RRB TC
Railway Recruitment Board — Ticket Collector
Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) NTPC Ticket Collector (TC) / Ticket Examiner (TE) / Commercial cum Ticket Clerk (CCTC) Recruitment Exam
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) Ticket Collector recruitment exam is the selection process through which Indian Railways fills the posts of Ticket Collector (TC), Ticket Examiner (TE) and Commercial cum Ticket Clerk (CCTC) in its 17 zonal railways. The exam is conducted by the 21 Railway Recruitment Boards located across India under the overall supervision of the Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRCB), Ministry of Railways.
Important: Since the centralisation of railway recruitment, the TC, TE and CCTC posts are no longer advertised under a separate dedicated exam. They are now recruited through the RRB NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories) — Centralised Employment Notice (CEN) cycle. Under the current NTPC cycle, these posts are offered at the graduate level and are placed at Level-5 of the 7th CPC pay matrix. Because the exact post list, vacancy breakup, eligibility and even the exam pattern can vary slightly from cycle to cycle, candidates must always verify the details against the official CEN notification before applying.
Overview / Key Highlights
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Railway Recruitment Boards (21 RRBs) under RRCB, Ministry of Railways |
| Exam Name | RRB NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories) — CEN cycle; TC / TE / CCTC posts |
| Exam Level | National level; graduate level (Level-5 pay matrix) in the current NTPC cycle |
| Mode of Exam | Online CBT (Computer Based Test) |
| Medium | Bilingual — English and Hindi (tentative, as per the notification) |
| Selection Stages | CBT-1 → CBT-2 → Typing Skill Test (where applicable) → Document Verification → Medical Examination |
| Number of Papers | Two online CBT papers plus a qualifying skill test |
| Negative Marking | Yes — 1/3 (one-third) mark deducted for every wrong answer |
| Official Website | https://www.rrbapply.gov.in/ (official NTPC application portal) |
Selection Process
The selection for TC / TE / CCTC under the NTPC cycle is done in the following stages. Stage 1 and Stage 2 are online CBTs; the skill test, document verification and medical examination follow them.
- Stage 1 — CBT-1: A screening/shortlisting paper of 100 objective questions. The normalized marks of CBT-1 are used only to shortlist candidates for CBT-2; they do not normally carry into the final merit (tentative, as per the previous NTPC cycles).
- Stage 2 — CBT-2: The main paper of 120 objective questions. This is the merit paper and its marks are used for final ranking.
- Stage 3 — Typing Skill Test (TST): Qualifying in nature and conducted only where the post requires typing skills. Candidates must type at a prescribed speed (see Exam Pattern below). No marks are added to the merit for this stage.
- Stage 4 — Document Verification (DV): Candidates are called in the ratio of the number of vacancies; all original certificates (educational, age, category, etc.) are verified.
- Stage 5 — Medical Examination: TC/TE are field posts involving extensive travel and ticket checking duties; candidates must meet the medical standards prescribed for the post in the notification.
Exam Pattern
CBT-1 (Stage 1)
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 90 minutes |
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 | |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 30 | 30 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
CBT-2 (Stage 2)
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 | 90 minutes |
| Mathematics | 35 | 35 | |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 35 | 35 | |
| Total | 120 | 120 |
Notes on the pattern:
- All questions in both CBTs are objective multiple-choice questions with four options.
- Every correct answer carries 1 mark; every wrong answer deducts 1/3 mark. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.
- The question papers are bilingual (English and Hindi) as per the notification.
- There is no separate aptitude (CBAT) stage for TC posts; the CBAT in NTPC applies to certain other posts such as Station Master (tentative, based on previous cycles).
- Typing Skill Test (TST), where applicable: candidates must type 30 words per minute (wpm) in English or 25 wpm in Hindi. The TST is qualifying only.
Detailed Syllabus
The syllabus below is based on the RRB NTPC CEN syllabus applicable to TC / TE / CCTC posts. The distribution of questions across sections is as given in the Exam Pattern above.
General Awareness
- Current affairs — national and international (last 6–12 months before the exam)
- Indian history — ancient, medieval and modern periods
- Indian polity — Constitution, fundamental rights, Parliament and federal structure
- Indian geography — physical, economic and social geography of India and the world
- Indian economy — five-year plans, budget, banking and economic concepts
- General science — basic physics, chemistry and biology
- Indian Railways — rail network, zones, headquarters, trains and rail projects
- Environment and ecology, climate change and conservation
- Sports, important days, awards and honours
- Books and authors, prominent personalities
- Art, culture, heritage and festivals of India
- Science and technology, space and defence developments
Mathematics
- Number system, HCF and LCM, fractions and decimals
- Simplification and approximation, surds and indices
- Ratio and proportion, partnership
- Percentage and its applications
- Profit, loss and discount
- Simple and compound interest
- Time and work, pipes and cisterns
- Time, speed and distance, problems on trains and boats & streams
- Averages and problems on ages
- Mensuration — areas and volumes of 2D and 3D figures
- Algebra — linear and quadratic equations, basic identities
- Trigonometry and geometry — basic angles, triangles, circles and their properties
- Data interpretation — tables, bar graphs, line graphs and pie charts
- Basic probability and permutations & combinations
- Calendar, clock and number series problems
General Intelligence & Reasoning
- Analogies and similarities, odd one out / classification
- Number, alphabet and mixed series
- Coding and decoding
- Blood relations and family trees
- Direction sense and distance
- Syllogism and statement-based conclusions
- Venn diagrams and analytical reasoning
- Seating arrangements and puzzles
- Missing number and arithmetic reasoning
- Word formation, alphabetical test and ranking / ordering
- Mathematical operations and signs
- Mirror and water images, paper folding and cutting
- Embedded figures and figure series / completion
- Dice, cubes and non-verbal series
- Data sufficiency and statement-assumption type questions
Marking Scheme
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Marks per question | 1 mark (both CBT-1 and CBT-2) |
| Negative marking | 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer |
| Unattempted questions | No marks, no negative marking |
| Nature of CBT-1 | Shortlisting / qualifying (normalized marks) — tentative, as per previous cycles |
| Nature of CBT-2 | Merit paper — final ranking is drawn from normalized CBT-2 marks |
| Typing Skill Test | Qualifying only; does not contribute marks |
| Cut-off factors | Normalized marks, number of vacancies, category, difficulty level and post preference |
Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification
- For TC / TE / CCTC posts at the graduate level (Level-5) in the NTPC cycle: Graduation (Bachelor's degree) in any discipline from a university recognized by the Government of India.
- In some earlier NTPC cycles, related posts such as Commercial cum Ticket Clerk (CCTC) and Trains Clerk appeared at the undergraduate level (10+2). Confirm the post-wise qualification in the current CEN notification.
Age Limit
- For Level-5 graduate posts: 18 to 30 years as on the cut-off date notified in the CEN.
- Upper age relaxation: OBC (non-creamy layer) +3 years; SC/ST +5 years; PwBD (as per category) +10 to +15 years; Ex-servicemen and other categories as per Government of India rules.
- The exact cut-off date and relaxations are published in each CEN notification.
Attempts and Nationality
- There is no fixed limit on the number of attempts; the age limit is the operative constraint.
- Candidates must be citizens of India, or subjects of Nepal/Bhutan, Tibetan refugees settled in India, or persons of Indian origin migrated from specified countries, as per the rules in the notification.
Application Process & Fees
- Applications are accepted only online through the official portal https://www.rrbapply.gov.in/ during the window fixed in the CEN.
- The process includes one-time registration, filling the application form, uploading scanned photograph, signature and category documents, and online payment of the fee.
- Application fee (tentative, based on previous NTPC cycles): General / OBC / EWS candidates pay ₹500, of which ₹400 is refunded after appearing in CBT-1; SC / ST / PwBD / Ex-servicemen / Women / Transgender / Minorities / Economically Backward Class candidates pay ₹250, fully refundable after appearing in CBT-1.
- Payment is made online (net banking, UPI, debit/credit card, or e-challan) at the time of submission.
- Important dates (notification release, registration window, fee payment deadline, and CBT schedule) are announced separately for each CEN and are published on rrbapply.gov.in; they are tentative and subject to change.
Salary / Pay Scale
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Pay Level | Level-5 (7th CPC pay matrix) |
| Pay Band / Scale | ₹29,200 – ₹92,300 (basic pay) |
| Approx. In-hand | Roughly ₹35,000 – ₹40,000 per month (tentative; depends on city, DA, HRA and TA) |
| Allowances | Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance (TA) and others as per railway rules |
| Perks | Railway pass for self and family, medical facilities, leave travel concession, and retirement benefits |
Note: If a post is advertised at Level-2 (10+2 level) in any cycle, the pay scale is ₹19,900 – ₹63,200 (tentative, as per the previous cycles). Always refer to the notification for the exact pay level of the post you apply for.
Official Links & PDFs
- RRB NTPC Official Application Portal — rrbapply.gov.in — the official Centralised Employment Notice (CEN), post list, syllabus and application form are published here.
- RRB CDG (Central Region) Official Website — a representative official RRB website; each zonal RRB mirrors the same NTPC notification.
- Ministry of Railways / Railway Board — indianrailways.gov.in — official announcements on railway recruitment.
- The official notification and syllabus PDF for the current cycle could not be fetched directly in this session; download them from the "Recruitment" / "CEN" section of rrbapply.gov.in. The same PDF is also hosted on the website of every individual RRB.
Preparation Tips & Strategy
- Read the full CEN notification first — confirm the post level, qualification, age and medical standards before preparing a post-specific plan.
- CBT-1 has negative marking of 1/3 per wrong answer; aim for accuracy of 90%+ even if it means leaving doubtful questions.
- Mathematics: drill speed-based calculation, tables, squares/cubes, and chapter tests; keep a formula notebook for revision.
- General Awareness: revise current affairs of the last 6–12 months, static GK, and add Indian Railways GK (zones, headquarters, major trains) since you are targeting a railway post.
- Reasoning: practise puzzles, seating arrangements and syllogisms daily; these take the most time if not practised.
- Take full-length mock tests in exam-like conditions and analyse your sectional accuracy and time management.
- Solve previous-cycle NTPC papers to understand the difficulty level and repeated topics.
- If the post requires typing, practise English typing to 30 wpm and Hindi typing to 25 wpm so the skill test is easy to clear.
- For TC/TE field posts, maintain basic physical fitness and get an eye and general health check-up early — medical standards are part of selection.
FAQ
Q: Is TC recruitment conducted as a separate exam?
No. Since the centralisation of railway recruitment, the TC / TE / CCTC posts are recruited under the RRB NTPC (CEN) cycle. In older cycles (before the NTPC format), RRBs did conduct separate exams for such posts — this is based on previous cycles.
Q: What is the minimum qualification for the TC post?
For the graduate-level (Level-5) posts in the current NTPC cycle, a Graduation in any discipline is required. Confirm the exact post-wise qualification in the CEN notification.
Q: What is the negative marking in the exam?
One-third (1/3) of a mark is deducted for every incorrect answer in both CBT-1 and CBT-2. Unanswered questions attract no penalty.
Q: What salary can a Ticket Collector expect?
The post is placed at Level-5 (₹29,200 – ₹92,300 basic) in the current cycle, with an approximate in-hand salary of ₹35,000 – ₹40,000 depending on allowances. These figures are tentative.
Q: How many times can I attempt the exam?
There is no cap on the number of attempts; you can appear as long as you are within the notified upper age limit.
Q: Is the Typing Skill Test compulsory for all candidates?
No. The TST is applicable only where the post requires typing skills and is qualifying in nature (30 wpm English / 25 wpm Hindi). It does not add marks to the merit.
Final Pointer
RRB NTPC is a periodic recruitment, and details such as vacancies, fee, age relaxations, and exam pattern can change with every CEN. Keep checking the official website rrbapply.gov.in and your zonal RRB's website for the latest notification, syllabus PDF and schedule. Prepare early, practise mock tests regularly, and always follow official announcements.