Skip to content
ExamTrack Prep

Railways | RPF

RPF SI Latest notified cycle

Graduate-entry supervisory recruitment into the Railway Protection Force, with the same written paper as the Constable exam but a higher qualification bar and rank.

Awaiting notification4 stages

Overview

Conducting body
RPFrpf.indianrailways.gov.in
Age limit
20 years and above, upper limit varies by post
Application fee
₹250 to ₹500
Vacancies
To be announced
First stage duration
1 hr 30 min
Negative marking
1/3 mark per wrong answer

Railway Protection Force Recruitment of Sub-Inspectors (Executive) is conducted by Railway Protection Force, Ministry of Railways. Selection runs through 4 stages: Computer Based Test, Physical Efficiency Test, Physical Measurement Test, Document Verification and Medical Examination.

  1. Clear the Computer Based Test, meeting the minimum qualifying percentage for your category.
  2. Qualify the Physical Efficiency Test, which is pass or fail.
  3. Meet the height and chest standards at the Physical Measurement Test.
  4. Attend Document Verification in merit order for your group.
  5. Pass the medical examination applicable to an armed force post before appointment.

Important dates

Important dates
EventDateStatus
Notification release

Sub-Inspector posts are usually advertised together with Constable posts in the same RPF notification, which appears irregularly.

To be announcedNot announced
Online application window

Usually open for about a month from the notification date.

To be announcedNot announced
Computer Based Test

Held across many shifts, with scores normalised.

To be announcedNot announced
Physical Efficiency Test and Physical Measurement TestTo be announcedNot announced
Document VerificationTo be announcedNot announced
Medical ExaminationTo be announcedNot announced
Final result and panelTo be announcedNot announced

Eligibility

Educational qualification

A degree in any discipline from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification.

The written paper is the same as for Constable, so the qualification and the rank are what separate the two posts rather than the exam content. Candidates eligible for both frequently apply for both within the same notification.

Age

20 to 28 years as on the cut-off date stated in the official notification.

Upper age relaxation

  • SC and ST+5 years
  • OBC (non-creamy layer)+3 years
  • Ex-servicemen, after deducting service rendered+3 years
  • Serving railway employees, as specified in the notification+5 years
  • Widows, divorced women and women judicially separated who have not remarried+7 years

Nationality

A candidate must be one of the following:

  • A citizen of India
  • A subject of Nepal or Bhutan
  • A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently
  • A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka or specified East African countries intending to settle permanently in India

Application fee

CategoryFee
General, OBC and EWS

Rupees 400 is refunded after you appear in the Computer Based Test, net of bank charges.

₹500
SC, ST, ex-servicemen, women, transgender, minorities and economically backward class

The full amount is refunded after you appear in the Computer Based Test, net of bank charges.

₹250

Fees have been stable across recent cycles but are the kind of detail a notification can revise. Confirm on the official notification before paying.

Exam pattern

Stage by stage structure with question counts, marks, timing and the marking scheme.

Stage 1: Computer Based Test

Computer based test
SectionQuestionsMarks
General Awareness5050
Arithmetic3535
General Intelligence and Reasoning3535
Total120120

Duration: 1 hr 30 min|Negative marking: 1/3 mark per wrong answer

  • 120 questions for 120 marks in a composite 90 minutes, the same structure as the Constable paper.
  • General Awareness alone is 50 of the 120 marks.
  • Minimum qualifying marks are 35% for UR, OBC and EWS, and 30% for SC and ST.
  • Because Sub-Inspector vacancies are fewer, the effective cut-off on this identical paper is markedly higher than for Constable.

Stage 2: Physical Efficiency Test

Skill testQualifying only

Duration: Varies|Negative marking: None

  • Purely qualifying: it adds no marks, but failing ends your candidature regardless of your written score.
  • Male candidates are required to run 1600 metres in about six and a half minutes, clear a long jump of about 12 feet and a high jump of about 3 feet 9 inches.
  • Female candidates are required to run 800 metres in about four minutes, clear a long jump of about 9 feet and a high jump of about 3 feet.
  • The male standards here are somewhat more lenient than the Constable standards, which is unusual for a senior post and worth knowing when choosing which to apply for.
  • Ex-servicemen are exempted from this test but must still meet the measurement standards.
  • Confirm the exact timings and distances from the current notification.

Stage 3: Physical Measurement Test

Skill testQualifying only

Duration: Varies|Negative marking: None

  • Height is measured for all candidates, and chest measurement, both unexpanded and expanded, is taken for male candidates.
  • Standards differ by gender and category, with lower height requirements for SC and ST candidates and for candidates from specified hill communities such as Garhwalis, Gorkhas, Dogras, Marathas and Kumaonese.
  • A fixed threshold that preparation cannot change, so verify your own measurements against the notification table before applying.

Stage 4: Document Verification and Medical Examination

Document and medicalQualifying only

Duration: Varies|Negative marking: None

  • Candidates are called in merit order against the vacancies for their group.
  • The medical standard is that applicable to an armed force role, covering vision, hearing and general fitness.
  • Appointment follows only after both verification and medical clearance.

Syllabus

General Awareness

  • Indian history and the freedom struggle
  • Indian polity and the constitution
  • Indian and world geography
  • Indian economy basics
  • General science at school level
  • Sports, awards and honours
  • Art, culture and important days
  • Government schemes and flagship programmes
  • Indian Railways: organisation, zones and the role of the RPF
  • Current affairs of the previous six to twelve months

Mathematics

  • Number system and simplification
  • Decimals and fractions
  • LCM and HCF
  • Ratio and proportion
  • Percentage
  • Average
  • Profit and loss
  • Simple and compound interest
  • Discount
  • Time and work
  • Time, speed and distance
  • Mensuration
  • Tables and graphs at basic level

General Intelligence & Reasoning

  • Analogies
  • Similarities and differences
  • Spatial visualisation and spatial orientation
  • Visual memory and discrimination
  • Observation and relationship concepts
  • Arithmetical reasoning and figural classification
  • Arithmetic number series
  • Non-verbal series
  • Coding and decoding
  • Statement and conclusion
  • Syllogistic reasoning

How to apply

  1. Check the physical standards against your own measurements

    Height and chest requirements are absolute and category-specific, and no preparation changes them. Verify before you apply rather than at the measurement test.

  2. Decide whether to apply for Constable as well

    The written paper is identical, so a graduate can prepare once and apply for both where the notification allows it. Sub-Inspector has far fewer vacancies and a higher cut-off, so applying for both widens your chances materially.

  3. Register on the recruitment portal

    Follow the application link given in the notification. Recent RPF cycles have used the centralised railway application system.

  4. Choose your group of zonal railways

    Merit is drawn group by group, which affects both competition and likely posting.

  5. Pay the fee and keep the receipt

    Most of the fee is refunded after you appear for the CBT, so provide accurate bank details and save the transaction record.

Documents to keep ready

  • Degree certificate and all semester or year mark-sheets
  • Class 10 and class 12 certificates
  • Valid photo identity proof such as Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence or voter ID
  • Caste or EWS certificate in the prescribed central government format, where applicable
  • Certificate evidencing membership of a specified hill community, where claiming relaxed height standards
  • Ex-servicemen discharge certificate, where applicable
  • Certificate of marital status, where claiming relaxation as a widow or divorced woman
  • Recent passport-size photograph and signature matching the images uploaded
  • Bank account details for the fee refund

Salary and job profile

Pay and allowances

Pay scale:
Level 6 of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix
Initial basic pay:
To be announced
Approximate in-hand:
To be announced

Allowances

  • Dearness Allowance revised periodically
  • House Rent Allowance based on the city classification of the posting
  • Transport Allowance
  • Ration money allowance
  • Uniform and kit maintenance allowance
  • Night duty allowance where applicable

Perks

  • Railway quarters or officers' accommodation, subject to availability
  • Free or concessional railway passes for self and family
  • Railway hospital and dispensary medical facilities
  • Pension under the National Pension System
  • Provident fund and gratuity
  • Canteen, mess and welfare facilities

Sub-Inspector enters at Level 6 against Level 3 for Constable, a substantial difference. Confirm the current basic pay and allowance rates from the notification and applicable rules.

What the job involves

  • Supervising a section of the force, including Head Constables and Constables on duty.
  • Leading patrols, escort parties and station security arrangements.
  • Registering and investigating offences under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act and related legislation.
  • Preparing case records and appearing before courts in prosecutions.
  • Coordinating with state police, station staff and divisional officials during incidents.
  • Managing crowd control planning at stations during festivals and major movements.
  • Shift work, transfers and deployment away from home station are inherent to the role.
  • Promotion to Inspector and higher ranks through departmental examinations and seniority.

How to prepare for RPF SI

  • Prepare the written paper once and apply for both Constable and Sub-Inspector if you are eligible. There is no separate syllabus to learn.
  • General Awareness is 50 of the 120 marks and is where the higher Sub-Inspector cut-off is usually met or missed. Treat it as the priority section, not an afterthought.
  • Start physical training when you apply. The gap between the written result and the physical test is often short.
  • Because the cut-off is high, aim well above the 35% qualifying floor. Qualifying and being selected are very different thresholds for this post.
  • Look at the investigation and prosecution side of the role before the interview-free selection ends. Understanding what the job involves helps in framing your document verification and in the early months of service.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Sub-Inspector written paper harder than the Constable paper?

No, it has the same structure and standard: 120 questions for 120 marks in 90 minutes across General Awareness, Arithmetic and Reasoning. What differs is the competition, because Sub-Inspector vacancies are far fewer, so the same paper produces a much higher cut-off.

Should I apply for both Constable and Sub-Inspector?

If you are a graduate and the notification permits both, it is usually worth doing. The preparation is identical and the Constable post has many more vacancies, so applying only for Sub-Inspector narrows your chances for no preparation saving.

Are the Sub-Inspector physical standards tougher than the Constable ones?

Not uniformly. The male running and jumping requirements are actually somewhat more lenient for Sub-Inspector than for Constable. The height and chest measurement standards are broadly comparable. Read both tables in the notification rather than assuming the senior post is stricter.

Do the physical tests contribute marks to merit?

No. They are pass or fail. Merit comes from the Computer Based Test alone, among candidates who clear the physical stages.

What rank and pay does a Sub-Inspector start at?

Sub-Inspector is a supervisory rank entering at Level 6 of the pay matrix, against Level 3 for Constable. You supervise Constables and Head Constables and handle investigation and prosecution work.

Last verified 28 July 2026(today, by editorial)

Not yet confirmed for this cycle: the schedule, the vacancy count, the upper age limit, basic pay, gross pay, in-hand pay and the application fee. Where we have a figure from previous cycles we show it and label it as expected; where we do not, the page says "to be announced". Check the official source below before you rely on any of it.

Official sources

Found something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it, citing the source.