RRB Group D (Level 1) 2026 Notification, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, PET and Free Mock Tests

What the paper actually asks

• General science — physics, chemistry and life sciences up to class 10, carrying a quarter of the paper — a larger share than in most competitive exams at this level.
• Mathematics — arithmetic and school-level algebra, geometry and trigonometry.
• General intelligence and reasoning — the largest section, verbal and non-verbal.
• General awareness and current affairs — the smallest section, but straightforward marks for a prepared candidate.

Qualification

• All Level 1 posts — Class 10 pass, or ITI from an NCVT or SCVT institution, or a National Apprenticeship Certificate granted by NCVT, or equivalent. A diploma or degree in engineering is not accepted in place of the ITI or apprenticeship where that is the specified qualification.
• Railway Act apprentices — Course-completed act apprentices trained in railway establishments compete for the vacancies earmarked for them (CCAA) and get age relaxation to the extent of the apprenticeship.

Other conditions

• Fee — The examination fee is ₹500 for general candidates, of which ₹400 is refunded (less bank charges) to those who appear in the first CBT; SC, ST, ex-servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and Economically Backward Class candidates pay ₹250, refunded in full on appearing. The refund goes only to the bank account seeded with the candidate’s Aadhaar, so the account has to be linked before the application is submitted.
• Medical — Vision and fitness standards by post — A2 for Pointsman (distant vision 6/9, 6/9 without glasses), B1 for most assistant posts, C1 for workshop posts — examined after the PET; LASIK or corrective surgery disqualifies for the A-standard posts.
• One RRB — Choose one RRB or railway and rank posts within it; multiple applications are all rejected.

The RRB Group D process, from account to appointment

1. Create an account on rrbapply.gov.in One account serves every RRB notification: mobile number, e-mail, name, parents’ names and date of birth exactly as on the matriculation certificate, and Aadhaar verification. Details in the account form — and the RRB chosen — cannot be changed later, even in the paid modification window, so they must be right at this step.
2. Choose one RRB and rank the posts You apply to one Railway Recruitment Board only, and are examined and considered against that RRB’s vacancies; a second application to any RRB cancels all of them. Inside the chosen RRB you rank every post and zone you are eligible for and willing to join — posts left without a preference are treated as declined, and preferences are final.
3. Fill the form with a live photograph The form asks for qualification, category and the certificates you will produce at verification, captures a live photograph through the webcam or phone camera at the time of application, and takes uploads of the photograph, signature and any category certificates to the CEN’s specification.
4. Pay the fee The examination fee is ₹500 for general candidates, of which ₹400 is refunded (less bank charges) to those who appear in the first CBT; SC, ST, ex-servicemen, PwBD, female, transgender, minority and Economically Backward Class candidates pay ₹250, refunded in full on appearing. The refund goes only to the bank account seeded with the candidate’s Aadhaar, so the account has to be linked before the application is submitted.
5. Use the modification window if you must A ten-day window opens after applications close in which any field other than the account details and the chosen RRB can be corrected on payment of ₹250 per occasion, which is not refunded.
6. Application status, city intimation, then the e-call letter The RRBs publish a notice for checking whether your application was accepted. About ten days before your date the exam city and date, and the travel authority for SC and ST candidates, become visible in the login; the e-call letter itself is released about four days before the examination. Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication is done at the centre, so carry the original Aadhaar card and the same photo identity document named in the application, and keep Aadhaar biometrics unlocked.
7. The computer-based test Objective questions in the language chosen at application, with a separate scribe-eligible duration. There is no sectional timing; the whole paper is one clock. Mock tests to familiarise candidates with the interface are put on the RRB website before the examination.
8. Results, scores and the objection tracker After each CBT the question paper, responses and provisional answer key are opened in the login with an objection window; results are published RRB by RRB as PDF lists of roll numbers with category-wise normalised cut-offs, and individual scores can be viewed in the login for a limited period.
9. CBT result and the PET shortlist Each RRB publishes the roll numbers shortlisted for the PET — three times the vacancies, on normalised CBT marks above the minimum qualifying percentage, with post preferences considered — and the category-wise cut-offs. Individual scores are opened in the login for a limited period.
10. Physical Efficiency Test Conducted by the railway with an e-call letter: the weight carry and then the 1,000-metre run, one chance each, qualifying only. Ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates are handled under the notification’s exemptions.
11. Document verification, medical and empanelment Candidates equal to the vacancies are called railway-wise on CBT merit among PET qualifiers, with originals; ties are broken by age, then alphabetically. Empanelment follows the medical examination, and the railway allots the post and division by merit and preference before appointment as Level 1 staff on ₹18,000.

A three-month plan

1. Month 1: science, mathematics and start running Class 9–10 physics, chemistry and biology (units, motion, force, work and energy, light, sound, electricity, acids and bases, metals, carbon compounds, life processes, heredity, environment); arithmetic and basic algebra, geometry and mensuration. Three runs a week towards 1,000 metres in four minutes and weighted walks with 20–35 kg.
2. Month 2: reasoning and awareness Series, analogies, coding, classification, syllogism, Venn diagrams, directions, puzzles, mirror images and calendar questions; a static awareness spine with railways, sports, culture, economy and polity, and daily current affairs.
3. Month 3: full mocks and the run A full 100-question mock every second day with a third off per error, an error log by topic, and a timed 1,000-metre run every week with a margin inside the standard.

What the pattern means for the attempt

• 54 seconds a question — One hundred questions in 90 minutes with no sectional timer; take science and mathematics first if they are your strengths.
• The one-third deduction punishes guessing — Three wrong answers cancel a right one; leave what you do not know.
• Choose the paper language you read fastest — The CBT is offered in English, Hindi and the regional languages the notification lists.

Official documents

CEN 09/2025 — Level 1 detailed notification (31 January 2026) CEN 09/2025 frequently asked questions (4 February 2026) Corrigendum 4 — revised application dates (2 March 2026) Revised tentative CBT schedule (30 July 2026) RRB-wise applications received (25 August 2026) RRB portal — notices, results and e-call letters RRB application portal