NAC is the National Apprenticeship Certificate. You earn it by completing apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act, 1961, and passing the All India Trade Test (AITT) at the end of it. The Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, issues it. Whether you saw the letters on an ITI (Industrial Training Institute) notice or on a railway or PSU (public sector undertaking) application form, NAC means this certificate.
NAC vs ITI certificate
An ITI course is training at an institute under the Craftsmen Training Scheme, and passing its trade test gives you the National Trade Certificate (NTC). An apprenticeship places you with an employer, such as a railway workshop or a factory, where you learn the trade on the job. The trade test at the end of it gives you the NAC. Some candidates do an ITI course and then an apprenticeship in the same trade, and hold both certificates. Many notifications accept either one and write “ITI/NAC”.
Reading “ITI/NAC” in an eligibility line
A line such as “10th pass + ITI/NAC in the relevant trade” asks for matriculation plus either certificate, in a trade that matches the post. A fitter NAC does not meet the requirement for an electrician post.
Check who the line says must have granted the certificate. Railway notices have asked for an NAC “granted by NCVT” (the National Council for Vocational Training), and where that wording appears, a certificate from a State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT) may not be accepted. Then check the date. If the notification fixes a date by which you must hold the certificate, a trade test result that comes out after it can rule you out.
FAQ
What is the NAC full form in ITI and railway notices? National Apprenticeship Certificate, in both. It comes from apprenticeship training, not from the ITI course. The certificate for the ITI course itself is the NTC.
Is NAC accepted in railway recruitment? Railway Level 1 (Group D) notifications have listed NAC next to 10th pass and ITI as accepted qualifications. Confirm the trade, the awarding council and the certificate date in the notice you apply to.
Is NAC the same as NTC? No. Both come from an all-India trade test, but NTC follows an ITI course and NAC follows an apprenticeship.
Jobs listed under NAC
The posts below accept the National Apprenticeship Certificate. They change with each recruitment, so open the notification PDF for the exact trades, the age limit and the date by which you must hold the certificate. Openings that ask for ITI are under the ITI term, and jobs by education lists every qualification the site tracks. For how age limits and relaxation work, see the age limit guide.
Railways Ministry invites online applications for 22195 permanent Group D positions under CEN No. 09 Eligible candidates with 10th pass, ITI, or NAC qualifications aged 18-33 years can apply from all states. The recruitment includes CBT, PET, document verification, and…
