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Railways | RRB

RRB JE Latest notified cycle

Diploma and degree level technical recruitment with two Computer Based Tests, where a 100-mark Technical Abilities paper set on your engineering discipline decides the outcome.

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 Recruitment of Junior Engineers, Depot Material Superintendents and Chemical and Metallurgical Assistants is conducted by Railway Recruitment Boards, under the Railway Recruitment Control Board. Selection runs through 3 stages: Computer Based Test 1, Computer Based Test 2, Document Verification and Medical Examination.

  1. Apply under the post and engineering discipline that matches your qualification, which fixes your exam group.
  2. Clear CBT 1, a 100-mark screening paper whose marks do not carry forward.
  3. Qualify CBT 2, where 100 of the 150 marks are the Technical Abilities paper for your group.
  4. Attend Document Verification in merit order for your board, post and group.
  5. Pass the medical examination for the standard applicable to the post before appointment.

Important dates

Important dates
EventDateStatus
Centralised Employment Notice release

Junior Engineer notices are issued when zonal railways report requirements, with multi-year gaps between cycles 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 1

Held across many shifts, with scores normalised.

To be announcedNot announced
Computer Based Test 2To be announcedNot announced
Document Verification and Medical ExaminationTo be announcedNot announced
Final result and panelTo be announcedNot announced

Eligibility

Educational qualification

A three-year diploma or a degree in engineering in a relevant discipline for Junior Engineer posts. Junior Engineer (Information Technology) accepts a PGDCA, BCA, BSc in Computer Science, a BE or BTech in computer science or information technology, or an equivalent recognised qualification. Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant requires a BSc with Physics and Chemistry. Depot Material Superintendent accepts a diploma or degree in engineering in listed disciplines.

Each post maps to a defined list of engineering disciplines, and those disciplines are grouped into exam groups that determine which Technical Abilities paper you sit. Choosing the wrong group means sitting a technical paper you have not studied, so read the discipline-to-group table in the notice before applying rather than after.

Age

18 to 33 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 CBT 1, 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 CBT 1, 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 1

Computer based testQualifying only
SectionQuestionsMarks
Mathematics3030
General Science3030
General Intelligence and Reasoning2525
General Awareness1515
Total100100

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

  • 100 questions for 100 marks in a composite 90 minutes.
  • Minimum qualifying marks are 40% for UR and EWS, 30% for OBC and SC, and 25% for ST.
  • Purely a screening test. CBT 1 marks do not count towards the final merit, and candidates are shortlisted for CBT 2 at a multiple of the vacancies.

Stage 2: Computer Based Test 2

Computer based test
SectionQuestionsMarks
Technical Abilities for your exam group100100
General Awareness1515
Physics and Chemistry1515
Basics of Computers and Applications1010
Basics of Environment and Pollution Control1010
Total150150

Duration: 2 hr|Negative marking: 1/3 mark per wrong answer

  • 150 questions for 150 marks in a composite 120 minutes.
  • Technical Abilities alone is 100 of the 150 marks, which makes this overwhelmingly a discipline paper rather than a general aptitude paper.
  • The Technical Abilities questions are set on your exam group, which is determined by the engineering discipline you applied under.
  • This is the stage that decides your merit position.

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, post and group.
  • Medical standards depend on the post, with some Junior Engineer roles classified as safety categories.
  • 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
  • Geometry and trigonometry
  • Elementary statistics
  • Square root, age calculations, calendar and clock, pipes and cistern

General Intelligence & Reasoning

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

General Science

  • Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences at class 10 level for CBT 1
  • Physics and Chemistry at class 10 level for CBT 2
  • Basics of Environment and Pollution Control: types of pollution, causes and effects, ozone depletion, global warming, acid rain and noise pollution
  • Technical Abilities for the Civil engineering group: engineering mechanics, building materials, construction, surveying, soil mechanics, hydraulics, concrete technology, RCC design, steel structures, estimating and costing, transportation and environmental engineering
  • Technical Abilities for the Electrical group: basic electrical concepts, circuit theory, AC and DC machines, transformers, measurement and measuring instruments, power systems, transmission and distribution, switchgear, protection and utilisation of electrical energy
  • Technical Abilities for the Mechanical group: engineering mechanics, strength of materials, thermodynamics, heat transfer, internal combustion engines, fluid mechanics, hydraulic machines, machine design, metallurgy, production engineering, metrology and refrigeration and air conditioning
  • Technical Abilities for the Electronics and Communication group: electronic devices and circuits, digital electronics, microprocessors, communication systems, control systems, measuring instruments, networking and microwave engineering
  • Technical Abilities for the Computer Science and Information Technology group: computer fundamentals, data structures, DBMS, operating systems, computer networks, software engineering, programming, web technology and information security
  • Technical Abilities for Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant: physical and analytical chemistry, metallurgical testing, physics fundamentals and laboratory practice

General Awareness

  • Indian polity and constitution
  • Indian and world geography
  • Indian history and freedom struggle
  • Indian economy basics
  • Science and technology developments
  • Sports, awards and important days
  • Government schemes and flagship programmes
  • Current affairs of the previous six to twelve months

Computer Aptitude

  • Computer architecture and fundamentals
  • Input and output devices
  • Storage devices and memory
  • Operating systems: Windows, Unix and Linux basics
  • MS Office applications
  • Networking and internet fundamentals
  • Websites, web browsers and email
  • Computer viruses and security

How to apply

  1. Find your discipline in the exam group table

    This is the step that matters most for JE. Your engineering discipline maps to an exam group, and that group determines the 100-mark Technical Abilities paper you will sit. Locate your discipline in the notice's table before you apply.

  2. Create your account on the centralised RRB portal

    Applications go through rrbapply.gov.in. Register once and enter details carefully, since many fields cannot be edited later.

  3. Choose your Railway Recruitment Board

    Merit is drawn board by board within each group, so vacancy counts and cut-offs vary. Your board also shapes where you are likely to be posted.

  4. Order your post preferences

    Junior Engineer, JE (IT), Depot Material Superintendent and Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant have different work and medical standards. Set preferences deliberately.

  5. Pay the fee and keep the receipt

    Most of the fee is refunded after you appear for CBT 1, so provide accurate bank details and save the transaction record.

Documents to keep ready

  • Engineering diploma or degree certificate with all semester or year mark-sheets, in the discipline claimed
  • BSc with Physics and Chemistry, for Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant applicants
  • Computer qualification documents, for Junior Engineer (Information Technology) applicants
  • 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
  • PwBD certificate issued by the competent authority, 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 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
  • Night duty allowance where applicable
  • Construction or site allowance for certain postings

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

Junior Engineer is a supervisory post at Level 6, materially above the Technician and Group D levels. Confirm current figures from the notice and applicable pay rules.

What the job involves

  • Supervising maintenance and construction work carried out by technicians and contract labour.
  • Inspecting assets on a prescribed schedule and certifying work and measurements.
  • Maintaining records, measurement books and material accounts for the section.
  • Junior Engineer (Information Technology): supporting railway applications, networks and data systems.
  • Depot Material Superintendent: managing stores, inventory and material issue in depots.
  • Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant: laboratory testing of materials, water and metallurgical samples.
  • Field-based work with shift and night duties, and emergency attendance during disruptions.
  • Promotion to Senior Section Engineer and further supervisory grades through departmental channels.

How to prepare for RRB JE

  • Treat this as a discipline exam. With Technical Abilities worth 100 of the 150 decisive marks, revising your own diploma or degree syllabus is worth more than any amount of general aptitude practice.
  • Clear CBT 1 efficiently and move on. It screens rather than scores, so time spent perfecting it past the shortlisting threshold is time taken from CBT 2.
  • Do not neglect the 45 general marks in CBT 2. Environment and Pollution Control and Basics of Computers are small, self-contained and almost fully scoreable, which makes them cheap marks in a competitive group.
  • Work from the previous years' Technical Abilities questions for your specific group. The emphasis differs noticeably between Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics papers.
  • Confirm your exam group at application time. Candidates who misread the discipline table discover the error only when the technical paper opens, and there is no remedy at that point.

Frequently asked questions

Are RRB JE Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Electronics and IT separate exams?

No, and this is a common misunderstanding. They are disciplines within one Junior Engineer recruitment. You apply through the same notice, sit the same CBT 1, and then take a Technical Abilities paper in CBT 2 set on the exam group your discipline falls into. There is one exam with several technical papers, not five exams.

How much does the Technical Abilities paper matter?

It is 100 of the 150 marks in CBT 2, and CBT 2 is what decides merit since CBT 1 only screens. In practice your discipline knowledge determines the outcome, and the general sections are a small remainder.

Can I choose a different exam group from my degree discipline?

No. The group follows from the qualification you claim, and it is verified against your certificates. Applying under a discipline you did not study means sitting a technical paper you have not prepared and failing document verification.

Do CBT 1 marks count towards final selection?

No. CBT 1 is a screening test only. Candidates are shortlisted for CBT 2 at a multiple of the vacancies, and merit is built from CBT 2 alone.

Is a diploma enough, or do I need a degree?

A three-year diploma in a relevant engineering discipline is sufficient for Junior Engineer posts. A degree is also accepted. Both compete in the same merit list, so a degree carries no additional weight in selection.

How does JE compare with Technician in career terms?

Junior Engineer is a supervisory post at Level 6, while Technician Grade III starts at Level 2 and Grade I Signal at Level 5. JE supervises the work that technicians carry out, and the entry qualification and pay reflect that difference.

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 and in-hand 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.