be extremely motivated to carry on with your studies along with the dedicated IAS strategy.  

However, I’d also add here, that taking help from online coaching agencies, at least as far as their Mock test series or current affairs modules go, is not a bad idea. They help cut down preparation time by a whole lot. 

To take the UGC NET free mock tests by the NTA, you can follow the steps given below:  

1. Visit the official website of the NTA and click on the option for “Mock Test”   
2. Select the ‘UGC-NET’ exam option, choose the paper of your choice, and click “Start Mock Test”.    
3. Click on the “Login” button and read all the instructions carefully.    
4. Next, tick the checkbox given at the bottom of the page and press proceed.    
5. The UGC NET Mock Test will be displayed on your screen.

The questions in IAS interviews asked from a wide range of topics such as personal background, educational qualifications, interests, hobbies, current affairs, national and international events, socio- political issues, governance and ethics. The UPSC Interview pattern is designed to test a candidate’s general awareness, decision – making abilities, problem – solving skills and moral integrity.  

Some examples of the type of questions asked are as follows: 

• What is the meaning of your name and explain your background? 
• Where do you live? Tell us interesting facts about your native place? 
• Explain why did you pursue this subject for your graduation? 
• Did you participate in other activities during your college time? 
• Did you read about the recent incident which took place in your native place? 
• What are your thoughts on the current socio- political climate in India? 
• Tell us about your interests and hobbies which you pursue in idle time? 
• How will your past working experience help you in administration? 

No, there isn’t any cut off marks for the interview round (Phase 3) of the RBI Grade B exams. 

However, do not make the mistake of underestimating the Interview round, as the scores you secure in this round can make all the difference in terms of getting you through to being an RBI Grade B officer or missing it.

Yes, there’s a provision of sectional cut off in the RBI Grade B Phase 1 exam. Therefore, you need to remember not to just focus on the sections you are good at. 

Since every section carries its own separate cut off marks, you’d be wise to pay attention to all of them to the required extent. If you want to know about the cut offs in detail, I have made it available here. 

The full form of JRF is Junior Research Fellowship. 

Basically, the JRF holders are the creme de la creme of all those who qualify for the UGC NET exams, which constitutes a very less percentage of the total qualifiers. The JRF letter/e-Certificate signifies that a JRF holder can avail of the scholarship while pursuing M.Phil./Ph.D. 

The intention behind the JRF is to inspire NET JRF qualified students to pursue M.Phil./Ph.D. in their area of interest. NTA declares two cut offs – one for clearing NET (which makes you eligible to apply for Assistant Professorship) and the other one (higher of the two) for JRF. The E-Certificate/score is valid for 3 years whereas the NET score is valid for the lifetime. 

The JRFs are entitled to some special benefits that separate them from normal NET qualifiers. 

If you want to be an RBI Grade B officer, knowing the process is the first step to become one. So, the Selection Process of RBI Grade B 2025 consists of three rounds, i.e., Prelims Examination, Mains Examination, and Personal Interview. If you are able to clear all three rounds, you will become entitled to receive the much-coveted letter offering you the post of an RBI Grade B officer. 

After qualifying JRF, you will be eligible for stipend of approximately 31000 INR per month (for the first 2 years) if you pursue a Ph.D. or M.Phil. from a UGC NET approved university.

The interview round will be held after you clear the first and subsequently the second phase of the Exam. That said, only applicants who will clear the minimum sectional cut off and the overall cut off will be called for the interview round. 

Let me say straight off the bat that the exam for qualifying both is the same. However, there are a few differences pertaining to the benefits and the cut off. Let me elaborate. 

When the UGC NET JRF results are released, then there are two cut offs declared, one for the UGC NET and the other for the UGC NET JRF. The JRF cut off is slightly higher than the other cut off. Those who clear the JRF cut off become JRF qualifiers and those who manage to clear the UGC NET cut off but not the UGC NET JRF cut off become eligible for Assistant Professor. 

The next difference is that the score of NET is valid for a lifetime whereas the score of JRF is valid only for 3 years. The JRF qualification entitles you to a host of other benefits which I have answered in the question pertaining to the ‘benefits of NET JRF’ in this blog. 

Being a NET JRF qualifier myself, I think I can answer this question better than most. 

You see, the UGC NET exam gives you an opportunity to foray into the field of academics and research by making you eligible for a post of an assistant professor, or a Junior Research Fellow (JRF), or both. In the case of the assistant professor post, you only need to score above the cut offs in the exam to become eligible for it. 

However, to be eligible for the JRF post, you’d need to clear the exam with high marks. Being a JRF will entitle you to a scholarship of 31000 INR per month for the first 2 years and 35000 INR per month for the remaining tenure after that. Sweet, isn’t it? So, I’d urge you to put in the extra effort, ace your UGC NET, and become a JRF. 

Well, the perfect answer to that question would be, “As many as you can”. That’s because no matter how many UPSC test papers or previous year question papers you solve, it’s never enough.  

The reason for that is the UPSC exams are well known for being unpredictable in nature, as far as the kind of questions asked is concerned.  Thus, test papers will prepare you enough to be able to expect any and every variation that the UPSC incorporated in the IAS exam question pool. 

The benefits of attempting UPSC previous year question papers are enormous. Let me quote a few of them:   

• Knowing the Exam Pattern  
• Gauging the Levels of Prelims & Mains  
• Identification of Important Topics  
• Understanding Your Strengths & Weaknesses  
• Better Time Management 
• Increase Intuitive abilities for marking correct answers 

To understand these benefits in detail, check the linked portion that will give you precise knowledge about UPSC Previous Year Papers. 

The UGC NET exam is a series of exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for 83 different subjects including Management, Philosophy, Electronic Science, Yoga, and many others. Most of the subjects belong to non-science streams like Humanities, Management, Arts, etc. The latest addition in the UGC NET subject list is Hindu Studies and Indian Knowledge System.

I get asked this question a lot, and the answer is that around 2 to 2.5 the number of vacancies announced for the particular year’s IAS exam are selected for the IAS interviews.  

Apart from that, you should know that only the people who are able to clear the UPSC cut offs for the Mains papers of the IAS exams are called to appear for the interview round. 

In short, you need to clear the overall UPSC cut offs to qualify/clear the UPSC IAS exam. 

The overall cut offs are decided by taking into account the scores of the Mains exams and the Interview round.  

If you want a detailed answer to this question, you should read the UPSC cut offs section on the blog given above. 

The IAS prelims cut off is prepared by taking into account the General Studies Paper 1 only. 

As far as Paper 2 or CSAT goes, the CSAT is only a qualifying paper where candidates just need to score above 33% of the total marks. This means that the marks secured by candidates in the CSAT paper are not considered while preparing the Prelims cut off. 

So, the answer differs according to the various reservation categories and it also changes depending on the year of the exam. So, what I am writing here is merely a general estimate.   

For the general category, you’d need to have an All-India Rank (AIR) that does not go beyond the range of 75-95 if you want to be an IAS officer. For OBC, the rank cannot be greater than the range of 460-470, For SC, 840-650, and for STs, 765-775. 

The official notification for RBI Grade B 2025 has not been released yet. RBI  will publishe a short newspaper advertisement before the release of official notification which include the date of notification and further details on Grade B Vacancies 2025. 

Previously in 2024, RBI declared a total of  94 vacancies and these vacancies were categorized as follows:

• General (DR)- 66 Vacancies
• DEPR (DR)- 21 Vacancies
• DSIM (DR)- 07 Vacancies

The UGC NET is held twice every year i.e., once in June and once in December.

• UGC stands for University Grant Commission. It was established on 28th December 1953 by the Government of India and became a statutory body under the UGC Act in 1956.  
• The National Testing Agency on behalf of UGC conducts the exam for NET.  
• NET stands for National Eligibility Test which is conducted with the primary aim of determining the eligibility for the posts of Assistant Professor (AP) & Junior Research Fellowship Award (JRF) in universities and colleges in India.  
• You can read more about the NET exam here.

The official notification for UGC NET June 2024 has been released on 20th April 2024.

Minimum Salary of an IAS Officer: The starting basic salary of an IAS officer is Rs. 56,100 per month, excluding all the perks and allowances that he is eligible to receive, like Dearness Allowance (DA), Transport Allowance (TA), and House Rent Allowance (HRA), and so on.

Maximum Salary of an IAS Officer: The maximum pay of an administrative officer is approx. Rs. 2,50,000 for the post of Cabinet Secretary after working for 37 years.  

Therefore, the starting gross salary can get close to Rs. 1,50,000 per month (depending on the DA & other allowances at the time).  

Also, note that the base monthly salary of an IAS officer is when he’s been in the civil services for 1-4 years. So, after 4 years the basic monthly salary of IAS officers increases to 67,700 INR. 

This is an important question. So, the answer is, that the state government pays the salary of IAS officers. Now, you might be thinking how is this possible when the IAS officers have been selected via the UPSC, and not the State PSCs.

Well, the salary of IAS officers is decided and fixed by the Union Government of India. However, it is the State government that pays the salary of IAS officers. 

Well, I can tell you the basic monthly salary of an IAS officer who’s been in service for 1-4 years, and that is Rs. 56,100. That’s of course excluding all the allowances that he/she receives. 

So, to find out the per day salary of the IAS officer we’d just need to divide the base monthly salary amount by 26, considering that Saturdays are mostly working for IAS officers. So the per day salary amounts to around Rs. 2,157 excluding daily allowances (HRA, DA etc.). 

Yes, the IAS officer salary is slightly higher than that of an IPS officer, because the IAS officer mostly is a bit more superior in terms of power and importance.

This can be assessed by the fact that there is usually only one IAS officer in an area, but the number of IPS officers present in an area can be decided according to the area’s requirement. 

The perks of being an IAS officer are many. You’ll get: 

• Travel Allowance 
• Dearness Allowance 
• House Rent Allowance 
• Electricity & Water Bills 

• Mobile Bills 
• Medial Expenses 
• Study Leaves of up to 2 years after a service of more than 7 years 
• Abroad Study Option 
• House Help Support 

• Job Security 
• Pension & Retirement Benefits 

HRA is basically short for House Rent Allowance, and DA is short for Dearness Allowance. These allowances form a pretty significant portion of an IAS officer’s gross monthly salary. 

HRA: 

• 24% in Class X cities 
• 16% in Class Y cities 
• 8% in Class Z cities 

However, HRA is linked to DA and will change once the DA crosses 50% and again when it crosses 100%. 

DA: 

The DA is linked to inflation and is revised twice a year. It is 31% as of December 2021. 

Yes, that is usually the case, and even if it’s not, the costs are heavily subsidized. And it is not just the electricity bills, but the water bills, gas, and phone bills, that are all taken care of by the government.

Yes. IAS officers do get paid a monthly stipend of Rs 56,100 during their 2 year training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration or LBSNAA.   

The Educational Qualification for General (DR) of the candidate should be as follows:  

• General – minimum aggregate of 60% marks in Graduation or 55% marks in Post-Graduation 
• SC/ST/PwBD- minimum aggregate of 50% marks in Graduation or pass marks in Post-Graduation 

To know the Educational Qualification for DEPR and DSIM, read the full Eligibility Criteria here. 

The Age Criteria to be eligible for the exam are:  

• You must be between 21 years and 30 years of age as of the specified date in the notification. 
• If you have an M.Phil. or a Ph.D. degree, the upper age limits are 32 and 34 years respectively. 

• If you belong to the SC/ST category, there is a provision for relaxation of the upper age limit up to 5 years. 

You need to have atleast 60% marks in Graduation (50% for SC/ST/PwBD applicants) or 55% marks in Post-Graduation (pass marks for SC/ST/PwBD applicants) in aggregate of all semesters/years.

Ok, the process employed by the UGC to decide the NET JRF cutoffs is a bit complicated. Let’s use a scenario to understand this. For instance, I have given below the process of finding out the JRF cut off for economics for the ST category:  

• [Number of ST category candidates that have opted for JRF and have also qualified NET in the subject of economics] X [Total number of JRF seats reserved for ST category] ÷ [Total ST category candidates from all subjects that have opted for JRF post and also have cleared the NET exam.]  
• The Aggregate scores of paper 1 and paper 2 combined, computed with respect to the number of JRF seats allocated for people from the ST category, will help derive the cut off marks for the JRF for the ST category in “economics”.

As I have mentioned above, the organization of NTA uses a unique approach to calculate the UGC NET Cut Off. A complex process gets underway every year at the time of calculation of cut off. Please refer to the aforementioned section- UGC NET Cut Off: Calculation Procedure, to know the detailed information regarding the calculation of cut off. 

The RBI Grade B Notification & application process 2025 has not started yet.

The powers of an IAS officer are immense. They can either play their part at the state or at the central level.

At the state level, an IAS officer is the one who fulfills the task of ensuring the smooth functioning of a district.

Once an IAS officer proves his competence at the state level, he’s then handed greater responsibilities and is also made to do things like represent India on the world stage in a foreign country, or handle the functioning of a PSU, or become the Cabinet Secretary.  

HRA and DA are linked in the following manner:  
  

When DA crosses 25%, HRA shall be revised to 27%, 18% and 9% of Basic Pay in X, Y and Z cities respectively, and when DA crosses 50%, the HRA will further be revised to 30%, 20% and 10% of Basic Pay in X, Y and Z cities, respectively.   

You can edit the details on your application form, but only till the final submission of it. 

The details being talked about here are the ones you’ll be asked to give while filling the application form; details such as your name, category, date of birth, address, mobile number, email ID, exam center, etc. 

The application fees for RBI Grade B 2025 specified for different categories are as follows: 

• The candidates from General or OBC category are required to pay Rs. 850 + 18% GST.   
• Whereas for SC/ST/PWD category candidates, the application fees to pay is Rs. 100 +18% GST. 

The answer is no, you can’t. The details that you enter into your application form cannot be changed after you click on the final submission button. Therefore, I’d suggest that you check the details that you enter very carefully before finally submitting your application form.

The best option for you in such a situation would be to edit the detail that you might be doubtful of while previewing your application form itself. 

In case you have submitted more than 1 application form, only the latest filled application that you had submitted will be considered by the RBI. All other applications that you may have submitted will be scrapped.

Yes, the UGC NET exams have subject wise cut offs. As the UCG NET exams are conducted for a total of 83 subjects, therefore, each subject has its own respective cut off mark.

The total number of attempts is allotted to candidates based on different categories which are as follows: 

• Candidates belonging to the General category can appear for a maximum of 6 attempts.   
• The maximum number of attempts for candidates from OBC category is 9,   
• For candidates from SC/ST/ PWD category there is no limit on the number of attempts till their respective upper age limits.   

To be eligible for the IAS exam, a candidate needs to have a graduation degree from any stream. The degree accorded should be of a university recognized by the Government of India as a legitimate university. 

For candidates belonging to General Category, the age limit for UPSC CSE is specified as follows: 

• The lower age limit is 21 years.  
• The upper age limit is 32 years.  

An important point to note here is there is no age relaxation granted for candidates from General Category.  

No, for UPSC exam, the female candidates are not granted any kind of age relaxation. However, women are exempted from exam fee in the application process.  

If you want to know about the age relaxation criteria of the UPSC, you can check it out in the article I have written above. 

Talking about UPSC age limit 2025, the applicants are required to meet the following criteria: 

• The minimum age limit required to appear for the IAS is 21 years for candidates of all categories. Whereas the maximum age limit for candidates belonging to different categories is specified as follows: 
• The upper age limit for candidates from General category is 32 years.  
• The maximum age for candidates from OBC category is 35 years.  
• The age limit for SC/ST category candidates is 37 years.  
• Whereas the uppermost from candidates from  PwBD category is 42 years.  

If you are not being able to upload your photo and signature, it must be because you have not uploaded them according to the prescribed specifications. So, I’d suggest that you upload your photograph and signature as per the dimensions given to us by the RBI.

• Yes, there are reservations for ex-servicemen in the Civil Services Exam. As per the UPSC exam eligibility, the upper age limits of ex-servicemen are extended by a few years.   
• The maximum UPSC age limit criteria for ex-servicemen have been divided between two different categories of ex-servicemen.  
• The first being “Ex-serviceman discharged from duty due to disability” and the other being, “Ex-serviceman discharged after 5 years duty”. 
• For category of “Ex-serviceman discharged from duty due to disability”, the upper age limit for General candidates is 35 years, for OBC, it is 38 years, and for SC/ST, it is 40 years.  
• For category of “Ex-serviceman discharged after 5 years duty”, the upper age limit for General candidates is 37 years, for OBC, it is 40 years, and for SC/ST, it is 42 years. 

No, a diploma holder is not eligible to appear for the UPSC Civil services exam, as the UPSC candidates must have at least a graduation degree before applying for the exam.  

No. It is not possible for a 12th passed student to apply for the IAS exam, as the minimum educational qualification required by UPSC is a bachelor’s degree from a government-recognized university.

 You can take a look at the process of the UPSC apply online. 

You will be sent your registration number and password as soon as you successfully register for the RBI Grade B exam 

The percentile score ranges from 0-100, and it is calculated taking in account the performance of all the candidates. Higher the rank you score, more percentile you will get. Click here to know every aspect of how UGC NET percentile is calculated. 

No, unfortunately, you can’t. There is no provision for you to change your exam center once it has been printed on your RBI Grade B 2025 Admit Card. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that you fill in your application form as carefully and as correctly as possible, to avoid hassles later. 

To be honest, there isn’t much that you need to take along with your RBI Grade B 2025 admit card, to the exam centre. All you need are the original and the photocopy of any one of your identity proofs along. With these, you can stride on into the exam center, like a knight. No one will stop you. 

To download the RBI Grade B Admit Card, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to the RBI’s official website: www.rbi.org.in

Step 2: Click on the “Opportunities@RBI” link in the “Bottom” menu of the homepage. 

Step 3: In the “Current Vacancies” section, locate and click on the “Call Letters option from the menu bar.

Step 4: Look for the “Admission Letters” option, click on it, and provide the details being asked.

Step 5: Your RBI Grade B Admit card will appear on the screen, you can save it by clicking on “Save as PDF” or click on “Print” to download your admit card.  

Along with their admit card, candidates would need to carry an ID proof document and a passport size photo of theirs to the exam center. The ID proof document can be either their Voter ID, Adhaar Card, Pan Card, Driving License, or Passport, etc. 

Yes, there are a lot of other instructions that a candidate would need to carefully go through keep in mind when appearing for the RBI Grade B exam. You will find all these instructions given on the backside of the admit card. 

The RBI Grade B admit cards for any particular stage of the exam, be it Phase 1 or Phase 2 are released 7-10 days before the conduction of the same. 

UPSC exam follows a competitive structure and hence there are some elements of elimination, infused at every stage. One such element is of “Negative Marking”, which is included in the preliminary stage. At the preliminary stage, in both Paper 1 & 2 the candidate faces a penalty of 0.33 marks at every wrong answer.   

Choosing the appropriate optional paper is one of the vital steps of selection, and in the category, Management is a popular choice. The subject checks the management aptitude of the individual at every turn, however, whether it can be perceived as difficult or not, depends on the degree of preparation of the candidate.  

Nevertheless, over the years, the general mandate has termed the exam as Easy to Moderate. 

The paper 1 of UPSC preliminary stage, comprises of 200 Multiple Choice-Type Questions (MCQs) and the Paper 2 of prelims, which is known as CSAT, carries 80 MCQs. Following the prelims, the mains stage is all about answer writing, and hence in the mains, descriptive questions appear. 

You can apply online for UGC NET 2024 by referring to the “UGC NET: Steps to Fill Application Form” section given above. 

Of course, you can self-study for the UPSC. All that you’d need to do is follow some simple steps:

• Understand the UPSC IAS syllabus along with the exam pattern properly. 
• Then draw out a detailed study plan for yourself. The study plan should be according to your personality and nature as an aspirant. 
• Start with the first topic, take notes of the same, and revise regularly what you have learned. 

To prepare well, you can take help from the various study materials available on the internet, some of which I have made available to you for FREE in the blog article, written above. You should also practice on the various Mock tests and previous years’ question papers.  

To download previous years’ papers of the last 5 years, you can go over to my blog on the same. 

If this happens, you should immediately contact the exam authorities at RBI and tell them that your RBI Grade B admit card has not yet been issued, even after your having submitted the application form successfully. 

I have mentioned below, the number of candidates that appeared for the various UGC NET cycles from December 2017 to June 2021. 

• Dec 2017 – 700000 
• June 2018 – 859498 
• Dec 2018 – 681930 
• June 2019 – 942000 
• Dec 2019 – 793813 

• June 2020 – 526707 
• Dec 2020 & June 2021 Merged Cycle- 6,71,288 

Oh, yes mate, the admit cards for every phase are different. Phase 1, Phase 2, and the interviews all have separate admit cards. However, it should be noted that the admit cards for the interview round are called call letters. 

The UGC NET 2022 Official Notification was released on April 30, 2022 on the official website of NTA. 

No, the answer to that is negative. You will not get the admit card in a hard copy format. You’ll need to download the admit card from the RBI’s official website after its release, and then get it printed out yourself. Then you’ll have a hard copy of the RBI Grade B admit card. 

If this happens, you should immediately contact the exam authorities at RBI and tell them that your name has been wrongly printed on the admit card. Then they will surely do something about it. 

If you do that, it would be a grave mistake on your part. The RBI exam authorities allow only the candidates with their printed RBI Grade B admit cards to enter the RBI Grade B exam centre. So, do not forget to get a printout of your admit card as soon as it is released. 

You can apply online for UGC NET 2024 by referring to the “UGC NET: Steps to Fill Application Form” section given above.

Well, the answer to that question of yours is, unfortunately, NONE. There is no ONE study material that is good for the UPSC IAS preparations. As a matter of fact, you’ll have to prepare from a lot of varied sources to study properly for the UPSC IAS exam.  

My suggestion would be to pick out your study materials topic-wise. Identify all the topics that you think you should focus on, and then look for their study material accordingly.  

In case you need help with the names of books and material, you can go over to my blog that I’ve written on the topic of UPSC books. 

The UPSC does not provide any study material for the preparation for the IAS exams to candidates. It does however provide links to past year question papers of the IAS exams on its official website. 

That said, if you are on the lookout for good-quality study material, you can always download some of it for free from the blog I have written above. All you need to do is click on the links on the blog above and voila! You’ll have quality material to study from. 

Yes, that’s right. You need to carry an original copy of your photo ID proof along with your RBI Grade B admit card to the exam centre. If you do not have an ID proof of yourself while appearing for the exam, you shall not be allowed to enter the exam centre. 

You can get free UPSC material on the internet, pretty easily, but the real problem that you’d face is while looking for quality FREE material. Anyway, don’t worry, I have you covered on that front. For Good quality FREE UPSC material you can go over to the blog that I have written above and click on the links of the same.

The UGC NET Application Fees for candidates belonging to the General category is 1100 INR, while for those belonging to the GENERAL – EWS or OBC – Non-Creamy Layer categories, the UGC NET Application Fees is 550 INR.  
 
As for candidates from the SC/ST/PwD/Transgender categories, the fee is 275 INR. Given below is the table representing the information given above.  

If you are a UPSC aspirant, it is a must to have the right books, according to the subjects listed in the UPSC syllabus. You should make sure that has you have ample material to learn everything included in the previous 1 year worth of Current Affairs.  

You must arrange for authentic notes for the various UPSC topics. Apart from all of the things written above, you shouldn’t forget to arrange Past year question papers and UPSC Mock tests.  

These are all the UPSC study materials that would be needed to prepare for and crack the UPSC IAS exam.

No. All payments made through money orders and demand drafts are rejected. According to UGC NET’s official notification, only payments made through credit/debit cards/net banking, or UPI are accepted. 

No, the UGC NET application fees is non-refundable. Meaning that the National Testing Agency (NTA – the body that conducts the UGC NET exam), does not process requests for fees refund once the fee amount has been paid by the candidate. 

You can edit your UGC NET 2023 application form by taking advantage of the UGC NET 2023 application form correction window. However, the correction window for the 2023 window is closed. It will open on 02nd june and will continue till  03rd June 2023 (upto 11:50 P.M). To know how to make changes in your application form in the form correction portal you can refer to the steps to do the same in the blog above. 

Oh, the joy that candidates feel every time I give the answer to this question of theirs is really amazing to see. Well, here it goes. There is no negative marking in the exam while you gain 2 marks for every correct answer. So, don’t leave any question unattempted. 

Again, this is one of the most common questions that I get asked. So, here’s the answer. No, you cannot apply for the UGC NET 2023 through offline mode. With the arrival of the UGC NET apply online process, you can now only apply online for the UGC NET Exam. 

This is one of those questions that I don’t often get asked. You see the details about the files, related to your identity, that you’d need to upload while applying for the UGC NET keeps changing every cycle. 

However, considering the UGC 2022 Notification, there will be no need to upload a thumb impression while filling up the 2022 application form. 

UGC NET is a subject oriented exam and includes a total of 82 subjects. 

You should use the correction window to change your UGC NET exam Centre. Here are the steps to do so  

• Visit the official website, then log in with personal details.  
• Click on the button/link with something like “application structure amendment” written on it.  

• Make changes in the necessary fields (exam center) of the application structure  
• Click on “Submit” to finalize your corrected application form. 

However, you should be very careful and attentive while filling your UGC NET application form, and also make sure to fill it according to the instructions given. I am saying this to you to save you the trouble of having to change details in the application form during the UGC NET correction window. 

Initially, Candidates can expect a handsome salary in the range of Rs 25000 to 50,000/- depending upon the university & the skills of the candidates. However, with the passage of time this figure will increase. 

SEBI Assistant Manager salary starts from a basic pay of 44,500 INR per month which can go upto 89,150 INR over the duration of 17 years. Remember, this is just the basic pay.

The gross salary of a SEBI Grade A officer is approx. 1,55,000 INR per month. To know more about the salary, perks, annual increments, and promotions, check the linked blog.

The results for SEBI Grade A Phase 1, which took place on 27th July 2024, were announced on 7th August 2024.  

The Phase 2 results, for the exam held on 31st August 2024, were released on 10th October 2024. 

The Final result of SEBI Grade A has been released on 03rd January 2025.

The first UGC NET Notification June 2023 has come out on 10th May 2023, the application process for which has begun on the following day, i.e., 10th May 2023 and will remain active till 31st May 2023 (05:00 PM) 

The online application process for SEBI Grade A 2024 began on 11th June 2024 and the last date to apply for the same was on 30th June 2024.  

The application fees to apply for SEBI Grade A 2025 exam varies depending upon the category that the candidate belongs to which is as follows:

• For candidates belonging to Unreserved/OBC/EWSs, the application fee is INR 1000 +18% GST as intimation charges. 
• For candidates belonging to SC/ ST/ PwBD, the application fees to be paid is INR 100 + 18% GST as intimation charges 

To be a SEBI Grade A officer you need to go through a three-stage selection process. You can only apply for the process if you fit the SEBI Grade A eligibility criteria for it which is as follows:

• In Phase 1, there are 2 papers, i.e., Paper 1 and Paper 2 for which you are required to clear required cutoff.  
• For Phase 2, there are again 2 papers, i.e., Paper 1 and Paper 2 for which you must secure cutoff marks in both papers as well as aggregate cutoff.  

If you do manage to clear the first 2 stages, then you qualify for the third stage or the interview round, clearing which you finally become entitled to receive the SEBI Grade A offer letter. 

The UGC keeps on dwelling and making modifications to the UGC NET Exam syllabus. However, as per trends, it does not implement changes every year, but it is not a said rule. UGC can bring changes to the exam syllabus at its will. Hence, the UGC NET Syllabus may or may not remain the same every year. 

No, while there is provision of age limit, there is no limit on the number of attempts specified to apply for SEBI Grade A exam. 

The exam for SEBI Grade A is conducted only via online mode.  

The official notification for SEBI Grade A 2025 is not yet released. We will update it here, once SEBI releases the notification.  

However, for your reference, the notification for SEBI Grade A 2024 was released on 10th June 2024 on the official website of SEBI.

To be eligible for UGC NET exam, the candidates can check the following criteria regarding the age limit:  

• While there is no maximum age limit for NET but to be eligible for Junior Research Fellow (JRF), the candidate should not be more than 31 years.  
• However, there is a relaxation of 5 years granted to the candidates who belong to SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Transgender category and women applicants.

There is no restriction on the number of attempts when it comes to the UGC NET exam. 

However, as covered earlier in the blog, when we talked about the age restrictions for the UGC NET JRF, i.e., Junior Research Fellowship, you should not be over 31 years. 

The application process for SEBI Grade A 2024 exam was started on 11th June, 2024. You will be notified about the latest updates in the SEBI Grade A 2024 on this page.   

Oh yes definitely. A SEBI Grade A officer job is no doubt a government job. This is based on the fact that SEBI as a Statutory Body draws its authority from the SEBI Act of 1992, which was passed by the Indian Parliament. So, saddle up and start your preparations to become a SEBI Grade A officer, for if by a good chance you succeed, then there’d be no looking back for you. You’d have it all. Money, prestige, and peace of mind. 

Yes, you can apply for the UGC NET exam, while pursuing post- graduation, if you fulfill these following criteria: 

• You must complete your master’s degree from the date of the NET result with the required 55% marks if you belong to unreserved category.  
• If you are from reserved category (SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Transgender), then you must score 50% marks in your post- graduation.  

• As IGNOU is a UGC approved university, therefore, if you are pursuing a master’s degree from IGNOU, then you are eligible for NET exam 

If you are a final year student in university, and still want to apply for the SEBI Grade A exam, you can do so. You will be eligible for SEBI Grade A, provided you fulfill the following eligibility requirements: 

• The candidate must be between 21 to 30 years of age.  
• For General stream, you should possess Master’s Degree in any discipline or Bachelors’ Degree in Law, Bachelors’ Degree in Engineering from a recognized university or CA / CFA / CS / Cost Accountant 

The selection process for SEBI Grade A exam is as follows: 

• In Phase 1, the candidates are required to secure minimum cutoff marks of 30% in Paper 1 and 40% in Paper 2. Along with this, the candidates must secure an aggregate of 40 % marks to qualify the overall cutoff.  
• For Phase 2, you must score minimum 30% cutoff for  Paper 1 and minimum 40%  marks for Paper  2 . Additionally, you need to secure aggregate cut-off 50% marks to be shortlisted for Phase III. 
• The final selection of the candidates for the SEBI Grade A Exam will be made by cumulating the marks secured by the candidate in the Phase II exam (weightage 85%) and the Interview (weightage 15%).  

The exam for SEBI Grade A consists of three stages, Phase 1, Phase 2 and the final interview. The exam pattern for the Phase 1 and Phase 2 is as follows: 

Phase 1 

• In this phase there are 2 papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. 
• Paper 1 consists of total 80 questions to be attempted within 60 minutes. 
• While Paper 2 has 50 questions to be attempted within 40 minutes 
• Both the papers are of 100 marks each. 

Phase 2  

• This phase comprises of 2 papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2 as well. 
• Paper 1 is an English descriptive test containing 3 questions to be attempted within 60 minutes. 
• Whereas Paper 2 for General Stream contains 50 objective type questions to be attempted within 90 minutes. 
• Both papers in this phase are of 100 marks each as well. 

This is the question I get frequently asked for. To answer it, there are two phases comprising of 2 papers each in the SEBI Grade A Exam, 

• Paper 1 in both phases is common for all candidates, regardless of the stream they have applied for. 
• Paper 2, on the other hand, is specific to the stream chosen by the candidate and varies accordingly. 

If you are from General Stream, you can go through this article to learn more about the exam pattern. 

Yes, there is a provision for negative marking in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of SEBI Grade A exam which is as follows: 

• In Phase 1, there shall be negative marking of 1/4th mark for attempting incorrect answer in both Paper 1 and 2. 
• Whereas, for Phase 2, negative marking of 1/4th mark allotted for each incorrect answer in Paper 2 only.

No. If you are a non-collegiate, then you will unfortunately not be allowed to apply for the UGC NET exam. Additionally, finishing college till your bachelor’s degree will also not be enough for you to be eligible for the UGC NET exam.