RPF Constable Syllabus: Subject-wise Topics and Study Plan
The RPF Constable syllabus covers three written-test subjects: General Awareness, Arithmetic, and General Intelligence and Reasoning. The paper is set at the Class 10 level, so the real challenge is speed and accuracy rather than difficult concepts. This page turns those three subject names into a topic checklist you can study and track.
The official notice for the last cycle, CEN RPF 02/2024, names the subjects and the number of questions but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus. The topic lists below are built from the subject names, the Class 10 level and the kind of questions asked in earlier papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list. If a new notification lists topics, follow it.
Table of Contents
Syllabus at a glance
The table shows the test structure used in CEN RPF 02/2024. It is the best available guide until the next notification arrives. The full break-up is on the RPF Constable exam pattern page.
Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
General Awareness | 50 | 50 | 90 minutes for the whole paper |
Arithmetic | 35 | 35 | Included |
General Intelligence and Reasoning | 35 | 35 | Included |
Key changes to know
Recruitment rules changed in October 2025: The Railway Protection Force (Amendment) Rules, 2025 link direct recruitment of Executive Constables to the SSC procedure for Central Armed Police Forces. The written test could follow the SSC format, so keep checking the notification.
No new notification yet: As of 19 October 2026 we found no new RPF Constable notification, so the previous cycle's subjects remain the working guide.
Older pages may differ: Some websites still show old or unofficial syllabus lists. Follow the official notification when it is released on rpf.indianrailways.gov.in or ssc.gov.in.
General Awareness syllabus
General Awareness is the largest section, with 50 marks out of 120. It rewards regular reading, and it is the easiest section to improve with revision.
Area | Topics to cover | Start with |
|---|---|---|
Current affairs | National and international events, awards, sports, appointments, government schemes, defence and railway news of the last 6 to 12 months | Monthly summaries |
History | Ancient, medieval and modern India, freedom struggle, important dates and personalities | Modern India |
Polity | Constitution, fundamental rights and duties, Parliament, president, governor, local government | Preamble and rights |
Geography | Indian rivers, mountains, climate, soils, crops, national parks, world basics | India physical features |
Economy | Basic terms, banking, budget, taxes, five-year plans, RBI | Basic terms |
General science | Class 8 to 10 physics, chemistry and biology, human body, diseases, everyday science | Biology and daily-life science |
Static GK and computers | Important days, books, awards, capitals, currencies, Indian Railways facts, basic computer knowledge | Lists and revision tables |
Current affairs, polity and general science usually give the best return for the time spent. Keep notes short and revise them every week.
Arithmetic syllabus
Arithmetic carries 35 marks. The topics are Class 6 to 10 mathematics, and most questions can be solved in under a minute with practice.
Core topics
Number system and simplification: Divisibility, HCF and LCM, fractions, decimals, squares, cubes and approximation.
Percentage, ratio and proportion: Percentage change, mixtures, partnership and variation.
Commercial maths: Profit and loss, discount, simple and compound interest.
Averages and ages: Averages, weighted average and age problems.
Time-based problems: Time and work, pipes and cisterns, time, speed and distance, trains and boats.
Mensuration and geometry basics: Area and perimeter of common figures, volume and surface area of simple solids, lines and angles.
Data interpretation basics: Simple tables and graphs, where included.
Percentage, ratio, profit and loss, and time and work form the base for many other topics, so master them first. Calculation speed matters, so learn tables and squares early.
General Intelligence and Reasoning syllabus
This section has 35 marks and tests logical thinking more than knowledge. With daily practice it becomes the most predictable section.
Group | Topics to cover | Start with |
|---|---|---|
Verbal reasoning | Analogy, classification (odd one out), series, coding-decoding, alphabet and number tests | Series and analogy |
Relations and arrangement | Blood relations, directions and distances, ranking, order, seating arrangement | Blood relations |
Logic | Statements and conclusions, syllogism, Venn diagrams, mathematical operations, missing terms | Venn diagrams |
Non-verbal reasoning | Figure series, pattern completion, mirror and water images, embedded figures, paper folding | Figure series |
Physical tests: is there a syllabus?
The Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Measurement Test (PMT) have standards rather than a syllabus. In the last cycle the PET covered a timed run, a long jump and a high jump.
Overlap between subjects
Some preparation helps more than one section. Plan it once and use it twice.
Area | Helps in | How to plan |
|---|---|---|
Calculation speed | Arithmetic and reasoning (number series, coding) | Practise tables, squares and percentages daily |
Science and geography reading | General Awareness and current affairs | Link news items to the static topic behind them |
Logical thinking | Reasoning and word problems | Solve a few puzzles after your maths practice |
How to cover the syllabus in phases
Weeks 1 to 4, build the base: Revise Class 6 to 10 maths basics and start one General Awareness subject at a time. Read the news daily for 30 minutes.
Weeks 5 to 8, topic practice: Solve topic-wise questions and take short 20-minute sectional tests. Begin a monthly current affairs note.
Weeks 9 to 12, mixed practice: Attempt previous year papers and full-length tests in a 90-minute window.
Final phase, revise and analyse: Take a full mock every few days, analyse it the same day and revise your error log.
Keep your own short notes aligned with the RPF Constable study notes guide, and move to full-length mock tests once the topics are covered.
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