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RRB NTPC

Conducted by Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs)

  1. CBT 1
  2. CBT 2
  3. CBAT or typing test
  4. Document check

What past NTPC CBT papers contain and how to practise with them

RRB NTPC Previous Year Question Paper Guide

RailwayCBT 1 and CBT 2Graduate and UGUpdated 26 Oct 2026

An RRB NTPC previous year question paper is the most honest guide you can get to the general awareness facts the boards like to ask, and it also sets the pace you need to keep through maths and reasoning. Since the test runs in many shifts, each cycle leaves behind dozens of shift papers, which gives you plenty of real material to practise on.

On this page you will see a quick recap of the pattern, what recent papers from the graduate and undergraduate rounds held in 2025 and the earlier round of 2020 to 2021 tend to contain, a weekly method for using them, a few practice items we wrote ourselves, and where to find the official question and answer files.

Exam at a glance

  • Conducted by

    Railway Recruitment Boards

  • CBT 1 paper

    100 questions in 90 minutes: 40 GA, 30 maths, 30 reasoning

  • CBT 2 paper

    120 questions in 90 minutes: 50 GA, 35 maths, 35 reasoning

  • Penalty

    One third of a mark per wrong answer

  • Shifts

    Many per cycle, so many distinct papers

  • Official source

    Question, response and key notices on regional RRB sites

Quick recap of the paper pattern

Graduate and 12th level candidates write separate CBTs, but the subjects and question counts match. The first stage has 100 questions and the second 120, both in 90 minutes, and the penalty for each wrong option is 0.33 marks. All topics are listed on the RRB NTPC syllabus page, so you can tick off each chapter as a past paper tests it.

Graduate level and undergraduate level papers differ mostly in difficulty. If you are a 12th pass candidate, start with the RRB NTPC undergraduate previous year question paper from CBT 1 for your level, while the graduate level previous year question paper sets add useful stretch for maths.

What recent NTPC papers tend to contain

  • General awareness is broad and fact based. Expect questions on the freedom struggle and earlier Indian history, polity articles and amendments, geography of India, class 10 level science, sports events, awards and government schemes, plus a few on computers and abbreviations.
  • Maths is mostly arithmetic. Percentages, profit and loss, interest, ratio, averages, time and work, speed and distance, and some simplification, with occasional geometry, trigonometry or statistics.
  • Reasoning leans on familiar types. Analogy, series, letter and number codes, family relation puzzles, direction sense, syllogism, seating arrangement and statement conclusion items.
  • Difficulty varies by shift. Normalisation exists for this reason, so do not panic if one shift paper you practise feels much harder.

We have not quoted exact topic counts, since they change between shifts. Make your own tally from five or six papers of the same level.

How to practise with an RRB NTPC previous year question paper

  1. Begin topic wise. In the first weeks, pick only the maths or reasoning questions from several papers and solve them by type.
  2. Switch to full papers. After the syllabus is covered, solve one complete CBT 1 paper in 90 minutes, twice a week.
  3. Order the sections. Many candidates start with general awareness, which is quick if you know it, then reasoning, then maths. Test what works for you.
  4. Score with the real penalty. Deduct 0.33 for every error and note which section leaks the most marks.
  5. Keep a GA error file. Write every fact you got wrong on one line. Revising this file in the last month is worth more than reading new material.
  6. Move to CBT 2 papers. Once you clear CBT 1, practise 120 questions in 90 minutes, which needs a faster pace.
Neha is a final year graduate preparing alongside college. She solves one shift paper each Wednesday and Saturday, spending 50 minutes analysing it afterwards. After a month her maths accuracy is fine, but she loses five or six marks in general awareness every time, so she starts a 20 minute daily current affairs and static GK slot.

Sample questions in the NTPC style

The four questions below are our own, set in the same shape as a railway NTPC previous year question paper from CBT 1. Try them, then check the answers below.

  1. Mathematics: An article with a marked price of Rs 800 is sold after a 15% discount. Find the price the buyer pays. (a) Rs 640 (b) Rs 680 (c) Rs 700 (d) Rs 720
  2. Reasoning: If CAT is written as DBU, how is DOG written in the same code? (a) EPH (b) EPI (c) DPH (d) FQH
  3. General awareness: Which gas do plants mainly take in during photosynthesis? (a) Oxygen (b) Nitrogen (c) Carbon dioxide (d) Hydrogen
  4. Reasoning: Which number comes after 3, 6, 12, 24? (a) 36 (b) 42 (c) 48 (d) 30

Answers: 1 (b), since 15% of 800 is 120. 2 (a), as every letter shifts one place ahead in the alphabet. 3 (c). 4 (c), each term doubles.

RRB NTPC previous year question paper in Hindi

The CBT can be taken in Hindi and several other languages chosen in the application form. If you plan to write in Hindi, practise with Hindi versions so that terms in maths and science feel natural.

हिंदी माध्यम से परीक्षा देने वाले उम्मीदवार पुराने प्रश्न पत्र हिंदी में ही हल करें। हर पेपर 90 मिनट में पूरा करें, फिर हर गलत प्रश्न को कॉपी में लिखें और अगले हफ्ते दोबारा देखें।

Where to get official NTPC papers and keys

After each CBT, the boards post a notice titled along the lines of questions, responses and answer keys on their websites. Through it, each candidate logs in to view the paper from their shift, the options they marked and the provisional keys, and raise objections within a set window. You can follow this sequence on RRB Secunderabad's NTPC graduate notice page, and reach the other boards through the Indian Railways site.

The response sheet link is open only for a short time. Save your own paper while it is available, and check the final key before trusting any answer.

Pairing papers with cut off goals

Your mock scores mean most when set beside the marks needed at your board. Our RRB NTPC cut off page explains the zone and level split, and confirm the RRB NTPC eligibility rules before you start. Papers for other railway tests are covered on the RRB Group D previous papers page and the railway exams hub.

Frequently asked questions

Are NTPC graduate and undergraduate papers the same?

No. The two levels sit separate CBTs. The subjects and number of questions match, but the questions in graduate papers are generally harder.

How many NTPC previous year papers are enough?

Try to finish roughly 20 to 25 shift papers of your level before the exam, plus a few CBT 2 papers once you clear the first stage. Review each paper as carefully as you solve it.

Do questions repeat in RRB NTPC?

Word for word repeats are rare, yet the same general awareness facts and maths question types return often. That is the main value of old papers.

Are older papers still useful when the pattern has stayed the same?

Yes. The CBT 1 and CBT 2 pattern has stayed steady across recent cycles, so papers from earlier rounds still reflect the topics and style.

Can I get my own NTPC question paper after the exam?

Yes. The RRBs publish a link where you log in to see your questions, the options you chose and the provisional key, but only for a limited period.

Which section should I attempt first in NTPC?

Many candidates start with general awareness because it takes less time per question. Try different orders in practice papers and keep the one that gives you the best score.