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This section of the RRB Office Assistant 2025 Prelim exam comprises 40 questions, and each question carries 1 mark. The total time allotted for the Numerical Ability Section is 20 minutes.
The numerical ability section of the RRB Office Assistant 2025 Main exam comprises 40 questions, but the maximum marks are 50. There is a 30-minute sectional time limit.
There is a negative marking scheme for both Prelim and Main exams, where 1/4th of the marks assigned for a question are deducted for each wrongly marked response. For Prelim and Main exams, there are minimum qualifying marks for individual tests. Only the marks obtained in the main exam are considered for the final merit list.
Questions on Data Interpretation carry more weightage in the Main exam than in the Prelim exam. In the main exam, at least 15 questions out of 40 are asked on Data Interpretation. In the prelim exam, at least 10 questions are asked.
In the Prelim exam, questions on single graphs like Table, Bar Graph, Line Graph, and Single Pie Chart are asked, whereas in the Main exam, question types include a combination of graphs like Pie Chart + Line Graph, Caselet, etc. Five questions based on a Caselet are asked almost every year. The questions based on the Caselet should be attempted at the end.
Questions based on Simplifications and Approximations are asked quite frequently in the Prelims exam and carry 10 to 15 questions. In the mains exam, a maximum of five such questions are asked. These questions are easy to solve, and hence, students should not skip them.
To answer questions on Simplifications & Approximations and Data Interpretation, students should learn and practice the following:
- Multiplication Tables (20X20)
- Squares of the first 25 Natural numbers
- Cubes of the first 20 Natural numbers
- Powers of 2 (Up to 12)
- Powers of 3 (Up to 7)
- Fraction / Reciprocal values (Up to 12)
- Complements of 100
- BODMAS
- Rules of Indices
- Basic % concepts
These questions test the knowledge of a student in fundamental concepts. These are important for both the Prelim and the Main examinations.
In Prelims exams, 5 to 15 questions are from arithmetic. In the main exam, 10 to 15 questions are from arithmetic.
Important topics include – Ages, Percentages, Profit & Loss, Partnership, Time & Work, Boats & Streams, Trains, Mensuration, Simple & Compound Interest, Averages, Mixtures & Alligations, Permutations and Combinations, Probability, etc.
Generally, there are five questions on Number Series (Missing or Wrong No.). These are important for both the Prelim and the Main examinations. For the main exam, 4 to 5 questions on quadratic comparisons were asked every year from 2021. Questions on Quadratic comparisons are easy to attempt. Hence, the student should certainly attempt these questions.
There were no questions on Data Sufficiency in the Prelim exam in the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, but in the Main exam, questions based on Data Sufficiency were given. Questions based on Data Comparison were asked in the Main exam in 2023 and 2024. These questions demand a thorough understanding of the basics and are tricky to solve. These two question types can at times be asked in the Prelim exam as well, but their difficulty level would certainly be much lower, keeping in mind the basic nature of the exam.
The following table presents a topic-wise split of question types asked in the RRB Clerks 2022, 2023, and 2024 exams (Prelim & Main). [This is based on feedback given by T.I.M.E. students who have appeared for such exams earlier.]
| Area (Numerical Ability) | RRB Office Assistant Prelim 2024 | RRB Office Assistant Prelim 2023 | RRB Office Assistant Prelim 2022 | Overall |
| Data Interpretation | 10 (Table, Bar) | 10 (Table, Line) | 10 (Table, Bar) | 10 – 12 (Table, Bar, Line) |
| Number series | 5 (Missing) | 6 (Missing) | 5 (Missing/Wrong) | 5 - 6 (Missing/Wrong) |
| Arithmetic | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 -13 |
| Simplifications and Approximations | 15 | 12 (Simplifications) | 15 (Approximations 5 and 10 simplifications) | 10 – 15 (Approximations 5 and 10 simplifications) |
| Total | 40 questions | 40 questions | 40 questions | 40 questions |
| Area (Numerical Ability) | RRB Office Assistant Mains 2024 | RRB Office Assistant Mains 2023 | RRB Office Assistant Mains 2022 | Overall |
| Data Interpretation | 15 (Table, Bar+Line, Caselet(2+3)) | 16 (Table, Line, Caselet) | 15 (Table, Pie+Line, Caselet) | 15 -16 (Table, Line , Pie-Chart, Caselet) |
| Number series | 5 (Wrong) | 4 (Missing) | 5 (Missing) | 4 – 5 |
| Arithmetic | 12 | 6 | 10 | 10 – 12 |
| Quadratic equations | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 – 5 |
| Speed Maths | 5 (Approx) | 4 (Approx) | 0 | 0 – 5 |
| Data Sufficiency | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 – 3 |
| Data Comparison | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 – 5 |
| Total | 40 questions | 40 questions | 40 questions | 40 questions |
To maximise the score and to manage time effectively, we recommend the following plan for attempting questions:
Questions on Data Interpretation should be attempted at the end. Among these questions, Caselet-based questions should be attempted last of all.
- Going through the analyses of previous years’ papers will help you understand what topics were asked in the exams, the weightage of questions from each topic, the pattern of questions, etc.
- Whether a sectional time limit is specified or not, time management, speed, and accuracy play an important role in helping you clear your exams. Work on your speed and accuracy.
- Practise questions daily. This will give you an edge over others who are appearing for these exams.
- Tracking your performance regularly helps you identify the areas/topics in which you are weak and need to boost your preparation.
- Answering the questions in a particular sequence, to maximise your attempts and your score, is very important. See the order given above.
- Take ample online tests, topic-wise as well as Mock Tests – these will help you understand your preparation levels and assist you in time management so that when you go for the actual exam, you give it a shot with confidence.
All the Best!!