Railway Exams 2026: Eligibility Guide

Railway exams eligibility depends on three things: the qualification you hold on the closing date, your age on the date fixed in the notice, and the medical standard of the post. Each Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) notice, called a Centralised Employment Notice (CEN), sets these rules post by post. The age reference date differs from one CEN to the next, for example 1 July 2026 for ALP and Technician but 1 January 2027 for NTPC Graduate and JE.

This page puts the eligibility rules of the major railway exams side by side, based on the latest CENs on the official RRB website. Use it to see which exams you can apply for now, work out your date-of-birth window, and avoid the mistakes that get applications rejected at document verification. Each exam's own page has the full post-wise detail.

Railway Exams Eligibility at a Glance

*The 2024 RPF limits include a one-time relaxation of 3 years granted because of Covid-19. The normal limits in those notices were 18 to 25 for Constable and 20 to 25 for SI. Check the next RPF notice for whether the relaxation continues.

Educational Qualification

Rules that apply to every railway CEN

• Hold it by the closing date: The qualification must be complete on the last date of online application. Candidates awaiting final results are not eligible, and every CEN says so.

• Recognised body only: Degrees, diplomas and certificates must come from a recognised board, university or institute. ITI certificates must come from NCVT or SCVT institutions.

• Dated certificates: If your certificate was issued after the closing date, the CEN asks for mark sheets showing the date the result was declared, or a certificate from the university confirming that date.

• Higher qualification is not a substitute in some posts: For Level 1 posts, an engineering diploma or degree is not accepted in place of an ITI or Course Completed Act Apprenticeship unless the CEN says otherwise.

Exam-specific qualification points

• NTPC Undergraduate 50% rule: In CEN 06/2024, 12th pass with at least 50% aggregate was required, but the 50% was not insisted on for SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen, or for candidates with a qualification higher than 12th.

• ALP trades: ITI holders need one of the notified trades, such as Fitter, Electrician, Instrument Mechanic or Mechanic (Diesel). Diploma and degree holders in mechanical, electrical, electronics or automobile engineering are also eligible and choose a matching trade for CBT 2 Part B.

• JE exam groups: The CEN maps each diploma or degree to an exam group. You can apply only for posts that match your discipline, and DMS accepts a diploma in any engineering branch.

• Paramedical registration: Some posts need registration as well as a degree, for example Audiologist and Speech Therapist must be registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India, and Nursing Superintendent needs registration as a nurse and midwife.

Age Limit and Date of Birth Windows

The upper and lower limits are counted on the date fixed in each CEN. Your date of birth must fall inside the window below, both dates inclusive. The windows for OBC-NCL and SC and ST already include the community relaxation.

Worked example: one candidate, three notices

Take a graduate OBC-NCL candidate born on 15 March 1992 who also holds an ITI in Electrician. For NTPC Graduate the OBC window starts on 2 January 1991, so this candidate is eligible. For ALP the OBC window starts on 2 July 1993, so the same candidate is over age even with the ITI. For Group D the OBC window starts on 2 January 1990, so the candidate is eligible again. The same birth date gives different answers because each CEN uses a different upper limit and reference date, which is why you should check every notice separately rather than assume.

Age relaxation by category

These figures are from the Group D CEN 09/2025 table, which also covers further categories such as widowed, divorced or judicially separated women. Other CENs follow the same structure, but read the relaxation paragraph of the CEN you are applying to.

Nationality and Other Conditions

• Nationality: You must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from specified countries with the intention of settling in India. The last three groups need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India by document verification.

• Medical standard: Each post carries a medical category, from A-1 for ALP to C-2 for clerical posts. The higher categories have strict vision standards, so check the category of every post you opt for.

• Physical standards: Group D and RPF include a physical efficiency test. RPF also has a physical measurement test for height and chest.

• Attempts: The CENs set no limit on the number of attempts. Your age limit is the practical cap.

• One RRB only: You can apply to one RRB per CEN, and multiple applications lead to rejection of all of them.

Category Certificates: Dates That Matter

Your community status on the closing date is the one that counts. The 2026 CENs ask for an OBC-NCL certificate issued on or after 1 April 2026 but not later than the closing date, plus a self-declaration that you do not belong to the creamy layer. EWS income is assessed on the financial year before the closing date, which is 2025-26 for the 2026 notices. Fee concession for the Economically Backward Class (EBC) needs a valid EBC certificate, which is not the same as an OBC or EWS certificate.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Result awaited: Final-year students whose results come after the closing date.

• Over or under age: Candidates outside the date-of-birth window even by one day.

• Wrong trade or discipline: ITI trades or engineering branches not listed for the post.

• Duplicate applicants: Anyone who submits more than one application against the same CEN.

• Unsupported claims: Candidates who claim a category, relaxation or PwBD status without the certificate in the prescribed format.

Fee and Documents

The fee is Rs. 500 for general candidates, of which Rs. 400 is refunded after you appear in the first CBT. SC, ST, ex-servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and EBC candidates pay Rs. 250, refunded in full on appearing. Keep your 10th certificate, qualification certificates, category certificate in the prescribed format, and a recent photograph ready before you start.

Check Your Eligibility, Then Start Practising

If you qualify for several railway exams, list them by application date from the official RRB website and prepare the shared core once.