RRB JE 2026 eligibility — age limit, qualification, relaxation
This page collects who can apply for RRB JE (RRB JE — Junior Engineer, Depot Material Superintendent and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant), 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 JE guide, which also carries the 2026 cycle status and dates.
✓ Data verified 6 Oct 2026
Age limit
| Posts | Age limit |
|---|---|
| All posts in CEN 04/2026 (JE, DMS and CMA) | 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027 |
Age relaxation by category
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | +5 years |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | +3 years |
| Ex-servicemen (after deducting length of service) | UR and EWS +3, OBC-NCL +6, SC and ST +8 years |
| PwBD | UR and EWS +10, OBC-NCL +13, SC and ST +15 years |
| Serving railway Group C and erstwhile Group D staff (and substitutes) with 3 or more years of service | Up to 40 years (UR and EWS), 43 (OBC-NCL), 45 (SC and ST) |
| Widowed, divorced or judicially separated women who have not remarried | Up to 35 years (UR and EWS), 38 (OBC-NCL), 40 (SC and ST) |
Educational qualification
| Posts / situation | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Junior Engineer (all departments, CEN 04/2026) | Three-year Diploma in Engineering in the relevant branch (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Civil or a recognised combination of sub-streams), as mapped to each post in Annexure A, from a recognised university or institute. B.E./B.Tech or a higher engineering degree in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma. Some posts accept additional routes (for example certain civil posts accept a three-year B.Sc in Civil Engineering); check the post parameters annexure of the CEN you apply under. |
| Depot Material Superintendent (DMS) | Three-year Diploma in Engineering in any discipline from a recognised university or institute; B.E./B.Tech or a higher qualification in engineering is accepted in lieu of the diploma. Candidates eligible through any of the diploma streams can opt for DMS. |
| Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA, added by Corrigendum-1) | B.Sc degree in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45% marks from a recognised university or institute — with Physics as the major or honours subject and Chemistry as a subject, or Chemistry as the major and Physics as a subject, or another Science subject as major with both Physics and Chemistry as subjects, per the post parameters. |
Nationality
Citizen of India, or a citizen of Nepal, or a subject of Bhutan, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or the East African countries listed in the CEN, with a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India where required (produced at document verification).
Important notes on eligibility
Qualifications must be complete on or before the closing date (13 September 2026 for CEN 04/2026); candidates awaiting results cannot apply. Relaxations are not cumulative — if you qualify on more than one ground you get the maximum of them, and SC, ST and OBC-NCL candidates against UR vacancies get no relaxation. Age limits for the posts are uniform in this cycle because every post is Level 6; earlier cycles (CEN 03/2024) had 18 to 36 years for all posts as a one-time Covid relaxation of 3 years over the standard 18 to 33. 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 name proof, diploma or degree certificates with all semester/year marksheets (or the B.Sc certificate for CMA) with the date of issue or result declaration, category certificate in the central government format (OBC-NCL, EWS, SC or ST), EBC certificate (Annexure III-A), BPL card or Izzat MST if you claimed the fee concession, ex-servicemen and PwBD certificates where applicable, an NOC from your employer if you are serving in a central or state government department or PSU, a valid photo ID (Aadhaar is strongly preferred, since Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication is used at the exam centre), the live photograph captured during the application, and your scanned signature. Name or date of birth mismatches across documents are the commonest cause of DV trouble — fix them with a gazette notification before you apply. SC and ST candidates who opt for the free sleeper-class train pass must carry the original caste certificate at every stage.
RRB JE eligibility — overview
In one line: the basic educational requirement is Diploma or degree in the relevant engineering branch (B.Sc Physics + Chemistry for CMA), and the age limit is 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027.
RRB JE eligibility — FAQs
What is the age limit for RRB JE?
All posts in CEN 04/2026 (JE, DMS and CMA): 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027. The official notification's own age table is final.
What educational qualification is required for RRB JE?
Junior Engineer (all departments, CEN 04/2026): Three-year Diploma in Engineering in the relevant branch (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Civil or a recognised combination of sub-streams), as mapped to each post in Annexure A, from a recognised university or institute. B.E./B.Tech or a higher engineering degree in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma. Some posts accept additional routes (for example certain civil posts accept a three-year B.Sc in Civil Engineering); check the post parameters annexure of the CEN you apply under.; Depot Material Superintendent (DMS): Three-year Diploma in Engineering in any discipline from a recognised university or institute; B.E./B.Tech or a higher qualification in engineering is accepted in lieu of the diploma. Candidates eligible through any of the diploma streams can opt for DMS.; Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA, added by Corrigendum-1): B.Sc degree in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45% marks from a recognised university or institute — with Physics as the major or honours subject and Chemistry as a subject, or Chemistry as the major and Physics as a subject, or another Science subject as major with both Physics and Chemistry as subjects, per the post parameters..
How much age relaxation is given in RRB JE?
SC / ST: +5 years; OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): +3 years; Ex-servicemen (after deducting length of service): UR and EWS +3, OBC-NCL +6, SC and ST +8 years; PwBD: UR and EWS +10, OBC-NCL +13, SC and ST +15 years; Serving railway Group C and erstwhile Group D staff (and substitutes) with 3 or more years of service: Up to 40 years (UR and EWS), 43 (OBC-NCL), 45 (SC and ST); Widowed, divorced or judicially separated women who have not remarried: Up to 35 years (UR and EWS), 38 (OBC-NCL), 40 (SC and ST). Relaxation is added to the upper age limit; see the notes below the table for the rules that apply to this exam.