RRB NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories) is the Railway Recruitment Boards'' exam for non-technical posts across Indian Railways — from Commercial cum Ticket Clerk to Station Master. It is one of the largest recruitment exams in the country, with crores of applicants across cycles.
Quick Answer
RRB NTPC selection has three stages: CBT-1 (100 questions, 90 minutes, screening), CBT-2 (120 questions, 90 minutes, merit-deciding), and a skill test — typing test or Computer Based Aptitude Test depending on the post — followed by document verification and medical. Both CBTs carry 1/3 negative marking and cover the same three sections: General Awareness, Mathematics, and General Intelligence & Reasoning.
Posts Under NTPC
- Graduate-level: Station Master, Goods Train Manager (Goods Guard), Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor, Senior Clerk cum Typist, Junior Account Assistant cum Typist, Senior Time Keeper.
- Undergraduate (12th) level: Commercial cum Ticket Clerk, Junior Clerk cum Typist, Accounts Clerk cum Typist, Trains Clerk, Junior Time Keeper.
Stage-Wise Exam Pattern
| Stage | Sections (questions) | Total | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBT-1 | GA (40), Maths (30), Reasoning (30) | 100 Q / 100 marks | 90 min |
| CBT-2 | GA (50), Maths (35), Reasoning (35) | 120 Q / 120 marks | 90 min |
| Skill test | Typing (clerk/typist posts) or CBAT (Station Master, Trains Clerk) | Qualifying | — |
CBT-1 is a screening stage — its marks shortlist you for CBT-2 (roughly 20 times the vacancies). CBT-2 marks decide the merit list, with the skill test qualifying in nature. Typing requirement: 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi.
What Actually Decides Selection
General Awareness is the largest section in both CBTs — current affairs, static GK, and railway-specific facts reward daily revision far more than last-minute cramming. Maths and Reasoning at NTPC level are speed games: percentages, ratio, time-speed-distance, series, syllogism and coding-decoding dominate. With 1/3 negative marking, accuracy on the easy two-thirds of the paper routinely beats attempting everything.
How to Prepare
- Take full-length timed mocks at your likely shift time — Pareeksha''s NTPC-pattern mocks use the real section split and honest percentiles.
- Revise daily current affairs consistently; GA is the highest-weight section.
- Practise previous-year questions topic-wise — the exam repeats question patterns year after year.
FAQs
Where do notifications appear? On rrbapply.gov.in and zonal RRB websites, as a Centralised Employment Notice (CEN).
Is there an interview? No. Selection is CBTs + skill test + document verification + medical.
Can 12th-pass candidates apply? Yes, for undergraduate-level posts; graduate-level posts need a bachelor''s degree.
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