RRB Group D 2026 exam pattern — sections, marks, negative marking
RRB Group D (Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB) Level-1 Examination, commonly called RRB Group D) is conducted by Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs). The stages are: CBT → physical efficiency test → document verification + medical. This page sets out each stage with its sections, questions, marks, duration and negative marking, explains how the final selection is made, and shows how to approach each subject. For dates and the current status of the 2026 cycle, see the RRB Group D guide.
Computer Based Test (CBT): 100 questions, 100 marks, 90 minutes, −1/3 mark per wrong answer.
✓ Data verified 1 Oct 2026
Stage-wise exam pattern
Computer Based Test (CBT) Merit-deciding — shortlists candidates for PET
Online CBT, objective multiple choice (four options) · 90 min · −1/3 mark per wrong answer
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 30 | 30 |
| Mathematics | 25 | 25 |
| General Science | 25 | 25 |
| General Awareness & Current Affairs | 20 | 20 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Each question carries 1 mark. Duration is 90 minutes (120 minutes for PwBD candidates with a scribe). The paper is bilingual (English and Hindi) as per the CEN 08/2024 coverage; check the CEN 09/2025 notice for regional-language options. Mobile phones, calculators and electronic devices are banned in the exam hall. Minimum qualifying percentage in the CBT: UR and EWS 40%, OBC (non-creamy layer) 30%, SC 30%, ST 30%, with up to 2 marks of relaxation for PwBD if the panel cannot otherwise be filled. Scores are normalised across shifts.
Physical Efficiency Test (PET) Qualifying (pass/fail)
Conducted by the RRCs / zonal railways · Not applicable
Candidates are shortlisted from the CBT at about 3 times the vacancies (railway/RRC-wise and community-wise; the ratio can change with the administration's requirement). Men: carry 35 kg over 100 m in 2 minutes without putting it down, then run 1000 m in 4 minutes 15 seconds. Women: carry 20 kg over 100 m in 2 minutes, then run 1000 m in 5 minutes 40 seconds. Exempt from PET: PwBD candidates, Course Completed Act Apprentices and ex-servicemen; pregnant candidates can ask for the test to be deferred on a temporary-unfitness declaration.
Document Verification (DV) and Medical Examination Qualifying (pass/fail)
Conducted by the RRBs / railway administration · Not applicable
After PET, candidates are called for DV in merit order at about 1 time the vacancies, then undergo the medical examination (fitness per the medical category of the post, listed in the notice's annexure). Selection by the RRB does not by itself guarantee appointment; the final offer comes from the railway administration.
Selection process
CBT → PET → Document Verification (DV) → Medical Examination (ME). About 3 times the vacancies are shortlisted from the CBT for PET (railway/RRC-wise and community-wise), and about 1 time the vacancies are called for DV, in merit order. To be considered you need the minimum CBT percentage: 40% for UR and EWS, 30% for OBC-NCL, SC and ST, with up to 2 marks of relaxation for PwBD where needed. PET and the medical are qualifying; CBT marks (normalised) drive the merit order. You apply to one RRB only, and the notice states that multiple applications lead to rejection of all of them and debarment. There is no interview. Note that the 11-post vacancy list shown here adds up to fewer than the 22,195 total, so the notice may list further posts not captured here.
Normalisation: why your raw score is not your final score
Because the CBT runs over many days and shifts with different papers, RRBs normalise marks across sessions and use the normalised marks for shortlisting at every stage. The practical lessons: (1) don't compare raw scores with friends in other shifts; (2) the scorecard shows both raw and normalised marks; (3) a tougher shift is compensated, so don't panic and attempt only what you can answer with reasonable confidence, since each wrong answer costs 1/3 mark. The exact formula is in the RRB notice and is not reproduced here.
How to read this pattern
Each stage carries a tag that tells you what it is for. In this exam: Computer Based Test (CBT) is “Merit-deciding — shortlists candidates for PET”; Physical Efficiency Test (PET) is “Qualifying (pass/fail)”; Document Verification (DV) and Medical Examination is “Qualifying (pass/fail)”. Read each stage's tag and notes to see whether its marks count towards the final merit or only decide who moves to the next stage, because that changes how much risk is worth taking on a single question.
Always check the negative marking line before you decide how freely to guess. Where there is a penalty, a wrong answer costs marks; where the data says there is none, leaving a question blank only loses the chance to score.
Question counts per section are the best guide to how much time and practice each subject deserves. Use the tables above to split your preparation in proportion to the marks on offer, and revisit the split after each mock or topic test.
How to approach each section
Each subject below links to the full notes on ExamShortcut. Topics are listed as high importance where our topic data flags them; the question counts come from the pattern above.
General Intelligence & Reasoning
All 20 topics →Computer Based Test (CBT): 30 questions, 30 marks
Reasoning rewards pattern recognition, so practise each question type until you recognise it on sight: series, coding-decoding, analogy, classification, syllogism, direction and blood-relation questions, and non-verbal figures. Work in rough on paper rather than in your head, and skip any puzzle that is not settling within a minute or so.
High-importance topics: Analogy, Classification (Odd One Out), Series (Number & Letter), Coding - Decoding, Blood Relations, Seating Arrangement
Quantitative Aptitude
All 23 topics →Computer Based Test (CBT): 25 questions, 25 marks
Learn the formula and the shortcut for each topic first, then drill timed sets so that routine calculation questions take seconds. In the exam, take the questions you can do quickly and leave the long, multi-step ones for the end. Topic tests after every chapter show which topics still cost you time.
High-importance topics: Number System, Percentage, Ratio, Proportion, Partnership & Ages, Average, Interest (SI & CI), Profit, Loss & Discount
General Awareness
All 14 topics →Computer Based Test (CBT): 20 questions, 20 marks
General awareness is memory work, so revise in short, regular rounds instead of cramming. Combine static GK tables with the last several months of current affairs, and use the daily quiz to keep facts fresh. Decide in advance how much time you will give it.
High-importance topics: Modern Indian History, Indian Polity & Constitution, Indian Geography, Indian Economy, Biology, Static GK
Next, check who can apply on the RRB Group D eligibility page and compare posts and pay on the RRB Group D salary and posts page.
RRB Group D exam pattern — FAQs
What is the selection process for RRB Group D?
CBT → physical efficiency test → document verification + medical.
What is the Computer Based Test (CBT) pattern in RRB Group D?
100 questions, 100 marks, 90 minutes, −1/3 mark per wrong answer. Sections: General Intelligence & Reasoning (30 questions, 30 marks); Mathematics (25 questions, 25 marks); General Science (25 questions, 25 marks); General Awareness & Current Affairs (20 questions, 20 marks).
What is the minimum qualifying percentage in the CBT?
40% for UR and EWS; 30% for OBC-NCL, SC and ST, with up to 2 marks of relaxation for PwBD where the panel cannot be filled. Clearing the minimum is not enough: only about 3 times the vacancies are called for PET, so the actual cut-off is higher.
Is there a Tier 2 or an interview?
No. The written stage is a single CBT, followed by PET, document verification and the medical examination. There is no interview.
Do PET marks count in the merit?
No. PET and the medical examination are qualifying; they decide whether you stay in the process, while your normalised CBT score decides your place in merit.