RRB JE ME Syllabus 2026: CBT 1 and CBT 2 Mechanical Topics

The RRB JE ME syllabus has two layers. CBT 1 tests general subjects that every Junior Engineer candidate attempts, while CBT 2 adds a large Mechanical Engineering paper called Technical Abilities. Knowing which topics belong to which stage helps you spread your time sensibly instead of reading everything at once.

The Railway Recruitment Boards name the subjects in the notification (CEN 04/2026) but do not publish a topic-wise list for the technical paper. The topic lists below are built from the notification and from questions asked in earlier JE papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list.

Table of Contents

• RRB JE ME syllabus at a glance

• Key points to know

• CBT 1 syllabus

• CBT 2 non-technical syllabus

• CBT 2 Technical Abilities: Mechanical syllabus

• Overlap between stages

• How to cover the syllabus

RRB JE ME syllabus at a glance

Key points to know

• Technical Abilities is the biggest block: 100 of the 150 CBT 2 marks come from Mechanical subjects.

• CBT 1 is general: it has no engineering content, so it is the same for Civil, Electrical and Mechanical candidates.

• The syllabus is stream-wide: allied diploma holders (Production, Automobile, Mechatronics and similar) answer the same Mechanical group paper.

CBT 1 syllabus

Mathematics and General Science together carry 60 of the 100 marks. A candidate who is quick at both has a real advantage, because reasoning and awareness questions are usually answered faster.

CBT 2 non-technical syllabus

These four sections add up to 50 marks and need less time per question than the technical paper.

• General Awareness: current affairs and general knowledge, same scope as CBT 1.

• Physics and Chemistry: Class 10 level topics such as motion, force, electricity, light, acids and bases, metals and carbon compounds.

• Basics of Computers and Applications: computer architecture, input and output devices, memory, operating system basics, MS Office, internet, email and basic networking.

• Basics of Environment and Pollution Control: ecosystem, pollution types, causes and control, climate change, waste management, environmental protection laws.

CBT 2 Technical Abilities: Mechanical syllabus

The technical paper is where Mechanical candidates make the difference. The subjects below are the ones most often asked, grouped to match how you will study them.

Engineering Mechanics and Strength of Materials

• Engineering mechanics: resolution of forces, equilibrium, Lami's theorem, friction, moment of inertia, Newton's laws, projectile motion, conservation of energy and momentum.

• Strength of materials: stress and strain, stress-strain diagram, factor of safety, thermal stresses, strain energy, shear force and bending moment, torsion of shafts, springs, thin cylinders.

Thermal Engineering and Thermodynamics

• Laws of thermodynamics, work and heat, gas laws and processes, entropy.

• Carnot, Otto and Diesel cycles, steam properties, boilers and turbines.

• IC engines, air compressors, refrigeration and air conditioning.

• Heat transfer: conduction, convection, radiation, Stefan-Boltzmann law.

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Machinery

• Fluid properties, Pascal's law, pressure measurement, buoyancy.

• Reynolds number, Bernoulli's equation, venturimeter, pitot tube.

• Centrifugal and reciprocating pumps, cavitation, turbines and hydraulic devices.

Manufacturing and Production

Materials, Machine Design and Industrial Management

• Material science: mechanical properties, steels and alloys, heat treatment such as annealing, hardening and tempering.

• Machine design and theory of machines: gears, belts, bearings, clutches, brakes, cams, flywheels, balancing.

• Industrial management: production planning and control, PERT and CPM, inventory control, EOQ, ABC analysis, break-even analysis, material handling.

Railway-specific mechanical topics, such as air brakes, couplers and bogies, are not named in the notification. They are worth a light read as general awareness for the technical paper, but do not let them replace the core subjects above.

Overlap between stages

How to cover the syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 4: build CBT 1 basics (arithmetic, Class 9 and 10 science) and start one technical subject, ideally Strength of Materials or Thermodynamics.

2. Weeks 5 to 10: finish the remaining technical subjects, one every one to two weeks, with notes and a chapter-wise test at the end of each.

3. From week 6: add 30 minutes of daily current affairs and a short reasoning set.

4. Weeks 11 to 14: take sectional tests, revise formula notes, and solve previous year papers.

5. Final phase: attempt full-length mocks in the exam pattern, analyse them the same day, and revise your error log.

Official updates are available on the RRB website.