RRB NTPC graduate 2026: 3,548 posts, apply by 6 November; age, fee and exam stages

The railways have opened applications for 3,548 graduate-level posts under Centralised Employment Notification (CEN) 06/2026. Applications are open from 8 October to 6 November 2026, up to 11:59 PM, through the portal at rrbapply.gov.in. The fee can be paid up to 8 November.

The notification comes from the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), and the posts fall under the Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate), better known as NTPC. This guide goes through the posts, age, fee, the exam stages and the dates, as the notification states them.

The four posts

Goods Train Manager has by far the most vacancies, 2,750, at Level 5 with initial pay of Rs 29,200. Senior Clerk cum Typist has 371 posts and Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist 300, both also at Level 5 and Rs 29,200. Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor has 127 posts, at Level 6 with initial pay of Rs 35,400.

The minimum qualification for all four is a degree from a recognised university or its equivalent. A candidate must have the qualification on or before the closing date, and anyone waiting for the final result is not eligible to apply.

Age and relaxations

The age limit is 18 to 33 years on 1 January 2027. So an unreserved or EWS candidate should be born on or after 2 January 1994, an OBC (non-creamy layer) candidate on or after 2 January 1991, and an SC or ST candidate on or after 2 January 1989.

Persons with benchmark disabilities get relaxation of 10 years (unreserved and EWS), 13 years (OBC non-creamy layer) and 15 years (SC and ST). Ex-servicemen are allowed relaxation after deducting their length of service. Candidates cannot add up two relaxations; they get the highest one.

The date of birth entered must match the matriculation or Class 10 certificate. A later request to change it will not be considered, and any difference leads to disqualification.

Fee and refund

The fee is Rs 500 for most candidates. SC, ST, ex-servicemen, disabled candidates, women, transgender candidates, minorities and economically backward class candidates pay Rs 250. A refund is given only to those who appear in the first-stage computer-based test: Rs 400 of the Rs 500, and the Rs 250 after bank charges.

The notification warns that the EBC category should not be confused with OBC or EWS. Candidates in the correction window, 9 to 18 November, must pay a modification fee of Rs 250, and details given while creating the account and the chosen RRB cannot be modified.

How selection works

There are two computer-based tests (CBTs), followed by document verification and a medical examination. The first-stage CBT is a screening test of 100 questions in 90 minutes, 40 on General Awareness, 30 on Mathematics and 30 on General Intelligence and Reasoning. A wrong answer costs one-third of a mark.

The second-stage CBT has 120 questions in 90 minutes, 50 on General Awareness, 35 on Mathematics and 35 on Reasoning, with the same negative marking. The RRBs will call 15 times the community-wise vacancies to the second stage, based on normalised first-stage scores.

The minimum qualifying marks are 40 per cent for unreserved and EWS, 30 per cent for OBC non-creamy layer and SC, and 25 per cent for ST. The notification says the computer-based typing skill test for the two Level 5 typist posts has been dispensed with in this CEN. Candidates are still expected to have basic computer and typing skills, and these will be assessed after joining.

Account, identity and exam day

Candidates who created an account in an earlier RRB notification in 2024, 2025 or 2026 should log in with the same credentials. Those who did not must create one first, and the mobile number and email entered there cannot be changed at any stage.

The notification advises candidates to verify identity through DigiLocker or Aadhaar. Those who use other photo identity are told to expect stricter and more detailed scrutiny at every stage.

At the test centre, only the e-call letter is allowed inside. Phones, watches, calculators, belts, handbags, caps and even pens are banned, and a pen is provided. The notification also says not to apply henna on the hands, since it blocks biometric capture.

Shortlisting for document verification and the medical test is RRB-wise, at the rate of one candidate for each vacancy of that RRB. A candidate found medically unfit for the post chosen gets no other post in its place.

Before you apply

Pick the RRB carefully. The notification says the details filled in the account form and the chosen RRB cannot be changed afterwards, and that city and centre for the tests will depend on logistics, so candidates may have to travel to other cities or states.

Keep scans of the photograph, signature, degree and category certificate at hand. Dates for the CBTs have not been announced, and the notification says they will be published on the RRB websites.

After 18 November, the RRBs will not entertain any request to modify the information given. Once the panels are made, a post and railway unit is allotted in line with the options the candidate gave, subject to merit, reservation and vacancies, and an empanelled candidate cannot be considered for another post in the same pay level.

Applicants for other competitive jobs this month can also read our IBPS Clerk prelims exam-day checklist and our report on the SBI PO 2026 prelims result.