RRB NTPC Typing Test and CBAT: Speed Formula, T-Score and 70:30 Merit

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Who takes which stage, and how many are called

For both stages the number called is eight times the posts for each community, taken in order of CBT-2 performance. The typing test is qualifying only: the notification says marks obtained in it are not added for making merit, and the merit list is drawn for the candidates who qualify, from their CBT-2 performance. The aptitude test is part of merit.

The dates in the notices of 27 August 2026 are tentative: CBTST on 24 September 2026 and CBAT on 30 September 2026, with the exam city link 10 days before, e-call letters 4 days before, and Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication at the centre (bring the original Aadhaar card). As of 7 October 2026 we found no result of either test on the common portal.

The typing test as the 2 September notice defines it

The session has three parts: one minute of typing practice to warm up and get used to the keyboard, a five-minute break, and then a ten-minute typing test that is evaluated. A candidate who finishes the passage may start it again from the beginning within the ten minutes, because the test is about speed. Editing tools and spell check are not available. To be evaluated a candidate must type at least 300 words in English or 250 words in Hindi in the time; a transcript below that is not evaluated.

The candidate types in English or Hindi according to the option exercised on the RRB portal. For the Graduate CEN the option was open until 7 pm on 15 September 2026, and a candidate who did not choose got English by default; the option could not be changed afterwards. Hindi typists must be familiar with Krutidev or Mangal fonts, which are provided on the test computers. Persons with benchmark disabilities who have blindness or low vision, cerebral palsy or locomotor disability of at least 40 per cent could upload a typing-test exemption certificate (Annexure V(H)) between 2 and 22 September 2026, or carry the original to the venue, and must show it again at document verification or lose the candidature.

Mistakes are divided into full and half. The notice's formula takes total mistakes as full mistakes plus half the half mistakes, then subtracts 5 per cent of the total words typed to get the final count of mistakes. Speed is the words typed minus ten times the final mistakes, divided by the time in minutes. Its own example: 400 words in 10 minutes with a final count of 10 gives (400 - 10 x 10) / 10 = 30 words per minute, which is the English minimum. The minimum is 30 wpm in English or 25 wpm in Hindi.

The table is our arithmetic from the formula, with the final count of mistakes (after the 5 per cent allowance) shown directly. It shows the real constraint: each final mistake costs one word per minute of speed, ten words of the 300 you need, so a candidate typing exactly 300 words needs a final count of zero, while one typing 380 words can absorb 8 final mistakes and still reach 30 wpm. At 5 per cent allowance, 380 words forgives about 19 of your mistakes before the count starts. Accuracy matters more than raw speed once you are above the floor.

The Computer Based Aptitude Test for Station Master and Traffic Assistant

The CBAT is administered by the RRBs on the format of the RDSO Psycho-Technical Directorate, which publishes an FAQ the RRB notice of 27 August 2026 points candidates to. The FAQ states that the aptitude test has five tests in a battery and six scores, because test 5 evaluates two different dimensions of personality and gives a separate score for each; a candidate must qualify on both. The qualifying standard is a T-score of at least 42 in each test, the cut-off is the same in all RRBs, there is no reservation and no negative marking, and the T-score is not a raw score: it is based on the mean and standard deviation of all candidates who appeared.

The T-score formula is T = 50 + 10 x (x - mean) / SD, with x the candidate's score. In the FAQ's worked example a score of 20 in a test with mean 14 and SD 3 gives T = 70. The FAQ also shows why a good-looking raw score can fail: 75 in a test with mean 85 and SD 10 gives T = 40. T = 42 sits 0.8 standard deviations below the mean (50 - 8), so a candidate must finish within about 0.8 standard deviations of the group mean or better in every test, and strength in one test cannot rescue a miss in another.

For the merit list the notification says the Station Master and Traffic Assistant list is drawn only from candidates who qualify in all CBAT tests, with 70 per cent weight on CBT-2 marks and 30 per cent on CBAT marks. The FAQ explains the 30: composite T-scores are converted to a score out of 30, and its example takes a composite of 300 out of a maximum of 400 to 22.5. A candidate shortlisted for CBAT must show the vision certificate (Annexure VII) in original at entry, and the notice says a candidate without it will not be allowed to sit; candidates who have had Lasik or other refractive surgery are not eligible for the A-2 posts, which include Station Master and Traffic Assistant, and make a declaration (Annexure VII(A)) at document verification.

Preparing for each stage

For the typing test, the work is accuracy at a controlled speed, practised on a computer with no editing and no spell check, in the language you chose, for ten minutes at a stretch with a five-minute break before the scored test. Hindi candidates should practise in the Krutidev or Mangal layout the test provides, not an input method they use on a phone. A target of about 350 to 400 words with a final mistake count in single digits clears 30 wpm with room to spare by our table. For the CBAT, the RDSO format is practised through its published guidelines (the notice points to the Psycho-Technical Directorate pages); what you can control is calm and focus across five tests, because the pass mark depends on the group's mean and spread.

What is the minimum typing speed for RRB NTPC?

30 words per minute in English or 25 words per minute in Hindi, on a computer without editing tools or spell check. The candidate must also type at least 300 words in English or 250 in Hindi in the ten-minute test for the transcript to be evaluated.

Does the typing test marks count in the final merit?

No. The typing test is qualifying only and typing marks are not added. Merit is drawn from CBT-2 for those who qualify in the typing test.

How is the typing speed calculated?

Total mistakes are full mistakes plus half the half mistakes; 5 per cent of the words typed is ignored to give the final count; speed is words typed minus ten times the final count, divided by 10 minutes. 400 words with a final count of 10 gives 30 wpm.

Can I change my typing language after choosing?

No. The notice for the Graduate CEN says the option cannot be changed under any circumstances, and the default is English if no option was given by 7 pm on 15 September 2026. Hindi typing uses Krutidev or Mangal fonts.

What T-score do I need in CBAT?

At least 42 in each test of the battery, the same for all categories and all RRBs, with no reservation or negative marking. The T-score is 50 + 10 x (score - mean)/SD.

How much does CBAT count for Station Master merit?

The notification gives 70 per cent weight to CBT-2 marks and 30 per cent to CBAT. Only candidates who qualify in every CBAT test enter the merit list.

How many candidates are called for the typing test or CBAT?

Eight times the number of posts for each community. For CBAT that is calculated against the Station Master and Traffic Assistant posts, from the candidates who opted for those posts, in order of CBT-2 performance.