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NRA CET: Common Eligibility Test, NRA CET Exam Date 2023, Syllabus, Full Form

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

NRA CET 2023: The National Recruitment Agency (NRA) is completely set to conduct the Common Eligibility Test (CET) for various non-gazetted posts under the Banking, SSC, and Railways departments approved by Union Cabinet. This means a single Prelims phase as NRA CET 2023 exam will be held for Group B and C posts of IBPS, SSC, and RRB. This single common entrance examination for all non-gazetted posts will completely change the Government job recruitment process.

The score of the NRA CET exam will be used by various agencies, PSUs, state bodies, and departments to select candidates for the next round. Candidates can give the Common Eligibility Test twice a year and improve their scores. Furthermore, the final listing of the candidates will be based on separate specialized examinations to be conducted by respective recruitment agencies.

NRA CET 2023

NRA CET 2023 is a big move by the government to change the recruitment process for Central Government jobs. aspirants seeking government jobs will soon no longer have to apply for different competitive job exams in order to obtain the job of their dreams. In the current scenario, you have to sit separately for SSC, Railway & Banking exams.

With the introduction of NRA CET, candidates have to give only a single preliminary examination for the exams conducted by these agencies. The government is pressing forward with the formation of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA), which will administer the CET (common admission test). The Common Eligibility Test would replace many exams administered by various employment channels such as IBPS, RRB, and SSC.

NRA CET Latest News

There are many updates regarding this exam which makes it difficult to keep up with it. We are providing candidates with the NRA CET latest news to help them stay up to date and prepare for it accordingly. The major updates of NRA CET (Common Eligibility Test) are as follows:

  • Common Eligibility Test will be conducted across the country from early 2023 and Ladakh will have two centers at Leh and Kargil.
  • Central Government has announced that the exam will be conducted across the country from early 2023.
  • Union Minister stated that the initiative from the Centre will be undertaken with the personal intervention of the Prime Minister.
  • NRA is likely to conduct Common Eligibility Test, Union Minister stated in reply to questions.
  • PM Narendra Modi has announced that NRA CET 2023 will start from the year 2023 in a ‘School Education in the 21st Century’ conclave.

NRA CET Full Form

The full form of NRA CET is National Recruitment Agency Common Eligibility Test. The main aim of setting up the NRA is to conduct the CET exam as a preliminary exam to recruit qualifying candidates for group B and C posts. This agency will be registered under the Society’s Registration Act and will work for various exam domains.

What is NRA CET?

According to the NRA CET approved by Union Cabinet, there will be a single entrance exam to conduct Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) exam for non-gazetted posts (Group B and C).

Through NRA Common Eligibility Test, a candidate will have to just prepare for one single entrance exam (Tier 1 or Prelims) for various Government Exams such as Bank, SSC & Railways, thus reducing their time, effort, and stress. The NRA will be an autonomous society under the Societies Act. The plan for screening the candidates was proposed by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

NRA CET 2023 Overview

Here we have provided all the information available about NRA CET 2023 in the public domain. Check the important information below.

NRA CET Full Form

National Recruitment Agency, Common Eligibility Test

Frequency

Twice a year

Exam Language

12 Major Indian Languages

Purpose

To select candidates for Group B and C non-technical posts

NRA CET Exam Date 2023

Late 2023

Score Validity of CET

3 years

Number Of Attempts

No bar on attempts subject upper age limit

Exam Centres

Every district to have at least one exam center

Mode of Exam

Computer-Based Online

Exams Covered

Staff Service Commission (SSC)

Railway Recruitment Board (RRB)

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)

What is Common Eligibility Test?

Common Eligibility Test or CET will be conducted online and will screen candidates for the preliminary exam of IBPS, SSC, and Railways Exams altogether. Candidates who will qualify for the test will become eligible for the next round of the selection process. NRA CET will represent the following organizations:

  • Ministry of Railways
  • Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services
  • Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
  • Railway Recruitment Board (RRB)
  • Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)

NRA CET 2023 Important Highlights

The NRA will replace 20 recruitment agencies and set up three main entities to conduct exams in three levels; 10th pass, 12th pass, and graduates. Now candidates don’t need to spend money to pay the application fee for each exam separately. This is a big relief for candidates from weaker economic backgrounds.

  • There will be a total of 12 languages in which the candidates can take up the exam, which also includes regional languages. 
  • There is no bar to attempting the CET, however, the score will remain valid for three years from the date of participation.
  • This single CET exam will help students reduce their stress and time while letting them focus on their aptitude and other skills.
  • Candidates from rural areas will be able to take these exams as each district will have a minimum of one exam center.
  • The CET will be held twice every year, giving students more opportunities to perform and succeed. 
  • Now you don’t need to worry about the exam-dates clashes, as you will appear for the single exam for all- Bank, SSC & Railways Recruitment. 
  • By standardizing the examination process, the government is expecting to save up to Rs. 600 Crores.

NRA CET Exam 2023 Notification

NRA CET notification 2023 is expected to be released at the official site. The NRA Common Eligibility Test will act as a Tier 1 exam while the separate exam conducting bodies will further conduct the Tier 2 & Tier 3 exam based on the exam category. National Recruitment Agency will release the NRA CET exam date 2023 and other important dates along with the official notification.

The NRA Common Eligibility Test will be conducted in 12 languages. You can check the exam date, syllabus, age limit, exam pattern, and other official details for the newly launched NRA CET Banking, SSC & Railways. NRA CET Notification 2023 PDF link will be available as soon as it’s officially gets released.

NRA CET Notification – Previous Year

The NRA CET PDFs from previous years are given below for your reference. You can refer to them to understand more about the upcoming NRA CET 2023 exam. You can download these CET PDFs from the direct link given below. This will help you enhance your understanding of the exam.

NRA CET Exam Date 2023

NRA CET (Common Eligibility Test) exam date 2023 is not announced yet however, it’s expected to be conducted from early 2023 as per the latest news. The exact date of receiving online applications for NRA CET will be notified shortly.

NRA CET Event

Dates

NRA CET 2023 Notification Release Date

To be announced

Registration Start Date

To be announced

Online Application Last Date

To be announced

Admit Card Release

To be announced

NRA CET Exam Date 2023

Late 2023

Exams Covered Under NRA CET 2023

The first round of the selection process is Tier 1 or Prelims will be held under NRA CET for various recruitment of SSC, RRB & IBPS. The following exams will be replaced through CET (Common Eligibility Test) at the 10th, 12th, and Graduation levels. At present, the exams that are conducted at the central level are to be replaced by NRA CET 2023. We have listed below the following exams that will be replaced through CET (Common Eligibility Test) at various levels.

Exam Conducting Bodies

Matriculation Level

Higher Secondary/ Intermediate Level

Graduate Level and above

Staff Selection Commission, SSC

SSC MTS

SSC Selection Post

SSC CPO

SSC CHSL

SSC Stenographer

SSC CGL

SSC JE

SSC JHT

Railways Recruitment Board, RRB

RRB Group D

RRB NTPC

RRB ALP

RRB NTPC

RRB JE

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, IBPS

NA

NA

IBPS Clerk

IBPS PO

IBPS RRB PO

IBPS RRB Clerk

IBPS SO

NRA CET for Banking Exams

The CET will conduct a single exam for Bank (Group B & C) Non-Gazetted mainly for IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, and IBPS SO. Now the screening of the first level will be done by NRA CET for three levels of categories; 10th, 12th & Graduates. This is going to be the biggest relief to Bank aspirants, as they can further focus on the Tier 2 & Interview process which they mainly failed to do earlier. 

NRA CET for SSC Exams

The CET exam for SSC will be a boon for candidates who want to appear for multiple SSC exams, but due to exam-date clashes, they had to make tough decisions of choosing one. Now they can appear for multiple SSC exams by giving a single CET test. Based on their CET scores, candidates can further apply for their dream SSC exam. The SSC exams that will now be conducted by NRA CET are SSC CGL, SSC CPO, SSC CHSL, SSC Steno Group C, D, JHT, etc.

Common Eligibility Test for Railways Exams

The candidates preparing for RRB exams such as Group B & C exams need not be worried about the exam dates as CET is going to take over the RRB Group B & C exams. Based on the CET score candidates can appear for a higher level of the selection process; which is Mains or Tier 2 & 3. The exam covered under CET Railway is RRB NTPC, ALP, etc

NRA CET Score and Validity

Please note that your NRA CET score will remain valid until three years from the date of participation. You can take the CET exam again in the following years to improve your CET Score.

  • Your CET score will define your aptitude ability and will be counted as a Tier 1 or Prelims exam score 
  • For Tier 2, & Tier 3 you can select your desired exams, and based on the NRA CET Score you can further take the Tier 2 & Tier 3
  • NRA CET is only the screening test for all the government exams
  • Your score will be eligible for State & UTs level Government exams 
  • Further, in the long run, the public sector undertakings (PSUs) and also the private sector can consider CET Score 

NRA CET 2023 Advantages and Disadvantages

As we know that there are two sides to the same coin, similarly everything has two sides. Speaking of which, the Common Eligibility Test also has its pros and cons.

Advantages

Disadvantages

The number of examinations will be reduced as no individual prelim exam will be taken

Candidates preparing for the Public Service Commission Exam will face difficulty as they prepare in a regional language whereas CET is in Hindi and English only.

Money spent on individual exam application forms will be saved

Applicants are estimated to reach around 5 crores in CET, which thereby increases competition manifolds.

Candidates can select one out of three levels that suit them the best to give their maximum output.

The number of aspirants clearing the written rounds will increase. This will increase the number of candidates for the interview rounds making the interview process more grilling and of a higher perspective. 

The validity of the CET score is for 3 years. The candidates can directly give tier 2 which is conducted by the individual authorities for two years as the score for tier 1 (CET) remains valid for 2 years

NRA CET Eligibility 2023

The eligibility to apply will be announced with the release of the official notification for CET important dates. It is expected that there will be no or minor changes in the eligibility criteria to apply for the Prelims/ Tier 1 CET test for Bank, SSC & RRB exams. Additionally, the age relaxation to various categories will remain the same, although the final notification is yet to be released on this. Read more about NRA CET Eligibility here with all the detailed information.

NRA CET Age limit

As mentioned earlier, there will be no major changes in the age limit. The NRA CET will be conducted in three levels: 10th pass, 12th pass, and graduates. The age limit and eligibility will be based on these three levels. Stay tuned to get the latest updates on Common Eligibility Test Age Limit.

NRA CET Qualification

Educational qualification will be one of the most important NRA CET eligibility. The qualification for the NRA CET exam will be based on the following criteria:

  • CET Education Qualification for 10th Pass Category: The candidates who will appear for the CET conducted by NRA for 10th Pass level exams will have different criteria for educational qualification. 
  • CET Education Qualification for 12th Pass Category: Candidates to appear for the 10+12 level of exams will have to fulfill the qualification based on the level for which they will appear in CET. 
  • CET Education Qualification for Graduates Category: The educational qualification for the Graduate level CET exam will have completely different criteria.

NRA CET Apply Online 2023

The NRA CET application form will be released with the notification. The link to apply online for CET will be made available when it is released officially by the National Recruitment Agency. 

NRA CET Application Form – Points to Remember

The aspirants will have to apply for NRA CET 2023 in online mode only, there is no offline form. The aspirants will need to provide a valid email ID and phone number while filling out the CET online application form.

  • It is important to fill out the Common Eligibility Test application form carefully to avoid any corrections after submission.
  • They will have to upload a scanned copy of their photograph and signature as per the guidelines in the notification.
  • Other documents as applicable will also need to be uploaded such as caste certificate, disability certificate, etc.
  • The aspirants will also have to upload a scanned copy of their scanned left thumb impression.
  • The application fee will be paid in online mode via methods such as net banking/debit card/credit card, etc.

NRA CET Exam Pattern

The NRA CET Exam Pattern will be disclosed shortly. However, the Common Eligibility Test (CET) Exam Pattern will be based on the following three types as per the eligibility criteria. The level of difficulty of the questions is likely to vary as per the following levels.

  • Matriculation Level (10th class)
  • Higher Secondary Level (12th pass)
  • Graduation Level 

The expected exam pattern for CET is as follows:

Section

Total Questions

Marks

Duration

General Intelligence and Reasoning

50

50

120 Minutes

General Awareness and General Knowledge

50

50

Quantitative Aptitude

50

50

English Language and Comprehension

50

50

Total

200

200

The CET Exam Pattern will be different for Tier 1 and further stages of the exam to be conducted by the SSC, IBPS, and RRB. Thus, the recruitment process will be in two phases i.e. NRA CET (Common Eligibility Test) and further stages to be conducted by the respective organizations.

NRA CET Syllabus

The NRA CET 2023 syllabus will be mostly dependent on the current exams for Bank, SSC & Railways. The final syllabus will be released on NRA CET official website. Before deciphering the expected NRA CET syllabus, it becomes imperative for all aspirants to acquaint themselves with the current syllabus to get an idea about what the future syllabus might consist of.

NRA CET Syllabus for Bank Exams

The syllabus for Bank exams will be based on the educational qualification required. Mostly the topics will be asked at the graduate level and will not be extremely difficult. Refer to the important topics below.

  • English Language – Comprehension, Synonyms-Antonyms, Fill in the Blanks, Active Passive Voice, Error Spotting, etc.
  • Quantitative Aptitude – Percentage Questions, Trigonometric Ratio, Triangle, Geometry, Menstruation, Algebra, Profit and Loss, etc.
  • Reasoning Ability – Missing Number, Analogy, Mirror Image, Figure Series, SyllogismMatrix, Pattern Completion, etc.

Common Eligibility Test Syllabus for SSC

The syllabus for most SSC exams consists of four major subjects. The difficulty level varies vastly based on the kind of qualification needed for the exam. Check the detailed NRA CET syllabus for SSC below.

NRA CET Syllabus for Railways

Railway exams are diverse in nature and are held at various levels. Thus, the CET syllabus also varies greatly, however, the basic topics under the most common sections are provided here for the reference of candidates.

NRA CET Books

If you want to crack the NRA CET exam, we’ve put up a list of section-wise popular books. We reviewed these books and found them to be the most helpful in studying for the upcoming Common Eligibility Test. Examine the list of CET books and prepare diligently to pass the exam.

NRA CET Preparation Books

Quantitative Aptitude

Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation Topic-wise Solved Papers by Kiran Prakashan

Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Aggarwal

Quantitative Aptitude for All Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha

General Intelligence and Reasoning

Reasoning Book for Competitive Examinations by Nishant K Sinha

Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal

Analytical Reasoning by M K Pandey

English

High School English Grammar and Comprehension by Wren Martin

Objective General English by RS Aggarwal & Vikas Aggarwal

Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

General Awareness

General Knowledge Manual by Edgar Thorpe & Showick Thorpe

Manorama

NRA CET Test Center 2023

The exam center list will be out soon before the exam date of the Common Eligibility Test. The NRA already informed that every district will have at least one exam center. Based on your choice of centers and availability you will be allotted the exam center. We will update the list of the exam center for NRA CET 2023 as soon as it is out. 

NRA CET Admit Card 2023

The Agency will release the hall ticket for the common eligibility test a few days before the exam. A CET Call letter is a very important document to carry to the exam center. A separate NRA CET 2023 admit card will be released for each attempt.

NRA CET Result 2023

One of the big worries of candidates regarding the Common Eligibility Test is when NRA will release the result of the exam. It will release the scorecard of candidates a few days after the exam on the official NRA website. There will be a minimum delay in the preparation of the result. The whole process will be online and fast.

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