RRB Issues NTPC Notification for 1,688 Undergraduate Posts for 12th Pass Candidates
Marking a major breakthrough for intermediate-pass job seekers aspiring to join Indian Railways, the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has released the preliminary employment notice for the NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories) Undergraduate Recruitment 2026. Issued under Centralized Employment Notice (CEN) 07/2026, this nationwide recruitment drive will induct 1,688 qualified candidates across multiple zonal railways into essential administrative, station-level, and commercial cadres. The formal online application gateway will become active on October 15, with candidates permitted to register and submit their applications until 11:59 PM on November 13, 2026, following the release of the comprehensive detailed notification on October 14.
Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown and 7th CPC Pay Scale
The 1,688 undergraduate vacancies are strategically distributed across four pivotal designations, providing stable employment under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) framework along with standard central government allowances. The openings comprise 700 vacancies for Commercial cum Ticket Clerk, 600 posts for Junior Clerk cum Typist, 200 posts for Accounts Clerk cum Typist, and 188 vacancies for Trains Clerk. Appointees joining as Commercial cum Ticket Clerks will receive an initial basic pay of Rs 21,700 per month (Level-3), while recruits entering as Junior Clerks cum Typist, Accounts Clerks cum Typist, and Trains Clerks will start with a baseline salary of Rs 19,900 per month (Level-2).
Qualification Benchmarks, Age Limits, and Application Fee Structure
To satisfy minimum educational criteria, applicants must have successfully completed the 12th standard (10+2) from a recognized state or central board of education. For clerical typing roles—specifically Junior Clerk cum Typist and Accounts Clerk cum Typist—candidates must also demonstrate operational typing proficiency in either Hindi or English on computer keyboards. The age limit is fixed between 18 and 30 years as of January 1, 2027, with permissible upper-age relaxations extended to reserved categories per central government guidelines. The registration fee is Rs 500 for General and OBC aspirants, with a partial refund of Rs 400 (minus banking charges) credited back upon appearing in the first-stage Computer-Based Test (CBT 1). For SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, Women, PwBD, Transgender, Minorities, and Economically Backward Class (EBC) candidates, the subsidized fee stands at Rs 250, fully refundable upon CBT 1 attendance.
Multi-Stage Selection Architecture: CBT 1, CBT 2, and Typing Skill Tests
The selection pathway consists of a standardized multi-tier evaluation comprising CBT 1, CBT 2, a Computer-Based Typing Skill Test (applicable to typist roles), Document Verification, and a Comprehensive Medical Examination. CBT 1 is a screening test consisting of 100 objective questions to be solved in 90 minutes—comprising 40 questions from General Awareness, 30 from Mathematics, and 30 from General Intelligence and Reasoning. Shortlisted candidates will advance to CBT 2, which features 120 questions across 90 minutes (50 General Awareness, 35 Mathematics, and 35 Reasoning), with a strict negative marking penalty of one-third (0.33) marks for every incorrect response across both examination stages.
