RBI Grade B 2025 Descriptive English – Precis Writing Guide (One-Third Rule) for 30 Marks

1) Exam Snapshot (What You’re Aiming For)

Section: Precis (within Descriptive English)
Marks: 30
Time Envelope (recommended): ~18–20 minutes of your 90 minutes
Length Rule: Precis must be one-third the length of the given passage (as close as possible)
Skill Tested: Grasping the central idea, retaining major supports, and presenting them clearly, concisely, and coherently in your own words

The examiner rewards faithfulness + compression + clarity. Do not add opinions, do not lift sentences, and hit the one-third target.

2) Precis vs. Summary (Know the Difference)

Precis: Highly disciplined condensation to one-third of the original, preserving thesis and essential supports in the original order (unless a minor re-order improves logic). Neutral tone.
General Summary: Length is flexible; may add context or rearrange freely.
For RBI, always think “accurate, neutral, one-third”.

3) The One-Third Rule—Exactly How to Apply It

Formula:

Count the source words (N).
Target length = N ÷ 3.
If N is divisible by 3 (e.g., 180 → 60), write exactly that number.
If not, aim for the nearest integer; when in doubt, round down to be safe, but stay within ±1–2 words of the nearest third unless the instructions demand exactness.

Quick examples

300 words → 100
327 words → 109 (since 109×3=327)
325 words → ~108 (325/3=108.33 → 108 or 109; prefer 108 if exactness isn’t mandated)

Practical word-counting tips

If the platform shows counts, use it.
If not, count words in three average lines, divide by three to get per-line, then multiply by number of lines; refine with a quick recount after drafting.

4) The 6-Step RBI Precis Method (Repeat This Every Time)

Read for Gist (2 min): Identify the thesis (author’s core claim) and major support points. Circle/underline discourse markers (however, therefore, consequently)—they show the logical spine.
Count & Target (1 min): Count source words; compute target = one-third. Write it on top of your rough page.
Skeleton Map (3 min):
- One line for thesis
- 2–4 bullet lines for major supports (no examples unless essential)
- A closure line (often implication or policy suggestion)
Draft in Your Own Words (8–10 min): Paraphrase ideas, merge related points, keep original logic, use compact diction.
Polish & Recount (3–4 min): Tighten sentences, remove redundancy, check transition flow, recount words, and adjust to match the target.
Title (If Asked): Supply a 3–6 word neutral title capturing the thesis (e.g., “Coordinating Urban Transport”).

5) Compression Toolkit (Turn 180 Words into 60 Without Losing Meaning)

Replace phrases with single words

due to the fact that → because
in order to → to
has the ability to → can
at this point in time → now
a large number of → many

Merge and generalize

Combine similar examples into one generalized point.
Replace illustrative anecdotes with the principle they prove, unless a figure is essential.

Use clean grammar & structure

Prefer active voice, but don’t force it.
Keep third-person and neutral tone (no “I/we”).
Use concise connectors: however, therefore, consequently, meanwhile.

Preserve the author’s stance

If the author is cautiously optimistic, your precis must stay cautious. Don’t strengthen or weaken claims.

6) What to Keep vs. What to Cut

Keep

Thesis (central claim)
Primary supports (2–4 key reasons/arguments)
Essential qualifiers (conditions, scope limits)
Critical numbers if they carry the logic (e.g., “one-third households” vs. “many households”)

Cut

Decorative adjectives, rhetorical flourishes
Redundant restatements
Most examples/anecdotes—keep only if indispensable
Meta lines like “this essay will show…”

7) Model Passage → Model Precis (Exact One-Third)

Source Passage (180 words)
Indian cities have expanded faster than their transport networks, creating a pattern where commuters spend hours covering short distances. When buses run irregularly and footpaths are broken, households resort to two-wheelers that are cheap to buy but expensive for congestion, pollution, and safety. Employers absorb hidden costs through late arrivals, fragmented schedules, and lower labour force participation by women who avoid unsafe or unreliable routes. Cities that reoriented streets to move people rather than vehicles unlocked surprising gains: dedicated bus lanes carried far more passengers than mixed traffic, while signal priority reduced delays without major capital outlay. Small design choices—shaded sidewalks, well-lit interchanges, and off-board fare collection—multiplied the impact of each rupee. Fares integrated across modes cut confusion. The constraint is not technology but coordination: transport, police, and land-use departments plan in silos, and budgets reward new flyovers rather than maintenance. A practical path is to publish service standards, measure them publicly, and tie funds to on-time performance and walkability. When citizens can depend on the next bus arriving in five minutes, they rediscover time, safety, and access to jobs.

Target Length: 180 ÷ 3 = 60 words

Model Precis (60 words) — Designing Streets for People
Rapid urban growth outpaced transport, pushing commuters to two-wheelers and imposing hidden costs on firms and women’s mobility. Cities that prioritised moving people—bus lanes, signal priority, walks, off-board fares and integrated tickets—moved more riders. The bottleneck is coordination: agencies plan in silos and neglect maintenance. Publishing service standards and linking funds to punctuality and walkability restores safety, time and access.

Note how the precis preserves thesis + main supports + solution path, uses neutral tone, and fits exactly 60 words.

8) Micro-Rubric (How 30 Marks Are Typically Awarded)

Fidelity to Central Idea (10): No distortion; all core points present.
Compression & Structure (8): One-third length; logical order; cohesion.
Paraphrase Quality (6): Own words, precise diction, no lifting.
Clarity & Style (4): Formal, neutral, smooth transitions.
Grammar & Mechanics (2): Spelling, agreement, punctuation.

Score lever: Hit the length precisely (or within a whisker), keep the author’s stance, and make the logic read cleanly.

9) Time Plan for 18–20 Minutes (That Actually Works)

0–2 min: Skim for thesis + supports; mark connectors.
2–3 min: Count source words; write target.
3–6 min: Skeleton map (thesis → 2–4 supports → closure).
6–14 min: Draft in your own words (no examples unless crucial).
14–18/20 min: Polish, recount, trim/add 1–2 words to hit target; check grammar.

Why this works: It protects you from over-reading, preserves space for polishing, and guarantees the one-third alignment.

10) Common Errors (and Lightning Fixes)

Missing the thesis.
Fix: Write the thesis first in your outline; every support must echo it.
Over-length or under-length.
Fix: Draft 3–5% short, then add a clarifying phrase if needed.
Copying sentences.
Fix: Force yourself to rephrase each line of the skeleton map, not the passage.
Adding opinions.
Fix: Ask: “Did the original say this?” If no, remove it.
Losing logical order.
Fix: Keep the author’s sequence unless a minor swap improves clarity.
Drowning in examples.
Fix: Replace anecdotes with the principle they illustrated.
Vague language.
Fix: Prefer compact, precise words (“incentivise”, “constrains”, “coordination”).

11) High-Yield Language Moves (With Tiny Examples)

Nominalise carefully: “The programme aims to improve credit access” → “The programme improves credit access.” (shorter is often better than nominalisation)
Condense lists: “Banks, NBFCs, and MFIs” → “lenders.”
Keep essential numbers: “inflation rose from 4% to 7% due to supply shocks” → keep it if numbers carry the logic; else “inflation rose due to supply shocks.”
Neutral tone: “disastrous, reckless” → avoid; use “risky, imprudent” only if the author clearly implies it.

12) Practice Drills (15–25 Minutes Each)

Drill A — Compression Only

Take a 240-word editorial paragraph. Target 80 words.
Output must show thesis + 3 supports + closure. No examples.

Drill B — Paraphrase Muscle

Pick 5 complex sentences. Rewrite each to ≤15 words without losing meaning.

Drill C — Logic Map

For any argumentative passage, write a thesis line and number the supports (1–4). Draft the precis directly from this map.

Drill D — Exactness Test

Practice with “awkward” lengths (e.g., 317 words → ~106). Hit the target within ±1 word.

13) Two-Week Booster Plan (60–75 min/day)

Week 1:
- Mon–Wed: 1 drill/day (A, B, C).
- Thu: 3 short precis (150→50 words each).
- Sat: 1 full mock (Essay + Precis + RC); review only the precis with rubric.
Week 2:
- Mon–Wed: 2 precis/day (varying lengths; one must be non-divisible by 3).
- Thu: “Exactness Test” day—three awkward counts.
- Sat: Full 90-min mock; adjust your precis minute-wise plan if needed.

Maintain an error ledger: over-length tendencies, missing qualifiers, weak connectors, grammar slips—fix them consciously in the next attempt.

14) Ready-to-Use Precis Template (Copy to Your Notes)

[Optional Title: 3–6 words that capture the thesis]
Precis (target = N ÷ 3 words):

Thesis: (one clear sentence in your words)
Support-1: (merge idea + why it matters)
Support-2: (keep a necessary qualifier)
Support-3 (optional): (if present in the original)
Closure: (implication/recommendation stated by author)

Then write it out as a single coherent paragraph, replace bullets with smooth connectors, and finally recount words.

15) Final Exam-Day Checklist (60 seconds)

Wrote the target word count at the top?
Thesis and all core supports included?
Tone is neutral, no personal opinions?
Logic flows with minimal, clear connectors?
Word count matches one-third (±1–2 at most)?
Spelling, punctuation, and agreements tidy?

Bottom Line

A high-scoring RBI Precis shows that you can understand complex arguments and say them better in fewer words—without changing their meaning. If you (1) map thesis + supports, (2) aim exactly at one-third, and (3) polish for clarity, you’ll consistently land in the top band of the 30-mark scale.