RRB NTPC Exam Phase I Previous Paper 25 Jan, 2021

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RRB NTPC Exam Phase I Previous Paper 25 Jan, 2021

Overview

  • Conducted in two shifts:
    • Shift 1: Around 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
    • Shift 2: Around 3:00 PM–4:30 PM

  • 100 questions, each carrying 1 mark

  • Sections:

    • General Awareness – 40 questions

    • Mathematics – 30 questions

    • Reasoning & General Intelligence – 30 questions

  • Negative marking: 0.5 marks deducted per wrong answer

🔍 Section-Wise Good Attempts & Difficulty

Shift 1

  • Mathematics: ~20–21 attempts (Moderate difficulty)

  • Reasoning & Intelligence: ~19–20 attempts (Easy)

  • General Awareness: ~21–23 attempts (Easy to Moderate)

  • Overall Good Attempts: ~60–64 (Moderate level exam)

Shift 2

  • Mathematics: ~17–19 attempts (Moderate; slightly tougher than Shift 1)

  • Reasoning & Intelligence: ~19–22 attempts (Easy)

  • General Awareness: ~18–22 attempts (Easy to Moderate)

  • Overall Good Attempts: ~54–63 (Moderate difficulty overall)

📊 Estimated Scores & Cut-Off Range

  • Shift 1 high-performers scored around 77–82 out of 100

  • Shift 2 top scorers were around 74–80

  • Estimated normalized cut-offs (CBT‑1) by category:

    • General: ~83–85

    • OBC: ~75–77

    • SC: ~71–73

    • ST: ~63–65

🎯 Key Observations for Preparation

  • Reasoning section was consistently easy across both shifts—ideal to maximize scoring in practice.

  • Mathematics proved to be the most time-consuming section and more calculative in nature, especially in Shift 2—speed and accuracy under timed conditions are crucial.

  • General Awareness covered both static GK and recent events; about 20–23 questions were in the target range per shift.

  • Overall, the exam difficulty ranged from moderate to sometimes moderately difficult depending on the shift.

✔️ How to Leverage This Shift for Exam Prep

  1. Simulate both shifts under strict timed conditions (90 minutes total)—this builds pacing and mental endurance.

  2. Cross-check your performance against good-attempt benchmarks above to assess strengths and weaknesses.

  3. Focus on weak areas, especially within Mathematics (e.g. Data Interpretation, Simplification, Time-Speed-Distance, Mensuration).

  4. Diversify practice using other date-based shifts to build flexibility in adapting to varying question styles and difficulty levels.

✅ Final Takeaway

The 25 January 2021 CBT‑1 exam was clearly moderate in difficulty overall, with Reasoning offering the highest scoring potential, and Mathematics being the key challenge area. Deliberate practice of both shifts under exam-like conditions can help enhance performance, time-management, and confidence heading into actual tests.