RRB JE
Recruits Junior Engineers (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, IT and allied streams), plus Depot Material Superintendent and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant, at pay Level 6 on Indian Railways.
Eligibility
A three-year Diploma or a Degree in Engineering in the discipline specified against each post (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Computer Science and allied branches); Depot Material Superintendent and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant posts have their own degree requirements. Age limit for CEN 04/2026 is 18-33 years, with 3-year relaxation for OBC and 5-year for SC/ST. There is no attempt limit within the age band.
Age limit: 18-33; +3 years OBC, +5 years SC/ST
Exam pattern
Two computer-based stages with normalisation. Computer-Based Test 1 (CBT 1): 100 questions in 90 minutes — Mathematics 30, General Intelligence and Reasoning 25, General Awareness 15, General Science 30; it screens candidates at 15 times the vacancies. CBT 2: 150 questions in 120 minutes — General Awareness 15, Physics and Chemistry 15, Basics of Computers and Applications 10, Basics of Environment and Pollution Control 10, and Technical Abilities in the candidate's discipline 100. Both stages deduct one-third of a mark per wrong answer. Document verification and medical examination follow; final merit rests on CBT 2 alone.
Syllabus at a glance
CBT 1 tests Class 10-12 level maths (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics), reasoning, current affairs and general science. CBT 2 is dominated by the 100-mark Technical Abilities section on the candidate's engineering discipline — for example, structural analysis, soil mechanics and estimating for Civil; thermodynamics, strength of materials and production for Mechanical; machines, power systems and measurements for Electrical — alongside physics, chemistry, computer basics and environment and pollution control.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Online application window (CEN 04/2026, 4,029 posts) | 14 Aug - 13 Sep 2026 | confirmed |
| Application modification window | Late Sep 2026 | expected |
| CBT 1 | Oct-Nov 2026 | expected |
| CBT 1 result | Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 | expected |
| CBT 2 | Early 2027 | tba |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Objective Mechanical Engineering — R.S. Khurmi & J.K. Gupta (S. Chand)
- Objective Electrical Technology — V.K. Mehta & Rohit Mehta (S. Chand)
- SSC JE/RRB JE Civil Engineering Previous Year Solved Papers — MADE EASY Publications
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic — Rajesh Verma (Arihant)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
- Lucent's General Science — Ravi Bhushan
How toppers play it
- Final merit is decided by CBT 2 alone, where Technical Abilities carries 100 of 150 marks — allocate at least 60 per cent of preparation time to your branch subjects at Diploma level, not GATE depth.
- CBT 1 is a screening test with a 15-times shortlist: General Science (30 marks) plus Mathematics (30 marks) decide it, so revise Class 10-12 physics and chemistry formulas thoroughly.
- Two CBT 2 sections almost everyone ignores — Basics of Computers (10 marks) and Environment and Pollution Control (10 marks) — are short, factual and fetch 20 easy marks in a couple of days of focused notes.
- Both stages have one-third negative marking; in the technical section, attempt formula-based numericals first and leave ambiguous theory statements for the end.
- Solve the 2019 and 2024 official JE papers for your branch under timed conditions — RRB keeps difficulty at Diploma level and repeats standard question types (units, IS codes, device ratings) across cycles.