RRB NTPC Graduate 2025-2026: CBT one schedule out; exam from Mar 16

The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has announced the examination dates for the Graduate Computer-Based Test (CBT 1) under the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) recruitment drive. The exam will be conducted between March 16 and March 27, 2025. Candidates who clear CBT 1 will qualify for the subsequent NTPC Graduate CBT 2 examination. To facilitate applicants, the RRB will issue city intimation slips and travel passes for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates on March 6, 2025, ten days ahead of the exam. Meanwhile, the admit cards will be released on March 12, 2025, four days before the commencement of the test. Candidates can download their admit cards directly from the respective regional RRB websites. The Board has announced that Aadhaar-linked biometric verification will be a key requirement for candidates appearing in the NTPC Graduate Level Computer-Based Test (CBT 1) in 2026. According to the official notification, candidates must carry either their original Aadhaar card or an e-verified Aadhaar to the examination centre. Those who have not yet completed Aadhaar verification are instructed to log in to rrbapply.gov.in using their credentials to ensure smooth entry on exam day. The RRB further emphasised that all candidates, including those who verified Aadhaar during the application process, must keep their Aadhaar details active in the UIDAI system before the exam. This measure is aimed at ensuring seamless registration and verification procedures at the test centres. The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has detailed the exam pattern for the NTPC Graduate-level Computer-Based Test (CBT 1) for 2025–26. The test will comprise 100 questions divided into four sections: General Awareness (40 questions), Mathematics (30 questions), and General Intelligence & Reasoning (30 questions). Candidates will be allotted 90 minutes to complete the exam, while Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) using a scribe will receive 120 minutes. In terms of evaluation, each correct answer will carry one mark, but the marking scheme also includes negative marking, with one-third of a mark deducted for every incorrect response. No marks will be deducted for questions left unanswered. This structure is designed to assess candidates’ knowledge, analytical skills, and reasoning ability, while discouraging guesswork through the penalty system.