RRB NTPC Cutoff 2025 Released: Zone-Wise Marks Determine Next Stage for 11.5K Vacancies

The Railway Recruitment Board has officially released the RRB NTPC Cutoff 2025 for both Undergraduate and Graduate-level posts, setting the stage for thousands of candidates to move forward in the hiring process for over 11,500 Non-Technical Popular Categories roles across Indian Railways. The cutoff for the Undergraduate level — taken by nearly 15 million applicants — was published on 21st November 2025, just days after the results were declared. The Graduate-level cutoff had already been announced on 19th September 2025, following the completion of CBT 1 exams held between 5th and 24th June 2025. For UG candidates, the exam ran from 7th August to 9th September 2025. What matters now isn’t just the score — it’s whether it meets the region-specific, category-specific threshold that varies wildly from one corner of India to another.

Why Cutoffs Vary So Dramatically

The RRB doesn’t use a single national cutoff. Instead, each of its 21 regional boards — from RRB Chennai to RRB Jammu, RRB Kolkata, and RRB Mumbai — calculates its own numbers. Why? Because competition isn’t uniform. In states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where applications pour in by the millions, the cutoff soars. In less populated regions, it dips. The formula? It’s not arbitrary. The RRB factors in total vacancies, applicant volume, exam difficulty, and normalized scores to ensure fairness across regions with different demographics and preparation levels.

Take RRB Jammu’s Level 5 cutoff for CBT 2: Unreserved (UR) candidates needed a minimum of 67.33, while Scheduled Tribe (ST) applicants cleared with just 54.67. Meanwhile, in RRB Muzaffarpur’s Level 6, the UR cutoff hit a staggering 75.52 — nearly 21 points higher than Jammu’s. That’s not a mistake. It’s a reflection of how densely packed the applicant pool is in certain zones. The normalization process, as explained by Shiksha.com’s Anangsha Patra, adjusts scores to account for differences in difficulty across exam shifts — a critical safeguard in an exam taken by millions over weeks.

Minimum Qualifying Percentages: The Floor, Not the Ceiling

Even if you don’t hit the actual cutoff, you still need to clear the minimum qualifying percentage — and that’s where the rules get sharper. According to Free Job Alert, candidates must score at least:

• 40% for Unreserved (UR) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)
• 30% for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Castes (SC)
• 25% for Scheduled Tribes (ST)

These are the absolute floors. Miss them, and even a score of 70 won’t save you — if your region’s cutoff is 72. But hit the cutoff, and you’re in. For most candidates, that means moving straight to document verification, bypassing CBT 2 entirely. That’s the twist: not everyone takes CBT 2. Only those who clear the CBT 1 cutoff and are shortlisted for higher-level posts (like Level 6) proceed. For the rest, it’s paperwork after CBT 1.

How to Check Your Status — Step by Step

If you sat for the exam, you’re probably anxious. Here’s how to find out if you qualified — no guesswork needed.

1. Visit the official website of your regional RRB — for example, rrbchd.gov.in for Chandigarh or rrbmumbai.gov.in for Mumbai.
2. Look for the latest notifications section. Click on “RRB NTPC Result and Cut Off 2025.”
3. Select your region and exam level (UG or Graduate).
4. Download the PDF. It lists cutoffs by category: UR, EWS, OBC, SC, ST.
5. Compare your normalized score (visible on your result page) with the cutoff for your category and region.

Official links are live for regions including RRB Muzaffarpur, RRB Chennai, RRB Guwahati, and RRB Ajmer, as confirmed by Testbook. The process mirrors the 2021 cycle — when RRB Ranchi, RRB Secunderabad, and others released cutoffs on 30th March 2022 — so candidates know what to expect.

What Comes Next? Document Verification and the Long Wait

Clearing the cutoff doesn’t mean you’re hired. It means you’re eligible for document verification — a step where candidates must produce originals of educational certificates, caste certificates, income proofs, and ID. This is where many get eliminated. A mismatch in name spelling, an expired certificate, or a missing signature can cost you the job. The RRB doesn’t give second chances here.

For Level 5 and 6 posts — which include Junior Time Keeper, Trains Clerk, and Commercial Apprentice — the process may involve a second computer-based test (CBT 2). But for lower-level roles like Station Master or Goods Guard, CBT 1 is the final exam. The RRB hasn’t announced CBT 2 dates yet, but candidates who cleared the cutoff for higher posts should prepare. Based on 2021 timelines, CBT 2 results typically appear 4–6 weeks after document verification begins.

Historical Context: How This Year Compares

Competition has only intensified. In 2021, the RRB Bilaspur cutoff for General category was 68.79 — lower than this year’s 75.52 in Muzaffarpur. Why? More applicants. More vacancies. And more pressure. The 2025 exam saw record registrations — over 15 million — up from 12.5 million in 2021. With the Indian Railways expanding its workforce and pushing for digitalization, these roles are more desirable than ever. But so is the competition.

Experts note that the cutoffs reflect a broader trend: government exams are becoming less about raw marks and more about strategic performance. Candidates who understand normalization, region-specific competition, and category dynamics have a real edge.