Complete exam guide
RRB ALP and Technician (Assistant Loco Pilot, Technician Grade I Signal and Technician Grade III)
This is Indian Railways' recruitment for its running and maintenance staff: Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) in the loco cabin, and Technicians who keep locos, coaches, signalling and workshop equipment running.
2026 cycle — status
✓ Verified 6 Oct 2026Two CENs are running in this cycle. ALP (CEN 01/2026): applications closed on 14 June 2026; CBT 1 is scheduled for 3 to 5 November 2026. Technician (CEN 02/2026): applications closed on 29 July 2026; the CBT is scheduled for 6 to 9 October 2026, with city intimation and e-call letters already out. The ALP exam schedule notice and the Technician schedule notice were issued through the official RRB websites in September 2026; your exact date and shift come only with your e-call letter. ALP shortlists for CBT 2 at 15 times the vacancies, so the November paper is the real filter.
- ALP detailed CEN 01/2026Done14 May 2026Indicative notice 21 March 2026
- ALP applications (CEN 01/2026)Done15 May to 14 June 2026
- Technician detailed CEN 02/2026DoneJune 2026Indicative notice 23 May 2026
- Technician applications (CEN 02/2026)Done30 June to 29 July 2026
- Technician CBTDone6 to 9 October 2026Exact date and shift on the e-call letter
- ALP CBT 1Upcoming3 to 5 November 2026
- ALP CBT 2AwaitedTo be announced
Vacancy split (both verified from the detailed CENs): 11,127 ALP under CEN 01/2026 (UR 4,611, SC 1,767, ST 913, OBC 2,828, EWS 1,008; ex-servicemen 1,114 included) and 6,557 Technician under CEN 02/2026 (323 Technician Grade I Signal + 6,234 Technician Grade III across 24 trade categories). The largest ALP allocations are RRB Mumbai (1,078), RRB Secunderabad (824) and RRB Bhubaneswar (801). Key rules from CEN 01/2026: only one RRB and one application per candidate; shortlisting for CBT 2 at 15 times the vacancies; CBAT shortlisting at 8 times; PwBD candidates are not eligible for ALP; candidates who have had LASIK surgery are not eligible for A-1 posts. Age is counted as on 1 July 2026. Apply only through the official RRB websites and the rrbapply.gov.in portal; beware of fake sites. Key sources: detailed CEN 01/2026 and CEN 02/2026 PDFs on rrbsecunderabad.gov.in (mirrored on all RRB sites), the official FAQs, and the exam schedule notices on rrbcdg.gov.in.
About this exam
The Railway Recruitment Boards fill these posts through two parallel notifications in each cycle: a CEN for ALP and a CEN for Technician Grade I Signal and Grade III. The ALP path is a two-stage exam: CBT 1 (screening) → CBT 2 with Part A (merit) and Part B (trade, qualifying) → Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) → document verification → medical. The Technician path is shorter: a single CBT, then DV and medical, with a separate CBT for each pay level. There is no interview at any stage. What makes this exam different from NTPC or SSC papers is the technical core: General Science at 10th standard level for the CBTs, and for ALP a full Basic Science and Engineering paper plus a trade test in CBT 2. Fitness matters as much as marks: ALP needs A-1 medical standard (6/6 vision without glasses, no LASIK surgery), so read the medical annexure before you commit.
More on RRB ALP / Technician
Dates, syllabus and results for RRB ALP / Technician
Exam pattern
CBT 1: First Stage (ALP) / single CBT (Technician) ALP: screening for CBT 2 · Technician: merit-deciding
Online CBT · 60 min · +1 per correct, −1/3 per wrong
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | ||
| Mental Ability (General Intelligence and Reasoning) | ||
| General Science | ||
| Total | 75 | 75 |
ALP CBT 1 (CEN 01/2026): 75 questions, 75 marks, 60 minutes, negative marking 1/3, marks normalised across shifts. The CEN lists three subject areas: Mathematics, Mental Ability and General Science (10th standard Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences). The 2026 CEN does not fix a section-wise question count and has no separate General Awareness or current affairs area (the 2025 CEN still had one), so treat the whole paper as the three areas above. Minimum qualifying marks: UR and EWS 40%, OBC-NCL and SC 30%, ST 25%. CBT 1 marks do not count in the final panel. Technician CBT (CEN 02/2026) is a different paper: 100 questions, 90 minutes, one CBT per pay level. Tentative break-up from the CEN: Grade III has Mathematics 25, General Intelligence and Reasoning 25, General Science 40, General Awareness 10; Grade I Signal has General Awareness 10, Reasoning 15, Basics of Computers and Applications 20, Mathematics 20, Basic Science and Engineering 35. The CEN calls these break-ups indicative.
CBT 2: Second Stage, Part A (merit) + Part B (trade test) Part A: merit-deciding · Part B: qualifying
Online CBT · 150 min · +1 per correct, −1/3 per wrong
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | ||
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | ||
| Basic Science and Engineering | ||
| Total | 175 | 175 |
ALP only. One combined sitting: Part A of 100 questions in 90 minutes plus Part B of 75 questions in 60 minutes (175 questions, 150 minutes in total). Part A covers Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning and Basic Science and Engineering (engineering drawing, units and measurements, work power and energy, heat and temperature, basic electricity, levers and simple machines, safety, environment, IT literacy). Only Part A marks count for shortlisting to CBAT, and only if you also score the 35% qualifying marks in Part B (for every category). Part B questions come from your ITI trade syllabus as prescribed by DGT; ITI and Act Apprentice candidates get their own trade, while diploma and degree holders choose one trade from the grouping table in the CEN (electrical, electronics, mechanical or automobile streams). Minimum qualifying in Part A: UR and EWS 40%, OBC-NCL and SC 30%, ST 25%.
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) Qualifying, with 50% weight in the final merit
Computer-based aptitude (psychometric) test · No negative marking
ALP only. Candidates equal to 8 times the ALP vacancies for each community are shortlisted for CBAT on the basis of Part A of CBT 2, after qualifying in Part B. The CBAT runs only in English and Hindi, has no negative marking, and is split into test batteries; you must clear every battery separately with a minimum T-score of 42 in each, with no relaxation for any category. From CEN 01/2026 the final merit is built as 50% Part A of CBT 2 + 50% CBAT (the 2025 CEN used 70:30, so always recheck the ratio in the notice you apply under). Candidates must carry the Self-Screening Medical Declaration Report (Annexures VIII A and VIII B), signed by a general physician and an eye specialist from a government hospital or medical college, on CBAT day. Practice material is published by RDSO on its Psychology Candidate's Corner page.
Document Verification and Medical Examination Qualifying (final stage)
In person at the RRB · Not applicable
For ALP, the DV shortlist is drawn from candidates who qualify in the CBAT, in the ratio of the vacancies; ties are broken first by age (older candidate ranks higher) and then alphabetically. For Technician, candidates equal to the vacancies are shortlisted for DV directly on CBT merit. Before your DV date you must upload scanned copies (in true colour) of your photo and signature on the orims-ir.gov.in/rbdv portal. At DV you produce all original certificates; absence or failure to produce originals forfeits the candidature. Appointment depends on clearing the railway medical examination: A-1 for ALP (distant vision 6/6, 6/6 without glasses, colour, binocular, night and mesopic vision tests; no LASIK), and B-1, A-3, B-2 or C-1 for Technician posts as per the post parameters annexure. A one-time medical appeal with prescribed charges is allowed if you fail the initial medical.
Eligibility
Citizen of India, or a citizen of Nepal or Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 to settle permanently, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka and the East African countries listed in the notice, with an eligibility certificate from the Government of India where required.
Matriculation/SSLC (10th pass) plus ITI in the notified trades (Fitter, Electrician, Instrument Mechanic, Millwright/Maintenance Mechanic, Mechanic Radio and TV, Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic Motor Vehicle, Wireman, Tractor Mechanic, Armature and Coil Winder, Mechanic Diesel, Heat Engine, Turner, Machinist, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Mechanic) from NCVT/SCVT institutions, or 10th plus a Course Completed Act Apprenticeship in those trades, or 10th plus a three-year Diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Automobile Engineering (or a combination of streams) in lieu of ITI. A degree in the same disciplines is also accepted in lieu of the diploma.
B.Sc in Physics, Electronics, Computer Science, Information Technology or Instrumentation (or a combination of these basic streams), or a three-year Diploma in Engineering in these streams, or an Engineering degree in the same disciplines. There is no ITI route for this post.
10th pass plus ITI (NCVT/SCVT) in the trade given against each post category, or 10th plus Course Completed Act Apprenticeship (CCAA) in that trade. Diploma and degree holders should note the CEN's rule that an engineering diploma or degree is not accepted in lieu of ITI/CCAA for Level 2 Technician posts unless a post specifically says so.
| SC / ST | +5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | +3 years |
| Ex-servicemen (after deducting military service) | UR and EWS +3, OBC-NCL +6, SC and ST +8 years |
| Serving railway Group C and erstwhile Group D staff with 3 or more years of service | Up to 40 years of age (UR and EWS), 43 (OBC-NCL), 45 (SC and ST) |
| Widowed, divorced or judicially separated women who have not remarried | Up to 35 years of age (UR and EWS), 38 (OBC-NCL), 40 (SC and ST) |
| Course Completed Act Apprentices | Upper age relaxed to the extent of the apprenticeship training done under the Apprentice Act 1961 |
Qualifications must be in hand on or before the closing date of the CEN; candidates awaiting results cannot apply. PwBD candidates are not eligible for ALP in CEN 01/2026, and Technician posts accept PwBD only in the categories marked in the post parameters annexure. LASIK or any other refractive surgery makes you ineligible for posts with A-1 and A-3 standards. Age relaxations are not cumulative; if eligible on more than one ground you get the maximum of them, and SC, ST and OBC candidates applying against UR vacancies get no relaxation. The detailed CEN of the cycle you apply in is the final word.
Posts, pay & who should apply
| Post | Department | Group | Pay level | Approx. in-hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) | Indian Railways, loco and running staff | Level 2 (7th CPC) | Level 2 · initial pay ₹19,900 | |
| Technician Grade I Signal | Indian Railways, S&T department (signal maintenance) | Level 5 (7th CPC) | Level 5 · initial pay ₹29,200 | |
| Technician Grade III | Indian Railways, mechanical, electrical, S&T and workshop departments (24 trade categories) | Level 2 (7th CPC) | Level 2 · initial pay ₹19,900 |
Special requirements: Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) — CBT 2 with trade test Part B, then CBAT; A-1 medical (6/6 vision, no glasses, no LASIK); PwBD not eligible · Technician Grade I Signal — B.Sc/Diploma/Degree qualification (no ITI route); single CBT with a Basics of Computers section; B-1 medical · Technician Grade III — 10th plus ITI/CCAA in the post's trade; single CBT then DV; medical standard varies by post (A-3, B-1, B-2 or C-1)
Selection process
ALP (CEN 01/2026): CBT 1 (screening) → CBT 2 Part A (merit) + Part B (trade, 35% qualifying) → CBAT (T-score 42 in every battery) → Document Verification → Medical Examination. The final merit is 50% Part A of CBT 2 + 50% CBAT; CBT 1 marks are not counted. Technician (CEN 02/2026): a single CBT per pay level → Document Verification → Medical Examination, with the DV shortlist prepared RRB-wise at 1:1 on normalised CBT marks. There is no interview and no typing or skill test in either path. Vacancies, post preference and medical standard together decide the final allotment of the railway zone and post.
Normalisation (why your raw score ≠ final score)
Both CBTs are held over multiple days and shifts with different question papers, so raw scores are normalised across shifts before results, using the RRBs' published normalisation method. Only the normalised score decides shortlisting and merit. In practice: never compare raw marks with friends in other shifts; a shift with a tougher paper is statistically adjusted in your favour; and a raw score just below a cutoff you have heard of may still clear after normalisation, so wait for the official result rather than assuming.
Preparation topics
Every topic below has full notes, formulas, shortcut tricks and practice — tap in.
- Number System
- Simplification
- HCF & LCM
- Percentage
- Ratio, Proportion, Partnership & Ages
- Average
- Interest (SI & CI)
- Profit, Loss & Discount
- Mixtures & Alligation
- Time & Work
- Time, Speed & Distance
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Mensuration (2D)
- Mensuration (3D)
- Trigonometry
- Heights and Distances
- Statistics
- Data Interpretation
- Permutation, Combination & Probability
- Sequences & Progressions
- Set Theory & Venn Diagrams
- Functions, Graphs & Logarithms
- Analogy
- Classification (Odd One Out)
- Series (Number & Letter)
- Coding - Decoding
- Mathematical Operations
- Missing Number
- Blood Relations
- Direction & Distance
- Order & Ranking
- Seating Arrangement
- Syllogism
- Venn Diagrams
- Dictionary Order & Alphabet
- Statement & Conclusion
- Counting Figures
- Mirror & Water Images
- Paper Folding & Cutting
- Embedded Figures
- Cube & Dice
- Figure Series
Notification dates history
| Year | Vacancies | Notification | Exam | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17684 | ALP CEN 01/2026: applications 15 May to 14 June 2026 (11,127) · Technician CEN 02/2026: applications 30 June to 29 July 2026 (6,557) | Technician CBT: 6 to 9 Oct 2026 · ALP CBT 1: 3 to 5 Nov 2026 | — |
| 2025 | 16208 | ALP CEN 01/2025: applications 12 Apr to 11 May 2025 (9,970) · Technician CEN 02/2025: applications 28 Jun to 28 Jul 2025 (6,238: Gr I Signal 183 + Gr III 6,055) | ALP CBT 1: 16 to 18 Feb 2026 (some shifts rescheduled to early Mar 2026) · Technician CBT: 6, 9 and 10 Mar 2026 | Technician Gr III DV shortlist with cutoffs from 30 May 2026 (zone-wise); ALP cycle still in progress |
FAQs
Is there negative marking in the RRB ALP and Technician exams?
Yes. 1/3 mark is deducted for every wrong answer in every CBT, whether ALP CBT 1, ALP CBT 2 or the Technician CBT. Each correct answer carries 1 mark, and unattempted questions cost nothing. The CBAT has no negative marking.
What is the ALP CBT 1 pattern?
75 questions for 75 marks in 60 minutes, all objective, with 1/3 negative marking. The 2026 CEN lists the subject areas as Mathematics, Mental Ability (General Intelligence and Reasoning) and General Science of 10th standard level. The CEN does not publish a fixed section-wise question count for CBT 1, and the separate General Awareness area that existed in the 2025 CEN has been dropped, so prepare the three areas and expect any reasonable spread across them.
How does ALP CBT 2 work?
It is one sitting of 2 hours 30 minutes with 175 questions. Part A: 100 questions in 90 minutes covering Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning and Basic Science and Engineering; only Part A marks count for merit. Part B: 75 questions in 60 minutes from your ITI trade syllabus (DGT); it is only qualifying, but you must score at least 35% in it irrespective of category, or Part A marks do not help you.
What is the CBAT and how much does it count in the merit?
The Computer Based Aptitude Test is a psychometric test for ALP candidates only, held after CBT 2. Candidates equal to 8 times the vacancies per community are called. It runs in English and Hindi, has no negative marking, and you need a T-score of at least 42 in each test battery, with no relaxation. In the 2026 CEN the final merit is 50% Part A of CBT 2 + 50% CBAT; the 2025 CEN used 70:30, so always confirm the ratio in the notice you applied under.
What is the qualification for ALP and Technician posts?
ALP: 10th pass plus ITI in a notified trade, or 10th plus a Course Completed Act Apprenticeship, or 10th plus a three-year engineering diploma (degree also accepted in lieu of diploma). Technician Grade III: 10th plus ITI/CCAA in the post's trade, and a diploma is not accepted in lieu of ITI for these Level 2 posts. Technician Grade I Signal: B.Sc, or a three-year engineering diploma, or an engineering degree in the notified streams; there is no ITI route. Qualifications must be complete before the application closing date.
What is the age limit for this recruitment?
For the 2026 cycle, age is counted as on 1 July 2026: 18 to 30 years for ALP and Technician Grade III, and 18 to 33 years for Technician Grade I Signal. Standard relaxations apply: OBC-NCL +3 years, SC/ST +5 years, and separate limits for ex-servicemen, serving railway staff, widowed or divorced women and Act Apprentices as given in the CEN table.
What is the application fee and how does the refund work?
₹500 for all other candidates, of which ₹400 is refunded after you appear in the first CBT; ₹250 for SC, ST, ex-servicemen, female, transgender, minority and EBC candidates, fully refunded after you appear. The refund is credited only to an Aadhaar-seeded bank account that you validate during the application. For Technician, the fee is payable separately for each pay level, since each level has its own CBT.
How do the ALP and Technician selections differ?
ALP has two CBTs: CBT 1 screens, CBT 2 decides merit through Part A, and the CBAT adds an aptitude gate with a 50% weight. Technician has a single CBT (100 questions, 90 minutes) whose normalised marks directly build the DV shortlist at 1:1 of vacancies; Grade I Signal aspirants additionally face a Basics of Computers and Applications block in the paper. Both paths end with document verification and a railway medical, and neither has an interview.
Can I choose my exam language?
For the CBTs, questions appear in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu); you pick one medium in the application and it cannot be changed. The CBAT is conducted only in English and Hindi.
What are the medical standards and why do they matter so much here?
ALP demands the A-1 standard: distant vision 6/6, 6/6 without glasses, near vision without glasses, and passing tests for colour, binocular, field, night and mesopic vision. Candidates who have had LASIK or similar refractive surgery are not eligible, and a self-screening medical declaration with certificates signed by a government doctor must be produced on CBAT day. Technician posts require B-1, A-3, B-2 or C-1 depending on the trade. Failing the medical means no appointment on that post and no alternative post, so check your fitness before investing a year of preparation.
Documents for document verification
Keep these ready for the application and for Document Verification: Class 10 (matriculation) certificate as date of birth and qualification proof, ITI/NTC/NAC or Act Apprenticeship certificates in the relevant trade (or diploma and degree certificates, with all semester marksheets), category certificate in the central format (OBC-NCL issued after 1 April 2026 where applicable, EWS, SC or ST), EBC income certificate, BPL card or Izzat MST if you claimed the fee concession, ex-servicemen documents where applicable, a valid photo ID (Aadhaar preferred, since fee refunds need an Aadhaar-seeded bank account), a colour passport photograph not older than two months for the exam and DV, and your scanned signature in running handwriting (JPG, 30 to 49 KB). The application itself captures a live photograph through your webcam or phone camera, so dress in dark clothing against a plain background. Before DV, photo and signature scans must be uploaded on the orims-ir.gov.in/rbdv portal. SC and ST candidates who opt for the free sleeper-class train pass must upload their caste certificate with the application and carry the original at every stage. Any mismatch in name or date of birth across documents is the commonest cause of DV trouble, so fix it with a gazette notification before you apply.