The RRB NTPC exam date 2025 covered two distinct recruitment cycles, one for undergraduate-level posts and another for graduate-level posts, each following its own separate schedule under the Railway Recruitment Board’s Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) recruitment drive.
RRB NTPC Exam Date 2025: Undergraduate Level
For undergraduate-level NTPC posts (under CEN 06/2024), the Railway Recruitment Board conducted the CBT 1 exam from 7 August 2025 to 9 September 2025, spanning 19 exam days in multiple daily shifts. The specific exam dates were: 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, and 29 August, followed by 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9 September 2025.
This recruitment cycle aimed to fill 3,445 vacancies for undergraduate-level NTPC posts. Following CBT 1, qualifying candidates proceeded to the CBT 2 exam, which for undergraduate posts was held on 20 December 2025.
RRB NTPC Exam Date: Graduate Level
The graduate-level NTPC exam (under a separate CEN cycle) followed a different, more delayed timeline. While originally expected to begin in mid-2025, the graduate-level CBT 1 exam was ultimately conducted from 16 March to 27 March 2026, after the admit card was released on 13 March 2026 and the city intimation slip on 8 March 2026.
This graduate-level cycle covered 8,113 vacancies, forming the larger portion of the total 11,558 combined NTPC vacancies announced across both graduate and undergraduate levels (3,445 undergraduate + 8,113 graduate).
Understanding Why NTPC Had Two Separate Timelines
RRB traditionally announces and conducts NTPC exams for graduate and undergraduate posts separately, since the two categories target different eligibility pools and post types. Graduate-level NTPC posts typically include roles like Commercial Apprentice, Station Master, and Traffic Assistant, while undergraduate-level posts include Junior Clerk cum Typist, Accounts Clerk cum Typist, Trains Clerk, and Commercial cum Ticket Clerk.
Because of the massive volume of applicants, over 1.2 crore candidates registered for NTPC 2025 across both levels combined, including more than 63.26 lakh specifically for undergraduate-level posts alone, RRB regularly needs to extend or revise exam schedules to accommodate the sheer scale of candidates across hundreds of exam centres.
RRB NTPC Exam Pattern
The RRB NTPC CBT 1 exam pattern consists of:
| Section | Questions | Marks |
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 30 | 30 |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Key exam rules include:
- 1 mark awarded for each correct answer
- 1/3rd negative marking for each incorrect answer
- No deduction for questions left unanswered
- 90-minute duration for the exam, extended to 120 minutes for PwD category candidates
- Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication required at the exam centre before entry
What Came After The 2025 Cycle: NTPC 2026
Following the completion of the 2025 NTPC cycles, RRB opened a fresh NTPC Undergraduate recruitment cycle under CEN 07/2025, covering 3,058 additional vacancies. This new cycle’s CBT 1 exam was revised multiple times before being scheduled across 7, 8, 9 May and 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 June 2026, with over 63.27 lakh candidates registered for this cycle alone, roughly comparable in scale to the previous undergraduate cycle.
Key Lessons For Future NTPC Candidates
Based on the pattern observed across the 2025-2026 NTPC cycles, candidates preparing for future notifications should keep in mind:
- Graduate and undergraduate NTPC exams are always announced and scheduled separately, so candidates should track their specific category’s notification independently
- Exam schedules are frequently revised given the enormous candidate volumes RRB must accommodate across the country
- The city intimation slip typically becomes available about 10 days before the exam, with the admit card following about 4 days before
- Candidates should regularly monitor their specific regional RRB website for the most accurate, up-to-date scheduling information
Why NTPC Remains One Of India’s Most Competitive Exams
The sheer scale of NTPC applications, well over a crore combined across graduate and undergraduate levels, reflects just how sought-after stable railway employment remains among Indian job seekers, particularly given the job security, structured pay scales, and long-term benefits associated with Indian Railways positions. For candidates weighing whether to prepare for a future NTPC cycle, understanding this scale is important context: with vacancy counts typically in the thousands against applicant pools in the tens of millions, sustained, disciplined preparation across all three core subject areas, rather than last-minute cramming, tends to separate successful candidates from the broader applicant pool in an exam this competitive.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the RRB NTPC undergraduate exam conducted in 2025?
From 7 August to 9 September 2025, across 19 exam days.
When was the RRB NTPC graduate-level exam conducted?
The graduate CBT 1 was ultimately held from 16 to 27 March 2026, after being delayed from its original 2025 timeline.
How many total NTPC vacancies were announced?
11,558 combined, with 8,113 for graduate-level posts and 3,445 for undergraduate-level posts.
Is there a new NTPC cycle after 2025?
Yes, CEN 07/2025 for undergraduate posts (3,058 vacancies) had its CBT 1 conducted in May-June 2026.
Disclaimer: Exam date information is based on official RRB notices and public reporting. Candidates should verify current details directly on their respective regional RRB website.