Railway Exams — The Full Recruitment Map
Indian Railways is the single largest government recruiter in the country, and its exams are structured by pay level rather than by department. One qualification usually maps to one or two entry routes.
Four things work differently here than in SSC, and all four catch newcomers out.
The main exams
| Exam | Qualification | Pay levels | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTPC Graduate, CEN 06/2026 | Graduate | 5 and 6 | 3,548 posts, open now, closes 6 November 2026 |
| NTPC Undergraduate, CEN 07/2026 | 12th pass | 2 and 3 | 1,688 posts, opens 15 October 2026 (detailed CEN due 14 October) |
| Group D, CEN 09/2025 | 10th pass or ITI | 1 | 22,195 posts, result expected late October |
| Technician, CEN 02/2026 | ITI or equivalent | 2 and 5 | 6,557 posts, CBT 6 to 9 October 2026 |
| ALP, CEN 01/2026 | 10th + ITI or diploma | 2 | 11,127 posts, CBT-1 on 3–5 November 2026 |
| Junior Engineer | Diploma or degree | 6 | Runs on its own cycle |
Four things that work differently
1. One portal, not many
Applications go through the centralised portal at rrbapply.gov.in, not through individual regional board websites. You register once and choose your board during the application. Admit cards and results, however, often come through regional or vendor portals — so the site you applied on is not always the site you download from.
2. Scores are normalised
Railway CBTs run across many days and shifts. Group D ran over 16 exam days in August 2026. Because candidates sit different papers, scores are statistically adjusted for difficulty, and the normalised score is what counts, not the raw mark you calculated from the response sheet. See how results are calculated.
3. City slip and call letter are separate
RRB issues a city intimation slip about ten days before your exam so you can arrange travel, then the e-Call Letter about four days before. Only the call letter gets you into the hall. The city slip also carries free travel pass details for eligible SC and ST candidates, which needs arranging in advance. See city slip versus admit card.
4. Medical standards are post-specific and eliminating
Railway medical categories vary by role, and vision requirements in particular are strict for safety-critical posts such as ALP. They are checked at the end of the process. Read the medical standard for the post you are choosing before you set preferences, not after you clear the CBT.
Scale sets the cut-off. Group D drew 52,39,760 applications for 22,195 posts, roughly 236 per seat. Cut-offs are published board by board, so a score that clears in one zone may not in another. Never judge your chances against a friend who applied to a different board.
Which to target
- 10th pass or ITI. Group D and Technician. Largest volume, physical and medical stages included.
- 12th pass. NTPC undergraduate, opening 15 October. Also see 12th pass jobs.
- Graduate. NTPC graduate, opening 8 October, at Pay Levels 5 and 6.
- Diploma or B.Tech. Junior Engineer at Level 6, with a far smaller candidate pool. See engineering jobs.
Typing tests
Several NTPC graduate posts carry cum Typist in the title — Junior Accounts Assistant cum Typist and Senior Clerk cum Typist. The typing test is qualifying but eliminating. Start practising when you apply, not after CBT 2.