General Science in the railway papers (RRB Group D, ALP, RPF) and the defence entries (Army, Navy SSR, Coast Guard Navik) is Class-10 level and almost entirely recall-based. That makes it one of the best-value sections in the paper: the facts are finite, they repeat every cycle, and a list learnt properly once is marks banked for every future attempt — much like static GK. This page gathers the highest-return, genuinely stable facts across physics, chemistry and biology, and a way to learn them that survives to the exam. For the railway graduate papers, the companion general science for RRB NTPC goes a little deeper.
Physics — units, motion, light and electricity
SI units are a near-guaranteed question and a finite list:
| Quantity | SI unit |
|---|---|
| Force | Newton (N) |
| Work and energy | Joule (J) |
| Power | Watt (W) |
| Pressure | Pascal (Pa) |
| Frequency | Hertz (Hz) |
| Electric current | Ampere (A) |
| Resistance | Ohm (Ω) |
| Potential difference | Volt (V) |
Motion and force. Newton’s laws: the first is inertia (a body stays at rest or in uniform motion unless a force acts), the second gives force = mass × acceleration, the third is action–reaction. Speed is distance over time; velocity has direction; acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.
Everyday physics that recurs:
- Speed of light is about 3 × 10⁸ m/s; sound travels far slower and needs a medium, which is why you see lightning before you hear thunder.
- A concave mirror can form a magnified image (used in shaving mirrors and headlights); a convex mirror always gives a small, upright image and a wide view (vehicle rear-view mirrors).
- Ohm’s law: voltage = current × resistance (V = I R).
Chemistry — the common names, acids and bases
The common chemical names are asked directly and are worth memorising as a set:
| Common name | Chemical name / formula |
|---|---|
| Common salt | Sodium chloride, NaCl |
| Baking soda | Sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃ |
| Washing soda | Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃ |
| Quicklime | Calcium oxide, CaO |
| Slaked lime | Calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)₂ |
| Limestone / marble | Calcium carbonate, CaCO₃ |
| Marsh gas | Methane, CH₄ |
Acids and bases. Acids are sour and turn blue litmus red; bases are bitter, feel soapy and turn red litmus blue. The pH scale runs 0–14: below 7 is acidic, 7 is neutral (pure water), above 7 is basic. Stomach acid is hydrochloric acid; citrus fruits contain citric acid; curd contains lactic acid.
A few reliable extras: the most abundant gas in air is nitrogen (about 78%), then oxygen (about 21%). Rusting of iron needs both air and moisture. Diamond and graphite are both forms of carbon.
Biology — the human body, nutrition and disease
The human body facts are the most direct questions in the section:
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Bones in the adult body | 206 |
| Smallest bone (in the ear) | Stapes |
| Largest gland | Liver |
| Largest and outermost organ | Skin |
| Universal blood donor | O negative |
| Universal blood recipient | AB positive |
| Normal body temperature | About 37 °C (98.6 °F) |
Vitamins and their deficiency diseases are a favourite, and finite:
| Vitamin | Deficiency disease |
|---|---|
| A | Night blindness |
| B1 (thiamine) | Beri-beri |
| C (ascorbic acid) | Scurvy |
| D | Rickets |
| K | Poor blood clotting |
Diseases and their carriers/causes: malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite spread by the female Anopheles mosquito; dengue is spread by the Aedes mosquito; tuberculosis is a bacterial disease of the lungs. Photosynthesis is how green plants make food, using carbon dioxide, water and sunlight (captured by chlorophyll) to produce glucose and release oxygen.
How to learn it and keep it
Because the section is recall-based, the method matters as much as the facts:
- Learn by theme, not at random — all the SI units together, all the vitamins together. A themed list sticks far better than the same facts met scattered across question papers.
- Test recall, do not reread. Cover the answer column and produce each one. Rereading feels productive and does almost nothing; questioning yourself does the work.
- Revise on a spacing schedule — a day, a week, a fortnight — so a finite list moves into long-term memory and stays for every future attempt. Fit it into a plan with how to build a study plan.
- Prove it under exam conditions with the daily quiz and a mock test, which mix science with the rest of general awareness exactly as the real paper does.
Put it to work
Rehearse on your paper: RRB Group D, RRB ALP, RPF Constable, Army Agniveer, Navy Agniveer SSR and Coast Guard Navik (GD). Each exam page carries a full-length mock built to its pattern, so the science section is routine before you sit it.
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Frequently asked questions
How hard is the General Science in these exams?
It is Class-10 (NCERT) level and the questions are direct and recall-based — no derivations, no numerical problems beyond simple substitution. That makes it high-return, because the facts are finite and they repeat every cycle, so a candidate who learns the core lists properly banks those marks for every attempt. It behaves much more like static general knowledge than like a problem-solving section.
How is the science split across physics, chemistry and biology?
Broadly even, with a slight lean towards biology and everyday-life science because those questions are the most direct. Physics contributes units, motion, light and electricity; chemistry contributes the common compounds, acids and bases, and metals; biology contributes the human body, nutrition and diseases. Learning the high-frequency lists in each — SI units, common chemical names, vitamins and their deficiency diseases — covers the majority of what is asked.
Should I read the whole NCERT or just revise facts?
For a recall-based section at this level, a focused fact list revised on a spacing schedule beats reading textbooks cover to cover. Use the NCERT Class 9 and 10 science books to understand anything that does not stick, but spend most of your time testing recall of the finite lists below, because that is exactly how the questions are set.
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