RRB NTPC Graduate 2026: 3,548 Vacancies, New Rules & Exam Date
Dear aspirant, welcome to your RRB NTPC study notebook! We have pinned the key dates, the 2026 rule changes, post-wise salaries, all 21 RRB vacancies, eligibility, CBT-1/CBT-2 patterns, syllabus and quick practice tools on these pages.
RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-1 is tentatively planned to begin in the fourth week of December 2026. Exact exam dates, city slips and admit card availability have not been confirmed in this indicative announcement. Check the unified RRB website for the final schedule. RRB updates ↗
📅 Important dates & application countdown
Official CEN dates are fixed as shown below unless amended by a later RRB notice. The CBT-1 window is tentative, not a final exam timetable.
Forms open06 Nov
Forms closeDec
CBT-1*
*Fourth week of December is an indicative start window; verify the final notice before travel or exam planning.
Three dates to save
06 Nov 2026, 23:59: Submit application.
08 Nov 2026: Last day to pay the fee for a submitted application.
09–18 Nov 2026: Paid correction window; chosen RRB and account creation details cannot be changed.
Open application portal ↗| Event | Date / window | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative notification in Employment News | 26 September 2026 | Recruitment announced |
| Detailed CEN 06/2026 published | 7 October 2026 | Full rules and annexures available |
| Application starts | 8 October 2026 | Online form opens |
| Application closing date | 6 November 2026, 23:59 | Do not wait until the final day |
| Last fee payment date | 8 November 2026 | For already-submitted applications |
| Modification window | 9–18 November 2026 | ₹250 per permitted correction; exclusions apply |
| Graduate CBT-1 | Fourth week of December 2026 (tentative start) | Exact dates still awaited |
| CBT-2 / DV / Medical | To be announced | Follow your chosen RRB |
🚨 What changed in RRB NTPC Graduate 2026?
These are the exam-relevant changes from the previous graduate cycle. The pre-selection typing test is removed for the two typist posts, but typing proficiency remains important after joining.
⌨️ CBTST removed
There is no Computer Based Typing Skill Test at the recruitment stage for Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist or Senior Clerk cum Typist under this CEN. Typing and computer proficiency may be assessed after joining.
🧠 No CBAT in these four posts
Station Master and Traffic Assistant are not notified under CEN 06/2026; none of the four notified posts requires CBAT. Do not assume when these excluded posts will next be recruited.
📉 3,548 versus 5,810
Graduate vacancies decreased by 2,262 compared with CEN 06/2025. There are four notified post types this year instead of six.
🎯 CBT-2 determines merit
CBT-1 is for screening; CBT-2 normalized scores are used to shortlist for document verification. A DV shortlist of about 1:1 against vacancies is prescribed.
📸 Live photograph in application
The form uses live photo capture. Keep your signature and documents ready in the official format; don’t rely on an old passport photo upload workflow.
🌐 Unified RRB website
Read notices through rrb.indianrailways.gov.in. Complete online registration only through the linked official application portal.
SSC Focus Quick Explainer
Choose a topic to see the practical takeaway for students.
📊 3,548 vacancies: post-wise breakdown
The largest share is Goods Train Manager: 2,750 seats, or 77.5% of the vacancies. Amounts below are initial basic pay, not in-hand salary.
Select a post to understand its job and medical standard
Category-wise overall vacancies
EWS: 305 vacancies. Ex-servicemen / PwBD reservations are horizontal allocations included within the notified total, not additional seats.
🗺️ All 21 RRBs: interactive vacancy explorer
Search your RRB and compare the actual vacancies for your preferred post. Higher vacancies do not automatically mean lower cut-offs or a “safe zone”; applications, category reservations and preferences also matter.
Showing all 21 RRBs sorted by total notified seats.
Counts are based on the CEN 06/2026 Annexure B provisional RRB-wise distribution. For category, railway zone and production unit details, consult the full notification. Once selected, the RRB cannot be changed.
📝 CBT-1 and CBT-2: complete pattern
Both stages are objective, online tests with 1 mark per correct answer and ⅓ mark deducted per wrong answer. Section-wise counts are indicative and may vary slightly in the actual paper.
40 GA + 30 Maths + 30 Reasoning = 100 questions
CBT-1 normalised marks are used to shortlist candidates for CBT-2 (normally up to 15× community-wise vacancies, subject to RRB discretion). CBT-1 marks do not determine final merit.
🎓 Qualification, age limits and fee
You must hold a recognised bachelor’s degree or equivalent by 6 November 2026. Candidates waiting for results are not eligible. Special relaxations and medical standards are governed by the complete CEN.
Check your date of birth
This quick check covers only the standard UR/EWS, OBC-NCL and SC/ST upper-age rules. It does not decide eligibility for PwBD, Ex-SM, railway employees or other special relaxations.
Fees & CBT-1 refund
| Eligible category | Fee | Refund* |
|---|---|---|
| Others, including UR / OBC / EWS (unless otherwise exempt) | ₹500 | ₹400 |
| SC, ST, Ex-SM, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and EBC applicants | ₹250 | ₹250 |
*Refund is payable after attending CBT-1, with applicable bank charges deducted. EBC and EWS are different categories; the concession requires the relevant valid documents.
📚 Official syllabus: topic-wise study map
The same three subjects are covered in CBT-1 and CBT-2, with different question distributions.
Mathematics
- Number system, decimals, fractions
- LCM, HCF, ratio and proportion
- Percentage, profit and loss
- Simple and compound interest
- Time and work, time and distance
- Mensuration, geometry, trigonometry
- Elementary algebra and statistics
Reasoning
- Analogies; number and alphabet series
- Coding-decoding; relationships
- Mathematical operations
- Syllogism, Venn diagrams
- Puzzles, jumbling and maps
- Data sufficiency; decision making
- Statement-conclusion and courses of action
- Graph interpretation
General Awareness
- Current events, sports, culture, literature
- Indian history and freedom movement
- Indian and world geography
- Polity and Constitution; economy
- General science / life science (Class 10)
- Computers and technology; space
- Government schemes and organisations
- Environment, transport and personalities
🚀 30-day preparation plan
An SSC Focus recommendation, not an RRB-prescribed schedule. Adjust daily hours and topic priority based on mock-test analysis.
Build accuracy
Arithmetic fundamentals, series/coding, static GK and a baseline CBT-1 mock. Record weak topics.
Complete high-yield topics
Time-work, profit-loss, geometry basics, puzzles, polity, history and general science. Daily sectional sets.
Raise speed
Alternate timed CBT-1 and CBT-2 sets. Analyse wrong answers, guessed attempts and slow question types.
Exam rehearsal
Full-length 90-minute mocks, focused revision, current affairs notes and a final formula/GA workbook.
🧮 CBT score & accuracy calculator
Estimate raw marks with the official 1-mark / ⅓-negative-marking rule. Actual selection may use normalised scores; this tool does not predict cut-offs or selection.
Formula: correct − (wrong ÷ 3). This is a raw score, not a normalised score.
🎯 SSC Focus practice quiz
Five original practice questions inspired by the syllabus, not previous-year questions. Get instant feedback and explanations after submitting.
✅ Application checklist
Tick each step while completing the form. Your progress is stored only in this browser; it is not sent to SSC Focus or the RRB.
Before final submission
0 of 7 preparation steps checked
How to apply
- Visit the official RRB application portal.
- Register or sign in using your existing RRB account where applicable.
- Select CEN 06/2026 and only one RRB.
- Enter personal, education, category and preference details.
- Capture a live photograph and upload the prescribed signature/certificates.
- Review carefully, submit, pay and save the confirmation.
For government / PSU employees, employer intimation and NOC conditions may apply at document verification under Para 12.0 of the CEN.
❓ RRB NTPC Graduate 2026 FAQs
Has the typing test really been removed in 2026?
Yes. CEN 06/2026 Para 13.0(c) dispenses with CBTST for Senior Clerk cum Typist and Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist at the recruitment stage. Candidates still need adequate computer/typing proficiency; it will be assessed after joining.
Is the CBT-1 exam date in December final?
No. The reported 12 October indicative notice plans a start in the fourth week of December 2026. Exact examination dates and shifts require a separate RRB announcement.
Is Station Master included among the 3,548 posts?
No. The detailed CEN lists only four posts: Goods Train Manager, CCTS, JAA cum Typist and Senior Clerk cum Typist. There is no Station Master vacancy under CEN 06/2026.
Which RRB zone is safest?
There is no verified “safe RRB”. Vacancy totals alone are insufficient to predict cut-offs. Compare post- and category-wise seats, location preferences, competition and medical eligibility before choosing. The selected RRB is final.
Are CBT-1 marks used in final selection?
CBT-1 is used for screening into CBT-2. For document verification, normalised CBT-2 marks and the notification’s merit/eligibility rules matter. RRB reserves the right to conduct additional CBTs if necessary.
Can 12th-pass students apply to this graduate CEN?
No, this CEN requires a recognised university degree. Separate undergraduate/12th-level recruitment is covered by CEN 07/2026, with its own rules, dates and vacancies.
What happens if I score 40%?
40% is the minimum qualifying percentage for UR/EWS, not a guaranteed selection score. Other categories have notified thresholds. The actual shortlisting cut-off depends on normalized scores, posts, category and competition.
🔗 Official links & source notes
SSC Focus is an independent educational guide, not an RRB website. Recruitment rules can change through corrigenda, so official RRB announcements always prevail.
Vacancy, age, fee, recruitment and syllabus details in this page are checked against the detailed 54-page CEN 06/2026 document. The separate 12 October 2026 CBT-1 tentative schedule is reported by contemporaneous exam-news coverage; always confirm against a notice on the official unified RRB site. RRB-wise availability is provisional.
Content reviewed: 15 October 2026 • Guide: RRB NTPC Graduate CEN 06/2026
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