RRB NTPC (Railway Recruitment)
Railway Recruitment Board
Complete guide to passing the RRB NTPC (Railway Recruitment) exam on your first attempt.
~$6 (INR 500)
~3%
Periodic recruitment
India
Railway Recruitment Board
Railway jobs
Are you ready for RRB NTPC (Railway Recruitment)?
Loading quiz...
Complete Overview
RRB NTPC is the recruitment examination the Railway Recruitment Boards run for Non-Technical Popular Categories posts in Indian Railways, covering clerical, commercial, traffic and accounts roles that need a degree rather than an engineering or technical qualification. The examination fee is INR 500 for most candidates, of which INR 400 is refunded after bank charges once the candidate appears in the 1st Stage CBT, and INR 250 for SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and Economically Backward Class candidates, refunded in full less bank charges on the same condition.
Centralised Employment Notice 06/2025 covers the graduate-level NTPC posts and notified 5810 vacancies across all Railway Recruitment Boards: 3416 Goods Train Manager, 921 Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist, 638 Senior Clerk cum Typist, 615 Station Master, 161 Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor and 59 Traffic Assistant. Online applications opened on 21 October 2025. The CEN set the closing date at 20 November 2025 at 23:59, and successive corrigenda published on the RRB websites extended it to 4 December 2025, with fee payment open to 6 December 2025. Candidates had to be between 18 and 33 years old as on 1 January 2026, and hold a degree from a recognised university, with typing proficiency in English or Hindi on a computer additionally required for the two typist posts.
The recruitment process runs through a 1st Stage CBT, a 2nd Stage CBT, a Computer Based Typing Skill Test or Computer Based Aptitude Test where applicable, then document verification and a medical examination. The 1st Stage CBT is 90 minutes, 100 questions of one mark each, made up of 40 General Awareness, 30 Mathematics and 30 General Intelligence and Reasoning. It is screening in nature. Its normalised score is used to shortlist candidates for the 2nd Stage CBT at 15 times the community-wise vacancies notified against each RRB.
The 2nd Stage CBT is also 90 minutes but carries 120 questions of one mark each: 50 General Awareness, 35 Mathematics and 35 General Intelligence and Reasoning. Both stages deduct one third of a mark for each wrong answer, and both extend to 120 minutes for candidates eligible to use a scribe. Minimum qualifying percentages are 40 per cent for UR and EWS, 30 per cent for OBC non-creamy layer and SC, and 25 per cent for ST, relaxable by 2 marks for PwBD candidates where reserved vacancies would otherwise go unfilled.
Senior Clerk cum Typist and Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist candidates take a qualifying typing test at 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi, with marks not added to the merit. Station Master and Traffic Assistant candidates take a Computer Based Aptitude Test requiring a minimum T-Score of 42 in each test battery, with no relaxation for any community, and their merit is 70 per cent 2nd Stage CBT and 30 per cent CBAT. For every other post the merit list comes from normalised 2nd Stage CBT marks alone.
Why Get RRB NTPC (Railway Recruitment) Certified?
CEN 06/2025 notified 5810 graduate-level vacancies across all Railway Recruitment Boards, with Goods Train Manager alone accounting for 3416 of them.
Initial pay runs from INR 25,500 at Level 4 for Traffic Assistant to INR 35,400 at Level 6 for Station Master and Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor under the 7th Central Pay Commission structure.
A degree from a recognised university in any subject qualifies for four of the six posts, with only the two typist posts adding a typing proficiency requirement.
Most candidates get INR 400 of the INR 500 fee back after bank charges simply by appearing in the 1st Stage CBT, and SC, ST, PwBD, female, transgender, minority, Ex-Servicemen and EBC candidates get the whole INR 250 back on the same condition.
The age band is 18 to 33 as on the reckoning date, wider than most banking and civil service entry examinations, with 5 years relaxation for SC and ST and 3 years for OBC non-creamy layer.
Question papers are offered in English, Hindi and 13 regional Indian languages, so candidates outside the Hindi and English belt can sit the CBT in Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu or Urdu.
SC and ST candidates who opt for it get a free sleeper class railway pass in their e-call letter for travel to the CBTs, CBAT, CBTST, document verification and medical examination.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
1st Stage CBT: 90 minutes, extended to 120 minutes for candidates eligible to use a scribe. 2nd Stage CBT: 90 minutes, extended to 120 minutes for candidates eligible to use a scribe. The Railway Recruitment Boards do not publish a duration for the Computer Based Typing Skill Test or the Computer Based Aptitude Test in CEN 06/2025.
Questions
1st Stage CBT: 100 questions of one mark each, being 40 General Awareness, 30 Mathematics and 30 General Intelligence and Reasoning. 2nd Stage CBT: 120 questions of one mark each, being 50 General Awareness, 35 Mathematics and 35 General Intelligence and Reasoning. The CEN states the section-wise distribution is indicative and there may be variations in the actual question papers.
Passing Score
Minimum qualifying percentages are 40 per cent for UR and EWS, 30 per cent for OBC non-creamy layer, 30 per cent for SC and 25 per cent for ST. These may be relaxed by 2 marks for PwBD candidates where there is a shortage of PwBD candidates against reserved vacancies, and the same rule applies to Ex-Servicemen as per their community. The Computer Based Aptitude Test requires a minimum T-Score of 42 in each test battery with no relaxation for any community. There is no negative marking in the CBAT, but both CBT stages deduct one third of a mark for every wrong answer.
Question Types
- Objective type questions with multiple choices in both CBT stages
- General Awareness questions on current events, Indian polity, history, geography, general science up to Class 10 CBSE level, and railway-related topics
- Mathematics covering number system, mensuration, time and work, interest, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and elementary statistics
- General Intelligence and Reasoning covering analogies, series, coding and decoding, syllogism, Venn diagrams, puzzles, data sufficiency and decision making
- Computer Based Typing Skill Test at 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi, on a personal computer without editing tools or spell check
- Computer Based Aptitude Test with multiple test batteries, for Station Master and Traffic Assistant only, with questions and answer options only in English and Hindi
Delivery Method
Computer Based Tests at RRB-allotted centres in India. Candidates cannot request a change of examination centre, date or shift under any circumstances. The typing skill test is conducted on a personal computer. Marks are normalised whenever a CBT is held in multiple sessions on the same syllabus.
Exam Domains & Topics
Ninety minutes, 100 questions, common to every post notified under the CEN. The RRBs describe it as screening in nature, set to the educational standard prescribed for the posts. The normalised score shortlists 15 times the community-wise vacancies notified against each RRB for the 2nd Stage CBT, and plays no further part.
Key Topics to Master:
- Forty General Awareness questions, the largest single block in the paper
- Thirty Mathematics questions covering arithmetic and elementary algebra
- Thirty General Intelligence and Reasoning questions
- One third mark deducted for each wrong answer
- Category minimums of 40, 30, 30 and 25 per cent for UR and EWS, OBC-NCL, SC and ST
- Normalisation across sessions where the stage runs in multiple shifts
- Choice of post preference at the time of shortlisting
Fifty of the 120 questions in the 2nd Stage CBT, the largest block in the paper that actually decides merit for four of the six posts. The published syllabus is broad and includes Transport Systems in India and Important Government and Public Sector Organizations of India, which is where railway-specific reading pays off.
Key Topics to Master:
- Current events of national and international importance
- Indian polity and governance, the constitution and the political system
- History of India and the freedom struggle
- Physical, social and economic geography of India and the world
- General science and life science up to Class 10 CBSE level
- Transport systems in India and the Indian economy
- Flagship government programmes and important government and public sector organisations
- Basics of computers and computer applications
- Games and sports, art and culture, Indian literature, monuments and places of India
Thirty-five of the 120 questions in the 2nd Stage CBT. The syllabus stops at elementary algebra, geometry, trigonometry and elementary statistics, so depth matters less than speed across a wide arithmetic surface at roughly 45 seconds a question across the whole paper.
Key Topics to Master:
- Number system, decimals, fractions, LCM and HCF
- Ratio and proportions, percentage
- Mensuration of plane and solid figures
- Time and work, time and distance
- Simple and compound interest
- Profit and loss
- Elementary algebra
- Geometry and trigonometry
- Elementary statistics
Thirty-five of the 120 questions in the 2nd Stage CBT. The syllabus names both classic reasoning types and decision-oriented types such as statement and courses of action and decision making, which reward practising the specific question formats rather than general logic.
Key Topics to Master:
- Analogies and completion of number and alphabetical series
- Coding and decoding, mathematical operations
- Similarities and differences, relationships
- Analytical reasoning and syllogism
- Jumbling and Venn diagrams
- Puzzles and data sufficiency
- Statement and conclusion, statement and courses of action
- Decision making, maps and interpretation of graphs
Applies to Senior Clerk cum Typist and Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist. Candidates equal to eight times the community-wise vacancies are called. The requirement is 30 words per minute in English or 25 words per minute in Hindi on a personal computer, without editing tools or spell check. Hindi typists use Kruti Dev and Mangal fonts.
Key Topics to Master:
- Sustained typing at 30 words per minute in English
- Sustained typing at 25 words per minute in Hindi
- Kruti Dev and Mangal font availability for Hindi typing
- Typing without editing tools or spell check
- Practice on a personal computer keyboard rather than a laptop
- PwBD exemption route for candidates permanently disabled with not less than 40 per cent disability due to blindness, low vision, cerebral palsy or loco motor disability
Conducted after the 2nd Stage CBT only for candidates who opted for Station Master or Traffic Assistant. Candidates equal to eight times the vacancies for each community are shortlisted. A minimum T-Score of 42 is required in every test battery with no relaxation for any category, and there is no negative marking.
Key Topics to Master:
- Multiple psychological test batteries, each with its own T-Score threshold of 42
- Question patterns published by RDSO under the Psycho Technical Directorate
- Questions and answer options available only in English and Hindi
- Vision Certificate in the Annexure VII format required in original at the CBAT
- Annexure VII(A) declaration to be submitted during document verification
- No negative marking, so every item should be attempted
- Merit weighting of 70 per cent 2nd Stage CBT and 30 per cent CBAT
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Download the detailed CEN No. 06/2025 from your chosen RRB website and read paragraphs 13.1 to 13.6, which contain the entire examination scheme
- 2Note the category minimum you personally need: 40 per cent for UR and EWS, 30 for OBC non-creamy layer and SC, 25 for ST
- 3Take an untimed 100 question 1st Stage CBT mock and record accuracy separately for General Awareness, Mathematics and Reasoning
- 4Decide your post preferences now, because Station Master and Traffic Assistant add a CBAT and the typist posts add a typing test
- 5Start a daily current affairs file from The Hindu or PIB releases
- 1Cover number system, decimals, fractions, LCM and HCF, and ratio and proportion from R.S. Aggarwal Quantitative Aptitude
- 2Memorise squares to 30, cubes to 20 and common fraction to percentage conversions
- 3Solve 40 percentage and ratio questions daily against a 45 second per question target
- 4Log every question you got wrong and mark whether it was a concept gap or a calculation slip
- 1Cover time and work, time and distance, simple and compound interest, and profit and loss
- 2Work mensuration of plane and solid figures, then elementary algebra, geometry and trigonometry to the level the CEN lists
- 3Add elementary statistics, which appears in the syllabus and is often skipped
- 4Take two 35 question Mathematics sectionals under time
- 1Work analogies, series, coding and decoding, mathematical operations, and similarities and differences
- 2Cover syllogism, Venn diagrams, jumbling, puzzles and data sufficiency from R.S. Aggarwal A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning
- 3Practise statement and conclusion, statement and courses of action, and decision making, all named in the CEN syllabus
- 4Add maps and interpretation of graphs, which the CEN lists but most candidates ignore
- 1Cover Indian polity and governance, the constitution and the political system using NCERT Class 9 to 12 political science
- 2Work history of India and the freedom struggle, plus physical, social and economic geography from NCERT
- 3Revise general science and life science strictly to Class 10 CBSE level, which is the ceiling the CEN sets
- 4Build a one page sheet on art and culture, Indian literature and monuments and places of India
- 1Study transport systems in India, with a focus on Indian Railways zones, production units and recent projects
- 2Cover important government and public sector organisations of India and flagship government programmes
- 3Work general scientific and technological developments including space and nuclear programmes of India, the UN and other world organisations
- 4Cover basics of computers and computer applications and common abbreviations
- 5Take a 50 question General Awareness sectional at 2nd Stage CBT length
- 1Sit three full 90 minute, 100 question mocks in the language you have actually opted for in the application
- 2Calculate your score after the one third negative marking rather than counting raw correct answers
- 3Stop attempting questions where you are guessing among four options, because the deduction makes it negative value
- 4Rework your General Awareness misses into the current affairs file the same day
- 1Move to 120 question, 90 minute papers, which cut the time per question and change the pacing entirely
- 2Push General Awareness practice harder, since it rises from 40 to 50 questions and is the largest merit-bearing block
- 3Take two full 2nd Stage mocks and check whether accuracy holds when there are 20 more questions in the same 90 minutes
- 4Revise the whole Mathematics syllabus once from your error log rather than from the textbook
- 1If you opted for the typist posts, practise typing daily to clear 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi on a personal computer with no editing tools or spell check
- 2If typing in Hindi, practise specifically in Kruti Dev and Mangal fonts, since those are the fonts made available
- 3If you opted for Station Master or Traffic Assistant, read the RDSO Psycho Technical Directorate guidelines for aptitude test question patterns at rdso.indianrailways.gov.in
- 4Obtain your Vision Certificate in the Annexure VII format, since candidates without it in original are not permitted to appear in the CBAT
- 1Take two final 2nd Stage CBT mocks and revise nothing new after them
- 2Revise the last six months of current affairs and your static General Awareness sheets only
- 3Print the e-call letter when it appears about four days before the test date, and check the city intimation that arrives about ten days ahead
- 4Assemble a valid original photo ID and a colour passport photograph not older than two months
- 5Practise writing the self-declaration paragraph in ordinary handwriting rather than capitals, since papers written in capitals are rejected
Ready to pass RRB NTPC (Railway Recruitment)?
Get 500+ practice questions, video walkthroughs, and a pass guarantee.
Best Study Resources
RRB Apply portal
Official application and notification portalThe single online entry point for creating an account, submitting the application, registering as a scribe and paying the fee. The CEN warns that only one application may be submitted and that multiple applications lead to rejection of all of them.
Free
Detailed CEN No. 06/2025 on the official RRB websites
Official notificationThe 59 page notice containing the examination scheme, the syllabus for both CBT stages, the post-wise parameters in Annexure A and the RRB-wise vacancy distribution in Annexure B. The CEN states that in any dispute the English version published on official RRB websites is final.
Free
RRB mock and practice tests
Official practice interfaceThe CEN states that mock and practice tests will be made available on the RRBs official websites so candidates can acquire familiarity with the online examination process. Use them to learn the interface before spending money on commercial mocks.
Free
RDSO Psycho Technical Directorate aptitude test guidelines
Official reference for CBATThe CEN directs Station Master and Traffic Assistant candidates to the Research Design and Standards Organisation website, under Directorates, Psycho Technical Directorate, Guidelines for Aptitude Test, for question patterns and other CBAT details.
Free
NCERT textbooks, Classes 6 to 12
TextbookThe CEN caps general science and life science at Class 10 CBSE level, which makes NCERT the correctly scoped source. History, geography and political science NCERTs cover most of the static General Awareness block.
Around INR 50-150 per book, free as PDFs from ncert.nic.in
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R.S. Aggarwal
TextbookChapter coverage maps closely onto the CEN Mathematics list, from number system and LCM and HCF through mensuration, interest and elementary statistics.
Around INR 500-800
A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal
TextbookCovers analogies, series, coding and decoding, syllogism, Venn diagrams, data sufficiency, statement and courses of action, and decision making, all of which the CEN names by title.
Around INR 500-800
Press Information Bureau and Ministry of Railways releases
Primary source for current affairsThe syllabus includes flagship government programmes, transport systems in India and important government and public sector organisations. Ministry of Railways announcements on new trains, electrification and zone reorganisation feed directly into General Awareness.
Free
Typing practice software for Kruti Dev and Mangal fonts
Practice toolNeeded only for Senior Clerk cum Typist and Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist. The test runs on a personal computer with no editing tools or spell check, at 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi, so practise under those exact constraints.
Free options widely available
Online mock platforms such as Testbook, Adda247 and Oliveboard
Mock test subscriptionUseful for volume practice at 100 and 120 question lengths with the one third negative marking applied automatically. Verify the section split against the CEN, because the CEN itself notes the distribution is indicative.
Free tiers available, paid plans typically INR 500-3,000 per year
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Working hard to maximise the 1st Stage CBT score in the belief it improves final ranking.
The 1st Stage CBT is screening in nature. Its normalised score shortlists 15 times the community-wise vacancies and nothing more. Merit for four of the six posts comes from normalised 2nd Stage CBT marks alone, and for Station Master and Traffic Assistant from 70 per cent 2nd Stage CBT plus 30 per cent CBAT.
Preparing for a 100 question paper and walking into the 2nd Stage CBT expecting the same pacing.
Both stages last 90 minutes, but the 2nd Stage has 120 questions, not 100. That is 20 extra questions in the same time. Practise the second stage at its own length from the point you clear the first, because the per-question budget drops noticeably.
Attempting every question because it feels like more attempts must mean more marks.
One third of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer in both CBT stages. With four options, blind guessing is negative expected value. The CBAT is the only stage with no negative marking, so it is the only one where attempting everything makes sense.
Submitting more than one application to increase the chance of a preferred RRB or post.
The CEN states that multiple applications to different RRBs or to the same RRB lead to rejection of all applications, disqualification and debarment from future RRB and RRC examinations. File exactly one application and choose the RRB carefully, because a transfer request is not registered until 5 to 10 years of service.
Ignoring the Vision Certificate until the CBAT call letter arrives.
Station Master and Traffic Assistant candidates must produce a Vision Certificate in the Annexure VII format in original at the CBAT, and candidates without it are not permitted to appear. Get the certificate as soon as you shortlist for the CBAT, not in the week before it.
Treating the typing test as easy because it carries no merit marks.
The typing test is qualifying and a candidate who fails it is out of the merit list entirely, even with a strong 2nd Stage CBT score. It runs on a personal computer with no editing tools and no spell check, so practise without those aids and at the exact thresholds of 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi.
Assuming the CBAT threshold works like other stages where reserved categories get relaxed cut-offs.
The minimum T-Score of 42 in each CBAT test battery applies to every candidate regardless of community. The CEN states this explicitly for SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS and ExSM, and no relaxation in the minimum T-Score is permissible.
Entering a date of birth or name that differs from the Class 10 certificate.
The CEN requires the date of birth to match the SSC, SSLC, Matriculation or Class 10 certificate exactly. No subsequent request for change is considered and any difference leads to disqualification. The same rule applies to name, father's name and mother's name.
Writing the self-declaration paragraph before the exam or in capital letters.
The self-declaration must be written and signed in the presence of the invigilator at the examination hall, with the left thumb impression affixed, and handed over before the examination concludes. Candidates who write it in advance or sign in capital letters are rejected.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Carry your e-call letter and one valid original photo ID: voter ID card, Aadhaar card, a printout of e-Aadhaar, PAN card, passport, a valid identity card issued by the employer if you are a government employee, or a school, college or university photo identity card if you are still studying. Candidates without one of these are not allowed to appear.
- 2
Bring a colour passport photograph that is not older than two months from the date of the CBT, CBAT, CBTST, document verification or medical examination.
- 3
Write the self-declaration paragraph, sign it and affix your left thumb impression at the examination hall in front of the invigilator, then hand it over before the examination ends. Writing it in advance or signing in capital letters gets it rejected.
- 4
Leave every banned item outside. The CEN lists mobile phones, pagers, watches, earphones, Bluetooth devices, microphones, health bands, calculators, books, pens, paper, pencils, erasers, pouches, belts, handbags, caps, purses, cameras, water bottles and packaged or open food items. Cloak room facilities may not be available at the venue.
- 5
Do not carry your own pen or pencil. A pen is provided at the test centre.
- 6
Avoid applying henna to your hands or feet before the examination, because it obstructs the capture of biometrics, which are recorded at every stage of the recruitment process.
- 7
Expect no change of centre, date or shift. The CEN states requests for postponement or change of venue, date and shift will not be entertained under any circumstances.
- 8
Download the e-call letter about four days before the test date. The intimation of the examination city arrives about ten days ahead, and no call letter is sent by post.
- 9
Candidates eligible for a scribe get 120 minutes instead of 90, and 20 minutes of compensatory time per hour applies whether or not the scribe facility is actually used. The scribe must complete One Time Registration as a scribe at rrbapply.gov.in.
- 10
SC and ST candidates travelling on the free sleeper class pass in the e-call letter must carry the original community certificate and an original identity proof, or they are treated as travelling without a ticket.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Goods Train Manager
The largest single post in CEN 06/2025 with 3416 vacancies. Medical standard A2 applies, which requires distant vision of 6/9 and 6/9 without glasses and no fogging test, so vision standards screen out a share of candidates before appointment.
Initial pay INR 29,200 at Level 5 in the 7th CPC pay matrix
Station Master
Six hundred and fifteen vacancies, one of the two Level 6 posts. Requires the Computer Based Aptitude Test with a minimum T-Score of 42 in every battery and a Vision Certificate in the Annexure VII format, with merit at 70 per cent 2nd Stage CBT and 30 per cent CBAT.
Initial pay INR 35,400 at Level 6 in the 7th CPC pay matrix
Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor
One hundred and sixty-one vacancies at the highest pay level in this CEN alongside Station Master. Medical standard B2 applies, which permits corrective lenses within limits, and no typing or aptitude test is required.
Initial pay INR 35,400 at Level 6 in the 7th CPC pay matrix
Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist
Nine hundred and twenty-one vacancies in railway accounts offices. Requires a degree plus typing proficiency in English or Hindi on a computer, and a qualifying Computer Based Typing Skill Test whose marks are not added to the merit.
Initial pay INR 29,200 at Level 5 in the 7th CPC pay matrix
Senior Clerk cum Typist
Six hundred and thirty-eight vacancies in railway clerical establishments. Same degree plus typing proficiency requirement and the same qualifying typing test at 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi.
Initial pay INR 29,200 at Level 5 in the 7th CPC pay matrix
Traffic Assistant
The smallest post in this CEN with 59 vacancies and the only Level 4 entry. Like Station Master it requires the Computer Based Aptitude Test and the 70 to 30 merit weighting between the 2nd Stage CBT and the CBAT.
Initial pay INR 25,500 at Level 4 in the 7th CPC pay matrix
Prerequisites & Requirements
- Nationality: a citizen of India, a citizen of Nepal, a subject of Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from a listed country intending to settle permanently, with a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India where required.
- Age 18 to 33 as on the reckoning date. For CEN 06/2025 the reckoning date was 1 January 2026, requiring a date of birth on or before 1 January 2008 and not earlier than 2 January 1993 for UR and EWS candidates.
- Age relaxation of 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC non-creamy layer, 10 years for PwBD in UR and EWS, 13 years for PwBD OBC-NCL and 15 years for PwBD SC and ST. Relaxations are not cumulative and a candidate receives the maximum single ground they qualify for.
- A degree from a recognised university or its equivalent for all six posts. Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist and Senior Clerk cum Typist additionally require typing proficiency in English or Hindi on a computer.
- The qualification must already be held as on the closing date for the online application. Candidates awaiting the result of their final examination are not eligible and should not apply.
- The date of birth entered in the application must match the SSC, SSLC, Matriculation or Class 10 certificate exactly. No later request for change is considered.
- Medical fitness to the standard prescribed for the post applied for: A2 for Station Master, Goods Train Manager and Traffic Assistant, B2 for Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor, and C2 for both typist posts. Candidates who have undergone Lasik or other refractive correction surgery are not eligible for A2 posts.
- A No Objection Certificate from the present employer for candidates serving in any Central or State Government department, Railways or a public sector undertaking, produced from the document verification date.
- An active mobile number and a valid personal email address, since all communication runs through SMS and email and the details entered at account creation cannot be changed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the RRB NTPC exam cost?
The examination fee is INR 500 for candidates generally, of which INR 400 is refunded after deducting bank charges once the candidate appears in the 1st Stage CBT. Candidates who are SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, from a notified minority community or from the Economically Backward Class pay INR 250, refunded in full less bank charges on appearing in the 1st Stage CBT. Fee payment is online only, through internet banking, debit or credit card, or UPI.
How does the RRB NTPC fee refund actually work?
Only candidates who appear in the 1st Stage CBT receive a refund. A candidate who pays the fee and does not sit the test gets nothing back. The refundable portion, INR 400 or INR 250 as applicable, is paid to the bank account entered in the application form, less bank charges, so incorrect or incomplete account details forfeit it. Candidates whose application is incomplete or rejected receive no refund at all.
Is there negative marking in RRB NTPC?
Yes, in both CBT stages. One third of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer. Questions left unanswered carry no penalty. The Computer Based Aptitude Test taken by Station Master and Traffic Assistant candidates has no negative marking at all, which is the only stage where attempting every item makes sense.
How many times can I take RRB NTPC?
The CEN does not set a limit on the number of attempts. The binding constraint is the age band of 18 to 33 as on the reckoning date, extended by the category relaxations. Recruitment is periodic rather than annual, so the practical limit is how many Centralised Employment Notices fall inside your eligible age window. Candidates currently debarred by any RRB or RRC must not apply.
What happens if I fail the 1st Stage CBT?
You are out of that recruitment cycle and can apply again at the next Centralised Employment Notice while you remain within the age limit. There is no partial carry-forward. To progress you must both clear your community's minimum percentage, which is 40 for UR and EWS, 30 for OBC non-creamy layer and SC, and 25 for ST, and rank inside 15 times the community-wise vacancies notified against your RRB.
Do 1st Stage CBT marks count towards the final merit list?
No. The 1st Stage CBT is screening in nature and its normalised score is used only for shortlisting to the 2nd Stage CBT. For Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor, Goods Train Manager and the two typist posts, merit comes from normalised 2nd Stage CBT marks. For Station Master and Traffic Assistant, merit is 70 per cent 2nd Stage CBT and 30 per cent Computer Based Aptitude Test.
What identity documents do I need at the RRB NTPC exam centre?
Bring your e-call letter and one valid original photo ID: voter ID card, Aadhaar card, a printout of e-Aadhaar, PAN card, passport, a valid identity card issued by your employer if you are a government employee, or a school, college or university photo identity card if you are still studying. Candidates who fail to bring one of these are not allowed to appear. Also bring a colour passport photograph not older than two months.
Can I use a calculator in the RRB NTPC exam?
No. The CEN bans calculators along with mobile phones, pagers, watches, earphones, Bluetooth devices, microphones, health bands, books, paper, pens, pencils, erasers, pouches, belts, handbags, caps, purses, cameras, water bottles and food items. A pen is provided at the test centre, and candidates should not carry their own pen or pencil inside.
In which languages is the RRB NTPC exam available?
Questions for the CBTs are available in English, Hindi and 13 regional Indian languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The medium is chosen in the online application form, and CBT questions are displayed in the language opted together with English. The Computer Based Aptitude Test is available only in English and Hindi.
What accommodations are available for candidates with disabilities?
Eligible candidates may use a scribe, in which case the examination duration extends from 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Candidates who are eligible for a scribe but choose not to use one may still take compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour. The scribe must complete One Time Registration as a scribe at rrbapply.gov.in, cannot assist more than one candidate in the same examination, and must hold a qualification one step below the candidate's. Certain PwBD candidates with not less than 40 per cent permanent disability due to blindness, low vision, cerebral palsy or loco motor disability may be exempted from the typing skill test on producing a Typing Skill Test Exemption Certificate in the Annexure V(H) format.
How does normalisation of marks work in RRB NTPC?
Normalisation is applied whenever a CBT is conducted in multiple sessions on the same syllabus. Shortlisting for every subsequent stage uses the normalised marks rather than the raw marks. The CEN applies this to shortlisting for the 2nd Stage CBT, for document verification, and for the typing skill test or aptitude test where those apply.
How long does the RRB NTPC process take?
The Railway Recruitment Boards do not publish a fixed timetable in the CEN. Dates for the CBTs, CBAT, typing test, document verification and medical examination are announced through the official RRB websites as the process moves forward. The city of examination is intimated about ten days in advance and the e-call letter becomes downloadable about four days before the test date. No call letter is sent by post.
How is a tie broken if two candidates score the same marks?
The older candidate is placed higher in merit. If the two candidates share a date of birth as well, alphabetical order of name from A to Z is used to break the tie.
How many candidates are called for document verification?
Candidates equal to the number of vacancies, on a 1:1 basis, are called for document verification based on their performance in the CBT, CBAT or CBTST as applicable. Candidates must bring all original documents plus two sets of self-attested photocopies. No additional time is given to candidates who do not produce originals on the date of verification, and their candidature is liable to be forfeited.
How does RRB NTPC compare with RRB Group D and SSC CGL?
RRB NTPC graduate-level posts require a degree and pay from Level 4 to Level 6, while RRB Group D posts require Class 10 or an ITI qualification and sit at Level 1. Against SSC CGL, RRB NTPC has a narrower syllabus with no English language paper in the CBTs and no descriptive component, but adds post-specific typing and aptitude tests and a medical standard with vision requirements that SSC CGL does not impose for most posts.
Can I change my RRB or my post preference after applying?
No. The details filled in the Create an Account form, including the chosen RRB, mobile number and email ID, cannot be modified at any stage once the account is created. Other application details could be modified during the notified modification window on payment of a non-refundable modification fee of INR 250 for each occasion, and after that window closes the RRBs entertain no representation for modification.
Does a place on the RRB NTPC merit list guarantee a job?
No. The CEN states that selection by an RRB does not confer any right of appointment. RRBs only recommend names of empanelled candidates to the concerned Railway Administration, which issues the offer of appointment subject to vacancy availability, medical fitness, verification of educational and community certificates, and verification of antecedents and character.
Can I request a transfer to a different railway zone after joining?
Not for a long time. The CEN states that no request for transfer to another Railway or establishment would be registered until the newly appointed candidate completes at least 5 to 10 years of service, and advises candidates to choose their RRB with due care for that reason. A competent authority may still transfer a railway servant in the exigencies of service.
Pass RRB NTPC (Railway Recruitment), Guaranteed
94% pass rate on first attempt
One-time • Lifetime access