RRB ALP / Technician 2026 eligibility — age limit, qualification, relaxation
This page collects who can apply for RRB ALP / Technician (RRB ALP and Technician (Assistant Loco Pilot, Technician Grade I Signal and Technician Grade III)), conducted by Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs): the age limit for each group of posts, the educational qualification, nationality rules and the age relaxation for each category. It is built from the same verified data as the RRB ALP / Technician guide, which also carries the 2026 cycle status and dates.
✓ Data verified 6 Oct 2026
Age limit
| Posts | Age limit |
|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot (CEN 01/2026) and Technician Grade III (CEN 02/2026) | 18 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026 |
| Technician Grade I Signal (CEN 02/2026) | 18 to 33 years as on 1 July 2026 |
Age relaxation by category
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Educational qualification
| Posts / situation | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot (CEN 01/2026) | 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. |
| Technician Grade I Signal (CEN 02/2026) | 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. |
| Technician Grade III (CEN 02/2026) | 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. |
Nationality
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.
Important notes on eligibility
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.
How to read these eligibility rules
The cut-off date decides your age. Your age is not measured on the day you apply or the day of the exam. It is measured on one fixed date written in the notification.
Relaxation is added to the upper limit only. A category relaxation raises the maximum age, not the minimum. The calculator adds the number of years for the category you pick and shows the resulting birth-date window per post group.
Your date of birth is taken from your certificate. Age is checked against the date of birth on your Class 10 / matriculation certificate, so use that date rather than the one on any other document.
Education is checked separately. Meeting the age limit does not make you eligible on its own. Check the qualification table above for your post, including any row about final-year students or candidates who are still waiting for a result.
The notification always wins. Where the official notification differs from this page, follow the notification.
Documents that prove age and qualification
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.
RRB ALP / Technician eligibility — overview
In one line: the basic educational requirement is 10th pass + ITI in a notified trade / Act Apprenticeship, or 10th + 3-year engineering diploma (post-wise for Technician), and the age limit is set per post group (18 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026, 18 to 33 years as on 1 July 2026).
RRB ALP / Technician eligibility — FAQs
What is the age limit for RRB ALP / Technician?
Assistant Loco Pilot (CEN 01/2026) and Technician Grade III (CEN 02/2026): 18 to 30 years as on 1 July 2026; Technician Grade I Signal (CEN 02/2026): 18 to 33 years as on 1 July 2026. The official notification's own age table is final.
What educational qualification is required for RRB ALP / Technician?
Assistant Loco Pilot (CEN 01/2026): 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.; Technician Grade I Signal (CEN 02/2026): 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.; Technician Grade III (CEN 02/2026): 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..
How much age relaxation is given in RRB ALP / Technician?
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. Relaxation is added to the upper age limit; see the notes below the table for the rules that apply to this exam.