RRB Staff Nurse Exam Pattern 2026: Marks, Time and Negative Marking

The RRB Staff Nurse exam pattern is simple on paper: one computer-based test (CBT) of 100 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, followed by document verification and a medical examination. There is no second CBT, typing test or interview, so your CBT score alone decides whether you are shortlisted.

This page explains the pattern for CEN 05/2026, where the post is advertised as Nursing Superintendent: section-wise marks, negative marking, minimum qualifying marks, later stages and how to use the 90 minutes well. Pattern facts follow the notice. The strategy sections are our guidance and are labelled as such.

Table of Contents

Exam Pattern at a Glance

Section-wise CBT Pattern

• No sectional time limit: The notice mentions none, so you can move between sections within the 90 minutes.

• Indicative split: The notice says the section-wise distribution may vary slightly in the actual paper.

• Language: The CBT is offered in English, Hindi and regional languages. You choose your language in the application form.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

• Correct answer: 1 mark.

• Wrong answer: One-third of a mark is deducted.

• Unattempted question: No marks and no deduction.

Older pages may still show a deduction of 0.25 mark. Follow the official notice on the official RRB website.

A Worked Example

Suppose you attempt 85 questions and get 72 right and 13 wrong. Your raw score is 72 minus one-third of 13, which is 72 minus 4.33, or 67.67 out of 100. If you had skipped five of those wrong guesses, your score would be 72 minus 2.67, or 69.33. Small changes in guessing behaviour can move your score by one or two marks.

Minimum Qualifying Marks

These are eligibility thresholds, not cut-offs. Actual shortlisting depends on merit against the number of vacancies at your RRB, and recent cut-offs for the nursing post have been much higher. See the RRB Staff Nurse cut-off page for previous figures.

What the Pattern Means for You

These points are our recommendations, not RRB rules.

• Nursing depth wins: With 70 marks at stake, 10 percent better accuracy in the professional section is worth 7 marks.

• The common 30 marks decide close calls: When many candidates are strong in nursing, steady marks in the general sections separate ranks.

• Guess carefully: Three wrong answers cancel one correct answer. Guess only when you can remove at least two options.

• Accuracy over attempts: 80 attempts at 90 percent accuracy gives about 69.3, while 95 attempts at 75 percent accuracy gives about 63.

Document Verification and Medical Examination

Candidates are shortlisted for document verification on CBT merit, RRB-wise and post-wise. Carry original certificates for qualification, date of birth, community and your nursing registration. Then the medical examination checks the C1 standard for this post. Both stages are qualifying, and final merit is based on the CBT.

Normalisation and Ties

If the CBT runs in several shifts, RRB normalises marks so that easier and harder shifts are compared fairly. Your normalised score can differ from your raw score, so do not judge your chances from the answer key alone. For equal marks, the older candidate is placed higher.

Time Management and Exam-day Strategy

1. Start with the common sections: Clear General Awareness, Arithmetic, Reasoning and Science first, ideally in 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Move to nursing questions: Spend about 55 to 60 minutes on the 70 professional questions.

3. Keep 8 to 10 minutes for review: Revisit marked questions and avoid changing answers without a clear reason.

4. Do not stay stuck: You have under a minute per question, so skip and return.