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Railways | RRB

RRB Group D Latest notified cycle

The largest railway recruitment by vacancy count, filling Level 1 posts such as Track Maintainer and Assistant through a single Computer Based Test and a physical efficiency test.

Awaiting notification3 stages

Overview

Conducting body
RRBwww.rrbapply.gov.in
Age limit
18 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 Recruitment Board Level 1 Posts, commonly called Group D is conducted by Railway Recruitment Boards, under the Railway Recruitment Control Board. Selection runs through 3 stages: Computer Based Test, Physical Efficiency 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 and gives only one chance per component.
  3. Attend Document Verification in merit order for your Railway Recruitment Board.
  4. Pass the medical examination for the standard applicable to the post.
  5. Appointment follows from the panel drawn board by board against the notified vacancies.

Important dates

Important dates
EventDateStatus
Centralised Employment Notice release

Group D notices appear irregularly rather than annually, and the gap between cycles has been several years in the past.

To be announcedNot announced
Online application window

Usually open for about a month from the notice date.

To be announcedNot announced
Computer Based Test

Held over many days and shifts because of the number of applicants, with scores normalised across shifts.

To be announcedNot announced
Physical Efficiency TestTo be announcedNot announced
Document Verification and Medical ExaminationTo be announcedNot announced
Final result and panelTo be announcedNot announced

Eligibility

Educational qualification

A pass in class 10, or a National Apprenticeship Certificate granted by the NCVT, or an ITI certificate from an institution recognised by the NCVT or an SCVT.

The three routes are alternatives, so a class 10 pass alone is sufficient for most Level 1 posts. Some posts within the notice specify an ITI in a particular trade, and the post-wise table in the notice is what governs. A higher qualification does not disqualify you here, unlike some other departments.

Age

18 to 36 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
  • Persons with Benchmark Disability (UR)+10 years
  • Persons with Benchmark Disability (OBC)+13 years
  • Persons with Benchmark Disability (SC and ST)+15 years
  • Ex-servicemen, after deducting service rendered+3 years
  • Serving railway employees, as specified in the notice+5 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, PwBD, 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

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 Intelligence and Reasoning3030
Mathematics2525
General Science2525
General Awareness and Current Affairs2020
Total100100

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

  • 100 questions for 100 marks in a composite 90 minutes, extended to 120 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe.
  • Minimum qualifying marks are 40% for UR and EWS, 30% for OBC and SC, and 25% for ST, with relaxation for PwBD candidates where vacancies are reserved.
  • Scores are normalised across shifts because the test runs over many days.
  • This single test decides the merit position. There is no second CBT.

Stage 2: Physical Efficiency Test

Skill testQualifying only

Duration: Varies|Negative marking: None

  • Purely qualifying: passing does not add marks, but failing ends your candidature regardless of your CBT score.
  • Male candidates are required to lift and carry a 35 kg weight over 100 metres in about two minutes in a single chance without setting it down, and to run 1000 metres in about four and a quarter minutes in a single chance.
  • Female candidates are required to lift and carry a 20 kg weight over 100 metres in about two minutes in a single chance, and to run 1000 metres in about five and two thirds minutes in a single chance.
  • Only one chance is given for each component, so there is no opportunity to recover from a failed attempt.
  • Confirm the exact standards from the current notice, since they are stated precisely there and have been adjusted between cycles.

Stage 3: 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 board.
  • Medical standards depend on the post. Safety-related Level 1 posts apply stricter visual acuity requirements than others.
  • Appointment follows only after both verification and medical clearance.

Syllabus

Mathematics

  • Number system, BODMAS, decimals and fractions
  • LCM and HCF
  • Ratio and proportion
  • Percentage
  • Mensuration
  • Time and work
  • Time, speed and distance
  • Simple and compound interest
  • Profit and loss
  • Algebra at school level
  • Geometry and trigonometry at school level
  • Elementary statistics
  • Square root, age calculations and calendar and clock

General Intelligence & Reasoning

  • Analogies
  • Alphabetical and number series
  • Coding and decoding
  • Mathematical operations
  • Relationships and blood relations
  • Syllogism
  • Jumbling
  • Venn diagrams
  • Data interpretation and sufficiency
  • Conclusions and decision making
  • Similarities and differences
  • Analytical reasoning
  • Classification, directions and statement with argument or assumption

General Science

  • Physics at class 10 level: motion, force, work, energy, light, sound, electricity and magnetism
  • Chemistry at class 10 level: matter, atoms and molecules, acids, bases and salts, metals and non-metals, carbon compounds
  • Life Sciences at class 10 level: cell structure, human body systems, nutrition, reproduction, heredity and environment

Current Affairs

  • Science and technology developments
  • Sports and awards
  • Indian and world geography
  • Indian polity and constitution
  • Indian history and freedom struggle
  • Indian economy and Union Budget basics
  • Government schemes and flagship programmes
  • Culture, personalities and important days
  • Environmental issues concerning India and the world

How to apply

  1. Create your account on the centralised RRB portal

    Applications go through rrbapply.gov.in rather than individual board sites. Register once, and take care with the details, since many fields cannot be edited later.

  2. Choose your Railway Recruitment Board

    You apply to one board. Merit is drawn board by board, so vacancy counts and cut-offs differ, and the choice affects both your odds and where you will be posted.

  3. Select your post preferences

    Level 1 covers several posts with different departments and medical standards. Order your preferences deliberately rather than accepting the default.

  4. Upload your photograph, signature and certificates

    The portal specifies dimensions and file sizes. Scanned certificates supporting category and qualification claims are needed at the application stage or at verification, as the notice requires.

  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 for the refund and save the transaction record.

Documents to keep ready

  • Class 10 mark-sheet and pass certificate, or the ITI or National Apprenticeship Certificate relied on
  • 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
  • PwBD certificate issued by the competent authority, where applicable
  • Ex-servicemen discharge certificate, where applicable
  • 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 1 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
  • Running or trip allowance for eligible posts
  • Night duty and overtime allowance where applicable

Perks

  • Railway quarters, 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
  • Access to railway schools and institutes at subsidised rates

Gross and in-hand pay depend on the city classification of your posting and the allowances attached to the specific post. Confirm from the notice and the applicable pay rules.

What the job involves

  • Track Maintainer: inspecting and maintaining track, ballast and fittings, often outdoors and in shifts.
  • Pointsman: operating points and signals in yards and assisting in shunting movements.
  • Assistant posts in the Signal and Telecommunication, Electrical, Mechanical and Engineering departments, supporting maintenance work.
  • Helper roles in loco sheds, carriage and wagon depots and workshops.
  • Work is largely field-based, physically demanding and shift-oriented, including nights and adverse weather.
  • Promotion to higher levels through departmental examinations and seniority over a career.

How to prepare for RRB Group D

  • Start the running and lifting practice the day you apply, not after the CBT result. The physical test gives one chance per component and is where prepared candidates most often fall.
  • General Science is entirely class 10 level. Working through an NCERT science textbook for classes 9 and 10 covers the section more reliably than any competitive guide.
  • With a one-third mark penalty and cut-offs decided by fractions, disciplined skipping beats broad guessing. Only guess when you can rule out two options.
  • Reasoning is 30 of the 100 marks, the largest single section, and it is the most improvable through practice. Give it proportionate time.
  • Practise on a computer interface rather than on paper. Many Group D candidates are sitting a computer-based test for the first time, and interface unfamiliarity costs real minutes.

Frequently asked questions

Is there more than one Computer Based Test?

No. Group D has a single CBT, unlike NTPC and ALP which have two. Your merit position comes from that one paper, subject to qualifying the physical test afterwards.

How much of the fee do I get back?

Rupees 400 of the 500 for General, OBC and EWS candidates, and the entire 250 for SC, ST, ex-servicemen, PwBD, women, transgender, minority and economically backward candidates. The refund is conditional on actually appearing for the CBT, net of bank charges.

Can I fail even with a high CBT score?

Yes. The Physical Efficiency Test is pass or fail with a single chance at each component, and failing it ends your candidature no matter how well you scored. Candidates who prepare only for the written test are the most common casualties here.

What is normalisation and why does it matter?

Because the CBT runs across many shifts over several days, raw scores are adjusted to account for differences in difficulty between shifts. Your final standing is based on the normalised score, so an easier shift does not translate into an advantage.

Does a graduate degree help or hurt?

Neither. Class 10 is the requirement and a higher qualification neither disqualifies you nor earns extra marks. A large share of Group D applicants are graduates, which is part of why cut-offs are high.

How often is Group D notified?

Irregularly. There have been multi-year gaps between notices, so this is not an exam you can plan an annual attempt around. When a notice does appear it typically carries a very large number of vacancies.

Last verified 28 July 2026(today, by editorial)

Not yet confirmed for this cycle: the schedule, the vacancy count, the upper age limit, gross pay, in-hand pay and basic pay. 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.