Railway Recruitment Board Group D

The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) are filling 22,195 Level 1 posts through RRB Group D 2026 (CEN 09/2025), one of the largest government job openings for 10th and ITI pass candidates. The Computer Based Test (CBT) was held in August 2026, and the provisional answer key is already out. Candidates are now waiting for the result.

This guide covers everything in one place: the latest status, important dates, vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, the Physical Efficiency Test (PET), salary and a practical preparation plan. If you are preparing for the next cycle, the strategy section is written for you.

RRB Group D Latest Update (September 2026)

• Answer key released: The provisional answer key and response sheets for CEN 09/2025 were released on 7 September 2026.

• Objection window closed: Candidates could challenge answers until 15 September 2026 (5 PM) at Rs 50 per question, refundable if the objection is accepted.

• Result awaited: RRB has not announced an official result date yet. Several exam portals expect it in October 2026, but treat this as an estimate until an official notice appears.

• Next stage: Candidates shortlisted in the CBT will be called for the PET, followed by document verification and medical examination.

RRB Group D 2026 Overview

RRB Group D Exam Date 2026 and Important Dates

The CBT was originally scheduled from 3 to 21 August 2026. RRB later revised the schedule and added 25 August, so the final exam spread over 16 days.

RRB Group D Vacancy 2026

The 22,195 vacancies are spread across 16 railway zones and several technical departments. Track Maintainer Grade IV is the largest post in every zone, followed by Pointsman B.

Posts Under CEN 09/2025

Zone-wise, Northern Railway has the highest number of posts (3,537), followed by Western Railway (3,148) and Central Railway (1,979). For your exact zone and category count, refer to Annexure B of the notification along with Corrigendum No. 2, which revised the category-wise distribution.

Vacancy Trend and Competition Level

Over 52 lakh candidates applied for CEN 09/2025. That works out to roughly 236 applicants for every seat. Seats are shrinking while applications stay high, so a safe score depends on accuracy, not just attempts.

RRB Group D Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Candidates need one of the following on the closing date of the application:

• 10th pass (Matriculation), or

• ITI from an institution recognised by NCVT or SCVT, or

• National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) granted by NCVT.

Candidates who are still awaiting their qualifying exam result are not eligible. Higher qualifications such as 12th or graduation are acceptable, since the minimum requirement is 10th pass.

RRB Group D Age Limit 2026

The age limit is 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2026, with relaxation for reserved categories. Based on RRB's usual method of calculation, the date of birth ranges work out as follows:

Additional relaxation applies to PwBD candidates, ex-servicemen and other notified categories. Always match your date of birth against the official table in the notification before relying on it.

Nationality

A candidate must be an Indian citizen, or belong to one of the other categories allowed by the Government of India (such as subjects of Nepal or Bhutan), with an eligibility certificate where required.

RRB Group D Application Fee

The refund is paid only to candidates who actually appear in the CBT. Each correction made during the modification window carried a separate non-refundable charge of Rs 250.

RRB Group D Selection Process

Selection happens in four stages. You must clear each stage to move forward.

1. Computer Based Test (CBT): The only scored stage. Final merit is based on normalised CBT marks.

2. Physical Efficiency Test (PET): Qualifying only. Candidates are shortlisted at about three times the community-wise vacancies, based on CBT merit.

3. Document Verification (DV): Original certificates for education, age, category and identity are checked.

4. Medical Examination: Each post has a prescribed medical standard, especially for vision. Candidates who fail the standard for a post cannot be appointed to it.

RRB Group D Exam Pattern

The CBT is a single online paper of objective, multiple-choice questions.

• Duration: 90 minutes (120 minutes for eligible PwBD candidates using a scribe)

• Negative marking: 1/3 mark deducted for each wrong answer

• Normalisation: Since the exam runs in many shifts, raw marks are normalised before the merit list is prepared

Minimum Qualifying Marks in the CBT

A relaxation of up to 2% may be given to PwBD candidates if there is a shortage of qualified candidates. Clearing these marks only makes you eligible; the actual cut-off is usually much higher.

RRB Group D Syllabus

For a topic-by-topic breakdown with weightage, read our detailed RRB Group D syllabus guide.

RRB Group D PET (Physical Efficiency Test)

The PET is qualifying, so it does not add to your merit score. But failing it ends your candidature, even with a high CBT score. If you have appeared in the CBT, start weight-carry and running practice now instead of waiting for the result.

RRB Group D Answer Key and Result 2026

The provisional answer key and response sheet were made available through candidate login on the regional RRB websites. To check your response sheet:

1. Visit the official website of the RRB you applied to.

2. Open the CEN 09/2025 Level 1 answer key and response sheet link.

3. Log in with your registration number and date of birth.

4. Compare your recorded responses with the key and calculate your raw score (+1 for correct, –1/3 for wrong).

Remember that your raw score will change after normalisation. The result, zone-wise shortlist and cut-off will be published on the regional RRB websites once the final answer key is prepared.

RRB Group D Cut-Off

The RRB Group D cut-off is released zone-wise and category-wise along with the result. It depends on:

• Number of vacancies in the zone and category

• Number of candidates who appeared

• Difficulty level of each shift (handled through normalisation)

• Overall performance of candidates

Since CEN 09/2025 has fewer seats than the previous cycle and a very high number of applicants, aim well above the minimum qualifying marks. Check our RRB Group D cut-off analysis for previous-year zone-wise trends.

RRB Group D Salary

Selected candidates join at Level 1 of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix, with a basic pay of Rs 18,000 per month (the Level 1 pay range goes up to Rs 56,900 with annual increments). On top of basic pay, employees receive:

• Dearness Allowance (DA)

• House Rent Allowance (HRA), which depends on the city of posting

• Transport Allowance

• Night duty and overtime allowances, where applicable

• Railway benefits such as medical facilities and travel passes

In-hand pay varies by city and DA rate at the time. Promotions through departmental exams can move employees to Group C posts over time.

RRB Group D Preparation Strategy

1. Plan Around Section Weightage

Reasoning carries the most marks (30), and much of it is pattern-based, so regular practice can make it your highest-scoring section. General Science (25) is directly based on NCERT Class 9 and 10 textbooks, so revise those first instead of jumping to shortcut books.

2. Understand the Maths of Negative Marking

With four options and a 1/3 penalty, a blind guess has an expected score of zero. But if you can eliminate even one wrong option, a guess among the remaining three gives a small positive expected score. So:

• Skip questions you have no idea about.

• Attempt questions where you can confidently rule out at least one option.

3. Manage the 90 Minutes

You get about 54 seconds per question. A two-round approach works well:

• Round 1: Answer everything you know instantly (GA, direct science facts, easy reasoning).

• Round 2: Return to calculation-heavy maths and longer reasoning sets.

4. Practise With Previous Year Papers and Mocks

Solve RRB Group D previous year papers to learn the real question style. Then take full-length mocks every week, and sectional tests for weak areas. After every mock, spend as much time analysing mistakes as you spent taking the test.

5. Prepare for PET Alongside the CBT

Many candidates clear the CBT but lose out at the PET. Build your stamina for the 1,000-metre run and practise weight carrying from the start of your preparation.

Prepare for RRB Group D Exam

Once your basics are in place, practice becomes the difference. On Testkart, you can:

• Take the RRB Group D mock test series in the real CBT format, with negative marking and timed sections

• Attempt subject-wise tests in Maths, Reasoning, General Science and General Awareness

• Solve previous year questions to understand repeated topics

• Track your scores across tests and find weak areas early

RRB Group D 2026 offers 22,195 permanent Level 1 posts in Indian Railways for 10th and ITI pass candidates. For CEN 09/2025 candidates, the next step is the result, followed by the PET, so start physical training now. For next-cycle aspirants, focus on reasoning and NCERT science, respect negative marking and build your preparation around regular mock tests. Keep checking the official RRB websites for the final answer key, result and PET schedule.