RRB NTPC
Recruits for Indian Railways non-technical posts at Pay Levels 2 to 6: Station Master, Goods Train Manager, Chief Commercial-cum-Ticket Supervisor, Junior Account Assistant-cum-Typist and Senior Clerk (graduate), plus Commercial-cum-Ticket Clerk, Accounts Clerk, Junior Clerk and Trains Clerk (undergraduate).
Eligibility
Graduate posts need a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university; undergraduate posts need Class 12 (10+2) pass, with 50% marks (relaxed for SC/ST/PwBD/ex-servicemen) for the clerk-typist posts. Recent CENs set the age limit at 18–33 years for graduate posts and 18–30 years for undergraduate posts, with the usual relaxations (OBC-NCL +3, SC/ST +5 years). There is no fixed cap on attempts. Name and date of birth in Aadhaar must match the Class 10 certificate.
Age limit: Graduate: 18–33 years; Undergraduate: 18–30 years (recent CENs; confirm in the detailed CEN). Relaxation: OBC-NCL 3 years, SC/ST 5 years, PwBD 10 years
Exam pattern
Online Computer Based Test (CBT) in stages. CBT 1 (common screening): 100 questions in 90 minutes – General Awareness 40, Mathematics 30, General Intelligence and Reasoning 30. CBT 2 (post-wise): 120 questions in 90 minutes – General Awareness 50, Mathematics 35, Reasoning 35. Negative marking of 1/3 mark per wrong answer; CBT 1 marks are only for shortlisting and scores are normalised across shifts. Station Master and Traffic Assistant candidates then take the Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT, minimum T-score 42 in each test), while typist/clerk posts take a qualifying Typing Skill Test (30 wpm English / 25 wpm Hindi), followed by document verification and medical.
Syllabus at a glance
Mathematics covers the Class 10 level: number system, simplification, ratio, percentage, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time-work, time-speed-distance, mensuration, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and data interpretation. Reasoning covers analogy, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, syllogism, Venn diagrams, puzzles, directions, statement-conclusion and mathematical operations. General Awareness covers current affairs, Indian history, polity, geography, economy, static GK, science and technology, sports, culture and government schemes.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate CEN 06/2026 (approx. 3,477 tentative posts) online application window | 8 Oct – 6 Nov 2026 (fee payment till 8 Nov) | confirmed |
| Undergraduate CEN 07/2026 (approx. 1,688 tentative posts) online application window | 15 Oct – 13 Nov 2026 | confirmed |
| Application correction (modification) window | Mid/late Nov 2026 | expected |
| Graduate CBT 1 (CEN 06/2026) | Late Dec 2026 – Feb 2027 (tentative) | expected |
| Undergraduate CBT 1 (CEN 07/2026) | Q1–Q2 2027 | tba |
| CBT 1 results and CBT 2 shortlisting | Around 2–3 months after each CBT 1 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Lucent's General Knowledge – Dr Binay Karna et al. (Lucent Publications)
- Lucent's General Science – Ravi Bhushan (Lucent Publications)
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations – R.S. Aggarwal (S. Chand)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal (S. Chand)
- RRB NTPC Previous Years' Solved Papers – Kiran Prakashan
- Maths 7300+ (Rakesh Yadav Readers Publication)
How toppers play it
- General Awareness carries 40 of 100 marks in CBT 1 and 50 of 120 in CBT 2, so run a daily 6–12-month current affairs routine alongside NCERT static GK; it is the biggest differentiator.
- With 1/3 negative marking and normalisation, aim for high accuracy: attempt reasoning first (fastest marks), then GA in one pass, then maths, leaving lengthy DI and geometry for last.
- Solve past NTPC shift papers from 2016, 2019 and 2024–25 cycles; RRB repeats question types and even static GK facts heavily across shifts.
- Graduate aspirants targeting Station Master should prepare early for the CBAT (memory, attention, spatial tests) and clerk-post aspirants should practise typing to 30 wpm with accuracy.
- Pick post and RRB preferences carefully at application stage; they cannot be changed later and decide CBT 2 level and final allotment.