RRB JE 2026: Vacancies, Eligibility, Exam Pattern and Key Dates

The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have released the Detailed Centralised Employment Notice (CEN) No. 04/2026 for various posts of Junior Engineer (JE) and Depot Material Superintendent (DMS). The posts are at Pay Level 6 of the 7th Pay Commission, with an initial pay of ₹35,400, and cover the Electrical, Civil (Engineering), Mechanical, Signal & Telecommunication (S&T) and Stores departments.

Applications ran from 14 August to 13 September 2026, fee payment closed on 15 September and the correction window closed on 25 September. If you applied, the next step is preparing for CBT-I. If you didn't, this guide shows what the 2026 cycle looked like, which helps you plan for the next one.

RRB JE 2026 at a glance

Important dates

Vacancies: category-wise and RRB-wise

The 3,993 vacancies are spread across 21 RRBs and 37 post categories. The RRB-wise and zone-wise split is in Annexure B of the notice. The totals include vacancies reserved for ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates under horizontal reservation.

Category-wise split

RRB-wise vacancies

Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai together account for 1,230 of the 3,993 posts. A candidate can apply to only one RRB, and the choice is final, so compare vacancies with your preferred zones before you choose.

Eligibility criteria

Age limit

The age limit is 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027. The date of birth must match your matriculation or SSLC certificate, and it cannot be changed later.

Age relaxation

If you qualify on more than one ground, you get only the largest relaxation, not a sum. SC, ST and OBC-NCL candidates applying against UR vacancies get no age relaxation.

Educational qualification

You must hold the qualification on or before 13 September 2026. Candidates waiting for final results were not eligible to apply.

A B.E. or B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in place of the diploma. The exact qualification and medical standard for each post is in Annexure A of the notice.

Medical standards

Each post carries a medical standard (A-3, B-1, B-2 or C-1), and vision requirements are strict.

• A-3: distance vision 6/9 and near vision Sn 0.6, with or without glasses (lens power up to 2D). Colour, binocular, night and mesopic vision tests must be passed.
• Candidates who have had LASIK or other refractive surgery are not eligible for A-3 posts.
• LASIK candidates can be eligible for B-1 posts if the surgery is at least a year old, there are no complications and residual corneal thickness is at least 425 microns.
• A candidate who fails the medical gets no alternative post, but may be offered one medical appeal on payment of the prescribed charges.

Application fee

• Fee can be paid online only, by internet banking, debit or credit card, or UPI.
• Refunds go only to the candidate's Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
• Each modification of the application costs a non-refundable ₹250.
• EBC is different from EWS and OBC. EBC candidates need an income certificate (family income below ₹50,000), a BPL card or an Izzat MST, and get only a fee concession, not job reservation.

Selection process and exam pattern

1. CBT-I, a screening test.
2. CBT-II, which includes the technical paper for your Exam Group.
3. Document Verification (DV).
4. Medical Examination.

You can apply to only one RRB. Multiple applications lead to rejection of all of them and debarment from future RRB and RRC exams.

CBT-I

The duration is 90 minutes (120 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates). Candidates are shortlisted for CBT-II at 15 times the community-wise vacancies, based on normalised CBT-I marks.

CBT-II

The duration is 120 minutes (160 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates), and a virtual calculator is available on screen.

Common rules for both papers: negative marking is one-third of a mark per wrong answer. Minimum qualifying marks are UR 40%, EWS 40%, OBC-NCL 30%, SC 30% and ST 25%. PwBD candidates can get a 2-mark relaxation if there aren't enough qualified candidates.

Merit and shortlisting

Technical questions are set by Exam Group: Mechanical and Allied, Electrical and Allied, Electronics and Allied, or Civil and Allied Engineering. Because candidates from different groups compete for common posts, the RRB builds a combined merit list using a Merit Index, after normalising marks across shifts. Candidates are shortlisted for DV at 1:1 against vacancies, based on CBT-II merit. Ties are broken by age (the older candidate ranks higher) and then by the alphabetical order of the given name.

Syllabus highlights

• CBT-I: Mathematics (number system, percentages, time and work, mensuration, algebra, geometry, trigonometry), Reasoning (analogies, series, coding-decoding, Venn diagrams, syllogism), General Awareness (current affairs, history, geography, polity, economy, sports) and General Science up to Class 10 CBSE level.
• CBT-II common portion: General Awareness, Physics and Chemistry (Class 10 level), Basics of Computers (architecture, operating systems, MS Office, networking, internet, computer virus) and Basics of Environment and Pollution Control.
• Civil and Allied: engineering mechanics, building construction and materials, surveying, concrete technology, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, structures and their design, transportation engineering, estimating and costing, contracts and accounts.
• Electrical and Allied: circuit laws, AC fundamentals, measurements, electrical machines, generation, transmission and distribution, switchgear and protection, estimation and costing, utilisation of electrical energy, basic electronics.
• Electronics and Allied: electronic devices and circuits, digital electronics, linear ICs, microprocessors and microcontrollers, communication engineering, data networks, C/C++ programming, basic electrical engineering.
• Mechanical and Allied: engineering mechanics, material science, strength of materials, machining, welding, grinding and finishing, metrology, fluid mechanics, industrial management, thermal engineering.

How to apply and documents

1. Open the application link for CEN 04/2026 on the official RRB website and create an account with a valid mobile number and email ID. These cannot be changed later.
2. Authenticate your identity with DigiLocker or Aadhaar. Other photo IDs lead to stricter scrutiny at every stage.
3. Choose one RRB and give your order of preference for Railway zones and posts. Options once exercised are final.
4. Pick your exam medium: English, Hindi or one of 13 regional languages.
5. Capture a live photograph through a webcam or front camera, in non-white clothing and without a cap, mask or spectacles.
6. Upload your signature as a JPG/JPEG of 30 to 49 KB, at least 140 x 60 pixels and 100 DPI, in black ink on white paper and in running handwriting, not block letters.
7. Pay the fee online. The application is accepted only after payment is confirmed by email and SMS.

SC and ST candidates who want the free train pass also upload their certificate as a PDF under 400 KB. A nearby Common Service Centre (CSC) can help with the form.

Documents for verification

• Original educational certificates and mark sheets, showing the date of result declaration
• 10th or matriculation certificate as age proof
• Category certificate in the prescribed format: SC/ST, OBC-NCL issued on or after 1 April 2026, or EWS income and asset certificate
• PwBD, ex-servicemen or EBC documents, where applicable
• NOC from the present employer, for government and PSU employees
• Original photo ID, two sets of self-attested photocopies and a recent colour passport photograph

Preparation tips

• Start with your technical subject. It is 100 of the 150 marks in CBT-II and decides your final merit.
• Don't neglect CBT-I. It is only a screening test, but you must qualify and rank within the 15x shortlist to reach CBT-II.
• Watch the negative marking. One-third of a mark is lost for each wrong answer, so skip questions you can't narrow down.
• Use the mock tests. The RRBs make practice tests available on their websites to help you get used to the online exam.
• Plan your zone and post preferences early. Allotment follows merit and your preferences, and a post or zone you don't list is treated as not wanted.

Common questions

What is the salary of an RRB JE?

The posts are at Pay Level 6 of the 7th Pay Commission with an initial pay of ₹35,400 per month, plus applicable allowances.

Who can apply for RRB JE 2026?

Candidates aged 18 to 33 years as on 1 January 2027 (with category relaxations) who hold the required three-year diploma or an engineering degree in the relevant discipline. Depot Material Superintendent needs a three-year diploma in any engineering discipline.

Can I apply to more than one RRB?

No. Only one application to one RRB is allowed. Multiple applications lead to rejection of all of them and debarment from future RRB and RRC exams.

Is there negative marking?

Yes. One-third of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer in both CBT-I and CBT-II.

Are the vacancy numbers final?

No. They are provisional and may increase or decrease depending on the requirement of the Railway administrations.

Final word

RRB JE 2026 offers over 3,900 Level 6 posts for diploma and degree holders in Electrical, Civil, Mechanical and S&T streams, plus Depot Material Superintendent for any engineering diploma. Read the official notice (the PDF is on rrb.indianrailways.gov.in) for your exact post before you finalise your preparation or preferences.