New Delhi: To bring ease to job seekers around the country, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for setting up the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) which will conduct the Common Eligibility Test (CET).The autonomous body will help resolve issues faced by candidates including ease of job recruitment processes such as delay in the processing of application, malpractices, and other impediments related to the participation of aspirants, especially women.


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Here's everything you need to know about the NRA and CET

What is the 'National Recruitment Agency'(NRA)?

National Recruitment Agency will be an autonomous body that will help to ease job recruitment process. It will be responsible for conducting preliminary eligibility’ examination’ (CET) for non-gazetted government posts such as banking, railway (RRB) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) jobs. The NRA will have representatives from the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the SSC, RRB & IBPS.

What will the NRA be responsible for? 

The NRA will be mainly responsible for conducting the Common Eligibility Test (CET). Usually, candidates have to appear for multiple recruitment exams, which means that they can incur, multiple travel and lodging expenses. The NRA will help ease this process by conducting a common screening test.

What is the CET?

The Common Eligibility Test (CET) is will be a screening or preliminary examination for various non-gazetted government jobs.

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Will the CET be an online exam?

Yes. The NRA will conduct online CET for major government jobs.

How many times will the exams be conducted?

According to Union minister Jitendra Singh, the exam will be conducted twice a year.

What exams will be covered by the CET?

Initially, the CET will be held for Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS Clerk, PO) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC CHSL, CGL, Steno Group C, D, JHT, etc.). But it will be expanded to cover other non-gazetted posts.

How many positions can a candidate apply for?

Candidates can appear once and apply to any or all of the recruitment agencies.

What will be the medium for CET?

The tests will be conducted in 12 languages and efforts will be made to include all the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution

Does appearing for CET mean that I don’t have to appear for any other exams?

The CET will just be a screening test for basic aptitude. If you qualify then candidates will have to appear for the second and third rounds of the recruitment. The actual selection will be based on the required recruitment criteria which have been specified by recruitment agencies such as RRB, SSC and IBPS. These agencies will continue to conduct examinations for various vacancies notified by the government.

For how long will the test scores be valid for?

The test scores of the CET will remain valid for three years.

What is the syllabus for NRA CET?

The Syllabus for CET will only be announced after the NRA becomes functional.

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