RRB or Railway Recruitment Board conducts the NTPC or Non-Technical Popular Categories exam to recruit candidates for the positions of Assistant Station Master, Traffic Assistant, Commercial Apprentice, Traffic Apprentice, Goods Guard, etc. all over India. These positions come under Non-Technical Popular Categories graduate and undergraduate posts in numerous Zonal Railways and Production Units of Indian Railways.
It has been recently declared by the RRB Chairman, Mr. VK Yadav that railway exams for NTPC and other posts will be held from December 15.The same news has been confirmed and shared via a social media handle (Twitter) by Railway Minister, Mr. Piyush Goyal.
RRB NTPC 2019 and RRB Group D (Level 1) 2019 exams were initially scheduled to be conducted in June and July of 2019 respectively. However, due to concerns related to non-finalisation of the exam conducting agency, exam centres and COVID-19 pandemic delayed the exams.
Currently, the Railway Recruitment Board has released the sixth phase of the RRB NTPC admit card for CBT 1st Stage on its official website. The 6th phase of RRB NTPC Exam (CBT 1) will be conducted on 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th April 2021 .
Read this article further to gain information on the recent updates related to RRB NTPC exam dates.
Latest Updates
- 20th March 2021 – RRB NTPC admit cards have been released for sixth phase of CBT 1 exam
- 20th March 2021 – The 5th phase of RRB NTPC 2020 CBT 1 exam will be conducted on March 21 in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh amid lockdown.
- 26th February 2021 – Over 90 lakh candidates had appeared for RRB NTPC CBT 1 exam
- 23rd February 2021 – RRB NTPC 2020-21 CBT 1 exam dates for the fifth phase has been announced for 19 lakh candidates.
- 24th December 2020 – RRB released the RRB NTPC CBT 1 Admit Card today. Candidates can downlad their respective admit cards from the official website – www.rrbcdg.gov.in. They can also download the admit cards directly by clicking here.
- 8th December 2020 – RRB NTPC admit cards are expected to release next week.
- 7th December 2020 – RRB NTPC exam will begin from 28th December 2020.The exam will be held till the end of March 2021. Details of RRB NTPC exam city and date are likely to be released 10 days before the exam date.
RRB NTPC Exam Date 2021 – Important Highlights
- According to RRB, RRB NTPC recruitment examination will be conducted after RRB Ministerial and Isolated category exam, i.e., after 23rd December 2020.
- RRB Ministerial and Isolated category exam will be conducted between 15th December and 23rd December 2020.
- RRB NTPC 2019 (Cen 01/2019) was initially scheduled to be held between June and September 2019. Now, RRB NTPC’s first stage CBT exam will commence from 15th December 2020.
- 2.42 crore applications were received by RRB for 1.40 lakh+ vacancies in the Indian railways.
- More than 1.26 crore applicants have already applied for the RRB NTPC exam.
- Approximately 35,208 vacancies will be filled through RRB NTPC 2019-20.
- RRB NTPC exam will be conducted in 15 languages.
- A total of 10,628 posts for Class 12 (pass outs) and another 24,649 posts for graduates have been announced under RRB NTPC category.
RRB NTPC Exam Date 2021 – Schedule
The Railway Recruitment Board released RRB NTPC exam date on 5th September 2020. As per the updated notification, the RRB NTPC exam 2020-21 began from 15th December 2020. Now, the 5 phases of RRB NTPC exam are complete and the 6th phase is about to commence from April 2021.
Besides the RRB NTPC exam, RRB will also be conducting other railway exams like RRB Group D, and RRB Ministerial and Isolated Categories from 15th December 2020. The Railway Recruitment Board has also informed that the RRB NTPC exam 2020 (initially 2019) will be conducted in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode (online).
Candidates will find important events and their respective dates associated with RRB NTPC exam in the table below:
RRB NTPC Exam Dates 2021
| Events | Dates |
| RRB NTPC Notification 2019-20 Release Date | 28th February 2019 |
| Start Date to apply for the RRB NTPC | 1st March 2019 |
| Last Date to apply for the RRB NTPC | 31st March 2019 |
| Last date for Application Fee Payment | 5th April 2019 by 11.59 PM |
| Final submission of RRB NTPC Application Form | 12th April 2020 by 11.59 PM |
| RRB NTPC Admit Card (Stage-1) Release | 22nd March 2021 (6th phase) |
| RRB NTPC Exam Dates (CBT 1) |
|
Previous Vs. Current Exam Schedule
| Exam Name | Expected Initial Date of Exam | Updated Date of Exam |
| RRB NTPC 2019 (Cen 01/2019) | Between June to September 2019 | From 15th December 2020 |
| RRB Group D – RRB CEN 01/2019 Level 1 Posts | July 2019 | From 15th December 2020 |
RRB NTPC Exam Date – Eligibility Criteria
Candidates who applied for the RRB NTPC exam 2019-20 had to fulfil the pre-determined eligibility criteria to get registered and sit for the exam. The below table will highlight the eligibility criteria of RRB NTPC 2021 in terms of educational qualification and age.
Educational Qualifications for RRB NTPC
| For Undergraduate Posts (Class 12) | Candidate must be a Class 12 pass-out |
| For Graduate Posts (Bachelors and higher) | Candidate must be a graduate from a recognised University |
Age limit for RRB NTPC
| Level | 7th CPC Level 2 and 3 Undergraduate Level | Graduate Level |
| Age Group | 18 to 30 years as on 1st July 2019 | 18 to 33 years as on 1st July 2019 |
| General
(Upper age limit – Not earlier than) |
02.07.1989 | 02.07.1986 |
| SC/ST
(Upper age limit – Not earlier than) |
02.07.1984 | 02.07.1981 |
| OBC-Non
Creamy Layer (Upper age limit – Not earlier than) |
02.07.1986 | 02.07.1983 |
| For all community /categories
Lower age limit (Not later than) |
01.07.2001 | 01.07.2001 |
RRB NTPC Exam Date – Submission of Application Form
The online application form submission process for RRB NTPC 2019-20 started on 1st March 2019. Candidates were able to apply for the RRB NTPC application forms till 31st March 2019. The application fee payment slot was open until 5th April 2019 (11.59 PM). After fee payment, candidates could finally submit their application form by 12th April 2019.
Candidates submitted their application forms via online mode by accessing the official RRB NTPC website (www.indianrailways.gov.in). Candidates had to follow five simple steps to complete the application form submission process.
RRB NTPC Application Fee
Candidates need to pay the registration/application fee for RRB NTPC to apply for the examination. Before making a payment, the candidates should carefully read the eligibility criteria. Candidates must note that the application fee amount is refundable.
Before filling up the form, the candidate is advised to make a duplicate copy and fill it up first. Any mistakes or fields left out accidentally may lead to the rejection of the application form.
The fee structure for RRB NTPC as per candidate categories is as follows:
RRB NTPC 2019-20 Application Fee Structure
| Category | Fee | Refundable Amount |
| SC/ST/PWD/Women/Transgender
/Minorities/Economically Backward |
Rs. 250/- | Rs. 250/- shall be refunded (after deducting bank charges) to candidates appearing in 1st Stage CBT. |
| GEN/OBC | Rs. 500/- | Rs. 400/- shall be refunded (after deducting bank charges) to candidates appearing in 1st Stage CBT. |
RRB NTPC 2019-20 Exam Timings
As per the latest announcement, RRB NTPC 2019-20 exam will take place in three shifts:
- Shift 1 – 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
- Shift 2 – 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
- Shift 3 – 4:00 PM to 05:30 PM
Candidates can check the shift-wise timings in the table below, which will be followed on the final RRB NTPC exam date.
Shift-wise Timings of RRB NTPC
| Activity | Shift 1 (09.00 am to 10.30 am) | Shift 2 (12.30 pm to 2.00 pm) | Shift 3 (4.00 pm to 5.30 pm) |
| Reporting Time | 7:30 AM | 11:00 AM | 2:30 PM |
| Gate Closing Time | 8:15 AM | 11:45 AM | 3:15 PM |
| Exam Start Time | 9:00 AM | 12:30 PM | 4:00 PM |
RRB NTPC Exam Date – Issuance of Admit Card
The RRB NTPC admit card 2021 for the 6th phase is announced by the Indian Railway Authority. As per the latest update, the admit cards was released on 22nd March 2021.
RRB NTPC admit card is an important document. No candidate will be allowed to enter the exam centre without his/her admit card. Candidates must verify all the exam-related information mentioned on the admit card (like RRB NTPC exam date, time, test centre address, etc.) and get the errors rectified (if any) to avoid cancellation of candidature. The admit card will be available online on the respective regional websites of 21 RRBs.
RRB NTPC Exam Day Guidelines
While appearing for the RRB NTPC 2021 exam, candidates must remember the following guidelines:
- Candidates will have to wear masks and carry sanitisers at the examination centre, considering the current coronavirus guidelines.
- The body temperature of candidates will be checked at the entry gate.
- The sanitization of exam centres after each shift will be done to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Still, try to keep the examination area clean and keep minimal surface contact.
- This year, biometric impressions of candidates will not be captured at the examination centres.
- Try to come earlier than the allotted reporting time on the day of the exam. This will help to prevent mass assembling and enable more social distancing protocol amongst the candidates.
- RRB NTPC admit card and a valid photo identity proof will be checked at the entry gate before allowing candidates to enter the exam hall.
- Candidates must keep their admit cards safe from wear and tear. Tampered, torn or dismantled RRB NTPC admit cards will not be changed in the examination nor will the candidate be allowed to sit for the exam with that torn admit card.
RRB NTPC Exam Date – FAQs
When is RRB NTPC 2021 expected to be conducted?
As per the latest RRB NTPC exam date announcement, the exam is expected to begin from 1st April 2021.
Is RRB NTPC this year's exam?
No. The RRB NTPC exam, which is expected to take place this year is actually the RRB NTPC 2019 (Cen 01/2019) exam that got postponed in 2019. Simply put, candidates who have applied for the RRB NTPC 2019 exam will be giving the exam in 2020 and 2021.
Will the RRB NTPC 2021 be conducted online or offline?
RRB NTPC 2019-20 exam will be conducted online in Computer-based Test mode.
Can I apply for the RRB NTPC exam now?
No. The RRB NTPC online application portal has already been closed on 12th April 2019.
When will RRB release the RRB NTPC admit cards?
RRB NTPC admit card for the 6th phase was released on 22nd March 2021.
