On November 26, 2025, the Railway Recruitment Boards dropped the official date for the RRB NTPC UG CBT 2: December 20, 2025. For over 51,979 candidates who cleared the first stage, this isn’t just another exam date—it’s the final hurdle before a government job that could change their family’s future. The twist? You won’t know your exam city until exactly 10 days before, on December 10, 2025. That’s right: no early leaks, no guesswork. Just a clean, secure system designed to prevent last-minute chaos.
How the New 10-Day Intimation System Works
For the first time, the RRBs are rolling out a strict 10-day advance notification window for exam centers. Candidates will be able to log in to their portals on December 10 and see exactly where they’re assigned—down to the building, room number, and reporting time. The move is meant to cut down on fake centers, coaching center scams, and last-minute travel panic. “We’ve had candidates fly across states because they got wrong info from WhatsApp groups,” said a senior RRB official on condition of anonymity. “This system shuts that down.”
Admit cards, or e-call letters, follow four days later on December 16, 2025. No exceptions. No early downloads. No mercy. And here’s the catch: you can’t even enter the exam hall without your original Aadhaar card or a printout of the e-verified version. Biometric authentication—fingerprint and facial scan—is mandatory at every center. No Aadhaar? No entry. Period.
Who’s Taking the Exam and What’s at Stake
This round is for the RRB NTPC Undergraduate level, targeting just 3,445 posts across four roles: 2,022 Commercial cum Ticket Clerk, 990 Junior Clerk cum Typist, 361 Accounts Clerk cum Typist, and 72 Trains Clerk positions. These aren’t glamorous jobs—but they’re stable, with pensions, medical benefits, and fixed work hours. For many rural applicants, this is the only path to a secure government job without a degree.
The scale is staggering. Over 1.8 million applied for the undergraduate stream alone. Only 2.8% made it to CBT 2. That’s tougher than getting into IITs. And the competition doesn’t stop here. The next stage—document verification and skill tests—will whittle the list down further. By March 2026, fewer than 1,500 will be selected.
Special Provisions for SC/ST Candidates
On December 10, when exam cities go live, so will the travel authority for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates. This isn’t just a formality—it’s a lifeline. SC/ST applicants can claim free travel by rail (second class sleeper) to their exam center, even if it’s across the country. The travel pass is auto-generated with the city intimation and must be printed and carried along with the Aadhaar. No pass? No reimbursement. The RRBs have made this clear: “This benefit is tied to the official portal, not to any third-party application.”
But here’s the problem: many applicants still haven’t linked their Aadhaar. The deadline to complete this mandatory step is December 19, 2025. The portal—rrbapply.gov.in—is already flooded. Tech support lines are ringing off the hook. One candidate from Jharkhand told us he spent three days at a cyber cafe just to get his Aadhaar authenticated. “I thought I had it done,” he said. “Turns out, the system rejected my photo. Now I’m racing against time.”
Regional Portals and Official Sources Only
Don’t trust Facebook groups. Don’t follow Telegram channels. Don’t pay for “guaranteed center” tips. The RRBs have listed only six official portals for exam city checks: RRB Secunderabad, RRB Siliguri, RRB Chandigarh, RRB Chennai, RRB Gorakhpur, and the central rrbapply.gov.in. Any other site claiming to release city details is a scam. The RRBs have already shut down over 140 fake websites since November.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline?
There’s no grace period. No rescheduling. No appeals. If your Aadhaar isn’t linked by December 19, you’re out. If you don’t check your city by December 10 and show up at the wrong center, you’re out. If your printout is blurry or your fingerprint doesn’t match, you’re out. This isn’t harsh—it’s necessary. In 2023, over 2,300 candidates were barred from the exam due to document mismatches. The RRBs won’t repeat that.
The application window for this cycle closed on November 27, 2025, with fee payments accepted until November 29. The form correction window—open from November 23 to December 2—was the last chance to fix spelling errors, upload better photos, or change category claims. Candidates who missed it? Too bad. The system doesn’t bend.
What’s Next?
After December 20, results are expected by mid-January 2026. Then comes document verification, which may require candidates to appear in person at regional RRB offices. The final merit list will be out by April 2026. For those who don’t make it this time, there’s a retake window in March 2026—but only if you’re among the top 5% of scorers in CBT 2. And even then, it’s not guaranteed.
Meanwhile, the graduate-level CBT 2 is already behind us, held on October 13, 2025. That’s a different pool, with different vacancies and different timelines. Don’t confuse the two. They’re separate tracks. One ends in December. The other in February.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my exam city after December 10, 2025?
No. Once the exam city is assigned and displayed on December 10, 2025, no changes are permitted under any circumstances. The RRBs have explicitly stated that city allocation is final and based on proximity to your registered address and center capacity. Requests for relocation due to personal reasons, travel inconvenience, or family emergencies will not be entertained.
What if I don’t have an Aadhaar card?
You must obtain and link your Aadhaar to your RRB application before December 19, 2025. If you don’t have one, visit the nearest Aadhaar enrollment center immediately. The RRBs accept printouts of e-Aadhaar with a QR code and photo. Without a valid, authenticated Aadhaar, you will not be allowed to enter the exam hall, regardless of any other ID you carry.
Are SC/ST candidates guaranteed free travel to the exam center?
Yes, but only if they download the travel authority from the official portal on December 10, 2025. The benefit covers second-class sleeper rail travel from the nearest station to the exam city. It’s not cash reimbursement. You must carry the printed travel pass along with your Aadhaar and admit card. Failure to produce any one item voids the benefit.
Can I use a photocopy of my Aadhaar if the original is lost?
No. Only original Aadhaar cards or printouts of the e-Aadhaar downloaded from the UIDAI website with a valid QR code and photo are accepted. Photocopies, scanned versions, or screenshots are not valid. The biometric system requires a physical document with embedded security features. If your original is lost, get a new printout from the UIDAI portal immediately.
What happens if my fingerprint doesn’t match during biometric verification?
You’ll be allowed one retry. If the second attempt also fails, you’ll be moved to a manual verification panel with a senior invigilator and a video-recorded review. You must provide additional documents like your voter ID or passport. If the panel still can’t verify your identity, you’ll be barred from the exam. This has happened in 3% of cases in previous cycles—usually due to manual labor, seasonal dryness, or old biometric data.
Is there any way to know my exam center before December 10?
No. The RRBs have confirmed that no unofficial sources, coaching centers, or third-party apps will have access to center details before December 10, 2025. Any website or person claiming to provide this information is running a scam. The only authorized channel is the official RRB portal. Check your application status there daily after December 8 to ensure your login credentials work.