RRB NTPC Syllabus 2026: Subject-wise Topics for CBT 1 and CBT 2
The RRB NTPC syllabus covers three subjects: Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, and General Awareness. The same three subjects appear in both CBT 1 and CBT 2, and at both the Graduate and Undergraduate levels. What changes is the number of questions and the difficulty.
With 5,165 vacancies announced for RRB NTPC 2026 under CEN 06/2026 (Graduate) and CEN 07/2026 (Undergraduate), now is the right time to turn the syllabus into a study plan. This guide lists every official topic, explains what each one covers in practice, shows how the Graduate and Undergraduate papers differ, and highlights the topics most aspirants overlook.
Note: The syllabus below follows the one published in recent RRB NTPC notifications. The detailed CENs for 2026 are still awaited. If they change any topic or the exam pattern, verify the final version on rrbapply.gov.in or your regional RRB website.
RRB NTPC Syllabus 2026 at a Glance
Stage | Subjects | Questions | Duration | Role in Selection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CBT 1 | General Awareness (40), Mathematics (30), General Intelligence and Reasoning (30) | 100 | 90 minutes | Screening only; marks not counted in final merit |
CBT 2 | General Awareness (50), Mathematics (35), General Intelligence and Reasoning (35) | 120 | 90 minutes | Main merit-deciding stage |
Typing Skill Test | Typing speed on a computer | Not applicable | As notified | Qualifying; only for typist posts |
Every question carries one mark, and one-third of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer in both CBTs. PwBD candidates who use a scribe get 120 minutes. For a full breakdown of stages and qualifying marks, see our RRB NTPC exam pattern guide.
Is the Syllabus Different for Graduate and Undergraduate Posts?
The topics are the same. The difference lies in the standard of questions. Recent NTPC notifications state that questions for Graduate posts are set at graduation level, while questions for Undergraduate posts are set at the Class 12 level.
Aspect | Graduate Level (CEN 06/2026) | Undergraduate Level (CEN 07/2026) |
|---|---|---|
Subjects | Same three subjects | Same three subjects |
Question standard | Graduation level | Class 12 (10+2) level |
Mathematics | More multi-step and time-consuming questions | More direct, formula-based questions |
Reasoning | Longer puzzles and statement-based questions | Shorter, pattern-based questions |
General Awareness | Same topic list; can go deeper into polity, economy and current events | Same topic list; more direct factual questions |
Typing test posts | Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist, Senior Clerk cum Typist | Junior Clerk cum Typist, Accounts Clerk cum Typist |
This means one preparation plan works for both levels. If you plan to apply to both, prepare to the Graduate standard, and the Undergraduate paper will feel more manageable.
CBT 1 vs CBT 2: What Changes?
Point | CBT 1 | CBT 2 |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Filters candidates for CBT 2 | Decides merit for post allotment |
Total questions | 100 | 120 |
Time per question (approx.) | 54 seconds | 45 seconds |
Difficulty | Moderate | Higher than CBT 1 |
Who sits for it | All eligible applicants at a level | Candidates shortlisted from CBT 1, conducted separately for each pay level |
The time-per-question figure is the key insight here. CBT 2 gives you less time for each question, even though the questions are tougher. Speed-building practice matters far more at the second stage.
RRB NTPC Mathematics Syllabus
The Mathematics section tests arithmetic and basic school-level maths. Most questions can be solved faster with shortcuts, but only after the underlying concept is clear.
Official Topic | What It Covers in Practice | Priority |
|---|---|---|
Number System | Divisibility, remainders, unit digits, types of numbers | High |
Decimals and Fractions | Simplification, comparison, conversion | Medium |
LCM and HCF | Word problems on bells, tiles and groups | Medium |
Ratio and Proportion | Ratios, partnership, mixtures, ages | High |
Percentage | Increase and decrease, population, expenditure | High |
Mensuration | Area and perimeter of 2D shapes; volume and surface area of cubes, cylinders, cones and spheres | High |
Time and Work | Work efficiency, pipes and cisterns | High |
Time and Distance | Trains, boats and streams, relative speed | High |
Simple and Compound Interest | Difference between SI and CI, installments | Medium |
Profit and Loss | Cost price, marked price, discount | High |
Elementary Algebra | Linear equations, identities, simplification | Medium |
Geometry and Trigonometry | Triangles, circles, angles; trigonometric ratios, heights and distances | Medium |
Elementary Statistics | Mean, median, mode, basic data interpretation | Medium |
Priority reflects how often topics appear in previous papers. The exact number of questions varies from shift to shift.
Preparation tip: Start with Percentage and Ratio, because Profit and Loss, Interest and Data Interpretation all build on them. Learn squares up to 30 and cubes up to 20 to save time on calculation-heavy questions.
RRB NTPC General Intelligence and Reasoning Syllabus
This section checks logical thinking and pattern recognition. It is usually the most scoring section for well-practised candidates, because questions follow recognisable formats.
Official Topic | What It Covers in Practice | Priority |
|---|---|---|
Analogies | Word, number and letter pairs | High |
Completion of Number and Alphabetical Series | Missing terms, wrong terms | High |
Coding and Decoding | Letter shifting, number coding, symbol coding | High |
Mathematical Operations | Symbol substitution, BODMAS-based equations | High |
Similarities and Differences | Odd one out (classification) | Medium |
Relationships | Blood relations, family trees | Medium |
Analytical Reasoning | Direction sense, ranking and order | Medium |
Syllogism | All/some/no statements with conclusions | High |
Jumbling | Arranging words in meaningful or dictionary order | Low |
Venn Diagrams | Relationship between groups; counting from diagrams | Medium |
Puzzle | Seating arrangements, scheduling, comparisons | Medium |
Data Sufficiency | Deciding which statements are enough to answer | Medium |
Statement and Conclusion | Drawing valid conclusions | Medium |
Statement and Courses of Action | Choosing logical actions for a situation | Low |
Decision Making | Applying given conditions to cases | Low |
Maps | Reading directions and positions on a simple map | Low |
Interpretation of Graphs | Reading bar charts, line graphs and pie charts | Medium |
Preparation tip: Solve at least 20 mixed reasoning questions every day. Most mistakes in this section come from misreading the question, not from weak logic, so train yourself to read the last line first.
RRB NTPC General Awareness Syllabus
General Awareness carries the most questions in both CBTs, so it has the biggest effect on your score. The official list contains 20 topics. Grouping them into five study blocks makes revision easier.
Study Block | Official Topics Included | How to Prepare |
|---|---|---|
Current Affairs | Current events of national and international importance, games and sports, famous personalities of India and the world, flagship government programmes | Follow the last 8 to 12 months of news; make monthly short notes |
History and Culture | History of India and the freedom struggle, art and culture of India, Indian literature, monuments and places of India | NCERT History books for Classes 6 to 10 as a base |
Geography and Environment | Physical, social and economic geography of India and the world, environmental issues concerning India and the world, flora and fauna of India, transport systems in India | NCERT Geography, an atlas, and a list of national parks and sanctuaries |
Polity and Economy | Indian polity and governance (Constitution and political system), Indian economy, UN and other important world organisations, important government and public sector organisations of India | Constitution basics: Articles, Schedules, Amendments, constitutional bodies; basic economic terms |
Science and Technology | General science and life science up to Class 10 (CBSE), scientific and technological developments including India's space and nuclear programmes, basics of computers and computer applications, common abbreviations | Class 9 and 10 NCERT Science; ISRO missions; computer fundamentals |
Preparation tip: General Science is a reliable scoring area because its scope is fixed at the Class 10 level. Unlike current affairs, you can finish it once and revise it many times.
Official Topics Most Aspirants Overlook
Many candidates prepare only history, geography, polity and current affairs, and lose easy marks elsewhere. These topics are part of the official syllabus but often get skipped:
Common Abbreviations: Expansions such as ISRO, RBI, NITI, GDP, UPI and those related to railways and computers.
Transport Systems in India: Railway zones and headquarters, major ports, airports, national highways and important transport projects.
Basics of Computers: Input and output devices, memory units, operating systems, keyboard shortcuts, internet terms.
Important Government and Public Sector Organisations: Headquarters, heads and functions of major bodies and PSUs.
Interpretation of Graphs and Maps (Reasoning): Short questions that are quick to solve once you have practised the format.
Elementary Statistics (Mathematics): Mean, median and mode questions that take less than a minute each.
Covering these topics takes relatively little time, and they often decide the difference between clearing and missing the cut-off.
Typing Skill Test Syllabus
The Typing Skill Test has no written syllabus. It checks whether you can type at the required speed on a computer. In previous NTPC cycles, candidates needed 30 words per minute in English or 25 words per minute in Hindi, without editing tools or spell check. The test is qualifying only.
It applies to four posts in 2026: Junior Clerk cum Typist and Accounts Clerk cum Typist (Undergraduate), and Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist and Senior Clerk cum Typist (Graduate).
What about CBAT? In earlier cycles, the Computer-Based Aptitude Test applied only to Station Master and Traffic Assistant posts. Neither post appears in the 2026 short notices, so CBAT is not expected this cycle unless the detailed CEN adds these posts.
How to Plan Your Preparation Around the Syllabus
A syllabus is useful only when it becomes a daily plan. This three-step approach works well for most aspirants.
Step 1: Map the Syllabus to Your Strengths
Go through each topic in the tables above and mark it as strong, average or weak. Solve one previous-year paper to confirm your assessment. This tells you where your time should go.
Step 2: Study in a Fixed Daily Mix
Mathematics: 60 to 90 minutes, one topic at a time with practice questions.
Reasoning: 45 to 60 minutes, mixing two or three question types.
General Awareness: 60 minutes, split between current affairs and one static block.
Adjust these hours based on your weak areas, but try not to skip any subject for more than two days.
Step 3: Test, Review and Revise
Topic-wise tests: Attempt a short test after finishing each topic.
Error log: Record every wrong answer and the reason behind it.
Full-length mocks: Start once you have covered most of the syllabus, and move to CBT 2-level mocks after you consistently clear CBT 1-level scores.
Practise the RRB NTPC Syllabus With Mock Tests
Reading the syllabus tells you what to study. Mock tests tell you how well you have studied it. Topic-wise tests help you close gaps in individual chapters, while full-length tests build the speed and section balance needed for a 90-minute paper.
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