RRB JE Syllabus and Exam Pattern (CEN 04/2026)

RRB JE Updated: 02 Sep 2026, 04:37 PM

Syllabus

RRB JE selection under CEN 04/2026 runs through a 100-question CBT-1 of 90 minutes, then a 150-question CBT-2 of 120 minutes, then document verification and a medical examination. There is negative marking of one-third of a mark in both CBTs.

Download Official Syllabus PDF

The PDF opens on the official site. Every topic in it is explained in plain language below — you do not have to open the PDF to read the syllabus.

Compiled from the official syllabus · check it against the official link

Two computer-based tests, and what each one is for

Recruitment under Centralised Employment Notice No. 04/2026 covers Junior Engineer, Depot Material Superintendent and — added later by Corrigendum-1 — Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant. Every candidate for every one of those posts sits the same first-stage test; the paper only becomes post-specific at the second stage.

The two tests do different jobs, and that difference should shape how you prepare. The notification calls the first stage screening in nature and says its normalised score is used only to shortlist candidates for the second stage. The technical knowledge that actually decides the post is tested in CBT-2, where one hundred of the one hundred and fifty questions come from your own engineering discipline.

Stage	Questions	Duration	What it decides
1st Stage CBT	100	90 minutes (120 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe)	Screening only. The normalised score is used to shortlist for the 2nd stage and does not carry into the final merit.
2nd Stage CBT	150	120 minutes (160 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe)	Shortlisting for Document Verification is based on normalised marks in this stage.
Document Verification	—	—	Candidates are called on merit in the 2nd Stage CBT.
Medical Examination	—	—	Candidates must pass the medical standard prescribed for the post.

CBT-1: the section split and the four subjects

The notification gives the first stage as one hundred questions for one hundred marks in ninety minutes, and prints the section-wise distribution below. It also states plainly that this distribution is only indicative and that the actual paper may vary — so treat it as the weighting to plan around, not a guarantee.

Mathematics and General Science are the two heavy sections at thirty questions each. General Awareness is the lightest at fifteen, which is worth knowing before you spend months on it.

Subject	Questions in CBT-1	Marks	What the syllabus lists
Mathematics	30	30	Number systems, BODMAS, Decimals, Fractions, LCM and HCF, Ratio and Proportion, Percentages, Mensuration, Time and Work, Time and Distance, Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Elementary Statistics, Square Root, Age Calculations, Calendar and Clock, Pipes and Cistern.
General Intelligence and Reasoning	25	25	Analogies, Alphabetical and Number Series, Coding and Decoding, Mathematical operations, Relationships, Syllogism, Jumbling, Venn Diagram, Data Interpretation and Sufficiency, Conclusions and Decision Making, Similarities and Differences, Analytical reasoning, Classification, Directions, Statement — Arguments and Assumptions.
General Awareness	15	15	Current affairs, Indian geography, culture and history of India including the freedom struggle, Indian polity and constitution, Indian economy, environmental issues concerning India and the world, sports, general scientific and technological developments.
General Science	30	30	Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences up to 10th standard CBSE syllabus.
Total	100	100	Time allowed: 90 minutes.

CBT-2: where the post is actually won

The second stage is one hundred and fifty questions in one hundred and twenty minutes. Four of its five sections are common to every post in this recruitment; the fifth, Technical Abilities, is set from your own exam group and carries one hundred marks on its own.

That single number should decide your study plan. Two-thirds of the deciding paper is your engineering discipline. The four common sections together are worth fifty marks and are all shallow — school-level physics and chemistry, basic computers, basic environment, and general awareness.

One practical detail from the notification: a virtual calculator is provided on the monitor during the second stage CBT, and not during the first.

Section	Questions in CBT-2	Marks	What the syllabus lists
General Awareness	15	15	The same scope as in CBT-1 — current affairs, Indian geography, culture and history including the freedom struggle, polity and constitution, economy, environmental issues, sports, scientific and technological developments.
Physics and Chemistry	15	15	Up to 10th standard CBSE syllabus.
Basics of Computers and Applications	10	10	Architecture of computers; input and output devices; storage devices; networking; operating systems such as Windows, Unix and Linux; MS Office; various data representation; internet and email; websites and web browsers; computer virus.
Basics of Environment and Pollution Control	10	10	Basics of environment; adverse effects of environmental pollution and control strategies; air, water and noise pollution, their effects and control; waste management; global warming; acid rain; ozone depletion.
Technical Abilities	100	100	Set from the exam group your qualification maps to — Civil and Allied, Electrical and Allied, Electronics and Allied, Mechanical and Allied, or CMA. The full topic list for each group is below.
Total	150	150	Time allowed: 120 minutes. A virtual calculator is available on screen.

Negative marking and the qualifying percentages

Both CBTs deduct one-third of the marks allotted to a question for every wrong answer. On a one-mark question that is 0.33 lost for a wrong answer against 1.00 gained for a right one, which makes a blind guess a losing bet and a guess narrowed to two options a reasonable one.

There is also a minimum qualifying percentage, and it differs by community. Clearing it is not the same as being selected — it is only the floor below which a candidate is not considered at all.

Community	Minimum qualifying percentage (both CBTs)
UR	40%
EWS	40%
OBC (NCL)	30%
SC	30%
ST	25%
Ex-servicemen	As per their own community, from the rows above.
PwBD	The percentage may be relaxed by 2 marks in case of a shortage of PwBD candidates against vacancies reserved for them.

Which exam group your qualification puts you in

You do not choose your technical syllabus freely. The notification maps every accepted engineering discipline to one of four exam groups, and you are tested in the group your qualification falls into.

Two exceptions are stated in the document. A candidate holding more than one qualifying degree or diploma mapped to different groups may choose one group, provided the posts opted for match that group's qualification. And for Depot Material Superintendent, where any three-year engineering diploma is acceptable, a candidate whose discipline is not in the table below must choose one of the four groups during registration.

Exam group	Disciplines mapped to it
Civil and Allied Engineering	Civil Engineering; any combination of sub-streams of Civil Engineering; B.Sc. in Civil Engineering of 3 years duration.
Electrical and Allied Engineering	Electrical Engineering; any combination of sub-streams of Electrical Engineering.
Electronics and Allied Engineering	Electronics Engineering; Instrumentation and Control Engineering; Communication Engineering; Computer Science and Engineering; Computer Engineering; Computer Science; Information Technology; combinations of sub-streams of these.
Mechanical and Allied Engineering	Mechanical, Production, Automobile, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Industrial, Machining, Tools and Machining, and Tools and Die Making Engineering; combinations of sub-streams of these.
CMA	B.Sc. degree in Physics and Chemistry — the group added by Corrigendum-1 for the Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant post.

At a glance

Conducting Body	Railway Recruitment Board (RRB)
Post Name	Junior Engineer (JE), Depot Material Superintendent (DMS), Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA)
Official Website	https://rrbcdg.gov.in/

Technical Abilities — Civil and Allied Engineering, all 24 topics

This is Annexure VIII (A) of the notification, reproduced entry by entry. The left column is the Railway Recruitment Board's own wording; the right column is our reading of what each entry actually asks and how to approach it.

Twenty-four entries share one hundred marks, so no single topic is decisive on its own — but surveying, concrete technology and the structures group are visibly the largest entries and deserve proportionate time.

What the official syllabus lists	What it covers and how to prepare
Engineering Mechanics — Force (resolution of force, moment of force, force system, composition of forces), Equilibrium, Friction, Centroid and Center of gravity, Simple machines.	The foundation topic, and the one the rest of the Civil paper leans on. Get comfortable resolving a force into components and taking moments about a point before you touch anything else, because equilibrium problems are just those two skills repeated. Friction and centroid questions are formula-driven and reliably scoring.
Building Construction — Building components (substructure, superstructure), type of structure (load bearing, framed and composite structures).	Definitions and classification. Know exactly where substructure ends and superstructure begins, and be able to tell load-bearing, framed and composite structures apart with one identifying feature each — that three-way distinction is a standard one-mark question.
Building materials — Masonry materials (stones, bricks, and mortars), Timber and miscellaneous materials (glass, plastic, fiber, aluminium steel, galvanized iron, bitumen, PVC, CPVC, and PPF).	A memory topic, so treat it like one. Properties, tests and IS classifications for stones, bricks and mortars carry the most weight; the miscellaneous list is best learnt as a table of material against its one distinguishing property and its typical use.
Construction of substructure — job layout, earthwork, foundation (types, dewatering, coffer dams, bearing capacity).	Foundation types with the ground condition each one suits is the core of this entry. Dewatering methods and coffer dam types are short, self-contained sub-topics that candidates skip and examiners like.
Construction of superstructure — stone masonry, brick masonry, Hollow concrete block masonry, composite masonry, cavity wall, doors and windows, vertical communication (stairs, lifts, escalators), scaffolding and shoring.	Masonry types and their bonds, then the building elements. Keep scaffolding and shoring clearly separate — scaffolding supports workers, shoring supports the structure — because they are asked together precisely to catch that confusion.
Building finishes — Floors (finishes, process of laying), walls (plastering, pointing, painting) and roofs (roofing materials including RCC).	Process-based. For each finish learn the sequence of laying or application and the defect that follows from doing it wrong. Pointing and plastering types are a short, high-yield list.
Building maintenance — Cracks (causes, type, repairs — grouting, guniting, epoxy etc.), settlement (causes and remedial measures), and re-baring techniques.	A practical topic that maps directly onto a Junior Engineer's real work. Learn crack types by cause, and know which repair technique goes with which defect — guniting, grouting and epoxy injection are not interchangeable.
Building drawing — Conventions (type of lines, symbols), planning of building (principles of planning for residential and public buildings, rules and byelaws), drawings (plan, elevation, section, site plan, location plan, foundation plan, working drawing), perspective drawing.	Drawing conventions and symbols are pure recall and quick marks. The planning principles — aspect, prospect, privacy, grouping, circulation and the rest — should be learnt as a named list, since questions often give a definition and ask for the principle's name.
Concrete Technology — Properties of various types/grades of cement, properties of coarse and fine aggregates, properties of concrete (water cement ratio, properties of fresh and hardened concrete), Concrete mix design, testing of concrete, quality control of concrete (batching, formwork, transportation, placing, compaction, curing, waterproofing), extreme weather concreting and chemical admixtures, properties of special concrete (ready mix, RCC, pre-stressed, fiber reinforced, precast, high performance).	One of the two largest entries in the Civil list, and worth a proportionate share of your time. Cement types with their use, the water-cement ratio relationship, workability and strength tests, and the mix design steps are the spine. The special concretes at the end are a naming exercise — one line each on what makes it special and where it is used.
Surveying — Types of survey, chain and cross staff survey, compass survey, levelling (dumpy level, level book, temporary adjustment, reduction of levels, tilting level, auto level, sources of errors), contouring, area and volume measurements, plane table survey, theodolite survey, Tacheometric survey, curves (types, setting out), advanced survey equipment, aerial survey and remote sensing.	The largest single entry, and the most instrument-heavy. Levelling and the reduction of levels — rise-and-fall against height-of-instrument — is the part most likely to appear as a numerical. Contour characteristics and curve setting-out are the other two dense sub-topics. Work through the official sub-list instrument by instrument rather than reading it as prose.
Computer Aided Design — CAD Software (AutoCAD, Auto Civil, 3D Max etc.), CAD commands, generation of plan, elevation, section, site plan, area statement, 3D view.	A small entry that is easy to score if you have actually used the software, and easy to lose if you have not. Learn the common commands by name and what each produces.
Geo Technical Engineering — Application in design of foundation, pavement, earth retaining structures, earthen dams etc., physical properties of soil, permeability of soil and seepage analysis, shear strength of soil, bearing capacity of soil, compaction and stabilization of soil, site investigation and sub soil exploration.	Soil properties and index relationships first, then shear strength and bearing capacity, which is where the numericals live. Compaction versus consolidation is a classic trap — one expels air, the other expels water.
Hydraulics — properties of fluid, hydrostatic pressure, measurement of liquid pressure in pipes, fundamentals of fluid flow, flow of liquid through pipes, flow through open channel, flow measuring devices, hydraulic machines.	Formula-heavy and therefore predictable. Bernoulli's equation and its applications, losses in pipe flow, and the flow measuring devices — venturimeter, orifice meter, pitot tube — cover most of what is asked.
Irrigation Engineering — Hydrology, investigation and reservoir planning, percolation tanks, diversion head works.	A short entry, deliberately narrow. Do not expand it into a full irrigation syllabus: the Commission has listed four things, and hydrology plus diversion head works are the two that carry the questions.
Mechanics of Structures — Stress and strain, shear force and bending moment, moment of inertia, stresses in beams, analysis of trusses, strain energy.	Shear force and bending moment diagrams are the highest-return skill in the entire Civil paper. Practise them until the standard load cases are automatic, because they also underpin the design topics further down the list.
Theory of structures — Direct and bending stresses, slope and deflection, fixed beam, continuous beam, moment distribution method, columns.	The continuation of the entry above, into indeterminate structures. Moment distribution is procedural — learn the steps and it becomes reliable marks rather than a hard question.
Design of Concrete Structures — Working Stress method, Limit State method, analysis and design of singly reinforced and doubly reinforced sections, shear, bond and development length, analysis and design of T Beam, slab, axially loaded column and footings.	Know both design philosophies and, importantly, what separates them. Limit state design of singly reinforced sections is the most examined single item here; development length is a small formula that appears often.
Design of Steel Structures — Types of sections, grades of steel, strength characteristics, IS Code, Connections, Design of tension and compression members, steel roof truss, beams, column bases.	Connections — bolted and welded — are the part to be sure of. Tension member design is more straightforward than compression, where buckling and slenderness ratio decide the answer.
Transportation Engineering — Railway Engineering (alignment and gauges, permanent way, railway track geometrics, branching of tracks, stations and yards, track maintenance), Bridge engineering (site selection, investigation, component parts of bridge, permanent and temporary bridges, inspection and maintenance), Tunnel engineering (classification, shape and sizes, tunnel investigation and surveying, method of tunnelling in various strata, precautions, equipment, explosives, lining and ventilation).	Read the railway half of this entry twice. You are sitting an exam set by the Railways for a post in the Railways, and permanent way components, track geometrics and turnouts are the most natural questions in the whole paper for this employer to ask.
Highway Engineering — Road Engineering, investigation for road project, geometric design of highways, construction of road pavements and materials, traffic engineering, hill roads, drainage of roads, maintenance and repair of roads.	Geometric design — camber, superelevation, sight distance, gradient — is the numerical part and the most reliable. Pavement types and their construction sequence cover the rest.
Environmental Engineering — Environmental pollution and control, public water supply, domestic sewage, solid waste management, environmental sanitation, and plumbing.	Water supply and sewage treatment stages, with the purpose of each unit. Note that CBT-2 also has a separate 10-question section on environment and pollution control, so this study time is counted twice.
Advanced Construction Techniques and Equipment — Fibers and plastics, artificial timber, advanced concreting methods (under water concreting, ready mix concrete, tremix concreting, special concretes), formwork, pre-fabricated construction, soil reinforcing techniques, hoisting and conveying equipment, earth moving machinery, concrete mixers, stone crushers, pile driving equipment, hot mix bitumen plant, bitumen paver, floor polishing machines.	Largely an equipment naming list. Learn each machine with the one job it does; questions here are usually a straight match between equipment and application.
Estimating and Costing — Types of estimates (approximate, detailed), mode of measurements and rate analysis.	Short but practical. Know the difference between an approximate and a detailed estimate, the standard modes of measurement, and how a rate analysis is built up from material, labour and overheads.
Contracts and Accounts — Types of engineering contracts, Tender and tender documents, payment, specifications.	The last entry and the easiest to revise. Contract types with their advantage and risk, the contents of a tender document, and the difference between a general and a detailed specification.

Technical Abilities — Electrical and Allied Engineering, all 11 topics

Annexure VIII (B), entry by entry. Eleven entries, but they are unevenly sized: the Electrical Machines entry alone carries three separate machines and is the largest single item in the group.

What the official syllabus lists	What it covers and how to prepare
Basic concepts: Concepts of resistance, inductance, capacitance, and various factors affecting them. Concepts of current, voltage, power, energy and their units.	Definitions and units, and the factors that change each quantity. This entry looks trivial and is the source of a steady handful of one-mark questions, so do not skip the unit conversions.
Circuit law: Kirchhoff's law, Simple Circuit solution using network theorems.	KCL and KVL, then the standard theorems — Thevenin, Norton, superposition, maximum power transfer. These are procedural; practise until you can pick the right theorem from the shape of the circuit.
Magnetic Circuit: Concepts of flux, mmf, reluctance, Different kinds of magnetic materials, Magnetic calculations for conductors of different configuration e.g. straight, circular, solenoidal, etc. Electromagnetic induction, self and mutual induction.	Treat the magnetic circuit as the electrical circuit's twin — mmf for emf, flux for current, reluctance for resistance — and the calculations become familiar. Self and mutual inductance lead directly into the transformer topic later.
AC Fundamentals: Instantaneous, peak, R.M.S. and average values of alternating waves, Representation of sinusoidal wave form, simple series and parallel AC Circuits consisting of R, L and C, Resonance, Tank Circuit. Poly Phase system — star and delta connection, 3 phase power, DC and sinusoidal response of R-L and R-C circuit.	The heart of the Electrical paper. RMS and average values with their form and peak factors, phasor handling of RLC circuits, and the resonance condition are asked every time. Star-delta conversion and three-phase power relations must be automatic.
Measurement and measuring instruments: Measurement of power (1 phase and 3 phase, both active and reactive) and energy, 2 wattmeter method of 3 phase power measurement. Measurement of frequency and phase angle. Ammeter and voltmeter (both moving coil and moving iron type), extension of range, wattmeter, Multimeters, Megger, Energy meter, AC Bridges. Use of CRO, Signal Generator, CT, PT and their uses. Earth Fault detection.	The two-wattmeter method is the single most examined item here, including the power-factor interpretation of the two readings. Moving coil against moving iron — construction, scale, and what each can measure — is the other certain question.
Electrical Machines: (a) D.C. Machine — Construction, Basic Principles of D.C. motors and generators, their characteristics, speed control and starting of D.C. Motors. Method of braking motor, Losses and efficiency. (b) 1 phase and 3 phase transformers — Construction, Principles of operation, equivalent circuit, voltage regulation, O.C. and S.C. Tests, Losses and efficiency. Effect of voltage, frequency and wave form on losses. Parallel operation. Auto transformers. (c) 3 phase induction motors, rotating magnetic field, principle of operation, equivalent circuit, torque-speed characteristics, starting and speed control, Methods of braking, effect of voltage and frequency variation on torque speed characteristics, Fractional Kilowatt Motors and Single Phase Induction Motors: Characteristics and applications.	The biggest entry by far, split into three machines, and it deserves the largest block of your preparation. For each machine work to the same pattern: construction, principle, characteristic curves, starting, speed control, losses. The OC and SC tests of a transformer and the torque-slip curve of an induction motor are the two items most likely to appear as numericals.
Synchronous Machines: Generation of 3-phase e.m.f., armature reaction, voltage regulation, parallel operation of two alternators, synchronizing, control of active and reactive power. Starting and applications of synchronous motors.	Armature reaction under different power factors, and the conditions required before two alternators can be paralleled, are the reliable questions. Remember that a synchronous motor is not self-starting and know the standard methods used to start it.
Generation, Transmission and Distribution: Different types of power stations, Load factor, diversity factor, demand factor, cost of generation, inter-connection of power stations. Power factor improvement, various types of tariffs, types of faults, short circuit current for symmetrical faults. Switchgears and Protection: Rating of circuit breakers, Principles of arc extinction by oil and air, H.R.C. Fuses, Protection against earth leakage / over current, Buchholz relay, Merz-Price system of protection of generators and transformers, protection of feeders and bus bars. Lightning arresters, various transmission and distribution systems, comparison of conductor materials, efficiency of different systems. Cable — Different types of cables, cable rating and derating factor.	Two topics carried in one entry. The factors — load, diversity, demand, plant capacity — are small definitions that produce easy numericals. On the protection side, know which relay or device protects which equipment: Buchholz for transformers, Merz-Price differential for generators and transformers, and so on.
Estimation and costing: Estimation of lighting scheme, electric installation of machines and relevant IE rules. Earthing practices and IE Rules.	Practical and short. Lighting scheme calculation using lumens and utilisation factor, and the earthing requirements of the Indian Electricity Rules.
Utilization of Electrical Energy: Illumination, Electric heating, Electric welding, Electroplating, Electric drives and motors.	Five separate applications, each small. Illumination terms and laws, heating methods with the principle behind each, welding types, and the choice of drive for a given load.
Basic Electronics: Working of various electronic devices e.g. P N Junction diodes, Transistors (NPN and PNP type), BJT and JFET. Simple circuits using these devices.	Deliberately basic — device characteristics and simple circuits, not electronics in depth. Diode and transistor characteristic curves and biasing are enough for what this entry asks.

Technical Abilities — Electronics and Allied Engineering, all 10 topics

Annexure VIII (C), entry by entry. Note that this group is where Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Information Technology candidates are placed, and the list accordingly carries a full computer programming entry alongside the electronics ones.

What the official syllabus lists	What it covers and how to prepare
Electronic Components & Materials: Conductors, Semiconductors & Insulators; Magnetic materials; Jointing & Cleaning materials for U/G copper cable & OFC; Cells and Batteries (chargeable and non chargeable); Relays, Switches, MCB & Connectors.	A component-recognition entry. Learn each item with its one defining property and its use. The cable and optical fibre jointing materials are a railway-flavoured sub-topic that general electronics preparation usually misses.
Electronic Devices and circuits: PN Junction diodes, thyristor; Diode and triode circuits; Junction Transistors; Amplifiers; Oscillator; Multivibrator, counters; Rectifiers; Inverter and UPS.	The core device entry. Rectifier circuits with their ripple factor and efficiency, amplifier configurations, and oscillator conditions are the dependable questions. Thyristor characteristics and turn-on methods are worth separate attention.
Digital Electronics: Number System & Binary codes; Boolean Algebra & Logic gates; Combinational & Sequential logic circuits; A/D & D/A converters, counters; Memories.	The most scoring entry in this group because it is entirely rule-based. Number conversions, Boolean simplification and K-maps, flip-flops and counters — all of it is practice rather than memory.
Linear Integrated Circuit: Introduction to operational Amplifier; Linear applications; Non Linear applications; Voltage regulators; Timers; Phase lock loop.	Op-amp configurations with their gain expressions cover most of this. Know the 555 timer in its astable and monostable modes, and what a phase locked loop is for.
Microprocessor and Microcontroller: Introduction to microprocessor, 8085 microprocessor working; Assembly Language programming; Peripherals & other microprocessors; Microcontrollers.	The syllabus names the 8085 specifically, so study that architecture rather than a general one — pin functions, registers, addressing modes and the common instructions.
Electronic Measurements: Measuring systems; Basic principles of measurement; Range Extension methods; Cathode ray oscilloscope, LCD, LED panel; Transducers.	Range extension using shunts and multipliers is a small calculation that recurs. Know the CRO block diagram and what each common transducer converts into what.
Communication Engineering: Introduction to communication; Modulation techniques; Multiplexing Techniques; Wave Propagation, Transmission line characteristics, OFC; Fundamentals of Public Address systems, Electronic exchange, Radar, Cellular and Satellite Communication.	Modulation is the anchor — AM, FM and PM with their bandwidth and efficiency. Optical fibre and the applied systems at the end of the entry sit close to actual railway signalling and telecom work, which makes them likely.
Data communication and Network: Introduction to data communication; Hardware and interface; Introduction to Networks and Networking devices; Local Area Network and Wide area network; Internetworking.	Networking devices with the OSI layer each one works at, and the LAN topologies with their advantages. This entry also overlaps the separate computer-basics section of CBT-2.
Computer Programming: Programming concepts; Fundamentals of 'C' and C++; Operators in 'C' and C++; Control Statements; Functions, Array, String & Pointers, File Structure; Data Structure and DBMS.	Objective questions on C and C++ syntax, operator precedence and pointer behaviour, plus basic data structures and DBMS terms. Output-prediction questions are common, so read code carefully rather than skimming.
Basic Electrical Engg.: DC Circuits; AC fundamentals; Magnetic, Thermal and Chemical effects of Electric current; Earthing — Installation, Maintenance, Testing.	The electrical foundation carried into the electronics group. Nothing here goes beyond the basics, and it is the fastest entry in the group to secure.

Technical Abilities — Mechanical and Allied Engineering, all 10 topics

Annexure VIII (D), entry by entry. This annexure is written in more detail than the other three — it names specific section shapes, specific processes and specific formulae — so read the left column closely, because the level of detail in it is itself a hint about the level of detail expected in the paper.

What the official syllabus lists	What it covers and how to prepare
Engineering Mechanics: Resolution of forces, Equilibrium and Equilibrant, parallelogram law of forces, triangle law of forces, polygon law of forces and Lami's theorem, couple and moment of a couple, condition for equilibrium of a rigid body subjected to coplanar non-concurrent forces, static and dynamic friction, limiting angle of friction and angle of repose, resolution of forces considering friction on horizontal and inclined planes, moment of inertia and radius of gyration of I, channel, T, L, Z and built-up sections, Newton's laws of motion, motion of projectile, D'Alembert's principle, law of conservation of energy, law of conservation of momentum.	The syllabus is unusually specific here, naming the exact section shapes for moment of inertia — I, channel, T, L, Z and simple built-up sections. Work those six out by hand rather than reading the results. Lami's theorem and the angle of repose are small items that appear as direct questions.
Material Science: Mechanical properties of engineering materials — tensile strength, compressive strength, ductility, malleability, hardness, toughness, brittleness, impact strength, fatigue, creep resistance. Classification of steels, mild steel and alloy steels. Importance of heat treatment. Heat treatment processes — annealing, normalizing, hardening, tempering, carburizing, nitriding and cyaniding.	The property list is definition recall — be precise about the pairs that get confused, such as ductility against malleability, and toughness against hardness. The seven named heat treatment processes should each be learnt with its purpose and the property it changes.
Strength of Materials: Stress, strain, stress-strain diagram, factor of safety, thermal stresses, strain energy, proof resilience and modulus of resilience. Shear force and bending moment diagram — cantilever beam, simply supported beam, continuous beam, fixed beam. Torsion in shafts and springs, thin cylinder shells.	Shear force and bending moment diagrams for the four named beam types are the highest-value practice in this group. The stress-strain diagram with every point labelled is a certainty, and thin cylinder and torsion formulae are short and worth memorising exactly.
Machining: Working principle of lathe. Types of lathes — Engine lathe: construction details and specifications. Nomenclature of single point cutting tool, geometry, tool signature, functions of tool angles. General and special operations — turning, facing, taper turning, thread cutting, knurling, forming, drilling, boring, reaming, key way cutting; cutting fluids, coolants and lubricants. Introduction to shaper, slotter, planer, broaching, milling and manufacture of gears, heat treatment process applied to gears.	Tool signature — the order of the seven angles — is asked directly and often, so learn the sequence. Taper turning methods and the difference between a shaper, slotter and planer are the other two recurring items.
Welding: Introduction, classification of welding processes, advantages and limitations of welding, principles of arc welding, arc welding equipment, choice of electrodes for different metals, principle of gas (oxy-acetylene) welding, equipment of gas welding, welding procedures (arc and gas), soldering and brazing techniques, types and applications of solders and fluxes, various flame cutting processes, advantages and limitations of flame cutting, defects in welding, testing and inspection, modern welding methods (submerged, CO2, atomic-hydrogen, ultrasonic welding), brief description of MIG and TIG welding.	A large, mostly descriptive entry. Keep soldering, brazing and welding cleanly separated by temperature and by whether the base metal melts. Welding defects with their cause, and the difference between MIG and TIG, are the questions that actually appear.
Grinding & Finishing Process: Principles of metal removal by grinding, abrasives — natural and artificial, bonds and binding processes — vitrified, silicate, shellac, rubber; grinding machines classified as cylindrical, surface, tool and cutter grinding machines, construction details, relative merits, principles of centreless grinding with its advantages and limitations, work holding devices, wheel maintenance, balancing of wheels, coolants used; finishing by grinding, honing, lapping, super finishing, electroplating — plating metals and applications, hot dipping, galvanizing, tin coating, parkerising, anodizing, metal spraying, wire process, powder process, organic coatings, oil base paint, lacquer base enamels, bituminous paints, rubber base coating.	Two subjects joined into one entry: grinding, then surface finishing and coating. Centreless grinding is the named favourite. On the coating side, learn each process with the metal it deposits and the protection it gives — galvanizing, anodizing and parkerising are commonly mixed up.
Metrology: Linear measurement — slip gauges and dial indicators, angle measurements, bevel protractor, sine bar, angle slip gauges, comparators — mechanical, electrical, optical, pneumatic. Measurement of surface roughness; methods of measurement by comparison, tracer instruments and interferometry, collimators, measuring microscope, interferometer, inspection of machine parts using shadow projection and profile projection.	Instrument-by-instrument recall, plus the sine bar calculation which is a standard numerical. The four comparator types with the principle of each is the other predictable question.
Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulic Machinery: Properties of fluid — density, specific weight, specific gravity, viscosity, surface tension, compressibility, capillarity; Pascal's law, measurement of pressures, concept of buoyancy. Reynold's number, pressure, potential and kinetic energy of liquids, total energy, laws of conservation of mass, energy and momentum, velocity of liquids and discharge, Bernoulli's equation and assumptions, venturi meters, pitot-tube, current meters. Working principle and constructional details of centrifugal pump, efficiencies — manometric, volumetric, mechanical and overall, cavitation and its effect, working principle of jet and submersible pumps.	Bernoulli's equation with its assumptions stated is asked in both directions — apply it, and name what it assumes. The four named pump efficiencies must be kept distinct from one another, and cavitation, its cause and its effect, is a standing question.
Industrial Management: Job analysis, motivation, different theories, satisfaction, performance reward systems, production planning and control, relation with other departments, routing, scheduling, dispatching, PERT and CPM, simple problems. Materials in industry, inventory control model, ABC Analysis, Safety stock, re-order level, economic ordering quantity, break even analysis, stores layout, stores equipment, stores records, purchasing procedures, purchase records, Bin card, Cardex, Material handling, Manual lifting, hoist, cranes, conveyors, trucks, fork trucks.	The entry most Mechanical candidates under-prepare because it is not core engineering, which is exactly why it is worth the hours. PERT and CPM, economic order quantity, break-even analysis and ABC analysis are all small, self-contained calculations with reliable marks.
Thermal Engineering: Laws of thermodynamics, conversion of heat into work and vice versa, laws of perfect gases, thermodynamic processes — isochoric, isobaric, isothermal, hyperbolic, isentropic, polytropic and throttling; modes of heat transfer, thermal conductivity, convective heat transfer coefficient, Stefan-Boltzmann law, overall heat transfer coefficient. Air standard cycles — Carnot, Otto and Diesel cycles, construction and working of internal combustion engines, comparison of diesel and petrol engines, systems of an internal combustion engine, performance of internal combustion engines. Air compressors and their cycles, refrigeration cycles, principle of a refrigeration plant.	The seven named thermodynamic processes should be learnt as a single table — what is held constant, the work expression, the heat expression. The three air standard cycles with their efficiency formulae and p-V diagrams are certain to be tested, and the diesel-against-petrol comparison is a standard descriptive question.

Technical Abilities — CMA exam group, all 18 topics

This group did not exist when the notification was first published. Corrigendum-1, issued after the original notice of 13 August 2026, added the post of Chemical and Metallurgical Assistant with 35 vacancies, mapped it to a new CMA exam group for B.Sc. Physics and Chemistry candidates, and printed its syllabus as Annexure VIII (E).

It is a physics-and-chemistry list rather than an engineering one, and its depth is closer to senior school than to a degree. Nine entries cover physics and nine cover chemistry.

What the official syllabus lists	What it covers and how to prepare
Measurements, Units and Dimensions, Types of errors in measurements, Significance of accuracy in measurement.	The opening entry, and a reminder that this group is set at school-physics depth rather than degree depth. Dimensional analysis and error types are quick, certain marks.
Light: Basic principles of light — reflection, refraction, laws of reflection, total internal reflection, interference, diffraction and polarization. Formula for magnification of microscope, telescope. Electro Magnetic spectra.	Ray optics first, then wave optics. The magnification formulae for the microscope and telescope are named explicitly, so learn them exactly. Know the electromagnetic spectrum in order of wavelength.
Heat: Heat as energy — sources of heat, transmission of heat, expansion of solids, liquids and gases. Temperature (based on thermal equilibrium), different scales of temperature. Calorimetry, applications of specific heat, latent heat. Anomalous expansion of water and its significance in nature. Combustion, calorific value, specific heat of gases.	Calorimetry problems and the specific-heat and latent-heat calculations are the numerical core. The anomalous expansion of water is called out separately in the syllabus, which usually means a question about why lakes freeze from the top.
Sound: Sources of sound. Propagation of sound. Velocity of sound in different media / substances. Characteristics of sound. Reflection of sound, echo, Resonance, Sonar and Doppler effect.	Short and descriptive apart from the Doppler effect and the echo distance calculation, which are the two things likely to be asked as numericals.
Mechanics: Scalars and Vectors. All types of motion. Friction. Newton's laws of motion. Momentum. Equations of motion (under gravity and freely falling), projectile. Range. Laws of Floatation. Work, Power and Energy. Conservation of energy. Centre of mass. Centre of gravity. Stability and Equilibrium. Universal law of Gravitation. Relation between 'g' and 'G'. Circular motion, Kepler's Laws. Elasticity and Hooke's Law.	The largest physics entry. The equations of motion, projectile range and the work-energy relationships are the reliable numericals. Kepler's three laws and the relation between g and G are named specifically and should be learnt as stated.
Magnetism: Magnetic field, uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields. Magnetic induction. Magnetic lines of force. Magnetic pole strength, magnetic moment. Inverse square law of magnetism. Magnetic properties of materials and their classification.	Definitions with units, plus the classification of materials into diamagnetic, paramagnetic and ferromagnetic with one example each — that classification is the most likely question in the entry.
Electricity & Electro Magnetism: Electric charge, field, electric intensity, electric potential, potential difference. Simple electric circuits. Conductors, non-conductors / insulators, Coulomb's inverse square law. Primary and secondary cells. Ohm's law and its limitations. Resistances in series and parallel, emf of a circuit, specific resistance. Kirchhoff's laws. Relation between electric potential and electric energy, electric power. Heating effect of electric current and Joule's law. Ampere's law, circular loop and solenoid. Magnetic force on a moving charged particle and on long straight conductors. Fleming's left-hand rule, electric motor. Electromagnetic induction — Faraday's law, electromagnetic flux, Lenz's law, generators and alternating currents. Inductance — self, mutual, and principles of the transformer.	The heaviest entry in the CMA group and the one to give the most time. Series-parallel resistance networks and power calculations are the numericals; Faraday's and Lenz's laws, and Fleming's rules, are the descriptive certainties.
Modern Physics: Discharge of electricity through gases, cathode rays, anode rays and their properties; X-rays; Atomic models — J. J. Thomson, Rutherford and Bohr; atomic nucleus and its structure; mass defect; radioactivity — discovery, properties of alpha, beta and gamma radiations and their applications, alpha and beta decay, half-life period, isotopes, isobars and isotones; artificial radioactivity, radio isotopes and their uses, radioactive series, chain and controlled nuclear reactions, fission and fusion — atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb.	The three atomic models in sequence, with what each got right and what failed, is the standard question. Half-life calculations are the numerical, and isotopes, isobars and isotones must be kept apart — they are asked precisely because they sound alike.
Electronics and Communications: Semi-conductors, diode, p-n junction characteristics. Transistor — pnp and npn characteristics and uses. Zener diode characteristics. Simple electronic circuits, logic gates and their applications, modulation and demodulation.	Kept at an introductory level. Diode and Zener characteristics, transistor types, and the logic gate truth tables are the whole of what is needed.
Matter: States of matter. Elements, compounds and mixtures. Methods of separation of mixtures. Chromatography. Behaviour of gases, measurable properties of gases, gas laws. Mole concept. Dalton, Avogadro and Berzelius laws.	The chemistry half opens here. The mole concept is the single most important idea in it — almost every chemical calculation later depends on being fluent with moles. Gas laws and the separation methods are straightforward recall.
Chemical Reactions: Physical and chemical changes. Types of chemical reactions; physical and chemical properties of various compounds. Chemical calculations. NaOH, bleaching powder, baking soda, washing soda and their uses, Plaster of Paris.	Reaction types with an example each, then the five named compounds. Those five are called out by name in the syllabus, so learn each one's formula, preparation and use.
Acids and Bases, Salts: Strength and uses of acids and bases. Neutralization. Nature and uses of different salts. Water of crystallization. Complex, neutral and double salts. Oxidation and reduction, rancidity. Identification of acids and bases — natural and chemical indicators. pH scale and the role of pH in daily life — agriculture, medicine. Classification of salts based on affinity to water. Solutions — types, solubility, ionization, concentration. Oxidation number concept. Balancing of redox reactions, calculation of concentrations. Stoichiometry.	A long entry with two distinct halves. The descriptive half — indicators, pH in daily life, salt types — is quick. The calculation half — concentration, oxidation numbers, balancing redox equations and stoichiometry — needs written practice and is where the marks are won.
Atomic Structure: Electromagnetic spectrum, atomic spectrum, characteristics of electron, proton and neutron, Rutherford's model, nature of electromagnetic radiation, Planck's quantum mechanics, photoelectric effect, features of atomic spectra, hydrogen spectrum, Bohr's theory and its explanation of spectral lines, failure of Bohr's theory, wave-particle nature of electrons, de Broglie's hypothesis, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, the quantum mechanical model, quantum numbers, orbitals and the shapes of s, p and d orbitals, the (n+l) rule, Aufbau principle, Pauli's exclusion principle, Hund's rule of maximum multiplicity, electronic configuration, stability of half-filled and completely filled orbitals.	The most detailed chemistry entry. Write out electronic configurations until the Aufbau order, Pauli's principle and Hund's rule are automatic — and be able to explain why half-filled and fully-filled orbitals are extra stable, which the syllabus asks for by name.
Periodic Classification of Elements: Characteristics of elements in groups and periods. Significance of atomic number and electronic configuration as the basis of periodic classification. Classification of elements into s-block, p-block, d-block and f-block and their main characteristics. Periodic trends in physical and chemical properties. Study of different groups of the periodic table.	Periodic trends — atomic radius, ionization energy, electron affinity, electronegativity — across a period and down a group, with the reason for each. This is the entry where understanding beats memorising, because every question is a trend comparison.
Chemical Bonding: Ionic and covalent bonds, introduction to chemical bonding, electronic configuration of noble gases, sigma and pi bonds with examples, shapes of molecules, bond lengths and bond angles, hybridization and the explanation of H2O, BF3, CH4 and NH3, hydrogen bonding and types of H bonds.	Hybridization is the centre of this entry, and the syllabus names the four molecules to be able to explain. Learn those four cold — shape, hybridization and bond angle for each — and most of the entry is covered.
Carbon and its Compounds: Classification of organic compounds; hydrocarbons — alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic and aliphatic compounds; bonding in carbon including hybridization; allotropes of carbon; versatile nature of carbon; tetravalency, chains, branches and rings; catenation; isomerism; saturated and unsaturated carbon compounds; functional groups; homologous series; chemical properties — combustion, oxidation, addition and substitution reactions; important carbon compounds; nomenclature of organic compounds; carbohydrates and their classification; proteins; oils and fats; polythene, nylon, PVC, polyvinyl alcohol; rubber and its uses; polymers and other important organic compounds.	Organic chemistry at school level. Functional groups with their nomenclature, and the homologous series, are the backbone; the polymers at the end are a naming list — monomer, polymer, use. Isomerism types with one example each is the other standing question.
Environmental Chemistry: Different types of pollution, acid rain, ozone and its reactions, effects of depletion of the ozone layer, greenhouse effect and global warming, green chemistry as an alternative tool for reducing pollution.	Short, descriptive and overlapping the separate environment and pollution control section of CBT-2 — so this study time counts twice, as it does for the engineering groups.
Metallurgy: Occurrence of metals. Minerals, ores and examples. Extraction of metals — activity series and related metallurgy, flow chart of the steps involved in extracting a metal from its ore. Refining metals, electrolytic refining, corrosion and its prevention. Alloys and their uses.	The last entry, and the one closest to the post's own name. Learn the extraction sequence as a flow chart — concentration, roasting or calcination, reduction, refining — and know the activity series well enough to say which method suits which metal.

How shortlisting and normalisation actually work

Two mechanisms in the notification decide who moves forward, and both are worth understanding before you sit the first paper.

The first is the shortlisting ratio. The number of candidates called for the second stage is fifteen times the community-wise total vacancy notified against that Railway Recruitment Board, though the Railways reserve the right to raise or lower that limit.

The second is normalisation. When a CBT is held in multiple sessions for the same syllabus, raw marks from different sessions are converted to normalised marks, and those normalised marks — not your raw score — are used to compute the Merit Index on which shortlisting is done. For a single-session paper the actual marks are used. The practical consequence is that your score is judged against the session you sat in, so an unusually hard shift is not the disadvantage it appears to be.

Step	What the notification states
Shortlisting for CBT-2	15 times the community-wise total vacancy of posts notified against that RRB, on merit in the 1st Stage CBT. The Railways may increase or decrease this limit.
Shortlisting for Document Verification	Based on normalised marks obtained in the 2nd Stage CBT.
Normalisation	Applied whenever a CBT is held in multiple sessions for the same syllabus; raw marks are converted to normalised marks and used to compute the Merit Index.
Qualifying marks in the Merit Index formula	40 for a general category candidate.
Tie-breaking	Where two or more candidates secure equal marks, merit position is determined by age criteria.

What this notification does not tell you — and we will not invent

A syllabus annexure defines scope. It does not answer every question a candidate has, and the honest thing is to name the gaps rather than fill them with a confident guess.

For each of the following, the official notification and the Railway Recruitment Board websites are the only sources worth trusting.

The exam dates. The notification states that dates for the CBT, Document Verification and Medical Examination will be communicated from time to time and published on the official RRB websites.
The number of questions from each individual topic within Technical Abilities. Only the section total of 100 is given; there is no topic-wise breakdown, and any table claiming one is somebody's estimate.
The exact weighting of the sections in the actual paper. The notification says the section-wise distribution shown is indicative and that there may be variations.
Any cut-off marks. The qualifying percentages are stated; the cut-off that decides selection depends on vacancies and candidate performance and is published only after the exam.
Any book list. The Board prescribes a syllabus, not textbooks — a topic list is not a reading list.

Important Links

View Syllabus / Notification Check Official Website

FAQ — Your Questions, Answered

Where do I check the RRB syllabus?

On rrb.indianrailways.gov.in — the direct link is in the Important Links section of this page. Checking an admit card, result, answer key or syllabus is always free.

Is this the official syllabus?

This page is compiled from RRB's official release, but the final word is the official PDF on rrb.indianrailways.gov.in — build your preparation on that document.

Can I trust these details?

We compile this from the official update and link the official source (rrb.indianrailways.gov.in), but always confirm the final details there before you act — dates and details can change.

All RRB notifications, results & admit cards

Official source: Official PDF ↗. Always confirm on the official website before acting on it.

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By Ravi Kumar · Updated: 02 Sep 2026, 04:37 PM