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RRB NTPC CBT-1 2026 Underway: Graduate Done, UG Exam Live Now.
One of the year's largest recruitment drives is currently being implemented by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB). The Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) Computer-Based Test Stage 1 (CBT-1) for Graduate posts for CEN 06/2025 was conducted from March 16 to March 27, 2026, in hundreds of centres across the country. The board has now completed the Graduate posts recruitment and is moving to recruit for the Undergraduate posts for CEN 07/2025. According to the official notice published on April 13, 2026, CBT-1 for UG posts will be conducted on May 7, 8, 9, and during the period of June 13 to June 21, 2026. UG candidates’ city intimation slip was published on the regional RRB websites on April 27, 2026. Candidates whose exams are conducted in May and June are required to download their admit cards from the official portal, which is expected to be published 04 days prior to the exam date. Biometric verification with Aadhaar is compulsory, and candidates must carry their original Aadhaar or an electronic copy on the exam day.
Job Openings: What's New at Indian Railways
The RRB NTPC 2026 recruitment cycle has 8,868 vacancies, comprising 5,810 Graduate-level and 3,058 Undergraduate-level vacancies. This is lower than last year's 11,558 vacancies and significantly lower than the 2019 vacancies, which exceeded 35,000. The Graduate-level vacancies consist of posts for Goods Train Managers (Pay Level 5, ₹29200), Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisors (Pay Level 6, ₹35400), Senior Clerk cum Typists (Pay Level 5, ₹29200), and Junior Account Assistant cum Typists. The Undergraduate-level posts are at Pay Levels 2 and 3. The pay scale is based on the 7th Pay Commission. Candidates also receive housing and some health benefits, as well as travel passes to use the railway. The 63 lakh registrations for the UG exam indicate the level of competition for these positions and suggest that the CBT-1 shortlisting will be extremely competitive.
Pattern for CBT-1: Structure, Marks, and Negative Marking
CBT-1 is a preliminary test for the RRB NTPC recruitment. Although the marks do not count toward the final merit list, a candidate must qualify for the test to be admitted to CBT-2. The CBT-1 test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, worth 100 marks, and must be completed within 90 minutes. For PwBD candidates, the time limit is 120 minutes. The test consists of three subjects: General Awareness, comprising 40 questions; Mathematics, comprising 30 questions; and General Intelligence and Reasoning, comprising 30 questions.
For each correct answer, a candidate is awarded 1 mark. A wrong answer results in a deduction of marks, which is one-third of the total marks for that question, and questions that are not attempted do not yield any marks. The test is conducted across multiple shifts, and RRB employs normalisation to accommodate variation in difficulty across shifts. Based on the normalised scores, candidates, equal to 20 times the number of vacancies in each community, are selected for CBT-2. The minimum qualifying percentage is 40 for UR and EWS, 30 for OBC and SC, and 25 for ST candidates, with a 2 percent relaxation for PwBD candidates in case of a vacancy shortage.
Syllabus: What Each Section Covers in CBT-1?
The CBT-1 syllabus is the same for Graduate and Undergraduate students, though the Graduate paper is of a higher standard. General Awareness is the largest section, with 40 of the 100 questions on CBT-1. This section is based on the current events of national and international importance, Indian history, geography, general science, polity, economics, sports, and static GK. Candidates who read a daily newspaper and track current affairs monthly will benefit the most in this section. The Mathematics section includes number systems, decimals and fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions, time and work, time and distance, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, algebra, geometry, and basic statistics.
The General Intelligence and Reasoning section includes analogies, series (number and alphabetical), coding and decoding, mathematical operations, Venn diagrams, data sufficiency, and conclusions based on the statements. The subjects of CBT-1 and CBT-2 are the same, with the latter containing 120 questions and being of a higher standard. The best way to understand the types of questions and the order of importance for the different topics is to solve previous year papers from the 2016 and 2019 RRB NTPC.
Eligibility, Selection Stages and What Comes After CBT-1
For a Graduate-level position, candidates need a bachelor's degree. For Undergraduate-level posts, candidates must have completed 12th grade and be between 18 and 33 years old. Standard relaxations of three years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), five years for SC and ST, and ten years for PwBD are applicable. Indian nationals can apply. After CBT-1, the complete selection journey involves CBT-2, followed by a Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for posts of Station Master and Traffic Assistant, or a Typing Skill Test (TST) for the posts of Senior Clerk cum Typist and Junior Account Assistant cum Typist. This TST is qualifying in nature, and candidates must have a typing speed of 30 wpm in English or 25 wpm in Hindi. For the CBAT, there is no relaxation for any category, and candidates must have a minimum T-score of 42 in each test battery. The last steps are document verification and a medical exam, which comes before the appointment.
FAQ
Q1. When is RRB NTPC CBT-1 2026 for Undergraduate level?
The CBT-1 for the UG-level is scheduled to take place from May 7 to 9 and from June 13 to 21, 2026, as per the announcement dated April 13, 2026.
Q2. Has the Graduate-level CBT-1 been conducted?
Yes. From March 16 to March 27, 2026, the CBT-1 for Graduate-level posts for CEN 06/2025 was successfully conducted.
Q3. How many vacancies are there in RRB NTPC 2026?
5,810 Graduate-level vacancies and 3,058 Undergraduate-level vacancies were announced, totalling 8,868.
Q4. Is the CBT-1 score considered for the final merit list?
No. The CBT-1 is purely a screening examination, and the final merit list is prepared based on the CBT-2 score and, if applicable, the CBAT or TST score.
Q5. What is the negative marking in RRB NTPC CBT-1?
For each incorrectly answered question, 0.33 marks are deducted. There is no penalty for questions left unattempted.
Q6. Is Aadhaar compulsory for RRB NTPC exam?
Yes, Aadhaar biometric verification is necessary at the examination centre. Candidates should bring their original or e-Aadhaar and ensure it is unlocked before exam day.
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