Railway Exams 2026: Exam Pattern Guide

The railway exams pattern follows one template across the Railway Recruitment Boards: an objective computer based test (CBT) where each question carries one mark and a wrong answer costs one-third of a mark. What changes from exam to exam is the number of CBT stages, the section weights, and what follows the CBT: a physical test, an aptitude battery or straight to document verification. The 2026-27 notices also changed one stage, because NTPC Graduate CEN 06/2026 has dropped the typing skill test.

This page compares the pattern of every major railway exam in one place, using the latest Centralised Employment Notices (CENs). It covers stages, section-wise questions, qualifying marks, negative marking, how final merit is built, and how to use your 90 minutes. For the detailed pattern of one exam, follow the link to its own page.

Railway Exam Pattern at a Glance

Candidates eligible for a scribe get 120 minutes instead of 90 in most CBTs, and 160 instead of 120 in JE CBT 2.

NTPC Exam Pattern

CBT 1 is a screening test, and about 15 times the community-wise vacancies of each RRB are shortlisted for CBT 2. CBT 2 marks decide who is called for document verification at a 1:1 ratio. For CEN 06/2026, the typing skill test for Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist and Senior Clerk cum Typist has been dispensed with. The 2024 undergraduate CEN required 30 words per minute in English or 25 in Hindi for typist posts, so check the next undergraduate CEN for its rule.

Group D Exam Pattern

About three times the vacancies are called for the PET. Men must carry 35 kg for 100 metres in 2 minutes and run 1,000 metres in 4 minutes 15 seconds. Women carry 20 kg for 100 metres in 2 minutes and run 1,000 metres in 5 minutes 40 seconds. Each test is allowed in one chance only.

ALP Exam Pattern

CBT 1 covers mathematics, mental ability and general science. Part A covers mathematics, reasoning, and basic science and engineering. Part B tests your ITI trade. About 15 times the vacancies reach CBT 2, and 8 times reach the CBAT.

Technician, JE and Paramedical Patterns

Technician (single CBT, 100 questions, 90 minutes)

JE, DMS and CMA

A virtual calculator is shown on screen during JE CBT 2.

Paramedical and Isolated Categories

Junior Translator (Hindi) follows a different split in the Isolated CEN.

RPF Constable and SI Pattern

The RPF CBT has 120 questions in 90 minutes: arithmetic 35, general intelligence and reasoning 35, and general awareness 50. The Constable paper is set at 10th level. Shortlisted candidates, about 10 times the vacancies, take the PET and PMT. Male Constable candidates run 1,600 metres in 5 minutes 45 seconds, long jump 14 feet and high jump 4 feet. Female candidates run 800 metres in 3 minutes 40 seconds, long jump 9 feet and high jump 3 feet.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

• One mark per question: All sections carry equal marks per question in every railway CBT.

• One-third deduction: Each wrong answer costs 0.33 marks. Unattempted questions cost nothing.

• No negative marking in the CBAT: The CEN states that the ALP aptitude test has no negative marking.

• Minimum qualifying marks: In NTPC, ALP, JE and Technician, UR and EWS need 40%, OBC-NCL and SC need 30%, and ST needs 25%. Group D sets 40% for UR and EWS and 30% for OBC-NCL, SC and ST. RPF sets 35% for UR, EWS and OBC-NCL and 30% for SC and ST. PwBD candidates may get a 2-mark relaxation where there is a shortage.

Normalisation and Language of the Paper

Railway CBTs run over many days and shifts, so no two candidates see the same paper. The RRBs therefore normalise marks whenever a CBT is held in multiple sessions for the same syllabus, and every shortlist uses normalised marks. Your raw score from an answer key can move up or down after normalisation, depending on how difficult your shift was compared with the others.

• Read results in normalised terms: Official cut-off lists are published as normalised marks, often to five decimal places, so compare your normalised score, not your raw score.

• Question language: The Technician CEN offers the CBT in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages, chosen in your application. Check the medium of examination paragraph in your own CEN before you apply.

• CBAT language: The ALP aptitude test is offered only in English and Hindi.

• Official practice: The CENs state that mock or practice tests are made available on the official RRB website to familiarise candidates with the online format.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Accuracy beats volume: If you are 50% sure, a guess between two options gains on average (0.5 x 1 minus 0.5 x 0.33 = 0.33 marks). A blind guess among four options averages zero (0.25 minus 0.75 x 0.33), so it adds risk and costs time.

• Speed is the real filter: 100 questions in 90 minutes is 54 seconds each, and NTPC CBT 2 gives only 45 seconds for each of its 120 questions.

• Screening stages still need margin: CBT 1 marks are dropped later in NTPC, ALP and JE, but a weak CBT 1 ends your run.

• Qualifying tests are pass or fail: ALP Part B, the CBAT, the PET and typing tests where they apply can each end your candidature regardless of your CBT score.

How Final Merit Is Calculated

Most railway exams rank you on normalised marks of the last CBT, then call candidates equal to the vacancies for document verification. ALP is the exception. Its merit combines CBT 2 Part A marks and CBAT scores in a 50:50 ratio.

Worked example for ALP: suppose you score 72 out of 100 in Part A and your CBAT score converts to 60. Your combined merit would be (72 x 0.5) + (60 x 0.5) = 66. Another candidate with 80 in Part A but 48 in the CBAT gets 64, so a strong aptitude score can overtake a higher written score. The CEN gives the exact conversion, so treat this example as an illustration only. Section Controller uses a different split: 70% CBT and 30% CBAT.

When marks tie in NTPC, the older candidate ranks higher. If ages are also equal, the given name in alphabetical order breaks the tie.

Time Management and Exam-Day Strategy

1. First pass in 60 minutes: Answer every question you can solve in under a minute and mark the rest.

2. Take general awareness first: GK questions take seconds each, leaving more time for arithmetic.

3. Second pass for marked questions: Return to arithmetic and puzzles only when the easy ones are done.

4. Stop guessing blind: Leave a question unattempted if you cannot rule out at least two options.

5. Rehearse the order: Fix your section order in practice, for example in Testkart sectional tests, so you do not decide it on exam day.

Older pages may still show a typing test for NTPC Graduate or a single-paper Technician exam, so follow the official notices on the unified RRB website.