CBT 2 and Skill Test Flow
Key Takeaways
- CBT 2 has 120 questions in 90 minutes, with the indicative split of 50 General Awareness, 35 Mathematics, and 35 Reasoning.
- Normalized CBT 2 marks are used for document-verification shortlisting or for calling candidates to CBAT or typing where those tests apply.
- CBAT applies in CEN 06/2025 only to Station Master and Traffic Assistant, with a minimum T-score of 42 in each battery and no relaxation.
- Typing tests are qualifying for designated typist posts and require 30 wpm in English or 25 wpm in Hindi.
CBT 2 Is Where the Selection Route Narrows
CBT 2 is not just a longer version of CBT 1. The second-stage Computer Based Test is where the candidate pool has already been reduced, the competition is stronger, and the score becomes central to later selection. The 2025 CENs state that candidates are shortlisted for CBT 2 based on normalized CBT 1 marks, generally at 15 times the community-wise vacancies of posts notified against the RRB, subject to Railway discretion.
Once CBT 2 is conducted, its normalized marks are used in two ways. For posts without a skill test, the marks support shortlisting for document verification. For posts with a typing test or aptitude test, the marks are used to call candidates to that post-specific test. This is why a candidate should prepare for CBT 2 as a merit stage even though some later tests are qualifying.
Official CBT 2 Pattern
| Component | CBT 2 rule |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Scribe-eligible duration | 120 minutes |
| Total questions | 120 |
| Total marks | 120 |
| General Awareness | 50 questions |
| Mathematics | 35 questions |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 35 questions |
| Wrong answer penalty | 1/3 mark |
The same broad subject families appear in CBT 2: General Awareness, Mathematics, and General Intelligence and Reasoning. The General Awareness share grows to 50 questions, so factual revision remains a major scoring lever. Mathematics and Reasoning also grow in absolute number, so a candidate who only clears CBT 1 by recall may struggle in CBT 2 if speed and accuracy are not developed.
From CBT 2 to Skill Tests
The next branch depends on the post. The graduate CEN has three post groups after CBT 2: no skill-test posts, typist posts, and CBAT posts. The undergraduate CEN has no CBAT branch, but it has typist posts.
| Post route | Posts | Test after CBT 2 | Effect on merit |
|---|---|---|---|
| No skill test | Goods Train Manager, Chief Commercial cum Ticket Supervisor, Commercial cum Ticket Clerk, Trains Clerk | None before DV | CBT performance drives DV shortlisting |
| Typing | Senior Clerk cum Typist, Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist, Accounts Clerk cum Typist, Junior Clerk cum Typist | CBTST | Qualifying only |
| Aptitude | Station Master, Traffic Assistant | CBAT | 70 percent CBT 2 and 30 percent CBAT |
This table is simplified for study planning, so candidates must still check the exact post parameters in the relevant CEN. But the planning message is firm: if your target post has a branch test, start that practice before CBT 2 results. Waiting until the call notice can leave too little time.
Computer Based Aptitude Test
CBAT applies under CEN 06/2025 to candidates who opted for Station Master or Traffic Assistant. The official notice says candidates equal to 8 times the vacancies for Station Master and Traffic Assistant, community-wise, are shortlisted for CBAT based on CBT 2 performance. A candidate must qualify each test battery.
The minimum CBAT standard is a T-score of 42 in each test battery. The CEN says this applies to all candidates regardless of community or category and that no relaxation in the minimum T-score is permissible. CBAT has questions and answer options only in English and Hindi, and there is no negative marking in CBAT.
Candidates called for CBAT for Station Master or Traffic Assistant must produce the prescribed vision certificate in original during CBAT. The CEN also directs candidates to the RDSO psycho-technical guidance for aptitude-test patterns. Treat CBAT as a separate skill: attention, speed, response consistency, memory, and decision accuracy matter more than memorizing GK facts.
The final merit for Station Master and Traffic Assistant is drawn from candidates who qualify CBAT. The weightage is 70 percent for CBT 2 marks and 30 percent for CBAT marks. This makes CBT 2 still the larger component, but a weak CBAT can block or damage the result.
Computer Based Typing Skill Test
The typing test is qualifying. Marks from the typing test are not added for merit. But failing typing can remove a candidate from consideration for the typist post, so it is not optional practice.
The standard is 30 words per minute in English or 25 words per minute in Hindi on a personal computer. The test is conducted without editing tools and spell-check facilities. For Hindi typing, Kruti Dev and Mangal fonts are made available. Candidates equal to 8 times the number of vacancies for each community may be called for the typing test.
PwBD candidates with qualifying permanent disabilities may receive typing-test exemption if they meet the conditions and upload the prescribed exemption certificate from the competent medical board before the typing test. Do not assume exemption informally; it must follow the CEN format and timing.
How to Prepare for the Flow
A focused CBT 2 plan has three lanes. First, deepen the same syllabus with harder mixed sets and timed 120-question mocks. Second, build post-specific readiness: typing drills for typist posts or aptitude practice for CBAT posts. Third, maintain document and medical readiness so a later call does not expose a preventable problem.
The most common selection-flow error is treating skill tests as distant. They are distant only on the calendar. They are close in the merit chain. The candidate who knows the post route early can prepare for CBT 2 and the branch test together without panic.
A candidate targeting Traffic Assistant clears CBT 2 and is shortlisted for the next post-specific stage. Which statement best describes the official CBAT consequence?