Railway Protection Force Constable

The RPF Constable exam is the entry point to the Railway Protection Force, the armed force of the Union that protects railway property, passengers and passenger areas. Constable (Executive) is the main direct-recruitment post for Class 10 pass candidates. The last full cycle, CEN RPF 02/2024, was run by the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and ended with a final panel in February 2026.

The rules have since changed. The Railway Protection Force (Amendment) Rules, 2025, notified on 17 October 2025, lower the age limit, raise the height standard for male Executive Constables and tie recruitment to the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) procedure used for Central Armed Police Forces. This page separates what is confirmed for the new rules from what applied in the last cycle, so you can plan without relying on outdated pages.

Table of Contents

RPF Constable

Where the recruitment stands

As of 19 October 2026, we could not find a new RPF Constable notification on the official websites. Several websites quote vacancy numbers such as 5,000 or 8,000. These are unofficial estimates, so treat them with caution. No vacancy count, application window or exam date has been confirmed for the next cycle.

What is confirmed is the rule change. Under the amended Rule 49, direct recruitment of Sub-Inspectors and Executive Constables follows the SSC recruitment procedure for Central Armed Police Forces. Candidates should therefore watch the SSC website as well as the RPF website for the notice. For the previous cycle, see the RRB Chandigarh CEN RPF 02/2024 page.

Until then, the CEN RPF 02/2024 pattern is the best guide to the written test. Where the new rules or the SSC process change a detail, the official notification will override everything on this page.

Last cycle (CEN RPF 02/2024) in numbers

The figures below describe the completed cycle. They show the scale and rhythm of an RPF Constable recruitment, but they are not the figures for the next one.

Result dates after the CBT come from reports of the RRB notices, so confirm them on the official RRB pages if you need an exact date. The complete cycle took roughly 22 months from application to final panel, which is a useful reminder to prepare early and in a steady way.

Eligibility

Educational qualification

A High School (Class 10) pass certificate or equivalent from a recognised board or university is required for Constable (Executive). Graduation is not needed. You can read the full conditions on the RPF Constable eligibility page.

Age limit

The 2025 amendment sets the age for Constable (Executive) at above 18 and below 23 years on the date of the recruitment notification. In CEN RPF 02/2024 the range was 18 to 28 years as on 1 July 2024. The usual relaxations of 5 years for SC/ST and 3 years for OBC applied in that cycle. Whether and how relaxations apply under the new rules will be stated in the notification.

Physical and other conditions

• Height: The amended Rule 47 sets a minimum of 170 cm for the Executive cadre. Female and reserved-category candidates follow Central Armed Police Force standards.

• Chest (male): 80 cm unexpanded and 85 cm expanded.

• Medical fitness: The examination is conducted by a CAPF medical officer or a Grade-I Assistant Surgeon or Medical Officer of a central or state government hospital.

• Nationality and conduct: Standard central government conditions apply, as listed in each notification.

Application fee and how to apply

In CEN RPF 02/2024 the fee was Rs. 500 for General and OBC candidates, with Rs. 400 refunded after the CBT on appearing. Rs. 250 was charged for SC, ST, ex-servicemen, women, transgender candidates, minorities and economically backward classes, refundable in full on appearing. Bank charges were deducted from refunds. Treat these as last-cycle figures until the new notification confirms them.

1. Register: Create an account on the portal named in the notification, using your own mobile number and email.

2. Fill the form: Enter personal, educational and category details exactly as in your certificates.

3. Upload documents: Add the photograph, signature and any category documents in the specified format.

4. Pay the fee: Complete payment online and keep the receipt.

5. Submit and save: Download the final form for your records.

Common rejection reasons are mismatched names or dates of birth, unclear uploads and wrong category claims. Use only the official portal, as the boards warn against touts and unofficial notices.

Exam pattern

The Computer Based Test in CEN RPF 02/2024 had three sections:

The test lasted 90 minutes, with one third of a mark deducted for each wrong answer. Qualifying marks were 35 percent for UR, EWS and OBC and 30 percent for SC and ST. The SSC CAPF process may change some details, so read the RPF Constable exam pattern page once the notification is out.

What this means for you: General Awareness carries the most marks and rewards steady reading. Arithmetic and reasoning are scoring if you practise speed. Every wrong answer costs about 0.33 marks, so avoid blind guesses.

Syllabus summary

The official notice names the subjects but does not publish a topic-wise list. The table below is a working checklist built from the subjects and the Class 10 level of the paper. The full list is on the RPF Constable syllabus page.

Selection process

1. Computer Based Test: A merit-based written test with qualifying marks.

2. Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Measurement Test (PMT): Qualifying in nature. In the last cycle, candidates were shortlisted category-wise in a ratio reported as ten per vacancy.

3. Document verification: Original certificates are checked against your application.

4. Medical examination: Fitness is certified as per the prescribed standards.

In CEN RPF 02/2024 the final panel was prepared on the basis of normalised CBT scores of candidates who cleared the later stages. The weightage in the next cycle will follow the new notification.

Salary and career

Constable (Executive) is placed at Pay Level 3 of the 7th Pay Commission with a basic pay of Rs. 21,700. Allowances such as dearness allowance and house rent allowance depend on the posting city and current government rates, so the in-hand salary varies. This is not an official in-hand figure.

The RPF has a promotion path from Constable to Head Constable, Assistant Sub-Inspector and above. Constables also take part in departmental recruitment for higher ranks as per service rules.

How to prepare for the RPF Constable exam

Start with the pattern and build a daily routine that covers all three sections. A simple plan works well:

• Weeks 1 to 6: Learn Class 8 to 10 arithmetic concepts, basic reasoning patterns and one subject of General Awareness a week. Read a newspaper for 30 minutes daily.

• Weeks 7 to 12: Move to topic-wise tests and 20-minute sectional tests. Keep a short monthly current affairs note.

• Final phase: Attempt full-length mocks in a 90-minute window and analyse each one the same day.

• Physical fitness: Start running and jump practice early. Do not wait for the CBT result, since the physical stage follows quickly.

Practising with mock tests

For timed practice in the current pattern, you can attempt RPF Constable online mock tests on Testkart and use the section-wise analysis to plan revision. Pair them with previous year papers to understand the real difficulty level, and keep your notes in line with the RPF Constable study notes guide.

Cut-off reference

The final cut-offs reported for CEN RPF 02/2024 were roughly 77.7 for UR male and 77.3 for UR female, on a normalised scale of 100, with lower values for reserved categories. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass. See the RPF Constable cut-off page for the table.