RRB Group D 2026-27 Exam Date Out: Check Official Schedule for 22,195 Level 1 Vacancies
If you’ve been waiting for an update on RRB Group D, here it is — the Railway Recruitment Board has finally released the exam date for CEN 09/2025. This is one of the most awaited recruitment drives for 10th-pass candidates across India, and with 22,195 vacancies on offer for posts like Track Maintainer, Pointsman B, and Assistant, competition is expected to be intense. Here’s everything you need to know, broken down in one place.
RRB Group D 2026-27 Exam Date Announced
RRB officially confirmed the exam date on 3rd July 2026. The Computer-Based Test (CBT) will be held from 3rd to 21st August 2026 across multiple exam centres in the country. If you’ve applied, this is the time to shift fully into revision mode — you have roughly a month to sharpen your preparation.
Candidates can expect their city intimation slip about 10 days before their scheduled exam date, and the admit card will be released 4 days prior. Keep checking your registered email and the regional RRB website regularly during this window so you don’t miss anything.
RRB Group D Recruitment 2026-27
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Railway Recruitment Board |
| Advertisement No. | CEN 09/2025 |
| Posts | Assistant (Track Machine), Assistant (Bridge), Track Maintainer (Group IV), Assistant (P-way), Assistant (TRD), Assistant Loco Shed (Electrical), Assistant Operations (Electrical), Assistant (TL & AC), Assistant (C & W), Pointsman B, Assistant (S & T) |
| Total Vacancies | 22,195 |
| Job Location | Across India |
| Download Notification | Click Here |
| Exam Dates | 3 to 21 August 2026 |
| Selection Process | CBT → PET → Document Verification & Medical Exam |
| Basic Pay | Rs. 18,000 per month |
| Official Website | rrbcdg.gov.in / rrbapply.gov.in |
Important Dates You Shouldn’t Miss
The application window for this cycle has already closed, but it’s worth revisiting the full timeline so you know exactly where things stand:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Released | 30th January 2026 |
| Application Started | 31st January 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply | 9th March 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 11th March 2026 |
| Correction Window | 12th–21st March 2026 |
| Scribe Details Submission | 22nd–26th March 2026 |
| City Intimation | 10 days before exam |
| Admit Card Release | 4 days before exam |
| CBT Exam | 3rd–21st August 2026 |
Vacancy Breakdown: Where Are the Seats?
A total of 22,195 posts are up for grabs this year, distributed across 16 railway zones. Northern Railway (New Delhi) leads the pack with 3,537 vacancies, followed closely by Western Railway (Mumbai) with 3,148 posts. Here’s the full zone-wise split:
| Railway Zone | Total | UR | SC | ST | OBC | EWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Railway (Mumbai) | 3148 | 1160 | 407 | 178 | 698 | 288 |
| North Western Railway (Jaipur) | 974 | 483 | 152 | 48 | 188 | 104 |
| North Central Railway (Prayagraj) | 1183 | 570 | 156 | 89 | 271 | 97 |
| South Western Railway (Hubli) | 90 | 51 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 6 |
| West Central Railway (Jabalpur) | 1147 | 581 | 174 | 89 | 157 | 145 |
| East Coast Railway (Bhubaneswar) | 803 | 329 | 120 | 57 | 206 | 91 |
| Northern Railway (New Delhi) | 3537 | 1437 | 530 | 266 | 956 | 348 |
| Southern Railway (Chennai) | 1036 | 430 | 155 | 96 | 247 | 108 |
| North Eastern Railway (Gorakhpur) | 1196 | 537 | 178 | 109 | 271 | 101 |
| Northeast Frontier Railway (Guwahati) | 1776 | 718 | 266 | 133 | 480 | 179 |
| Eastern Railway (Kolkata)/Metro Kolkata | 1173 | 471 | 155 | 114 | 296 | 137 |
| Central Railway (Mumbai) | 1979 | 894 | 295 | 177 | 411 | 202 |
| East Central Railway (Hajipur) | 993 | 405 | 148 | 76 | 266 | 98 |
| South Eastern Railway (Kolkata) | 949 | 364 | 158 | 84 | 240 | 103 |
| South Central Railway (Secunderabad) | 1012 | 376 | 148 | 129 | 258 | 101 |
| South East Central Railway (Bilaspur) | 1199 | 516 | 184 | 76 | 281 | 142 |
| Total | 22195 | 9322 | 3240 | 1726 | 5240 | 2250 |
A quick reality check on trends: this year’s vacancy count is noticeably lower than in recent cycles — 2025 had 32,438 vacancies, while 2019 saw a massive 1,03,769 openings. If you’re prepping, know that seats are relatively tighter this time, so a strong, focused strategy matters more than ever.
Who Can Apply? Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification: You need a 10th pass certificate, or an ITI/NAC (National Apprenticeship Certificate) from NCVT, or equivalent. Candidates still waiting on their final results aren’t eligible to apply for this cycle. There’s also a specific eligibility clause allowing CCAA-certified candidates to apply.
Age Limit: You must be between 18 and 33 years old, with the cut-off date fixed as 1st January 2026. Standard age relaxations apply for reserved categories as per government norms.
Nationality: Open to Indian citizens, along with eligible candidates from Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan refugees who settled in India before 1962, and persons of Indian origin who migrated from specific countries — provided they hold the required eligibility certificate.
Medical Standards: Since these are physically demanding field roles, RRB applies specific medical fitness categories (A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, C-1, C-2) covering distant/near vision, colour vision, and other physical parameters depending on the post.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General/OBC/EWS | Rs. 500 |
| SC/ST/EBC/Female/Transgender | Rs. 250 |
Here’s the good part — most of this fee is refundable. General/OBC candidates get Rs. 400 back (after bank charges) simply for appearing in the CBT, while candidates from SC/ST/PWD/Women/Ex-servicemen/Minority/EBC categories get their entire Rs. 250 refunded on appearing for the exam.
Selection Process
Getting selected for RRB Group D involves four stages:
- Computer-Based Test (CBT) — tests your Maths, Reasoning, General Science, and General Awareness
- Physical Efficiency Test (PET) — includes running, long jump, and high jump depending on the post
- Document Verification — cross-checks all details submitted in your application
- Medical Examination — confirms fitness for the assigned role
Exam Pattern 2026
The CBT will run for 90 minutes and carry 100 questions in total, with negative marking of 1/3rd mark for every wrong answer.
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Science | 25 | 25 |
| Mathematics | 25 | 25 |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 30 | 30 |
| General Awareness & Current Affairs | 20 | 20 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Qualifying percentage: 40% for UR/EWS candidates and 30% for OBC (non-creamy layer)/SC/ST candidates.
The paper will be available in English, Hindi, and 13 regional languages, including Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, and more — so language shouldn’t be a barrier for most candidates.
Syllabus at a Glance
- Mathematics: Number system, BODMAS, LCM/HCF, ratio-proportion, percentages, mensuration, time & work, time & distance, simple/compound interest, algebra, geometry, trigonometry
- General Intelligence & Reasoning: Analogies, series, coding-decoding, syllogism, Venn diagrams, data interpretation, classification, directions
- General Science: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology at 10th standard (CBSE) level
- Current Affairs: Science & tech, sports, culture, economics, and politics-related current events
Previous Exam Analysis — Where Should You Focus?
Looking at how past papers were structured helps a lot in planning your prep. In Mathematics, Number System typically carries the highest weight (around 6 questions), followed by Time-Speed-Distance and Ratio (4 questions each). In Reasoning, Statement & Conclusion tends to dominate with about 5 questions, while Odd One Out and Series follow closely. For General Science, Chemistry usually has the most questions (around 10), ahead of Physics and Biology. And in General Awareness, Current Affairs alone makes up more than half the section — so daily news reading really pays off here.
Salary and Pay Scale
Selected candidates start with a basic pay of Rs. 18,000 per month. Once you add Dearness Allowance, HRA, Transport Allowance, Night Duty Allowance, and other benefits, the actual in-hand salary typically ranges between Rs. 22,500 to Rs. 25,380 per month.
How to Apply — Step by Step
- Visit the official website (rrbcdg.gov.in or the relevant regional RRB site)
- Click on ‘New Registration’ and fill in your basic details
- Verify your email and mobile number via OTP
- Log in and complete Part I — educational details, category, gender, etc.
- Complete Part II — indicate your post preferences
- Pay the application fee online
- Choose your preferred exam language
- Upload photograph, signature, and relevant certificates
- Review everything carefully and submit
Exam Centres
RRB conducts this exam across a wide network of cities covering nearly every state — from Chandigarh and Ludhiana in Punjab, to Lucknow and Varanasi in UP, Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, and Guwahati and Dibrugarh in the Northeast. Candidates get to choose their preferred city while filling out the application, so make sure you double-check your allotted centre once the city intimation slip is out.
Previous Cut-Off Trends
While official 2026 cut-offs will only be released after results, past trends (2018-19 cycle) show UR category cut-offs ranging roughly between 62 and 80 marks depending on the region — Kolkata recorded one of the highest cut-offs at over 80, while Bengaluru’s was comparatively lower at around 62. Ex-servicemen and CCAA categories generally hovered close to the 40-mark qualifying threshold across most regions.
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the RRB Group D 2026-27 exam date? The CBT will be conducted from 3rd to 21st August 2026.
Q. Is there a CBT-2 stage for RRB Group D this year? No, RRB Group D follows a single-stage CBT, followed by PET, document verification, and medical examination.
Q. What is the salary for RRB Group D posts? The basic pay is Rs. 18,000, with an in-hand salary ranging from Rs. 22,500 to Rs. 25,380 per month after allowances.
Q. What is the application fee? Rs. 500 for General/OBC/EWS candidates and Rs. 250 for SC/ST/EBC/Female/Transgender candidates, most of which is refundable on appearing for the CBT.
Q. What is the age limit for RRB Group D 2026? Candidates must be between 18 and 33 years old as of 1st January 2026.
Q. Who is eligible to apply for Railway Group D? Candidates with a 10th pass, ITI, or NAC (NCVT) qualification are eligible, subject to nationality and age criteria.