RRB NTPC Graduate Syllabus 2026: CBT 1, CBT 2 Exam Pattern

There are two computer-based tests, both with one-third negative marking. There is no typing test and no CBAT for any of the 3,548 posts under CEN 06/2026. Posts, RRB-wise seats and the fee are on the recruitment page.

Two CBTs side by side

Each question carries 1 mark. The CEN says the section split is indicative and can vary slightly. Marks are normalised when a CBT runs in more than one shift.

The CBT 2 shortlist is 15 times the community-wise vacancies of your RRB. Document verification is 1:1 against vacancies. With a small RRB such as Ahmedabad (19 posts), that means roughly 285 candidates reach CBT 2 and 19 reach verification.

Minimum marks by category in CBT 1 and CBT 2

These are eligibility floors, not cut-offs. Ex-Servicemen and PwBD candidates use the percentage of their community. PwBD floors can drop by 2 marks if reserved PwBD seats would stay unfilled.

What each section covers

Mathematics. Number system, decimals, fractions, LCM, 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 alphabet series, coding and decoding, mathematical operations, similarities and differences, relationships, analytical reasoning, syllogism, jumbling, Venn diagrams, puzzles, data sufficiency, statement and conclusion, statement and courses of action, decision making, maps, 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 CBSE, history of India and the freedom struggle, physical, social and economic geography of India and the world, Indian polity and governance, scientific and technological developments including India's space and nuclear programmes, the UN and other world organisations, environmental issues, basics of computers and computer applications, common abbreviations, transport systems in India, the Indian economy, famous personalities, flagship government programmes, flora and fauna of India, and important government and public sector organisations.

Where the time goes

At 90 minutes, CBT 1 gives you 54 seconds a question. CBT 2 gives 45 seconds. That gap matters more than any topic.

• General Awareness is 40 to 42 percent of each paper. It is also the quickest section: you either know an item or you do not. Finish it in about 25 minutes in CBT 1 and bank the rest for maths.
• Railway-specific GA turns up because the list names "transport systems in India" and "important government and public sector organisations". Know the zonal railways listed in the CEN (the list includes South Coast Railway, SCoR) and their headquarters, the production units named in the CEN (ICF, RCF, RWF, BLW, CLW, PLW, RDSO), and the flagship programmes in the news.
• Mathematics is pitched at the level of the qualification, but no calculator is allowed. Practise percentage, ratio and time-speed-distance by hand until each takes under a minute.
• Negative marking of one-third means three wrong answers cancel one correct answer. A blind guess among four options has an expected value of zero. Guess only when you can rule out at least one option.

No typing test this time

Para 13.0(c) of CEN 06/2026 says the typing skill test for Senior Clerk and Junior Accounts Assistant has been dispensed with. You are still expected to type adequately. Proficiency will be assessed after joining, and poor performance can delay confirmation or promotion.

With no Station Master or Traffic Assistant post in this CEN, there is no CBAT either. Your final rank comes from CBT 2 alone, subject to document verification and the medical standard of the post.

A timed set with the one-third penalty is on the practice page.