RRB ALP 2026 Syllabus Exam Pattern

RRB ALP 2026 Syllabus – Stage 1 and Stage 2 exam pattern

The RRB ALP 2026 syllabus is part of the official CEN 01/2026 notification for 11,127 Assistant Loco Pilot posts. The exam runs in three stages. Stage 1 is a screening test, Stage 2 is where your merit rank gets decided, and Stage 3 (CBAT) is only for ALP candidates. Read the official notification PDF for the complete details. Last updated: 20.05.2026.

Stage 1 CBT pattern

Note: Para 12.1 gives the total of 75 questions and the three syllabus areas and stops there. It sets no count per subject, so the split of 30 General Science, 25 reasoning and 20 Mathematics that circulates for this exam comes from earlier CBT-1 papers and not from CEN 01/2026. We read the hosted notification PDF again on 26.09.2026 to confirm this. Marks in multiple shifts are normalised before the merit is drawn, so a raw score and a normalised score will differ.

Duration: 60 minutes. Negative marking: 1/3 per wrong answer. Only the top candidates move to Stage 2. This is purely a screening round.

Important Links

Note: The CEN 01/2026 window closed on 14.06.2026, and the portal link stays useful for the next CEN. Application status was published on 22.08.2026, and the admit card appears in the same login when notified.

Apply at the RRB ALP 2026 vacancy page before 14 June 2026. The RRB ALP 2026 admit card page will be updated once the hall ticket is released.

CBT-1 and CBT-2 syllabus by subject

Mathematics

Number system, fractions and decimals, LCM and HCF, ratio and proportion, percentage, mensuration, time and work, time and distance, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, elementary algebra, geometry, trigonometry, elementary statistics.

Mental Ability in CBT-1, General Intelligence and Reasoning in CBT-2

Analogies, alphabetical and number series, coding and decoding, mathematical operations, relationships, syllogism, Venn diagrams, data interpretation, conclusions and decision making, directions, classification, jumbling.

General Science, CBT-1 only

Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences up to Class 10 NCERT. The most tested chapters are: motion and force, work energy and power, light, sound, electricity, chemical reactions, acids bases and salts, metals and non-metals, carbon compounds, life processes, reproduction, heredity and evolution. NCERT Class 9 and 10 textbooks cover 90% of this section.

Stage 2 Part A pattern

Note: Part A’s own syllabus in para 12.2 lists three areas and no more, so the familiar split of 25, 25, 40 and 10 with a General Awareness section belongs to earlier CENs rather than to CEN 01/2026. Part B draws entirely on the DGT trade syllabus for the candidate’s own trade, and a degree or diploma holder picks one trade from the grouping table in the notification. Checked in the hosted PDF on 26.09.2026.

Duration: 90 minutes. Negative marking: 1/3. Your merit rank for final selection comes from this stage.

Basic Science and Engineering, CBT-2 Part A only

Engineering drawing, units and measurements, mass weight density, work power energy, speed velocity acceleration, heat and temperature, basic electricity, levers and simple machines, occupational safety and health, environment education, IT literacy.

The notification lists Engineering Drawing first among the Basic Science and Engineering topics, ahead of units, measurements and basic electricity. It gives no marks weight for any topic, so treat any figure you see for these two as a reading of past papers rather than a rule.

Stage 2 Part B – trade test

75 questions in 60 minutes. Questions come entirely from your ITI trade or diploma specialization. You need at least 35% to qualify. No negative marking here. Part B marks are not counted in your merit. They just gate you to the next stage. Study from your NCVT trade theory textbooks, not from generic guides.

Stage 3 – CBAT (ALP posts only)

Para 12.3 requires a minimum T-score of 42 in every test battery separately, for every candidate whatever the category, and there is no negative marking. The notification does not name the batteries itself, it points candidates to the RDSO psychology pages, so treat any battery list you see elsewhere as unofficial. A Self Screening Medical Declaration Report has to be produced in original on the CBAT day or entry is refused.

Checking the CBT-1 result and scorecard

1. Visit rrbapply.gov.in or your regional RRB website
2. Click on the “CEN 01/2026, CBT-1 Result” link
3. Enter your Registration Number and Date of Birth
4. Your raw marks, normalised marks, and shortlisting status (Shortlisted for CBT-2 / Not Shortlisted) will appear
5. Download your scorecard PDF for your records

What the CBT-1 Scorecard Shows

Understanding the Selection Funnel

The CBT-1 shortlist published on 22.08.2026 carried 1,60,014 candidates, close to the fifteen times per RRB and community that para 12.2 allows against 11,127 vacancies. The next cut is much sharper. Para 12.3 shortlists eight times the ALP vacancies for the CBAT, not 25 times as several sites state, and it does so on Part A marks alone, provided Part B is cleared at 35 percent. The final merit then weights Part A marks and the CBAT score 50:50, so a strong Part A can still be undone at the aptitude test. Part B marks never enter the merit.

CBT-1 Minimum Qualifying Marks (Non-negotiable)

Regardless of zone-wise cut-off, every candidate must meet these minimum marks to be considered for shortlisting:

Meeting these minimums does not guarantee shortlisting, the actual cut-off is higher based on zone-wise competition and vacancy count.

Written By: GD Sarkari Naukri Desk

Tracks central and state government recruitment notifications, admit cards, results and cut-offs for Global Drishti, verified directly against official recruitment portals and notification PDFs. Trusted by students and job aspirants nationwide.