RRB Section Controller Cut-off: Previous Year RRB-wise Marks

The RRB Section Controller cut-off is the minimum normalised CBT score, out of 100, that a candidate in a given category needed to be shortlisted for the Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT). Each Railway Recruitment Board publishes its own cut-off, so figures differ from RRB to RRB as well as by category. Separately, the notification sets minimum qualifying marks in the CBT and a T-score of 42 in each CBAT battery.

Cut-offs for the current cycle, CEN No. 03/2026, will come with its CBT result. The figures below are from the previous cycle, CEN 04/2025, and serve as a benchmark only.

Previous Year Cut-off: CEN 04/2025 (CBT for CBAT Shortlisting)

All figures are normalised CBT marks out of 100, rounded to two decimals. The Ahmedabad and Bhopal rows were checked against those RRBs' official result notices dated 8 May 2026. The other rows are compiled from published reports of RRB result notices and are indicative, so confirm them on your RRB's website. "Not published" means no figure was available for that category, for example because the RRB had few or no posts in it.

What the Previous Cut-off Tells You

• UR cut-offs were very high: Every RRB in the table needed over 91 out of 100, and several needed 96 or more.

• Spread across RRBs was wide: UR cut-offs ranged from about 91.7 to about 98.4, so your chosen RRB matters.

• The shortlist is small: RRB Ahmedabad called 121 candidates for the CBAT and RRB Kolkata called 233, because the CBAT list is limited to a small multiple of the vacancies.

CEN 04/2025 is the only recent cycle with published cut-offs. There is no multi-year trend yet, so do not read the numbers as a pattern.

What Affects the RRB Section Controller Cut-off

• Vacancies per RRB: CEN 03/2026 has 119 posts, against a reported 368 in the previous cycle. Fewer posts mean fewer CBAT calls per RRB.

• Paper difficulty: An easier paper pushes scores and cut-offs up.

• Number of applicants: More candidates competing for the same posts raises the bar.

• Normalisation: When the CBT runs in more than one shift, marks are normalised before shortlisting.

• Category-wise vacancies: A category with very few posts in an RRB can have an unusually high or no published cut-off.

How to Set Your Target

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's figures as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them rather than a bare pass. With fewer posts in this cycle, a target of a few marks above your RRB's previous figure is a sensible starting point.

• Clear the CBT minimum first: 40% for UR and EWS, 30% for OBC (NCL) and SC, and 25% for ST. These are floors, not targets.

• Protect accuracy: With one-third of a mark lost per wrong answer, a few careless errors can cost you the CBAT call.

• Do not ignore the CBAT: You need a T-score of 42 in each battery, with no relaxation, and the CBAT carries 30% of merit.

• Track mock benchmarks: Note your score and accuracy in each full-length mock and compare them with your RRB's previous cut-off.

Verify figures on the RRB Ahmedabad results page.