RRB Group D (Level 1) Exam

RRB Group D/Level 1 recruitment is used by the Railway Recruitment Boards to recruit for operational, engineering, electrical, mechanical, traffic, and related entry-level railway roles. The CEN 09/2025 post-parameter and vacancy tables include examples such as Trackmaintainer-IV, Pointsman B, Assistant Track Machine, Assistant Bridge, Assistant Carriage and Wagon, Assistant Loco Shed (Electrical), and Assistant TRD. The precise posts, railway zones, medical classifications, and vacancies must be checked in the particular CEN because they vary by recruitment cycle.

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• The notification is issued by RRBs on behalf of Railway Recruitment Cells (RRCs), while the relevant Railway Administration makes appointment offers after selection.
• The 2026 CEN 09/2025 notice stated an initial pay of ₹18,000 for Level 1 posts; this is a dated notification figure, not a guarantee of current take-home pay, which depends on applicable allowances and rules.

Eligibility is post-specific. In CEN 09/2025, the general Level 1 age range was 18–33 years as on January 1, 2026, with specified relaxations for eligible categories. The notification required candidates to hold the prescribed qualification from a recognized board, institute, or university by the application closing date; candidates awaiting final results were not eligible for that cycle.

For the listed Level 1 posts in CEN 09/2025, the qualification shown in the post parameters was 10th pass, ITI or equivalent, or an NCVT-granted NAC. The notification also states that an engineering diploma or degree is not accepted in place of a required ITI or Course Completed Act Apprenticeship qualification unless a post specifically provides otherwise.

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• Read the current CEN's Annexure A before choosing posts: it specifies the qualification, age, medical standard, and disability suitability for each post.
• Candidates must meet the prescribed medical standard for the post selected. A candidate found medically unsuitable is not entitled to an alternative appointment under the cited CEN.

Under CEN 09/2025, the CBT was specified as 90 minutes with 100 one-mark multiple-choice questions: General Science 25, Mathematics 25, General Intelligence and Reasoning 30, and General Awareness and Current Affairs 20. Eligible scribe users receive 120 minutes. The section split is indicative, and one-third of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer.

Candidates shortlisted on CBT merit are called to the qualifying PET, ordinarily at three times the community-wise vacancies, subject to the Railways' stated discretion to vary the ratio. PET standards in CEN 09/2025 require male candidates to carry 35 kg for 100 m within two minutes and run 1,000 m in 4 minutes 15 seconds; female candidates must carry 20 kg for 100 m within two minutes and run 1,000 m in 5 minutes 40 seconds. PwBD, Course Completed Act Apprentices, and ex-servicemen have the exemptions described in the CEN.

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• The CBT syllabus includes secondary-school-level Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences, along with mathematics, reasoning, and current-affairs/general-awareness topics.
• After PET qualification, document-verification shortlisting is normally at a 1:1 vacancy ratio; appointment remains subject to original-document checks, medical fitness, character/antecedent verification, and the Railway Administration's offer.

The CEN 09/2025 application period ran from January 31, 2026 through March 2, 2026, so it is closed. Future Level 1 applications should be made only when a new official CEN opens, using the application link published on official RRB websites. CEN 09/2025 allowed an applicant to choose only one RRB/Railway Zone; multiple applications could result in rejection and debarment.

For the cited cycle, candidates first created or used an RRB account with a personal mobile number and email address, selected eligible posts and preferences in the chosen railway, completed the online form, supplied the required live photograph and signature, and paid the fee online. The notification advised Aadhaar or DigiLocker identity authentication, while noting that alternate-photo-ID applicants would face stricter scrutiny.

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• CEN 09/2025 charged ₹500 for most applicants, with ₹400 refundable after appearing in CBT, less applicable bank charges. It charged ₹250 for listed concession categories, refundable after CBT appearance, less bank charges. These were cycle-specific fee rules.
• Keep original educational, category, and other claimed-eligibility documents ready for document verification; failure to produce originals on the scheduled day can forfeit candidature.

Prepare directly against the official CBT distribution: build timed practice across mathematics, reasoning, general science, and general awareness/current affairs, and account for the one-third negative mark for wrong answers. The official syllabus identifies 10th-standard CBSE-level Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences for General Science, and lists core mathematics and reasoning topics such as number systems, percentages, time and work, coding-decoding, syllogisms, directions, and data interpretation.

Do not postpone physical preparation until after the CBT. Candidates targeting posts requiring PET should progressively train for the applicable load-carry and 1,000-metre standard, while considering personal health and medical fitness. RRB notices state that official mock/practice tests are made available to help candidates become familiar with the online examination process.

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• Use official RRB/RRC notices, e-call-letter instructions, and mock-test links rather than unofficial timetable or answer-key claims.
• Practise accuracy as well as speed: unanswered questions do not attract a deduction, but wrong CBT answers do under the cited CEN.

A successful candidate may be empanelled for a Level 1 railway post in the selected RRB/Railway Zone and post preferences, but passing CBT, PET, or document verification alone does not create an entitlement to appointment. RRBs/RRCs recommend empanelled candidates; the relevant Railway Administration issues the appointment offer after final checks.

For candidates in the CEN 08/2024 cycle, the July 1, 2026 CBT-result notices short-listed candidates for PET. The notices state that PET, document verification, medical examination, and publication of panels are to be conducted by the respective RRCs, so candidates should follow the RRC for their railway zone after RRB CBT results.

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• Employment outcomes depend on merit, notified vacancies, post preferences, qualifying PET where applicable, document verification, medical fitness, and antecedent/character verification.
• A bachelor's degree, distance-learning course, diploma, or further technical study can be pursued separately, but it does not replace the notification's specific entry qualification where ITI/NAC or another stated credential is required.