Railways | RRB

RRB Technician Latest notified cycle

Maintenance-cadre recruitment across two grades with separate papers: a diploma-level Grade I Signal post and an ITI-level Grade III post, each decided by a single Computer Based 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 Recruitment of Technicians, Grade I Signal and Grade III is conducted by Railway Recruitment Boards, under the Railway Recruitment Control Board. Selection runs through 3 stages: Computer Based Test for Technician Grade I Signal, Computer Based Test for Technician Grade III, Document Verification and Medical Examination.

Apply for Technician Grade I Signal or Grade III according to your qualification, as the papers and pay levels differ.
Clear the Computer Based Test for the grade applied to, meeting the minimum qualifying percentage for your category.
Attend Document Verification in merit order for your board and grade.
Pass the medical examination for the standard applicable to the post.
Appointment follows from the panel drawn board by board against the notified vacancies.

Important dates

Important dates
Event	Date	Status
Centralised Employment Notice release Technician notices are often issued alongside or close to the ALP notice, since both draw on ITI and diploma holders.	To be announced	Not announced
Online application window Usually open for about a month from the notice date.	To be announced	Not announced
Computer Based Test Held across many shifts, with scores normalised.	To be announced	Not announced
Document Verification and Medical Examination	To be announced	Not announced
Final result and panel	To be announced	Not announced

Eligibility

Educational qualification

Technician Grade I Signal requires a diploma or degree in engineering in a relevant discipline such as electronics, electrical, communication, computer science or information technology. Technician Grade III requires a pass in class 10 together with an ITI certificate in a relevant trade, or a pass in class 12 with Physics and Mathematics.

The two grades are different posts with different papers, different pay levels and different age bands, applied for within the same notice. The list of relevant disciplines and trades is set out post by post in the notice, and a qualification outside that list does not make you eligible even where it looks equivalent.

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

Category	Fee
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 for Technician Grade I Signal

Computer based test

Section	Questions	Marks
Basic Science and Engineering	35	35
Computers and Applications	20	20
Mathematics	20	20
General Intelligence and Reasoning	15	15
General Awareness	10	10
Total	100	100

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

100 questions for 100 marks in a composite 90 minutes.
Weighted towards technical content, with Basic Science and Engineering the largest section and a dedicated Computers and Applications section that the Grade III paper does not have.
A single test decides merit. There is no second CBT.
Confirm the section split from the current notice, since RRB has adjusted it between cycles.

Stage 2: Computer Based Test for Technician Grade III

Computer based test

Section	Questions	Marks
General Science	40	40
Mathematics	25	25
General Intelligence and Reasoning	25	25
General Awareness and Current Affairs	10	10
Total	100	100

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

100 questions for 100 marks in a composite 90 minutes.
General Science at 40 marks is the largest section and is pitched at class 10 level, covering physics, chemistry and life sciences.
Minimum qualifying marks are 40% for UR and EWS, 30% for OBC and SC, and 25% for ST.
A single test decides merit. There is no second CBT and no trade-specific paper, which is the main structural difference from ALP.

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 and grade.
Medical standards depend on the post. Some Technician posts are classified as safety categories with stricter visual requirements, though none apply the A1 standard used for loco crew.
Appointment follows only after both verification and medical clearance.

Syllabus

General Science

Physics at class 10 level: motion, force, work, energy, light, sound, electricity and magnetism
Chemistry at class 10 level: matter, atomic structure, acids, bases and salts, metals and non-metals
Life Sciences at class 10 level: cell structure, human body systems, nutrition and environment
For Grade I Signal: engineering drawing and projections
For Grade I Signal: units, measurements, mass, weight and density
For Grade I Signal: work, power, energy, speed and velocity
For Grade I Signal: heat and temperature, basic electricity, levers and simple machines
For Grade I Signal: electronics fundamentals, semiconductors and digital circuits
Occupational safety, health and environment education

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 at school level
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 and classification

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

Current Affairs

Science and technology developments
Sports and awards
Indian and world geography
Indian polity and constitution
Indian history and freedom struggle
Indian economy basics
Government schemes and flagship programmes
Culture, personalities and important days

How to apply

Decide which grade you are eligible for
Grade I Signal needs a diploma or degree in a listed engineering discipline; Grade III needs class 10 with an ITI or class 12 with Physics and Mathematics. They are separate posts with different papers and pay, so read both requirements before choosing.
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.
Choose your Railway Recruitment Board and post preferences
Merit is drawn board by board and grade by grade. Order your post preferences deliberately, since the departments and medical standards differ.
Upload your photograph, signature and certificates
The portal specifies dimensions and file sizes for the images, and qualification documents must match the discipline or trade you claim.
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

Class 10 mark-sheet and pass certificate
ITI certificate in a relevant trade, or class 12 mark-sheet with Physics and Mathematics, for Grade III applicants
Engineering diploma or degree in a listed discipline, for Grade I Signal applicants
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 5 of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix for Technician Grade I Signal, and Level 2 for Technician Grade III
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
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

The pay gap between the two grades is substantial, since Grade I Signal starts at Level 5 against Level 2 for Grade III. Confirm the current figures from the notice and applicable pay rules.

What the job involves

Maintaining and repairing railway equipment rather than operating trains, which is the fundamental difference from ALP.
Technician Grade I Signal: installing and maintaining signalling and telecommunication equipment, relay rooms, panels and cabling.
Technician Grade III: maintenance work in the electrical, mechanical, carriage and wagon, or permanent way departments depending on the trade.
Fault attention and preventive maintenance schedules, often to a fixed inspection cycle.
Shift work including nights, and field work in yards, sheds and along the track.
Promotion to Senior Technician and Junior Engineer through departmental examinations and seniority.

How to prepare for RRB Technician

Identify your grade first and prepare for that paper only. The two syllabi differ enough that mixed preparation wastes time, particularly the Computers and Applications section that only Grade I Signal has.
For Grade III, General Science is 40 of the 100 marks and is entirely class 10 level. NCERT science for classes 9 and 10 is the most efficient source.
For Grade I Signal, Basic Science and Engineering plus Computers and Applications together are 55 marks. Your diploma syllabus covers most of this, so revise from it rather than from a general railway guide.
The one-third mark penalty makes disciplined skipping more valuable than broad guessing, especially with normalised scoring across shifts.
If your eyesight rules out ALP, Technician is the natural alternative with a closely overlapping syllabus, so preparation carries across almost entirely.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Technician Grade I Signal and Grade III?

They are separate posts. Grade I Signal requires an engineering diploma or degree, starts at Level 5 and has a technical paper including a Computers and Applications section. Grade III requires class 10 with an ITI or class 12 with Physics and Mathematics, starts at Level 2 and has a General Science paper at school level.

Is there a second Computer Based Test?

No. Technician recruitment is decided by a single CBT for each grade, followed by document verification and the medical examination. There is no trade-specific Part B and no aptitude test.

How is Technician different from ALP?

Technicians maintain equipment; Assistant Loco Pilots operate locomotives. ALP has two CBTs, a trade paper and a psychological aptitude test, and applies the A1 medical standard. Technician has one CBT and less stringent medical requirements, which makes it accessible to candidates who cannot meet the A1 vision standard.

Can I apply for both grades?

You can apply for the posts you are qualified for within the notice, but the papers and merit lists are separate. Read the post-wise table in the notice, since eligibility is checked strictly against the listed disciplines and trades.

Do I need an ITI in a specific trade?

For Grade III, yes, where the post specifies one. The notice lists which trades qualify for which posts, and an ITI in a trade outside that list will not be accepted even if the work seems related.

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 exam pattern. 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

RRB centralised application portal (official portal)
Indian Railways official website (official portal)

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