RRB JE
Recruits Junior Engineers (civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, IT and allied), Depot Material Superintendents and Chemical and Metallurgical Assistants at Pay Level 6 (₹35,400 basic) in Indian Railways.
Eligibility
JE and DMS posts need a three-year Diploma or B.E./B.Tech in the relevant engineering discipline. Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant needs a B.Sc. with Physics and Chemistry (45% marks). Age 18-33 years as on 1 January 2027 for CEN 04/2026, with relaxation of 5 years for SC/ST and 3 years for OBC-NCL. Final-year students can apply only if results are declared by the notified cut-off.
Age limit: 18-33 years as on 1 January 2027 (CEN 04/2026); category relaxations apply
Exam pattern
Two online CBTs followed by document verification and medical examination. CBT 1 (screening) has 100 questions in 90 minutes: Mathematics 30, General Intelligence and Reasoning 25, General Awareness 15, General Science 30. CBT 2 has 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 100. Negative marking is 1/3 mark per wrong answer in both stages. Merit is decided on CBT 2 marks only.
Syllabus at a glance
CBT 1 covers Class 10-level mathematics, reasoning, general science and current affairs. CBT 2 is dominated by the technical syllabus of the candidate's exam group (e.g. Civil: building materials, RCC, surveying, soil mechanics, hydraulics; Electrical: machines, power systems, measurements; Mechanical: thermodynamics, theory of machines, manufacturing), plus Class 12-level physics and chemistry, computer fundamentals and environmental science.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CEN 04/2026 e-call letter (admit card) | 4 days before each candidate's exam date (from about 23 Oct 2026); city intimation slip already released around 17 Oct | expected |
| CEN 04/2026 CBT 1 | 27, 28 and 30 Oct 2026 (tentative schedule notified by RRBs on 16 Sep 2026) | confirmed |
| CBT 1 answer key and result | Nov 2026 - Jan 2027 | expected |
| CBT 2 | Early-mid 2027 | expected |
| Next JE notification (2027 cycle) | Jul-Sep 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- RRB JE Technical (branch-wise) Solved Papers - Kiran Prakashan / Youth Competition Times
- Civil Engineering Objective - R. Agor / S.S. Bhavikatti
- Objective Electrical Technology - V.K. Mehta and Rohit Mehta (S. Chand)
- Objective Mechanical Engineering - R.K. Rajput (S. Chand)
- RRB JE CBT 1 Guide - Arihant Experts (Arihant)
- Lucent's General Science - Lucent Publications
How toppers play it
- CBT 1 is only a screening stage, but science (30 marks) and maths (30 marks) dominate; Class 10 NCERT science and quick arithmetic get you through comfortably.
- In CBT 2, 100 of 150 marks are technical, so 70% of your preparation time should go to your branch, using diploma-level objective books and branch-wise PYQs.
- Do not ignore the 35 easy marks in CBT 2 from Basics of Computers, Environment and Pollution Control, and Physics-Chemistry; a short revision of these often decides the merit list.
- With 1/3 negative marking and 120 minutes for 150 questions, solve technical questions in two passes: direct-recall theory first, numericals second.
- Rank post preferences (JE, DMS, CMA) and zones carefully at application stage; DMS and some IT posts have different cut-offs and you cannot change preferences after selection.