RRB NTPC Exam Pattern 2026 for CBT1, CBT 2, CBAT Exam

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The Railway Recruitment Board has released the RRB NTPC Notification 2026, announcing 8,868 vacancies under the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC). The recruitment includes both Undergraduate (Levels 2 & 3) and Graduate-level (Levels 5 & 6) posts across various railway zones. To perform well in this competitive exam, candidates should clearly understand the exam pattern, syllabus, and selection process.

RRB NTPC Exam Pattern 2026

The RRB NTPC Exam Pattern 2026 comprises multiple stages to select eligible candidates for various non-technical posts in the Indian Railways. The first stage is CBT 1, which acts as a screening test and assesses candidates in three key sections: General Awareness, Mathematics, and General Intelligence & Reasoning.

Computer-Based Test 1 (CBT 1)
Computer-Based Test 2 (CBT 2)
Typing Skill Test (TST) or Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT)
Document Verification

RRB NTPC City Intimation Slip 2026 Out- Click to Check

RRB NTPC CBT 1 Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates can refer to the RRB NTPC Exam Pattern 2026 for CBT 1, including the subjects covered in the NTPC syllabus, as presented in the table below by the Railway Recruitment Board.

CBT 1 is just qualifying in nature.
The normalised score of CBT 1 shall be used for shortlisting of candidates for CBT 2, which will be around 20 times the vacancies.
All the questions will be objective, i.e. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).
There will be a negative marking of 1/3 Marks for every question wrongly attempted.
No marks will be deducted for a question left unanswered.

RRB NTPC Exam Pattern 2026 for CBT 1
Sl No.	Sections	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
1.	General Awareness	40	40	90 minutes
2.	Mathematics	30	30
3.	General Intelligence and Reasoning	30	30
Total		100	100

RRB NTPC CBT 2 Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates can check the RRB NTPC CBT 2 Exam Pattern in the table below.

This is both a screening and scoring round, i.e. the marks of CBT 2 will be included in the final merit list.
It is the merit-deciding round.
Candidates must secure more marks to meet the required RRB NTPC Cut-Off.
The normalised Marks of CBT 2 will be considered for shortlisting candidates for the Skill Test/ Aptitude Test.
RRB NTPC Phase-II will also have MCQs.
There will be a negative marking of 1/3 Marks for every question attempted wrong.
No marks will be deducted for a question left unanswered.

RRB NTPC Exam Pattern 2026 for CBT 2
Sr. No.	Sections	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
1.	General Awareness	50	50	90 minutes
2.	Mathematics	35	35
3.	General Intelligence and Reasoning	35	35
Total		120	120

RRB NTPC Marking Scheme 2026

Here’s a detailed overview of the RRB NTPC Marking Scheme 2026 based on the official scoring guidelines:

Correct Answers: Candidates earn 1 mark for every correct response.
Negative Marking: For each incorrect answer, one-third of the mark is deducted.
Normalisation Process: Since the exam is conducted in multiple sessions, scores from each session are normalised.
Purpose of Normalisation: This ensures fairness by adjusting for variations in difficulty levels across different question papers.

RRB NTPC Computer Aptitude Test

Candidates applying for the Station Master post must appear for the Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board under the RRB NTPC recruitment process. To qualify, candidates must secure a minimum T-score of 42 in each test battery. This qualifying benchmark is the same for all categories, and no relaxation is provided for candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, PwBD, or Ex-Servicemen categories.

RRB NTPC Exam Stages 2026 (Graduate Level)
Sr. No.	Name of the post	Level in 7th CPC	1st stage CBT	2nd stage CBT	Skill Test Requirement
1	Goods Train Manager	5	Common for all posts	Common For all posts	–
2	Senior Clerk cum Typist	5			Typing Skill Test
3	Junior Account Assistant cum Typist	5			Typing Skill Test
4	Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor	6			–
5	Station Master	6			Computer-Based Aptitude Test

RRB NTPC Exam Stages 2026 (Undergraduate Level)
Sr. No.	Name of the post	Level in 7th CPC	1st stage CBT	2nd stage CBT	Skill Test Requirement
1	Junior Clerk cum Typist	2	Common for all posts	Common For all posts	Typing Skill Test
2	Accounts Clerk cum Typist	2			Typing Skill Test
3	Trains Clerk	2			Typing Skill Test
4	Commercial cum Ticket Clerk	3		Separate for the Level 3 post	–

Also Check – RRB NTPC Official Syllabus 2026

RRB NTPC Typing Skill Test (TST)

Candidates must demonstrate a minimum typing speed of 30 words per minute (WPM) in English or 25 WPM in Hindi on a personal computer during the test conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board. The use of editing tools, spell-check, or any assistive features is strictly not allowed. This typing requirement is an important part of the RRB NTPC Typing Skill Test evaluation.

RRB NTPC 2026 Typing Skill Test (TST)
Medium of Language	Typing Speed
English	30 words per minute (w.p.m.)
Hindi	25 words per minute (w.p.m.)

Note:

Candidates must type on a personal computer without editing tools or spell-checking.
For Hindi typing, Kruti Dev and Mangal fonts are provided.
PwBD candidates with at least 40% disability due to blindness/low vision, cerebral palsy, or locomotor disability may be exempt from the typing test.
They must upload the Typing Skill Test Exemption Certificate from the Competent Medical Board on the RRBs’ website before the test.
Only those who pass the typing test or are exempted will be considered for merit, based on their 2nd Stage CBT performance.

Important Links
RRB NTPC Exam Pattern	RRB NTPC 2026
RRB NTPC Previous Year Papers	RRB NTPC Preparation Tips
RRB NTPC Syllabus	RRB NTPC Apply Online Link

FAQs

How many stages are there in RRB NTPC Exam?

The RRB NTPC selection process includes multiple stages: CBT 1, CBT 2, CBAT/CBTST, document verification, and a medical exam. The selection process varies by post, as outlined below: For Station Master and Traffic Assistant positions, candidates must clear CBT 1, CBT 2, and a Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT).

Is RRB NTPC CBT 1 qualifying?

Yes, there is a minimum qualifying cut off in RRB NTPC exam. The minimum qualifying marks for CBT 1 and 2 for General, EWS categories is 40 per cent, for OBC and SC is 30 per cent and for ST category is 25 per cent. In CBAT, candidates are required to secure a minimum T-score of 42 marks.

Who is eligible for NTPC?

For undergraduate-level posts, candidates must be between 18 and 33 years old. For graduate-level posts, the age limit is between 18 and 36 years. The minimum age requirement for RRB NTPC is 18 years.