NRA CET Exam Pattern

The National Recruitment Agency, NRA has been approved by the Central Government of India to conduct the Common Eligibility Test (CET) across the country. The primary aim of this examination is to replace the preliminary examinations of Group B and Group C posts under the government. The NRA’s decision to conduct the examination was approved on 19th August 2020, and the examination pattern for the same is quite similar to that of previous Prelims. The NRA CET exam pattern and its subsequent details pertaining to syllabus, dates and marking scheme shall be discussed in detail in this article.

Note – The official website of NRA CET is under construction. Once the official website announces any updates regarding the NRA CET Exam, it will be updated here.

Overview of NRA CET Exam Pattern

The exam pattern for the NRA CET examination is divided into three respective levels, based on the educational qualification of the candidate. The educational qualification is perhaps the most important eligibility criterium in the entire recruitment process, since the NRA puts a lot of emphasis on it. The three primary levels in which the examination is segregated are:

1. The Matriculation level pertains to the candidates whose educational qualification is up to 10th grade as per the date of application
2. The Higher Secondary level, pertains to the candidates whose educational qualification is up to 12th grade as per the date of application
3. The Graduation level, pertains to candidates who have graduated from a recognised institute as per the date of the application

The examination pattern for each of these levels remains the same, but varies in terms of difficulty level and topics regarding the candidate’s educational background.

NRA CET Exam Pattern

The council has not yet announced the examination pattern for the 2023 recruitment under the NRA, but the pattern is expected to be similar to that in 2021-22. Considering that the CET is a relatively new examination, it is unlikely for the NRA to change the examination pattern now.

The NRA CET exam pattern 2022 included one primary written examination for all levels, consisting of four sections – General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English Language.

General Intelligence and Reasoning

The section which contains questions related to general intelligence and reasoning in the NRA CET paper consist of 50 questions. Each question carries one mark of weightage, totalling 50 marks for this section.

Here are some probable topics from the syllabus:

1. Seating Arrangements
2. Puzzles
3. Input-output
4. Verbal reasoning
5. Analogy
6. Clock and calendar

General Awareness

The section which contains questions pertaining to General Awareness in the NRA CET examination have a total weightage of 50 marks, with 50 questions. For each correct answer, candidates are awarded one mark. Some probable topics from the syllabus include:

1. Current Affairs
2. G.K. Updates on Games and Sports
3. Countries, currencies and capitals
4. Awards and honours
5. History
6. Politics

Also, refer to other such topics on the Static GK page for assistance in the preparation of the GK/GA section of the NRA CET Exam.

Given below are a few other related links for NRA CET exam preparation:

Quantitative Aptitude

The quantitative aptitude section of the NRA CET question paper contains a total of 50 questions, amounting to an aggregate of 50 marks. Here are some potential topics from its syllabus:

1. Data Interpretation
2. Ratio and Proportion
3. Geometry
4. Decimals
5. Mensuration
6. Quadratic Equations
7. Average
8. Simple Interest and Compound Interest

Find more such topics based on basic concepts with sample questions on the Quantitative Aptitude page.

English Language

The English Language section of the NRA CET examination paper also consists of 50 questions, amounting to 50 marks. Some probable topics from the syllabus include:

1. Reading comprehension
2. Sentence correction
3. Spellings
4. Phrases and Idioms
5. Active and Passive Voice.

For further assistance with such concepts based articles and topic-wise study material for the English Language section, candidates can visit the General English for Competitive Exams, page linked here.

Additional Information

1. There is a negative marking scheme of 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer.
2. The total number of questions is 200.
3. The total time of completion is 2 hours.

Candidates need to know all the details of the exam pattern so that their preparation for the exam can follow the correct course of direction.

Note:

• The NRA will initially conduct the CET for three sectors:
  • Railway Recruitment Board
  • Staff Selection Commission
  • Institute of Banking Personnel Selection
• It will be held separately for three levels – graduate, 12th pass and 10th pass – for the non-technical posts of the three agencies.
• The NRA will conduct a common preliminary exam for all IBPS, SSC, and RRB posts.
• The list of exams to be subsumed under the NRA CET Exam are as follows:
  • SSC CGL
  • SSC CHSL
  • SSC CPO
  • SSC MTS
  • SSC GD
  • SSC JHT
  • SSC Stenographer
  • SSC Selection Post Exam
  • IBPS Clerk
  • IBPS PO
  • IBPS RRB PO
  • IBPS RRB Clerk
  • RRB NTPC
  • RRB Group-D

For the Best preparation strategy for competitive exams, candidates can visit the linked article and get detailed study material and preparation tips to excel in the examination.

Aspirants who shall be appearing for the exam for the first time and are willing to get some preparation tips and study material for the competitive exams can turn to BYJU’S for assistance.