Exam Pattern
RRB NTPC Exam Pattern
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CBT 1 decides nothing except whether you sit CBT 2. Its marks are qualifying only and are not carried into the final merit list, which CBT 2 settles on its own, so the 100-question paper that absorbs most of the preparation is a gate rather than a score. Both stages keep the same three sections and the same third-of-a-mark deduction, and CBT 2 adds 20 questions inside the same 90 minutes. Separate CBT 2 papers run for each pay level from Level 2 to Level 6, graded in difficulty rather than in structure.
The RRB NTPC exam pattern below is checked stage by stage, so one stage cannot inherit another stage's scoring rules.
CBT 1
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 100 |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.333 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 30 | 30 |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 |
Timing: Single 90-minute timer for all three sections combined (no sectional lock).
CBT 1 is qualifying only: its marks are not carried into the final merit list, which is decided by CBT 2. Pattern applies to both the Graduate (CEN 06/2025) and Undergraduate (CEN 07/2025) NTPC cycles.
Official source · checked 10 August 2026The RRB NTPC CBT 1 exam pattern is 100 questions carrying 100 marks, to be answered in 90 minutes. That works out to about 54 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning and General Awareness. General Awareness carries the most, 40 marks of the 100 or about 40%, against 30 marks for General Intelligence and Reasoning. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
RRB NTPC CBT 1 marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 1 mark.
- A wrong answer deducts 0.333 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 25% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. That is exactly what a blind guess between four options returns, so guessing at random neither gains nor loses marks over a long paper. The moment you can rule out even one option, it starts paying.
- Worked example: attempt 80 of the 100 questions and get 60 right and 20 wrong, and you score 53.34 out of 100.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 54 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free RRB NTPC mock test to see where your time actually goes.
CBT 2
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 120 |
| Total marks | 120 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.333 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 35 | 35 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 35 | 35 |
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 |
Timing: Single 90-minute timer for all three sections combined (no sectional lock).
Consistently confirmed across multiple independent current sources: CBT 2 is 120 questions for 120 marks in 90 minutes, with the same Mathematics (35), General Intelligence and Reasoning (35), and General Awareness (50) structure across every 7th CPC pay level (Level 2 through Level 6) and both the Graduate and Undergraduate NTPC cycles: separate CBT 2 exams are conducted per level with graded difficulty, not a different question/marks structure; the section-wise split is indicative rather than a fixed per-topic guarantee. Unlike CBT 1, CBT 2 marks are carried into the final merit list.
Official source · checked 26 August 2026The RRB NTPC CBT 2 exam pattern is 120 questions carrying 120 marks, to be answered in 90 minutes. That works out to about 45 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning and General Awareness. General Awareness carries the most, 50 marks of the 120 or about 42%, against 35 marks for General Intelligence and Reasoning. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
RRB NTPC CBT 2 marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 1 mark.
- A wrong answer deducts 0.333 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 25% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. That is exactly what a blind guess between four options returns, so guessing at random neither gains nor loses marks over a long paper. The moment you can rule out even one option, it starts paying.
- Worked example: attempt 96 of the 120 questions and get 72 right and 24 wrong, and you score 64.01 out of 120.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 45 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free RRB NTPC mock test to see where your time actually goes.
RRB NTPC exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in RRB NTPC?
RRB NTPC CBT 1 deducts 0.333 marks for a wrong answer; RRB NTPC CBT 2 deducts 0.333 marks for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in RRB NTPC?
RRB NTPC CBT 1 has 100 questions, RRB NTPC CBT 2 has 120 questions. That leaves about 54 seconds per question in RRB NTPC CBT 1 and 45 seconds per question in RRB NTPC CBT 2.
What are the total marks in RRB NTPC?
RRB NTPC CBT 1 is out of 100 marks, which works out at 1 mark a question, RRB NTPC CBT 2 is out of 120 marks, which works out at 1 mark a question.
How long is the RRB NTPC exam?
RRB NTPC CBT 1 runs for 90 minutes, RRB NTPC CBT 2 runs for 90 minutes.
Does RRB NTPC have a sectional time limit?
No. RRB NTPC runs every section on one composite timer, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.
How many stages does RRB NTPC have?
This site covers 2 objective stages: CBT 1, CBT 2. Each stage is checked against the official notification separately, because scoring rules routinely differ between stages of the same exam.