Detailed CEN 06/2026 out · graduate applications open · close 6 November
RRB NTPC 2026 — Detailed CEN 06/2026 Out, 3,548 Graduate Posts Now Open
The detailed CEN 06/2026 is out and graduate applications are open now. They close on 6 November 2026 at 11:59 PM, with fee payment accepted until 8 November.
The full notification revised the graduate count upward, from the 3,477 given in September's indicative notice to 3,548 posts. Together with the 1,688 undergraduate posts still to come under CEN 07/2026, that is 5,236 NTPC vacancies this cycle.
Two figures the indicative notice could not give are now fixed: the age window is 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027, and 21 Railway Recruitment Boards are participating. The undergraduate CEN 07/2026 is due 14 October, a day before its window opens.
If you applied on the strength of the September notice, re-read the post list. The detailed CEN did not simply confirm the earlier figures. Station Master and Traffic Assistant are not in this notification, and Pay Level 4 has gone from the graduate notice altogether. Four posts remain, at Pay Levels 5 and 6.
The two notices side by side
| CEN 06/2026 Graduate | CEN 07/2026 Undergraduate | |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancies | 3,548 (confirmed) | 1,688 (indicative) |
| Qualification | Graduate | 12th pass |
| Detailed CEN | Released | Due 14 October 2026 |
| Applications open | Open since 8 October 2026 | 15 October 2026 |
| Applications close | 6 November 2026, 11:59 PM | 13 November 2026 (see note) |
| Fee payment until | 8 November 2026 | Not specified in the official notification. |
| Correction window | 9 to 18 November 2026 | Not specified in the official notification. |
| Age as on | 1 January 2027 | 1 January 2027 |
| Pay levels | Level 5 and 6 | Level 2 and 3 |
Note the gap between the two November dates on the graduate side. The form closes on the 6th, but the fee is accepted until the 8th. A submitted form with an unpaid fee is not an application, so do not read the later date as extra time to decide.
Graduate posts under CEN 06/2026
The 3,548 graduate vacancies are split across four posts, and the split is heavily lopsided:
| Post | Pay level | Vacancies | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods Train Manager | 5 | 2,750 | 77.5% |
| Senior Clerk cum Typist | 5 | 371 | 10.5% |
| Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist | 5 | 300 | 8.5% |
| Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor | 6 | 127 | 3.6% |
| Total | — | 3,548 | 100% |
More than three in four graduate posts are a single role. Goods Train Manager accounts for 2,750 of the 3,548 vacancies. For anyone setting post preferences that matters more than any other figure on this page: the odds on that one line are far better than the headline ratio suggests, while Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor, at 127 posts nationally across 21 boards, is tight enough that a single board may carry only a handful of seats. Goods Train Manager also involves running-staff duties and shift work, which is a different working life from a clerical post at the same pay level.
Age limit and relaxation
The detailed CEN fixes the age band at 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027. The cutoff falls in the year after the exam cycle begins, which works in candidates' favour at the upper end.
| Category | Upper age limit |
|---|---|
| Unreserved / EWS | 33 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 36 years |
| SC / ST | 38 years |
Relaxations for ex-servicemen, persons with benchmark disabilities and other categories are set out in the CEN itself. Our government job age calculator works out where you fall against a given cutoff date.
Application fee
Railway recruitment refunds most of the fee to candidates who actually sit the first CBT, which makes the headline figure misleading:
| Category | Fee | Refunded after CBT-1 | Net cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹500 | ₹400 | ₹100 |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Women / Ex-servicemen / Transgender / Minorities / Economically backward | ₹250 | ₹250 | Nil |
Both refunds are net of bank charges, and both depend on appearing for the first stage CBT. Skip the exam and you forfeit the refund.
Selection process
Selection runs as CBT 1, then CBT 2, then document verification and a medical examination. There is no aptitude test (CBAT) in this notification, which follows from Station Master and Traffic Assistant being absent from the post list — those are the roles that normally carry it.
One point is being reported two ways. Whether the typing skill test (CBTST) applies to the two cum Typist posts is not reported consistently: most coverage places a CBTST between CBT 2 and document verification for Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist and Senior Clerk cum Typist, while at least one account states the skill test has been dropped for this cycle. We are not picking a side. If you are targeting either typist post, read the selection clause in the CEN PDF before you decide how much typing practice to do, and treat the test as live until the notification tells you otherwise. Our typing speed test is there if you want to measure yourself in the meantime.
Because CBTs run across multiple days and shifts, scores are normalised for paper difficulty. If you are unfamiliar with how that changes your final mark, our guide to how results are calculated explains it.
Undergraduate posts under CEN 07/2026
The 1,688 undergraduate vacancies sit at Pay Levels 2 and 3 and are open to candidates who have passed Class 12. The post-wise split, the qualification wording and the age band all arrive with the detailed CEN on 14 October. Age will be reckoned as on 1 January 2027, the same cutoff as the graduate notice.
One caution on the closing date: it is being reported as both 13 November and 15 November 2026. The detailed CEN settles it, and we will carry whichever date it gives.
For anyone with a 12th pass certificate, this and SSC CHSL are the two central recruitments currently worth tracking.
Where to apply
Applications go through the centralised portal at rrbapply.gov.in, not through individual regional board sites. Candidates register once and choose their board during the application.
The detailed CEN settles a question the indicative notice left open: 21 Railway Recruitment Boards are participating, and the vacancy table is broken down board by board. Earlier reports citing 25 were counting railway zones, which is a different thing — zones are operating divisions of Indian Railways, boards are the recruiting bodies. Your choice of board decides which regional vacancy pool you compete in, so check the board-wise table in the CEN rather than assuming your nearest city is the best option.
What to do this week
The window is open and there is no advantage in waiting:
- Apply early. Railway portals slow badly in the final days, and the 6 November cutoff is an 11:59 PM hard stop.
- Pay the fee when you submit, not later. The 8 November fee date is a safety margin, not a second deadline.
- Get your photograph and signature scanned to the stated specifications. Railway recruitments are strict about image format and candidates get rejected at verification over it.
- If you are claiming a category, check the certificate is in the correct central format and still valid. This is the most common cause of rejection, and the 9 to 18 November correction window will not fix a certificate that does not exist.
- Check the board-wise vacancy table before choosing your board.
Our application checklist covers all of this in detail.
Official links
| Centralised application portal | rrbapply.gov.in |
| Railway Recruitment Board | Official site |
| Indian Railways | indianrailways.gov.in |
| Document checklist | Read the guide |
Questions
Can I apply now?
Yes, for graduate posts. CEN 06/2026 applications opened on 8 October 2026 and close on 6 November 2026 at 11:59 PM. Undergraduate applications under CEN 07/2026 open on 15 October 2026.
How many vacancies in total?
5,236 — 3,548 graduate posts confirmed in the detailed CEN 06/2026, and 1,688 undergraduate posts indicated under CEN 07/2026. The graduate figure rose from the 3,477 given in the September notice.
What is the age limit?
18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027 for the graduate notice, with the upper limit relaxed to 36 for OBC non-creamy layer and 38 for SC and ST candidates.
Can I apply for both notices?
They are separate recruitments with separate windows and eligibility. A graduate meeting the requirements for both would apply to each separately. Check the detailed CENs for any restriction before assuming.
Is there a typing test?
Reports conflict. Most place a typing skill test after CBT 2 for the two cum Typist posts; one states it has been dropped this cycle. Read the selection clause in the CEN PDF before deciding, and prepare as though the test applies.
Do I get the application fee back?
Partly. General, OBC and EWS candidates pay ₹500 and are refunded ₹400 after appearing in CBT-1. Candidates in the concessional categories pay ₹250 and are refunded the whole amount. Both refunds are net of bank charges and both require you to actually sit the exam.
Source. Figures for CEN 06/2026 are from the detailed Centralised Employment Notice published by the Railway Recruitment Boards, cross-checked across reports on 10 October 2026. Figures for CEN 07/2026 remain from the indicative notice of 21 September 2026.
Changed since our last update: the graduate vacancy count rose from 3,477 to 3,548; the post-wise split is now exact rather than approximate; the age limit, fee structure, correction window and participating-board count are confirmed; and the 6 November closing date is settled, resolving an earlier conflict with reports giving 11 November.
Where sources still disagree: whether a typing skill test applies to the two cum Typist posts, and whether CEN 07/2026 closes on 13 or 15 November. Both are marked in the text above and neither is resolved here.
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