- The current RRB NTPC cycle runs under CEN No. 06/2025 for graduate posts and CEN No. 07/2025 for undergraduate posts, together notifying 8,868 vacancies
- The graduate notification alone drew 25,89,978 applications against 5,810 posts
- CBT-1 has 100 questions in 90 minutes and CBT-2 has 120 questions in 90 minutes, both with a one-third negative mark
- All 21 Railway Recruitment Board websites have been merged into a single official portal at rrb.indianrailways.gov.in.
What Is RRB NTPC and Who Conducts It?
RRB NTPC stands for Non-Technical Popular Categories, a recruitment examination run by the Railway Recruitment Boards under the Ministry of Railways. Twenty-one RRBs conduct it for clerical, commercial and traffic posts in Indian Railways. The boards were set up in 1942 as Railway Service Commissions and renamed in 1985.
The Railway Recruitment Boards are among the largest recruiting authorities in the Government of India. Twenty-one boards operate under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways, each serving a defined region and meeting the manpower needs of its railway zones and production units.
Their mandate covers all Group C technical and non-technical posts from Level 2 to Level 7 of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix. Since 2018 the boards have moved entirely to Computer Based Tests, and every stage of the process, from receipt of applications to declaration of results, is now computerised.
In August 2026 the separate websites of all twenty-one boards were merged into one unified official website. Candidates should now use rrb.indianrailways.gov.in for notifications, results and schedules, and rrbapply.gov.in for the online application itself.
Which Posts Are Notified Under RRB NTPC 2026?
The current cycle notifies six graduate posts under CEN 06/2025 and four undergraduate posts under CEN 07/2025. Graduate posts include Station Master, Goods Train Manager and Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor. Undergraduate posts include Commercial cum Ticket Clerk, Trains Clerk, Accounts Clerk cum Typist and Junior Clerk cum Typist.
Older post names that circulated in earlier NTPC cycles, such as Traffic Apprentice, Commercial Apprentice, Assistant Station Master, Enquiry cum Reservation Clerk and Senior Time Keeper, do not appear in the current notifications. The two tables below list exactly what has been notified.
| Graduate Post (CEN 06/2025) | Pay Level 2026 | Initial Pay 2026 | Vacancies 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor | Level 6 | Rs 35,400 | 161 |
| Station Master | Level 6 | Rs 35,400 | 615 |
| Goods Train Manager | Level 5 | Rs 29,200 | 3,416 |
| Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist | Level 5 | Rs 29,200 | 921 |
| Senior Clerk cum Typist | Level 5 | Rs 29,200 | 638 |
| Traffic Assistant | Level 4 | Rs 25,500 | 59 |
| Undergraduate Post (CEN 07/2025) | Pay Level 2026 | Initial Pay 2026 | Vacancies 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial cum Ticket Clerk | Level 3 | Rs 21,700 | 2,424 |
| Accounts Clerk cum Typist | Level 2 | Rs 19,900 | 394 |
| Junior Clerk cum Typist | Level 2 | Rs 19,900 | 163 |
| Trains Clerk | Level 2 | Rs 19,900 | 77 |
How Many Vacancies Are There in RRB NTPC 2026?
The two notifications together carry 8,868 vacancies. CEN 06/2025 accounts for 5,810 graduate posts and CEN 07/2025 for 3,058 undergraduate posts, spread across all twenty-one Railway Recruitment Boards. Goods Train Manager is the single largest graduate category with 3,416 posts, and Commercial cum Ticket Clerk leads the undergraduate side.
Vacancy counts in a CEN are provisional. The notification states plainly that numbers may increase or decrease according to the requirements of the railway administrations, and a revised vacancy table is published if that happens. Board-wise and zone-wise splits are given in Annexure B of each notification.
Because a candidate may apply to only one RRB, the choice of board matters. Preferences for railway zones, production units and posts are exercised once inside that chosen board and cannot be changed later.
Quantitative Aptitude: Syllabus and PreparationRead →What Is the RRB NTPC 2026 Exam Pattern?
Selection runs through a first stage CBT, a second stage CBT, a skill or aptitude test where applicable, document verification and a medical examination. CBT-1 carries 100 questions in 90 minutes and CBT-2 carries 120 questions in 90 minutes. One-third of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer.
The first stage is a screening test common to every post in the notification. Its normalised score is used only to shortlist candidates for the second stage, and the shortlist is drawn at fifteen times the community-wise vacancies notified against that board.
| Stage 2026 | Duration | General Awareness | Mathematics | General Intelligence and Reasoning | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBT-1 | 90 minutes | 40 | 30 | 30 | 100 |
| CBT-2 | 90 minutes | 50 | 35 | 35 | 120 |
Candidates eligible to use a scribe get 120 minutes instead of 90 for both stages. The section-wise split shown in the notification is indicative, so the actual paper may vary slightly.
Minimum qualifying marks are 40 percent for unreserved and EWS candidates, 30 percent for OBC non-creamy layer and SC candidates, and 25 percent for ST candidates. A two-mark relaxation applies to candidates with benchmark disabilities where reserved vacancies would otherwise go unfilled.
A Computer Based Aptitude Test follows the second stage only for those who opted for Station Master or Traffic Assistant. It has no negative marking, but a minimum T-score of 42 is needed in every test battery with no relaxation for any category, and the final merit is drawn as 70 percent CBT-2 plus 30 percent aptitude test.
A Computer Based Typing Skill Test applies to the typist posts. Candidates must type 30 words per minute in English or 25 words per minute in Hindi on a personal computer without editing tools or spell check. It is qualifying only and its marks do not count towards merit. Document verification is then called at a one-to-one ratio against vacancies.
What Is the RRB NTPC 2026 Syllabus?
Both computer based tests draw on the same three subjects: Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, and General Awareness. The standard matches the educational qualification of the post, so questions sit broadly at school and graduation level. Only the number of questions changes between the first and second stage.
- Mathematics: number system, decimals, fractions, LCM and HCF, ratio and proportion, percentage, mensuration, time and work, time and distance, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, elementary algebra, geometry and trigonometry, elementary statistics
- General Intelligence and Reasoning: analogies, number and alphabetical series, coding and decoding, mathematical operations, similarities and differences, relationships, analytical reasoning, syllogism, jumbling, Venn diagrams, puzzles, data sufficiency, statement and conclusion, decision making, maps and interpretation of graphs
- General Awareness: current events of national and international importance, games and sports, art and culture of India, Indian literature, monuments and places, general science and life science up to Class 10, history of India and the freedom struggle, geography, Indian polity and governance, science and technology, environment, computers, Indian economy, transport systems in India and flagship government programmes
Calculators and other electronic gadgets are not allowed inside the examination premises. Possession of a mobile phone or any wireless device, even switched off, leads to cancellation of candidature and debarment from future RRB examinations.
Reasoning Questions with Answers and Practice SetsRead →Who Is Eligible to Apply for RRB NTPC?
Graduate posts need a degree from a recognised university and an age of 18 to 33 years. Undergraduate posts need a 12th pass with at least 50 percent aggregate and an age of 18 to 30 years. Both age limits are reckoned as on 1 January 2026.
The 50 percent requirement for undergraduate posts is not insisted upon for SC, ST, persons with benchmark disabilities and ex-servicemen candidates, nor for candidates who already hold a qualification higher than Class 12. Typing proficiency in English or Hindi on a computer is essential for the typist categories at both levels.
A candidate must be a citizen of India, a citizen of Nepal, a subject of Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from a specified list of countries. Everyone except Indian citizens must hold a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India.
Candidates waiting for the final result of their qualifying examination are not eligible. The qualification must be complete on or before the closing date for applications. Age relaxation for reserved categories follows the standard government norms set out in the notification.
How Much Is the RRB NTPC Application Fee?
The fee is Rs 500 for most candidates, of which Rs 400 is refunded after bank charges once they appear for the first stage CBT. Candidates from SC, ST, ex-servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and economically backward groups pay Rs 250, refunded in full on appearing.
Payment is accepted online only, through net banking, debit card, credit card or UPI. Applications received without the prescribed fee are summarily rejected, and there is no refund where an application is rejected or where the candidate does not appear for the first stage CBT.
Economically Backward Class here means an annual family income below Rs 50,000, evidenced by an income certificate in the prescribed format, a BPL card or an Izzat MST. This category should not be confused with OBC or EWS. Corrections made during the modification window cost Rs 250 each time and that amount is never refunded.
General Knowledge Questions for Competitive ExamsRead →What Is the RRB NTPC Salary in 2026?
Initial pay follows the 7th Central Pay Commission matrix. Graduate posts start between Rs 25,500 and Rs 35,400 a month, while undergraduate posts start between Rs 19,900 and Rs 21,700. Dearness allowance, house rent allowance, transport allowance and medical benefits are paid on top of this basic figure.
The figures printed in the notification are the initial basic pay for the level, not gross salary. Station Master and Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor sit at Level 6 with Rs 35,400, Goods Train Manager and the two graduate typist posts at Level 5 with Rs 29,200, and Traffic Assistant at Level 4 with Rs 25,500.
On the undergraduate side, Commercial cum Ticket Clerk is at Level 3 with Rs 21,700, and Accounts Clerk cum Typist, Junior Clerk cum Typist and Trains Clerk are at Level 2 with Rs 19,900. Older figures such as Rs 17,520 belong to the pre-2016 pay structure and no longer apply.
How Do You Apply for RRB NTPC Online?
Applications are accepted online only, through the common portal at rrbapply.gov.in linked from the official RRB website. A candidate may submit just one application and must choose a single Railway Recruitment Board. Submitting more than one application, to the same board or different boards, causes every one of them to be rejected.
- Create an account on the application portal using your mobile number and email address, since neither can be changed later
- Fill in personal details, choose your RRB and select your examination language from the drop-down list
- Enter educational qualification details and upload the mandatory scanned documents in the prescribed sizes and formats
- Capture a live photograph during the application as required by the notification
- Indicate your order of preference for every post and railway zone you are eligible for, because posts left unmarked are treated as unwillingness
- Pay the examination fee online and wait for the payment confirmation, as the application is accepted only after the fee is confirmed
Details entered in the create an account form and the chosen RRB can never be modified. Everything else can be corrected during the modification window on payment of the modification fee.
When Are the RRB NTPC 2026 Exam Dates?
For the graduate notification, applications ran from 21 October 2025 and closed on 27 November 2025 after a corrigendum extended the original date. The first stage result came on 12 June 2026 and the second stage CBT was held on 10 July 2026. Undergraduate CBT-1 ran across May and June 2026.
| Event 2026 | CEN 06/2025 Graduate | CEN 07/2025 Undergraduate |
|---|---|---|
| Online application opened | 21 October 2025 | 28 October 2025 |
| Application closing date | 27 November 2025 (extended) | 27 November 2025 |
| Last date for fee payment | 29 November 2025 | 29 November 2025 |
| Modification window | 30 November to 9 December 2025 | 30 November to 9 December 2025 |
| First stage CBT | Held; result on 12 June 2026 | 7 to 9 May and 13 to 20 June 2026 |
| Second stage CBT | 10 July 2026 | To be announced |
City and date intimation goes live about ten days before an examination, and the e-call letter can be downloaded about four days before. No call letter is sent by post, and requests to change the centre, date or shift are not entertained.
Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication is carried out at the examination centre. Candidates should keep their Aadhaar unlocked in the UIDAI system and carry the original card or an e-verified printout along with the call letter and a valid original photo identity document.
How Competitive Is the RRB NTPC Exam?
Extremely competitive. Against the 5,810 graduate vacancies under CEN 06/2025, the boards recorded 25,89,978 applications in a notice dated 4 August 2026. That works out to roughly 446 applicants for every post, before the second stage, aptitude test and document verification cut the field further.
The funnel narrows sharply at each stage. Only fifteen times the community-wise vacancies reach the second stage CBT, only eight times the vacancies are called for the aptitude or typing test, and document verification is called at a one-to-one ratio against vacancies.
Selection is strictly on merit. Where two candidates score equally, the older candidate is placed higher, and if ages match as well, alphabetical order of name breaks the tie. The boards only recommend empanelled candidates; the appointment letter itself is issued by the railway administration concerned.
How Should You Prepare for RRB NTPC?
Work backwards from the three sections that both stages share. General Awareness carries the most questions in each paper, so current affairs and static general knowledge deserve daily attention, while accuracy in Mathematics and Reasoning matters more than speed because one-third of a mark is lost per wrong answer.
- Treat General Awareness as the scoring section, since it carries 40 of 100 questions in CBT-1 and 50 of 120 in CBT-2
- Practise Mathematics from the exact list in the notification rather than a wider syllabus, as the topics stop at elementary statistics and basic trigonometry
- Build reasoning speed on series, coding and decoding, syllogism and data sufficiency, which recur across railway papers
- Attempt the free mock or practice tests published on the official RRB website to get used to the computer based interface
- Guess only when you can eliminate at least two options, because the one-third penalty makes blind attempts expensive
- For typist posts, practise typing at 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi without spell check or editing tools
Aim for the qualifying percentage first, then for merit. Clearing 40 percent as an unreserved candidate only makes you eligible; the actual cut-off in a board with heavy competition sits far above that floor.