RRB Paramedical Eligibility 2026: Post-wise Qualification and Age Limit

RRB Paramedical eligibility is decided post by post. Each of the nine posts under CEN 05/2026 has its own educational qualification, its own age band and, for some posts, a registration requirement with a professional council. You can be eligible for one post and not another, so it pays to check each post you are interested in rather than reading a single summary line.

This page covers the RRB Paramedical eligibility criteria 2026 in full: post-wise qualifications, age limits as on 1 January 2027, date-of-birth windows, age relaxations, nationality, medical standards and the common reasons candidates are found ineligible at document verification. Everything here is taken from the CEN 05/2026 notice. The online application closed on 14 October 2026, which is also the cut-off date for holding your qualification.

Table of Contents

RRB Paramedical Eligibility

Key Dates That Decide Eligibility

• 14 October 2026, qualification: You must have passed the required qualification, with the result declared, by this date. Candidates awaiting results are not eligible.

• 1 January 2027, age: All age limits are counted as on this date.

• 14 October 2026, certificates: Community, EWS and other claims must be valid as on the closing date. The OBC-NCL certificate must be issued between 1 April 2026 and 14 October 2026.

If your certificate dates do not match these windows, you may be treated as unreserved at document verification, so check them now rather than later.

Post-wise Educational Qualification

The qualifications below summarise Annexure A of the notice. Read the notice for the full wording before relying on an equivalent qualification.

Nursing Superintendent

• Option 1: Certificate as a Registered Nurse and Midwife after passing a 3-year course in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) from a school or institution recognised by the Indian Nursing Council.

• Option 2: B.Sc Nursing.

• Note: Candidates who qualified under Indian Nursing Council concessions for ANMs, midwives or B-grade nurses with reduced course periods are also eligible.

Pharmacist (Entry Grade)

• Option 1: Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy (Allopathic) from a Central or State Government recognised university or institute, with registration as a Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948.

• Option 2: Doctor of Pharmacy from a recognised university or institute, with the same registration.

• Check carefully: The CEN 05/2026 annexure lists the Bachelor's degree and Doctor of Pharmacy routes. Some websites also mention a diploma route; if you hold only D.Pharm, confirm your eligibility against the official notice rather than secondary sources.

Lab Assistant Grade II

• Option 1: 10+2 in Science plus a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT).

• Option 2: 10+2 in Science plus a certificate course in medical lab technology at par with DMLT, from a recognised institution, of at least one year, full time, ending in a formal examination.

• Equivalent: 10+2 in Science plus a B.Sc in Medical Lab Technology.

Radiographer X-Ray Technician

• Main route: 10+2 with Physics and Chemistry, plus a 2-year Diploma in Radiography, X-Ray Technician or Radiodiagnosis Technology from a recognised institute. Science graduates with this diploma are preferred.

• Equivalent degrees: B.Sc in Medical Technology in Radiography, Medical Radiography and Imaging Technology, Radiography, Medical Imaging Technology, or Radiological and Imaging Techniques; a 2-year Diploma in Radiation Technology; or a Bachelor's degree in Radiation Technology after 10+2 with Physics and Chemistry.

Health and Malaria Inspector Grade II

• Required: B.Sc with Chemistry as a main or optional subject.

• Plus one of: a one-year Diploma in Health or Sanitary Inspector, or a one-year National Trade Certificate in Health Sanitary Inspector issued by NCVT.

ECG Technician

• Required: 10+2 or graduation in Science, plus a certificate, diploma or degree in ECG Laboratory Technology, Cardiology, Cardiology Technician or Cardiology Techniques from a reputed institution.

• Duration rule: The certificate course must be of at least one year.

Dialysis Technician

• Required: B.Sc plus a Diploma in Haemodialysis, or B.Sc plus two years of satisfactory in-house training or experience in haemodialysis at a reputed institution, with proof.

• Equivalent: B.Sc in Dialysis Techniques, Dialysis Technology or Renal Dialysis Technology.

Optometrist

• Required: B.Sc in Optometry, or a Diploma in Ophthalmic Technician of 3 to 4 years.

• Registration: Registration with the concerned council or licensing body.

Audiologist and Speech Therapist

• Required: Bachelor in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (BASLP) from a recognised university.

• Registration: Registration with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).

Quick Reference Table

Age Limit for Each Post

Nursing Superintendent has the widest band, which suits candidates with several years of hospital experience. Audiologist and Speech Therapist has the narrowest, with an upper limit of 30.

Date of Birth Windows

Instead of calculating age yourself, compare your date of birth with the windows in the notice. You must not be born after the first date, and, depending on your category, not before the second.

Example: An OBC-NCL candidate born on 15 March 1990 applying for Pharmacist falls inside the window (born after 2 January 1989), so the age condition is met. The same candidate would be outside the window for Lab Assistant Grade II, where the OBC-NCL limit is 2 January 1991.

Age Relaxation

Rules to Remember

• Not cumulative: Only the single highest relaxation that applies to you is given.

• Applying against UR vacancies: SC, ST and OBC-NCL candidates who apply against unreserved vacancies do not get any age relaxation.

• PwBD against UR: PwBD candidates applying against UR vacancies still get the PwBD (UR) relaxation, subject to the post being identified as suitable.

Nationality and Other Conditions

• Nationality: Candidates must be Indian citizens or meet the other nationality conditions set out in the notice.

• One RRB only: You may apply to only one RRB. Applications to more than one RRB are all rejected and may lead to debarment.

• One application: One online application covers all the posts you choose. Multiple applications to the same RRB are also rejected.

• Registration certificates: For posts that need council registration, keep a valid registration certificate ready for document verification.

• Open and distance learning: For some posts, such as ECG Technician and Lab Assistant, ODL qualifications are accepted only from bodies recognised as listed in the notice.

Medical Standards

Every post also has a medical standard you must meet at the medical examination after document verification.

A candidate who fails the medical standard for a post is not offered an alternative post. If you wear glasses or have any condition that might affect your fitness category, read the medical standards section of the notice before you prepare for a specific post.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Result pending: Final-year students whose results were not declared by 14 October 2026.

• Wrong qualification route: A diploma or degree that does not match the post's listed qualification or its stated equivalents.

• Short course duration: Certificate courses shorter than the minimum duration, such as an ECG or lab course of less than one year.

• Missing registration: Nursing, pharmacy, optometry or audiology candidates without the required council registration.

• Outside the age window: Candidates outside the date-of-birth window for their category after the applicable relaxation.

• Multiple applications: Candidates who applied to more than one RRB under the same notice.

Eligibility is checked again at document verification, and candidature can be cancelled at any stage if a condition is not met. Being called for the CBT does not mean your eligibility has been confirmed.

Fee and Documents to Keep Ready

The application fee for CEN 05/2026 was Rs. 500 for general candidates (Rs. 400 refundable after appearing in the CBT) and Rs. 250 for SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and Economically Backward Class candidates (fully refundable after appearing). Refunds go to an Aadhaar-seeded bank account, minus bank charges.

For document verification, keep these originals and copies ready:

• Education: Class 10 certificate (for date of birth), 10+2 marksheet, diploma or degree certificate and marksheets.

• Registration: Council registration certificate where the post requires it.

• Category: SC, ST, OBC-NCL or EWS certificate in the format and date window given in the notice.

• Others: PwBD certificate, Ex-Servicemen discharge papers, experience certificate (for Dialysis Technician via the experience route) and photo ID.

For the full notice, updates and the official mock test when it is released, use the official RRB website.