RRB NTPC (Undergraduate) Exam Pattern 2026
The full RRB NTPC (Undergraduate) exam pattern for 2026 — 4 stages, with the sections, question count, marks, duration and negative marking for each, as set by Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs). Then take a free RRB NTPC (Undergraduate) mock in the real pattern below.
CBT 1 (Computer Based Test — Stage 1)
- Mode
- Online CBT
- Sections
- General Awareness · Mathematics · General Intelligence & Reasoning
- Questions
- 100 (GA: 40 · Math: 30 · Reasoning: 30)
- Marks
- 100 (+1 per correct)
- Duration
- 90 minutes (120 min for PwD)
- Negative marking
- -1/3 mark per wrong answer
Qualifying in nature. Marks used only to shortlist candidates for CBT 2 (normalised across shifts). Section-wise minimum: UR 40%, OBC/SC 30%, ST 25%. How the stage works in practice: the 100 questions are served in one 90-minute block with no sectional timing, so you may move freely between General Awareness, Mathematics and Reasoning and should answer in the order that suits you — most candidates clear Reasoning first for quick marks, then Mathematics, and keep General Awareness for the end because it needs no working. Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer loses one-third, so the break-even accuracy is 25%. The RRB normalises raw scores across shifts using its published formula, and the shortlist for CBT 2 is drawn RRB-wise and community-wise as a multiple of the notified vacancies, so the working target is well above the bare qualifying minimum — treat the previous cycle's CBT 1 cut-off for your RRB and category as the floor. On screen you get a question palette and a mark-for-review flag; no calculator is provided, and the paper language is fixed by the choice you make at application time.
CBT 2 (Computer Based Test — Stage 2, merit-deciding)
- Mode
- Online CBT
- Sections
- General Awareness · Mathematics · General Intelligence & Reasoning
- Questions
- 120 (GA: 50 · Math: 35 · Reasoning: 35)
- Marks
- 120 (+1 per correct)
- Duration
- 90 minutes (120 min for PwD)
- Negative marking
- -1/3 mark per wrong answer
Merit-deciding stage. Normalised score from CBT 2 forms the basis for final selection (subject to skill test / DV / medical). What changes from CBT 1: 20 more questions in the same 90 minutes, so the pace tightens to 45 seconds a question; General Awareness grows to 50 questions and stays the largest section; and the difficulty steps up — longer arithmetic word problems, multi-step reasoning puzzles and more current-affairs depth. Marking is the same (+1, -1/3) and there is no sectional timing. Because CBT 1 marks are discarded, two candidates who scored differently in CBT 1 start level here; the final merit for each post is the normalised CBT 2 score, with the typing test applied as a qualifying filter for the posts that need it. Candidates who choose a post with a typing test must clear it to remain in the merit list for that post, but stay eligible for the non-typing posts in their preference order.
Typing Skill Test (post-specific, qualifying)
- Mode
- Computer-based typing test
- Sections
- Typing in English or Hindi (candidate's choice) on computer keyboard
- Questions
- —
- Marks
- Qualifying only
- Duration
- As per RRB notification
- Negative marking
- —
Required only for Junior Clerk-cum-Typist, Accounts Clerk-cum-Typist and Junior Time Keeper posts. Minimum 30 wpm English or 25 wpm Hindi. Not required for Trains Clerk or Commercial-cum-Ticket Clerk. The test is taken on a computer without editing tools or spell-check; the passage is typed as displayed, and speed is computed on the net words after deducting errors, so accuracy counts as much as raw speed. English typists use a standard QWERTY layout; Hindi typists must choose between the Kruti Dev (Remington) and Mangal (Inscript) layouts as the notification allows, and should practise on the exact layout they will select. Candidates with a valid scribe or PwBD exemption follow the relaxation stated in the notification. A simple preparation rule: reach the required speed with at least 95% accuracy on ten-minute passages before the CBT 2 result, since the typing test is scheduled soon after it.
Document Verification + Medical Examination
- Mode
- Offline (at designated RRB / Railway Hospital)
- Sections
- Verification of certificates, caste/PwD documents, photo ID · Medical fitness as per post category (A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, C-1, C-2)
- Questions
- —
- Marks
- —
- Duration
- —
- Negative marking
- —
Final appointment is subject to clearing DV and the medical standard prescribed for the specific post.
You know the pattern — now practise in it.
Practice RRB NTPC (Undergraduate) free →