RRB NTPC — Syllabus & Exam Pattern
Free preparation for RRB NTPC — the official exam pattern and topic-wise syllabus are below. Start preparing from home.
See current RRB NTPC vacancies & notificationsExam Pattern
Conducting body: Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), through a Centralised Employment Notice (CEN). NTPC stands for Non-Technical Popular Categories. The posts are advertised at two levels — Graduate level (for example Station Master, Goods Guard / Train Manager, Junior Account Assistant cum Typist, Senior Clerk cum Typist, Commercial Apprentice) and Undergraduate level (for example Junior Clerk cum Typist, Accounts Clerk cum Typist, Trains Clerk, Commercial cum Ticket Clerk).
Stages: First Stage CBT → Second Stage CBT → then, depending on the post, a Typing Skill Test OR a Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) → Document Verification & Medical Examination.
FIRST STAGE CBT (screening; common to all posts): 100 questions, 90 minutes (120 minutes for eligible PwBD candidates using a scribe). Split — Mathematics 30, General Intelligence & Reasoning 30, General Awareness 40. Negative marking: one-third (1/3) mark for each wrong answer. The first-stage score is used only for shortlisting to the second stage.
SECOND STAGE CBT (merit-deciding): 120 questions, 90 minutes. Split — Mathematics 35, General Intelligence & Reasoning 35, General Awareness 50. Negative marking: one-third (1/3). Separate Second Stage papers are held for the Graduate and Undergraduate levels, but the question structure is the same.
POST-SPECIFIC TEST: a Typing Skill Test applies to typist / clerk posts, while a Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) applies to posts such as Station Master and Traffic Assistant.
This is the standard, recently-used RRB NTPC pattern; the exact split, number of stages and normalisation can change between CENs, so always confirm against the specific NTPC notification on rrbapply.gov.in.
Syllabus (topic-wise)
- Mathematics (both CBTs): Number System; Decimals & Fractions; LCM & HCF; Ratio & Proportion; Percentage; Mensuration; Time & Work; Time & Distance; Simple & Compound Interest; Profit & Loss; Elementary Algebra; Geometry & Trigonometry; Elementary Statistics.
- General Intelligence & Reasoning (both CBTs): Analogies; Number & Alphabetical Series; Coding-Decoding; Mathematical Operations; Relationships; Syllogism; Jumbling; Venn Diagrams; Data Interpretation & Sufficiency; Conclusions & Decision Making; Similarities & Differences; Analytical Reasoning; Classification; Directions; Statement-Argument & Assumptions.
- General Awareness (both CBTs): Current Events of national & international importance; Games & Sports; Art & Culture of India; Indian Literature; Monuments & Places of India; General Science & life science (up to Class 10); History of India & the Freedom Struggle; Physical, Social & Economic Geography of India & the world; Indian Polity & Governance (Constitution & political system); General Scientific & Technological Developments; UN & other important world organisations; Environmental issues; Indian Economy; Famous Personalities of India & the world; Flagship government programmes; Flora & Fauna of India; important government & public-sector organisations.
- General Awareness also covers basic Computer & applications awareness and current affairs of roughly the last 6–12 months.
Official source: https://www.rrbapply.gov.in/
⚠️ Always confirm against that year's official notification — the exam pattern and syllabus can change. This page is free guidance only.