RBI Grade B Exam Centre List 2026: Complete State-Wise Prelims & Mains Centers
If you are an aspiring banker in India, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Grade B examination is likely at the very top of your priority list. Regarded as one of the most prestigious, competitive, and highly rewarding government banking exams in the country, the RBI Grade B recruitment drive attracts lakhs of candidates every single year. The Reserve Bank of India has officially released the detailed notification for the 2026 cycle, announcing a total of 60 vacancies across the General, DEPR, and DSIM cadres. Along with the crucial notification, the authorities have also published the highly anticipated RBI Grade B Exam Centre List 2026.
Why does the exam centre list matter so much? Because your performance on the big day is heavily influenced by your state of mind. Traveling long distances on crowded buses or trains just hours before an intensely competitive Phase-I exam can leave you exhausted and severely impact your marks. Knowing your options beforehand allows you to strategically fill out your application, select the most convenient cities, and book your travel or accommodation well in advance.
At Result91.com, our mission is to make your exam journey as smooth as possible. In this extensively detailed guide, we are going to break down everything you need to know about the RBI Grade B exam centres for both Prelims (Phase 1) and Mains (Phase 2), the rules regarding centre preferences, important travel tips, and strict guidelines you must follow on exam day. Let's dive right in and help you map out your path to the Reserve Bank of India!
Important Update for 2026 Aspirants
Candidates must carefully choose four (4) preferred Examination Centres separately for Phase-I and Phase-II while filling out the online application. Once submitted, the RBI strictly states that no requests for a change of exam centre will be entertained. Make your choices wisely based on your current location and accessibility.
Why Your RBI Grade B Exam Centre Choice is Crucial
Many first-time aspirants make the grave mistake of casually selecting their exam centres without considering the logistical nightmare that can unfold on exam day. The RBI Grade B Phase 1 examination is a grueling test of speed, accuracy, and mental stamina. It features four heavy sections: General Awareness, English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning. To tackle this, you need to arrive at the venue fresh, calm, and collected.
- Minimizing Exam Day Fatigue: Opting for a centre in your home city or a neighboring town ensures you do not have to spend the night before the exam on a sleeper train or bus. Rest is just as important as your revision.
- Familiarity with the Location: Knowing the city means you understand the local traffic patterns. You won't be caught off guard by a massive traffic jam or sudden public transport strikes that could delay your arrival.
- Weather Conditions: Depending on the time of year the exam is scheduled, different Indian states face heavy monsoons, heatwaves, or extreme cold. Choosing an accessible centre mitigates weather-related travel risks.
RBI Grade B Prelims Exam Centre List 2026 (Phase 1)
The Preliminary exam (Phase-I) is conducted on a massive scale across the country. Because the number of applicants for Phase 1 is in the hundreds of thousands, the Reserve Bank of India has established exam venues in almost every major city and district headquarters across all States and Union Territories. This localized approach ensures that candidates from rural and semi-urban areas have a fair chance to participate without incurring heavy travel expenses.
Below is the comprehensive, state-wise breakdown of the Phase-I examination centres for the 2026 cycle. You must choose your preferences directly from this list when filling out your RBI Grade B application form.
| State / Union Territory | Designated Cities for Prelims Exam (Phase 1) |
|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Guntur, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Tirupathi, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Eluru, Ongole, Srikakulam |
| Assam | Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur |
| Bihar | Arrah, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Gaya, Purnea |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Anand, Vadodara, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Bardoli |
| Haryana | Ambala, Kurukshetra, Faridabad, Gurugram |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru, Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), Hubballi (Hubli), Dharwad, Mangaluru (Mangalore), Mysuru (Mysore), Shivamogga (Shimoga), Udupi, Davanagere |
| Kerala | Kannur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam |
| Maharashtra | Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgoan, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, MMR, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Akola, Jalna, Chandrapur, Solapur, Dhule, Nanded, Latur, Beed, Parbhani |
| New Delhi | Delhi / NCR Region |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Sikar |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Salem, Namakkal, Thiruchirapalli, Tirunelvelli, Thanjavur, Vellore, Nagercoil/Kanyakumari, Viluppuram, Cuddalore, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirupur |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida & Greater Noida |
| West Bengal | Asansol, Kolkata, Kalyani, Siliguri, Burdwan, Durgapur, Hooghly, Howrah |
Note: This is a highly condensed snapshot of major states. Ensure you check the official notification for every single district available. If you want updates on when the exact exam city intimation slip goes live, explore more result updates on Result91.
RBI Grade B Mains Exam Centre List 2026 (Phase 2)
If you successfully clear the Preliminary cutoff, your roll number will be published in the official merit list for Phase 1, granting you entry to the Phase 2 (Mains) examination. It is vital to understand that the Mains exam is conducted at far fewer locations than the Prelims. Because only a fraction of the candidates qualify for this stage, RBI consolidates the test centres primarily to Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities.
The Phase 2 exam is a mix of objective and descriptive typing tests (Economic and Social Issues, English Writing Skills, and Finance and Management). It requires robust computer infrastructure, which is why the centres are limited to major urban hubs. Below is the list of allocated Mains centres for 2026:
- Ahmedabad / Gandhinagar
- Bengaluru / Mysuru
- Bhopal / Indore
- Bhubaneswar / Berhampur
- Kolkata / Siliguri
- Hyderabad / Vijayawada
- Jaipur / Udaipur
- Raipur
- Jammu / Srinagar
- Kanpur / Varanasi
- Ernakulam / Kozhikode
- Lucknow
- Mumbai / Navi Mumbai / Thane / MMR
- Pune / Kolhapur / Nasik
- Thiruvananthapuram
- New Delhi / Delhi / NCR
RBI Grade B DEPR/DSIM Exam Centres 2026
Apart from the General cadre, the Reserve Bank of India also recruits specialists for its Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR) and Department of Statistics and Information Management (DSIM). The structure of the exams for these specific cadres is slightly different, deeply focused on core economics and statistical methodologies.
For the DEPR and DSIM profiles, the Phase 1 and Phase 2 examination centres are identical to the Mains centres of the General cadre. Because the applicant pool for these specialized roles is much smaller, RBI manages the exams in specific central hubs. If you are applying for DEPR or DSIM, you will need to select cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh (Mohali), Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Patna, Pune, and Thiruvananthapuram.
The "Four Preferences" Rule: How to Apply Properly
When you sit down to fill out your RBI Grade B application form online, you will reach a section specifically dedicated to examination cities. This is not a section to rush through. The RBI portal will ask you to provide exactly four preferences for Phase-I and four preferences for Phase-II.
Expert Tips for Filling Preferences
- Preference 1 should be your absolute comfort zone: Choose your home city or the city where you are currently attending coaching. The exam board tries its best to accommodate candidates in their first preference.
- Preference 2 should be geographically adjacent: If your home city gets overbooked, choose a city that is a short 2 to 4-hour bus or train ride away.
- Preferences 3 and 4 as backups: Choose major urban hubs that have direct flight or overnight train connectivity. For example, if you live in Western UP, choosing Delhi/NCR as a backup is a smart move due to excellent metro and road links.
- Phase-I and Phase-II choices can be different: If you are moving out of state for college or a job between the Prelims and Mains timeline, you can totally select different cities for Phase 2! The system allows cross-state selections.
The Fine Print: Keep in mind that while the RBI asks for your preferences, the official notification clearly states: "The Board reserves the right to allot any other centre than the ones chosen by the candidate." This usually happens if there is an infrastructural issue at a specific venue or if an overwhelming number of candidates apply for a single city. Once allotted on your admit card, you cannot send an email or file a grievance to have it changed.
Travel & Accommodation Strategy for Outstation Students
A reality of competitive exams in India is that thousands of students travel far away from their hometowns to take the test. If your allotted exam centre is far away, poor planning can destroy your preparation. The stress of missed trains, delayed buses, or finding a hotel at the last minute is unnecessary. Here is how you manage your logistics:
Book Tickets Early
The moment your Phase 1 admit card is released (usually 10-14 days before the exam), book your train or bus tickets immediately. Waiting until the last minute will guarantee a waitlisted ticket.
Stay Near the Venue
If you are arriving a day early, book a budget hotel or dormitory as close to the exam centre as possible. Use map applications to ensure it is within a 5-10 kilometer radius to avoid morning traffic.
Do a Trial Run
If you arrive the evening before, physically visit the exam centre. Knowing exactly where the building is located removes panic on the actual morning of the examination.
Essential Documents: What to Carry to the Venue
The checking process at an RBI exam centre is notoriously strict. You will be denied entry if your documents are out of order, and the authorities do not make exceptions. To ensure a flawless entry process, prepare a clear plastic folder the night before the exam with the following essential items:
- Printed Admit Card / Call Letter: Ensure your admit card is cleanly printed (preferably in color so your photograph is clearly visible) and that you have affixed a recent passport-sized photograph in the designated space.
- Valid Original Photo ID: You must carry a government-issued original ID proof. Acceptable IDs include an Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Voter ID, Passport, or Driving License. Keep in mind that Ration Cards and Learner’s Driving Licenses are generally not accepted.
- Photocopy of the ID Proof: You are required to submit a xerox copy of your ID proof to the invigilator. Ensure your roll number and registration number are written on this photocopy.
- Extra Photographs: Always carry 2 to 3 extra passport-sized photos matching the one uploaded in your online application form. You will need these for the attendance sheet.
- Blue/Black Ballpoint Pen: While the exam is online, you will need a pen for rough work on the provided scratchpad.
- Personal Items: A transparent water bottle and a small bottle of hand sanitizer are generally allowed.
Strictly Prohibited Items
Under no circumstances should you bring smartwatches, Bluetooth devices, calculators, metallic jewelry, heavy jackets with massive pockets, or digital devices into the exam hall. If found, your candidature will be cancelled immediately, and you may face a ban from future banking exams. Furthermore, there is rarely a safe facility to store expensive bags or mobile phones at the venue—you are bringing them at your own risk.
Reporting Time and Biometric Verification
Your admit card will mention a specific Reporting Time. This is not the exam start time! The reporting time is typically 60 to 90 minutes before the actual test begins. This buffer period is necessary to complete the complex verification process.
When you enter the RBI Grade B exam centre, you will be directed to an registration desk where a live photograph will be taken. Following the photograph, your biometric data (thumbprint or iris scan) will be captured. This process ensures absolute transparency and eliminates impersonation fraud. Ensure your hands are clean—do not apply mehendi, ink, or heavy lotions on your thumbs before the exam, as this can cause the biometric scanner to fail and lead to unnecessary harassment.
Final Thoughts
Cracking the RBI Grade B examination is a marathon, not a sprint. Every single detail matters, from how well you have memorized the General Awareness modules to the intelligence with which you navigate your exam day logistics. By carefully reviewing the RBI Grade B Exam Centre List 2026, selecting your four preferences wisely, and preparing your travel itinerary in advance, you are already one step ahead of the competition.
Remember, the authorities have organized these centres to facilitate a smooth experience for you. Focus on your preparation, attempt maximum mock tests, and leave the logistical worries behind by planning today. We wish you the absolute best for your upcoming exams. Keep following Result91 for instant updates on the release of admit cards, the official merit list, and detailed previous year cutoffs.