RBI Grade B Success Story: Ms. Abinaya S Resigned From SBI to Become an RBI Officer

The most inspiring individuals are those who continuously strive for self-improvement. Ms. Abinaya illustrates this perfectly. After a courageous decision to leave her SBI PO job and pursue her dream of becoming an RBI Grade B officer, she channeled her focus, determination, and strength to achieve her goal.

In this article, Abinaya shares her experience and explains the strategy she followed that helped her crack the RBI Grade B exam. 

Background

• Studied Engineering 
• Started working as a PO at SBI after graduation 
• Resigned from SBI to pursue the RBI Grade B exam

Brief Introduction

Engineering wasn’t a big decision for me, as my father suggested it, and I went along with it. There wasn’t much of a backstory to it. But by the seventh semester, I started questioning my future. I knew engineering wasn’t my cup of tea. So, I began exploring my options and discovered that I was interested in the banking and finance sector. That’s when I decided to pursue my interest. I took coaching in Chennai and cracked SBI PO. 

My Journey From SBI PO to RBI Manager 

While working at SBI, I saw opportunities to enhance the banking experience for customers. I felt that the products could be presented with more information and clarity, empowering customers to have a more user-friendly experience and allowing them to make informed decisions.

This sparked my desire to prepare for the RBI Grade B exam. I started preparing for the RBI Grade B exam while I was at SBI. However, juggling audits and transfers at SBI made dedicating enough time to RBI Grade B preparation challenging.

By the time I was 26, I had reached a turning point in my career. I realized that I was not dedicating enough time to the RBI Grade B exam preparation. Moreover, cracking the exam would be difficult without focused study. So, I made a tough decision. In February 2023, I resigned from SBI PO to fully focus on the RBI Grade B exam preparation. And here I am now, at the RBI.

It wasn’t an easy call, but it was a well-considered one. For three months, I wrestled with the decision of whether to stay at SBI or pursue something new. Finally, I decided to resign and focus all my energy on preparing for the RBI exam. It was a leap of faith, but I was determined to see it through.

My Supporters 

When I decided to prepare for the RBI Grade B exam, I was worried at first, but I believed in the power of effort and trusted that my hard work would pay off. Initially, my parents weren’t supportive of my decision to quit the SBI. Leaving a stable job to study can be emotionally as well as physically draining. But I convinced them, explaining my unhappiness and desire to pursue my dreams. 

Eventually, they understood and said, “If you’re not happy with what you’re doing and want to pursue your dreams, you should go for it, we’ll support you.” That was the toughest and boldest decision I’d ever made.

My decision to resign from SBI was a big one. I only shared it with a few close friends and my family—my younger sister, mother, and father. Sharing it with everyone else felt unnecessary. We knew people might not understand, especially considering the stability of the SBI job. They might have said things like, “Why leave such a good position?” Although their concern was understandable, they wouldn’t have the full picture. My mother, particularly, felt it best to keep it quiet until I had something concrete to show, i.e., the results of the RBI Grade B exam. So, we kept it under wraps for a while.

My RBI Grade B Journey

On February 16th, 2023, I resigned from my job at SBI. I was in Andhra Pradesh at the time, but my hometown is in Tamil Nadu. After a day of travel on February 17th, I officially began my RBI Grade B journey on February 18th. My dedicated preparation continued until I completed my Mains exam.

Motivation and Responsibility

Knowing there were many bank PO aspirants hesitant to resign due to fear and uncertainty, I felt a strong sense of responsibility. Quitting a prestigious job to pursue another was a big decision, and I didn’t want to be an example that discouraged others. On the contrary, I wanted to be an inspiration, showing them that if I could do it, so could they.

Consistent Study Habits

Maintaining consistent study time was crucial for RBI Grade B preparation. While I aimed for 9-10 hours a day, I ensured I completed at least 7-8 hours daily. This dedication paid off.

My Daily RBI Grade B Preparation Routine

In the mornings, I aimed to wake up between 6:30 and 7:00 AM. My first study session ran from 7:00 to 10:00 AM, a solid three hours. Then, I’d take a break until around 11:30 AM and resume studying from there until 2:00 PM or 2:30 PM. After lunch, another session ran from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Finally, I’d squeeze in some evening studying from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. While there might have been some interruptions within these blocks, I remained dedicated to at least 7-8 hours of daily study.

My advice to future RBI grade B aspirants is to maintain consistency, even if slow and steady, like a tortoise. That’s an ancient principle that proved true in my approach.

My Process of Studying

Sitting and studying for eight hours straight just wasn’t for me. It felt overwhelming, like trying to read about rocket science. So, I developed a strategy with variety. First, I’d dedicate time to traditional studying, focusing on the reading study material. Then, I’d switch gears and watch videos from mentors who explained and reviewed concepts. Reading their explanations felt easier and saved me time.

But that wasn’t all. I also found it helpful to write things down on a whiteboard (as you can see in the image above). This visual approach made it easier to remember and revise information. Simply sticking to one study style wasn’t effective for me. Mixing things up kept it interesting. I used to do group study with peers, study on my laptop using PDFs, etc. This variety made the learning journey smoother, preventing boredom and that feeling of “Ugh, another page to read!”

Now, facts and figures definitely require some memorization. Revising them repeatedly was the key. Whenever I encountered a crucial fact, I’d write it on the whiteboard or paper. Then, at the end of the day or the next morning, I’d quickly review it again to solidify it in my memory. This repetitive approach made revisiting the information much easier.

My RBI Grade B Preparation Strategy

Here is the strategy I followed to prepare for the RBI Grade B exam:

RBI Grade B Phase 1 Strategy

For Phase 1, I leveraged my existing banking experience. Since I was already comfortable with reasoning, my goal was simply to clear the cut-off, nothing more than that. 

Similarly, for Quant, I focused solely on Data Interpretation (DI) and some quadratic equations. I skipped the miscellaneous topics that didn’t suit my strengths. My strategy was to clear the cut-off in these Quant sections and compensate in areas like Reasoning, Current Affairs, and English.

Also, I didn’t put a lot of effort into English, as my existing skills were sufficient. However, for Current Affairs, EduTap was my only source for preparation. A big thank you to all the mentors, especially Gurkirt Sir and Kaushik Sir. Trying to retain information from a bulky 100-page PDF after a few days was a struggle. Rereading it felt like half the information just vanished! EduTap’s marathon revision sessions were a lifesaver. They kept the information fresh in my mind.

RBI Grade B Phase 2 Strategy

The same approach applied to RBI Grade B Phase 2. EduTap’s resources were fantastic for Finance and Management. For the ESI section, with limited time, I strategically selected just four or five key topics from the static portion of the syllabus. To supplement these topics, I also focused on current events that overlapped with the static portion. This way, I could maximize my coverage without getting overwhelmed by the entire syllabus.

RBI Grade B Descriptive Writing Strategy

Descriptive writing was a whole new challenge for me. I hadn’t attempted it before, and unlike UPSC aspirants, I didn’t have any prior experience crafting descriptive answers. Thankfully, EduTap came to the rescue! They had a dedicated section in their study materials for descriptive writing, complete with example introductions, conclusions, and even sample answers provided by mentors.

These examples became my secret weapons. I memorized strong introductions and conclusions, along with relevant management-related examples that I could use for various topics. Writing a proper introduction and conclusion and including relevant examples covered half of my answer. For the remaining half, I wrote on my own, which naturally flowed from my understanding of the concepts.

For the ESI and Finance sections, I adopted a different strategy. I maintained notes while reading news articles from the PIB. Whenever I came across an interesting piece of information, I’d write it down. Then, right before the RBI Grade B Mains exam, I’d review these notes thoroughly. This way, when writing descriptive answers, I could readily connect the dots and use those relevant examples to strengthen my arguments.

RBI Grade B Interview Strategy

During my RBI Grade B exam preparation, I fell into the trap of waiting for the results before starting interview preparation. Don’t make the same mistake! If you’re confident in the Mains exam, start your interview preparation early. In my case, I only started preparing once I knew I’d cleared the RBI Grade B Phase 2, and I started slowly. The interview dates were announced, and mine was scheduled for October 20th. “Plenty of time,” I thought. But then, disaster struck.

Just 15 days before the interview, my dad had met with an accident. He suffered minor fractures and needed hospitalization. He spent five days there, and we lived in Dharmapuri, while he was in Coimbatore. Then, right after his discharge, my mom caught a viral fever. The interview was just the next day. All this happened within those crucial two weeks, leaving me with barely any time to prepare.

Mentally, I wasn’t fully present either. My dad needed physical assistance for things like feeding, and my mind wasn’t completely focused on my studies. Maintaining 100% concentration was impossible. It was a challenging period, but I learned a valuable lesson. My previous hard work and the knowledge I had accumulated from earlier phases ultimately helped me during the interview. 

After RBI Grade B Result

When the RBI Grade B result came in, it was an emotional rollercoaster. My mom, dad, and younger sister were all in tears of joy. I expected myself to cry too, but instead, I found myself laughing. It was a strange and wonderful moment.

Despite the joy, the situation was challenging. During the interview preparation, a voice in my head told me not to let this one hurdle derail my entire RBI Grade B journey. I needed to keep studying, even if just for two or three hours a day. My goal was to maintain some level of focus. Of course, there were distractions. Relatives visited frequently, and the usual household activities continued. But I knew I had to stay on track. I tried my best, pushing through the distractions and giving it my all.

My Unwinding Approach

Leaving a stable job to chase a new dream can be emotionally draining. There were definitely days when I felt discouraged, which is completely normal. To cope, I had a unique strategy. I used to dance. It didn’t matter who was watching (or not watching). I’d blast the music, dance like nobody was there, and let loose. It became my way to release stress and find peace.

I believe that everybody is experiencing that kind of uncertainty and struggle in their own RBI Grade B journey. Just remember that what you are facing is everybody facing and you need to just deal with it. I used to dance but you can choose whatever makes you happy during the situation. The purpose is to just have fun with yourself.

Whenever we felt down, negativity would inevitably creep in. Your mind would race with questions like “Why is this happening?” and “Why can’t things just stop?” Doing something that makes you happy will make this stop. So, do whatever you like, and automatically you’ll be okay. 

My Motivation for RBI Grade B

As a constant source of motivation, I placed the image (as you can see above) right beside my study table. It served as a daily reminder of the reason behind my efforts.

When I first announced my decision to resign from SBI and pursue the RBI Grade B exam, my mom wasn’t on board. When she discussed it with her friends, their lack of approval only amplified her fears. She worried about potential criticism, especially considering my age at 26. The possibility of marriage discussions and societal pressures resurfacing weighed heavily on her. Her initial apprehension was completely understandable, given the uncertainties involved.

Back when I was choosing banking over the electricity department (a path my parents wanted), I asked my mom to trust my decision. This time, I used the same approach, telling her, “Amma, trust me again. I’ll prove you right.” After two months of constant conversations and expressing my strong desire to resign and pursue my dream, she finally agreed.

Even at SBI, a few people questioned my decision. They told me that “It’s not a wise decision,” but the underlying message was clear. However, these were just a few voices. That’s when I realized this was my chance. I had to prove everyone wrong to validate my choice. There are countless talented individuals with big dreams and unwavering determination, but they’re stuck in situations that don’t allow them to chase those dreams. I didn’t want to be one of them. I saw myself as representing all those people, and I was determined to stay focused and prove my decision was the right one, regardless of the negativity.

Here is a video in which Abinaya S explains her RBI Grade B preparation strategy.

Conclusion

Despite initial hesitation from her family and doubts from others, Abinaya never lost sight of her dream of becoming an RBI Grade B officer. Her success story is an inspiration to all the aspirants who dare to chase their dreams. Her journey is a reminder that if she can achieve her goal with dedication, effective planning, and self-belief, so can you.