Railway Recruitment Board had invited applications for various vacancies in Non Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) of various zonal railways in January for which the exam is scheduled in March – May 2016.
The pattern for RRB Exam is not same as bank and other like exams. The Computer Based Test contains 100 questions comprising of Quantitative Aptitude, General Intelligence and Reasoning, and General Awareness.
Important points to note about the exam:
- The exam is not divided in sections like other exams and so there is no sectional cutoff. One has to qualify only one cutoff i.e. the overall cutoff.
- Unlike in other exams where the negative marking for 1 wrong answer is 1/4, in this exam there is a negative marking of 1/3 per wrong answer.
- There is no interview.
There are 9 posts in the RRB exam which are:
| Category No. | Name of the posts | Detail of exam |
| 1 | Commercial Apprentice | A Computer Based Test followed by document verification |
| 2 | Traffic Apprentice | |
| 3 | Enquiry-cum-reservation Clerk | |
| 4 | Goods Guard | |
| 5 | Junior Accounts Assistant-cum-Typist | A Computer Based Test followed by Typing skill Test and document verification |
| 6 | Senior Clerk-cum-Typist | |
| 7 | Senior Time Keeper | |
| 8 | Assistant Station Master | A computer based test followed by Aptitude Test and document verification |
| 9 | Traffic Assistant |
The Typing skill Test and Aptitude Test for above mentioned categories will not be held on the same day, but will be held after the result of common Computer Based Test based on merit.
The cutoff can vary for different posts and for different RRBs too.
There is a written test (computer based test) containing 100 questions with a time limit of 90 minutes.
The RRB has not given pattern of questions in their notification so there can be any number of questions from each topic. However, the pattern can be like given in following table, with a little plus/minus of number of questions from the sections.
| S.No. | Section | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Total Time |
| 1 | Quant | 25 | 25 | Composite time of 90 minutes |
| 2 | Reasoning | 25 | 25 | |
| 3 | General Awareness | 50 | 50 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Syllabus for the exam:
Quantitative Aptitude
This section includes 25 questions. The topics to be covered in this section are
- Simplification
- Data Interpretation
- Time and Work
- Partnership
- Profit and Loss
- Mensuration and simple Geometry
- Time, Distance and Speed – Trains, Boats n Streams
- Simple and Compound interest
- Mixture and Alligation
- Ratio and Proportion, Percentages, Averages
Reasoning
This section also includes 25 questions. The topics to be covered in this section are
- Series (number, symbol, letter)
- Formation of words
- Blood Relation
- Direction Sense
- Analogy
- Statement and Assumptions/Conclusions
- Classification
- Ranking
- Calendar and Clock Problems
General Awareness
This section also includes 50 questions. The topics to be covered in this section are
- Current Affairs
- Static GK (Census, Sports, Books n Authors, International n National Organizations, country capital, etc.)
- Indian History, Constitution and Geography
- About Railways
- Economy and Finance
- Basic Computers
- General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
