RRB JE CE Syllabus 2026: CBT 1 and CBT 2 Civil Engineering Topics

The RRB JE CE syllabus covers two stages. CBT 1 tests general ability and science, and CBT 2 adds a 100-mark civil engineering technical paper along with basic science, computers and environment. Knowing which topic belongs to which stage helps you spend time where the marks are.

Honesty note: the recruitment boards name the sections and give the marks in the notification, but the public summary does not give a fully topic-wise list. The topic lists below are built from the civil diploma curriculum, the section names in the notification and the kind of questions asked in earlier cycles. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list, and compare them with the notification annexure on the official RRB portal.

Table of Contents

Syllabus at a glance

Marking is one mark per correct answer and one-third mark deducted per wrong answer. See the RRB JE CE exam pattern page for timing and qualifying rules.

Key points to know

• The civil paper is the deciding block: 100 of 150 marks in CBT 2 are technical, so it carries most of the merit weight.

• CBT 1 is a screening round: it is not added to the final merit in the way CBT 2 is, but you must clear it to be considered.

• The technical paper is discipline specific: electrical and mechanical candidates get different technical papers, so do not follow a generic JE syllabus list.

• Older pages may still show an outdated format: follow the official notification for the current cycle.

CBT 1 syllabus

Maths and General Science together carry 60 of the 100 marks, so they are the most efficient place to build a lead. Reasoning is usually the fastest section if you practise patterns regularly.

CBT 2 general sections

• Physics and Chemistry: units and measurement, motion, work and energy, heat, light, electricity basics; acids and bases, metals and non-metals, carbon compounds, periodic table, everyday chemistry.

• Basics of Computers and Applications: computer architecture, input and output devices, operating system basics, MS Office, internet, networking basics, shortcut keys, common abbreviations.

• Basics of Environment and Pollution Control: ecosystem, biodiversity, air, water and soil pollution, waste management, climate change, environmental laws and sustainability.

• General Awareness: current events and static general knowledge as in CBT 1, with a tilt toward science, technology and engineering news.

CBT 2 civil technical syllabus

The civil technical paper follows the diploma-level civil engineering curriculum. These subject groups are recurring areas for RRB JE CE preparation.

Building materials and construction

• Cement, aggregates, lime, bricks, stone, timber, steel, paints and modern materials

• Concrete properties, workability, mix design basics, curing and testing

• Masonry, foundations, floors, roofs, doors and windows, stairs, scaffolding and shoring

• Building drawing, planning rules and basics of CAD

Mechanics and structures

• Forces, equilibrium, friction, centroid and moment of inertia

• Stress, strain, elastic constants, bending moment and shear force diagrams, deflection of beams, columns and torsion

• Analysis of trusses, arches and indeterminate beams at basic level

Concrete and steel design

• Working stress and limit state methods, design of beams, slabs, columns and footings

• Steel sections, bolted and welded connections, tension members and beams

Surveying

• Chain, compass, plane table, levelling, contouring, theodolite, tacheometry, curves

• Modern methods: total station, GPS, remote sensing basics

Geotechnical engineering

• Soil classification, phase relations, permeability and seepage, compaction, consolidation

• Shear strength, earth pressure, bearing capacity and site investigation

Hydraulics, irrigation and environmental engineering

• Fluid properties, pipe and open channel flow, pumps and turbines

• Hydrology, canals, dams and reservoirs

• Water supply, sewage treatment, solid waste and plumbing

Transportation and railway engineering

• Highway planning, pavement materials and design, traffic basics

• Railway track components, gauges, sleepers, ballast, rail joints, points and crossings, track maintenance, bridges and tunnels

Estimating, costing and project management

• Quantity estimation, rate analysis, specifications, valuation, contracts and tendering

• Construction equipment, planning methods and safety

Overlap between stages

Is there a syllabus for the later stages?

Document verification and the medical examination do not have a syllabus. They check your certificates and fitness against the standards in the notification, so keep originals ready and verified.

How to cover the syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 6: finish building materials, surveying, strength of materials and soil mechanics, along with daily maths and reasoning practice.

2. Weeks 7 to 10: cover structures, design, hydraulics, transportation and railway engineering; begin monthly current-affairs notes.

3. Weeks 11 to 14: estimating, environmental engineering, computers and general science revision.

4. Final phase: full-length mocks, same-day analysis and revision from an error log.

You can test each stage of this plan with topic-wise RRB JE CE online tests on Testkart, then move to full papers. Keep concise civil engineering study notes for revision, and read the RRB JE CE overview for dates and eligibility.