Overview
📄 1. Access the Question Paper (CBT‑1)
Memory‑based PDFs of the exam held on 20th January 2021 (Shift 1 and Shift 2) are available free for download on major platforms like Guidely, Prepp.in, Testbook, JagranJosh, Adda247, and others.
📊 2. Exam Structure & Marking Scheme
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Total Questions: 100 (1 mark each, total 100 marks)
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Sections:
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General Awareness – 40 questions
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Mathematics – 30 questions
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General Intelligence & Reasoning – 30 questions
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Time Duration: 90 minutes
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Negative Marking: 0.33 or 0.50 per wrong answer (variation per platform)—check official notification for exact value.
🔍 3. Difficulty Level & Section‑Wise Good Attempts
Shift 1 & Shift 2 analysis based on candidate reviews on Jan 20, 2021:
| Section | Approx. Good Attempts | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Shift 1: ~22–24 | Moderate |
| Shift 2: ~19–20 | ||
| Reasoning & General Intelligence | Shift 1: ~25–27 | Easy to Moderate |
| Shift 2: ~21–23 | ||
| General Awareness | Shift 1: ~27–29 | Easy to Moderate (mixed) |
| Shift 2: ~20–21 |
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Overall Score Range: Shift 1: ~79–86; Shift 2: ~60–70 considered a strong performance depending on section mix.
🧠 4. Topic Insights
From the detailed section breakdown (Shift 1):
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General Awareness: Mix of History, Biology, Polity, Science, GK & Current Affairs (~11 CA questions), Computers (~5).
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Maths: Covered topics like Simplification, Number System, Ratio & Proportion, Time-Speed-Distance, DI, Mensuration, Profit/Loss, etc. (~3–4 each across ~12 topics).
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Reasoning: Included Coding-Decoding (~4), Syllogism (~3), Venn Diagrams (~3), Puzzle (~3), Blood Relation (~2), Statement & Conclusion (~2), Analogies, Odd one out, mathematical operations, etc. (~3–4 each).
🎯 5. Why Analyze & Practice This Paper?
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It reflects an easy-to-moderate overall difficulty, making it ideal for benchmarking and practice.
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It offers insight into common GK/current‑affairs topics and recurring Maths/Reasoning patterns.
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Practicing with timer-based attempts improves speed, accuracy, and section-wise strategy.
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Reviewing topic-wise distribution helps optimize preparation by focusing on high-yield areas
✅ How to Use This for Your Prep Plan
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Download the 20 Jan 2021 CBT‑1 PDFs in English or Hindi to simulate exam conditions.
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Time yourself while attempting the paper—90 minutes total, allocate roughly 45 for GK+Reasoning and 45 for Maths.
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Analyze performance post-test, identifying topics you need to strengthen.
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Repeat with other past shifts (16–19, 21 Jan) to diversify exposure to question patterns.
🔗 Ready-Made Sources for Practice
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Guidely, Prepp.in, JagranJosh, Testbook, Adda247 offer free direct download links to the shift‑wise PDFs and answer keys for 20 Jan 2021 and other days in CBT‑1 2021 cycle YouTube+13Jagranjosh.com+13Examsnet+13The Indian Express+1The Indian Express+1.
✍️ Final Thought
The Jan 20, 2021 Phase I paper is a reliable mirror of real NTPC CBT‑1 difficulty. For serious aspirants, repeated practice of this shift—as memory‑based copies with timer drills—can significantly elevate exam readiness and strategic clarity.
If you’d like a downloadable link or topic-wise practice plan based on this shift, just say the word!
