RRB NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories) Exam 2026 – Complete Guide
Complete exam hub — syllabus, exam pattern, eligibility, salary, books, preparation strategy, previous year papers and FAQs.
Current Recruitment
exam-completedRRB NTPC Graduate Level CBT-II Answer Key 2026
Exam Overview
- Full Form
- Non-Technical Popular Categories
- Conducting Body
- Railway Recruitment Boards (21 RRBs)
- Exam Level
- Graduate & 12th Pass (National)
- Frequency
- Yearly / As per vacancies
- Exam Type
- CBT + Typing Skill Test + DV
- Mode
- Online
- Selection Process
- CBT 1 → CBT 2 → Typing (for select posts) → DV
- Posts
- Graduate & Under-Graduate (Non-Technical)
About the Exam
RRB NTPC is conducted by the Railway Recruitment Boards to recruit candidates for Non-Technical Popular Categories — graduate level posts like Station Master, Goods Train Manager, Traffic Apprentice and under-graduate level posts like Assistant Station Master, Junior Clerk cum Typist and Ticket Collector.
The exam is held in two CBT stages. Candidates for certain posts additionally appear for a Typing Skill Test before document verification.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | 15 May 2026 |
| Application Start | 20 May 2026 |
| Application End | 18 Jun 2026 |
| CBT 1 Exam DateMultiple dates till Sep 05 | 10 Aug 2026 |
| CBT 2 Exam Date | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Result Declaration | 20 Dec 2026 |
Eligibility
Educational Qualification: Graduate-level posts require a Bachelor's degree in any discipline; under-graduate posts require 12th pass (plus typing speed of 30 WPM English / 25 WPM Hindi for clerk-type posts).
Age Limit: 18 to 30 years for graduate posts and 18 to 33 years for under-graduate posts as on the notified date.
Relaxations: OBC +3 years, SC/ST +5 years, PwD +10 years, and other relaxations for ex-servicemen as per railway norms.
Exam Pattern
RRB NTPC selection is a two-stage CBT process:
CBT 1
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 | 90 minutes |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 30 | 30 | |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 90 minutes |
CBT 1 has 1/3 negative marking. It is a qualifying exam — marks are not counted in final merit.
CBT 2
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 35 | 35 | 90 minutes |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 35 | 35 | |
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 | |
| Total | 120 | 120 | 90 minutes |
CBT 2 marks are counted for final merit. A Typing Skill Test (30 WPM English / 25 WPM Hindi) applies to Junior Clerk cum Typist and related posts.
Syllabus
RRB NTPC Syllabus
| Section | Key Topics |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Number System, Decimals, Fractions, Percentages, Ratio & Proportion, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Time & Work, Time-Speed-Distance, Simple & Compound Interest, Statistics, Data Interpretation |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | Analogies, Series, Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Syllogism, Venn Diagrams, Puzzles, Direction Sense, Non-verbal Reasoning |
| General Awareness | Indian Railways, History, Polity, Economy, Geography, Science & Technology, Current Affairs, Sports, Awards, Books & Authors |
Selection Process
- CBT 1 (Qualifying): Score decides eligibility for CBT 2
- CBT 2 (Merit): Score counted towards final selection
- Typing Skill Test: For Junior Clerk cum Typist & similar posts (qualifying)
- Document Verification & Medical Examination
Final merit is prepared from CBT 2 scores (plus CBT 1 scores for candidates who appear for TST, where applicable).
Salary
RRB NTPC – Pay Level
| Post Level | Pay Scale (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Level 7 (e.g. Station Master) | ₹44,900 – ₹1,42,400 |
| Level 6 (e.g. Goods Train Manager) | ₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400 |
| Level 5 (e.g. Senior Clerk) | ₹29,200 – ₹92,300 |
| Level 3 (e.g. Junior Clerk cum Typist, Ticket Collector) | ₹21,700 – ₹69,100 |
| Level 2 (e.g. Helper posts) | ₹19,900 – ₹63,200 |
Railway employees additionally get DA, HRA, transport allowance, and railway passes for self and family.
Recommended Books
- Quantitative Aptitude – R.S. Aggarwal
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal
- Lucent's General Knowledge
- RRB NTPC Chapter-wise Solved Papers – Kiran
- Railway GK & Current Affairs monthly compilations
Preparation Strategy
- Master basic arithmetic first — RRB heavily weights speed-based calculations
- Practise puzzles and seating arrangements daily for reasoning speed
- Keep a separate notebook for railway GK (zones, Loco types, awards)
- Take sectional mocks in the first 3 months, full mocks in the last month
- For clerk posts, practise typing 15 minutes daily alongside exam prep
Previous Year Papers
- RRB NTPC CBT 1 Previous Year Papers (2019-2025)
- RRB NTPC CBT 2 Previous Year Papers (2021-2025)
- Railway GK capsule and memory-based questions
Previous Year Cutoffs
RRB NTPC CBT 1 Cutoff (Indicative, out of 100)
| Category | Cutoff Range |
|---|---|
| General | 85 – 95 |
| OBC | 80 – 90 |
| SC | 70 – 82 |
| ST | 60 – 75 |
| EWS | 82 – 92 |
CBT 2 cutoffs vary widely by post, zone and category.
Frequently Asked Questions
QHow many stages are there in RRB NTPC?
RRB NTPC has two CBT stages, an optional Typing Skill Test for clerk-type posts, and document verification with medical examination.
QWhat is the negative marking in RRB NTPC?
1/3 (0.33) marks are deducted for each wrong answer in both CBT 1 and CBT 2.
QWhich posts come under NTPC graduate level?
Station Master, Goods Train Manager, Traffic Apprentice and similar graduate-level non-technical posts.
QIs typing test applicable to all NTPC posts?
No, the Typing Skill Test applies only to posts like Junior Clerk cum Typist, Senior Clerk cum Typist and Account Clerk cum Typist.
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