RBI Assistant Notification 2026: Dates, Vacancies and Fee
The 2026 cycle in one place: 650 posts, the application window, tentative exam dates, the fee by category and a quick eligibility check.
The latest RBI Assistant notification is the advertisement titled "Panel Year 2025", published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in February 2026. This page calls it the 2026 cycle. It offers 650 Assistant posts across RBI offices, took applications from 16 February 2026 to 8 March 2026, and set the prelims for 11 April 2026 and the mains for 7 June 2026, both marked tentative.
RBI does not run this recruitment on a fixed yearly calendar. The advertisement appears when the Bank needs Assistants, so the only safe way to catch the next one is to watch the Opportunities@RBI page.
Key Dates of the 2026 Cycle
From section 3 of the advertisement, "Important Dates". RBI marks both exam dates tentative and reserves the right to change them.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Advertisement published | February 2026 |
| Online application window | 16 February 2026 to 8 March 2026 |
| Online fee payment | 16 February 2026 to 8 March 2026 |
| Edit window to correct the form | Notified separately on the Bank's website |
| Online Preliminary Examination (tentative) | 11 April 2026 |
| Online Main Examination (tentative) | 7 June 2026 |
| Language Proficiency Test (LPT) | After the mains result; date not in the advertisement |
Vacancies: 650 Posts, Office by Office
The advertisement invites applications for 650 posts. One of these is a backlog post from an earlier cycle, which is why the table shows the total as 650(1). The category split is General 346, OBC 99, SC 110, ST 37 and EWS 58. Separate columns reserve posts for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) and for ex-servicemen.
Posts are listed office by office, not as one national pool. Mumbai carries the largest share at 249, then Kanpur and Lucknow (50), New Delhi (49), Bhopal (30), Kolkata (29) and Bengaluru (24), with the smallest offices such as Thiruvananthapuram at 6. You apply to one Recruiting Office, compete only against candidates for that office, and must know the language of that office's state.
Application Fee by Category
Section 7 of the advertisement. The fee is non-refundable, and bank transaction charges for online payment are paid by the candidate on top.
SC / ST / PwBD / Ex-servicemen
What you pay
Intimation charges only
Amount
₹50 plus 18% GST
General / OBC / EWS
What you pay
Application fee including intimation charges
Amount
₹450 plus 18% GST
RBI staff candidates meeting the staff rules
What you pay
Nil
Amount
Nil
| Category | What you pay | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SC / ST / PwBD / Ex-servicemen | Intimation charges only | ₹50 plus 18% GST |
| General / OBC / EWS | Application fee including intimation charges | ₹450 plus 18% GST |
| RBI staff candidates meeting the staff rules | Nil | Nil |
Prelims-style numerical questions to use the gap before the exam. No signup.
Correcting a Submitted Form Costs ₹200
The advertisement allows an edit window after applications close, with its dates announced later on the Bank's website. Using it costs ₹200 inclusive of GST, the same for every category, and it is not refunded. Only four fields can be changed there: exam centre, father's name, mother's name and 10th/12th percentage. Everything else is locked once you complete registration, so check it before you submit.
Eligibility Snapshot (as on 1 February 2026)
A quick self-check from section 2 of the advertisement. The full rules, including nationality categories and certificate formats, are in the advertisement itself.
- Age
- 20 to 28 years as on 1 February 2026: born between 2 February 1998 and 1 February 2006, both days inclusive. Upper age relaxed by 5 years for SC/ST, 3 for OBC, and 10 for PwBD (13 for PwBD-OBC, 15 for PwBD-SC/ST). Ex-servicemen get their service period plus 3 years, up to age 50.
- Education
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks in aggregate (pass class for SC/ST/PwBD), plus knowledge of word processing on a PC.
- Local language
- You must be able to read, write, speak and understand the language of the state, or one of the states, under the Recruiting Office you apply to. This is tested later in the Language Proficiency Test (LPT), which is mandatory with no exemption.
- Attempts
- No limit is stated. If you meet the age and degree rules in a cycle, you can apply.
How the Cycle Runs After You Apply
The three stages named in the advertisement, in order. Scores and pattern details are on the exam pattern page.
- 1
Apply online in the window
Fill the form and pay the fee on the Opportunities@RBI portal during the application window.
- 2
Download the call letter and Information Handout
The handout with exam-day details comes with the call letter. Prelims and mains are held online at centres across India; you pick a centre matching the office you applied to.
- 3
Prelims, then mains
Prelims on 11 April 2026 (tentative) is a screening stage for the mains on 7 June 2026 (tentative). The mains aggregate decides who is called for the LPT.
- 4
Language Proficiency Test at the Regional Office
Candidates shortlisted from the mains sit the LPT in the local language of the office. There is no interview. Final selection also needs medical fitness and certificate verification.
How the Dates Shape Your Preparation
The 2026 cycle gave about five weeks between the end of applications and the tentative prelims date, and about eight more between prelims and mains. A candidate who starts only when the notification drops has around eight weeks before the first paper. Build the numerical, reasoning and English base before any advertisement appears, and use the notification-to-prelims gap for timed practice only.
The two Important Notices (10 and 20 April 2026) and a corrigendum on the advertisement page show how often RBI updates a live cycle. Treat the rbi.org.in advertisement page, not a coaching site, as the source for any date change.
FAQs
What was the last date to apply for RBI Assistant 2026?expand_more
The application window and online fee payment ran from 16 February 2026 to 8 March 2026, per the advertisement published in February 2026.
How many vacancies are there for RBI Assistant?expand_more
650 posts in the 2026 cycle, including one backlog post. They are split office by office, with Mumbai at 249 the largest. RBI reserves the right to change the number.
When is the RBI Assistant exam date?expand_more
For the 2026 cycle the advertisement gave 11 April 2026 for the prelims and 7 June 2026 for the mains, both tentative. Confirm on the advertisement page before planning.
What is the RBI Assistant application fee?expand_more
₹450 plus 18% GST for General, OBC and EWS candidates; ₹50 plus 18% GST as intimation charges for SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen; nil for eligible RBI staff. Bank transaction charges are extra and the fee is not refunded.
Is the RBI Assistant recruitment held every year?expand_more
No fixed cycle is stated. RBI advertises when it needs Assistants, so there can be a gap of more than a year between notifications. Watch the Opportunities@RBI page rather than waiting for a calendar date.
Next steps
- Exam patternarrow_forward
- Syllabusarrow_forward
- SBI Clerk application and datesarrow_forward
- RBI Assistant Guidearrow_forward
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