Railway ALP & Technician Exam Pattern & Strategy

Why This Chapter Matters

Every year, lakhs of candidates apply for a few thousand Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician posts, and a large share of them lose the race not because they didn't study, but because they studied the wrong exam. RRB ALP/Technician recruitment runs on a structure that looks similar to SSC or other RRB exams on the surface — CBT stages, negative marking, a General Awareness section — but underneath, the weightage is tilted hard toward Basic Science and General Intelligence, with static GK playing a much smaller part than most first-time aspirants expect. Get this balance wrong in your preparation and you can score well in CBT 1 with a "general" strategy, then watch your CBT 2 score collapse because you never built the numerical and mechanical aptitude the trade actually demands.

This chapter lays out the exact stage-wise structure of the ALP and Technician recruitment process, the post categories you're competing for, how marks are distributed across subjects at each stage, and the specific mistakes that trip up ALP/Technician candidates more than any other RRB exam category. Read it once before you touch a single practice paper. It will save you weeks of misdirected effort. Exam trap: the single costliest error is treating CBT 2's Part B as a formality. It is qualifying in nature, but "qualifying" does not mean "easy" — thousands of technically strong candidates fail Part B every cycle because they assumed 35% was a low bar and revised their trade syllabus for two days instead of two months.

1. The Recruitment Body and the Big Picture

Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician recruitment is conducted by the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) under the Railway Recruitment Cell (RRC) framework, coordinated centrally so that the exam pattern, syllabus, and marking scheme stay uniform across all zonal boards — Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and the rest. A candidate sitting the exam in Ranchi answers the same type of paper, in the same pattern, as one sitting in Ahmedabad. This uniformity matters for your preparation: whatever RRB conducts your exam, this chapter's structure applies without local variation.

The recruitment happens in stages, and each stage eliminates a large chunk of candidates before the next. Roughly speaking, if one lakh candidates apply for a notification, only a fraction clear CBT 1, a smaller fraction clear CBT 2, and only those who clear the trade-specific and physical stages reach the final merit list. Understanding this funnel changes how you allocate study time. CBT 1 is a screening test — its job is to filter volume, not to judge fine mastery. CBT 2 is where actual selection happens. Your energy should follow that logic: broad, fast revision for CBT 1, deep and syllabus-precise preparation for CBT 2.

2. Stage 1 — CBT 1 (First Stage Computer Based Test)

CBT 1 is common for both Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician posts across all trades and grades. It is a single paper of 75 questions to be attempted in 60 minutes, and it carries negative marking of one-third (1/3) mark for every wrong answer. There is no sectional cutoff in CBT 1 — your overall score decides whether you cross the merit line for that stage — but the section-wise weightage below still tells you where to spend your revision hours, because CBT 2 draws from the same subject pool at higher difficulty.

The subject-wise split of CBT 1 typically looks like this:

Subject	Approximate Questions	Approximate Weightage
Mathematics	20	26.7%
General Intelligence & Reasoning	25	33.3%
General Science	20	26.7%
General Awareness on Current Affairs	10	13.3%

Notice something most SSC-trained aspirants miss: General Intelligence & Reasoning carries the single biggest share, not General Awareness. This is deliberate. Railways wants operational staff who can think logically under pressure — reading a signal chart correctly, following a wiring diagram, spotting a mismatch in a maintenance log — more than staff who can recall the year a dam was inaugurated. If you're coming from an SSC CGL or CHSL background where static GK carries real weight, recalibrate immediately. Here, reasoning and science together make up roughly 60% of the paper.

General Science in this context means physics, chemistry, and biology at a level roughly equivalent to Class 9 and Class 10 school syllabus — not the deep, formula-heavy science you'd need for an engineering entrance exam, but not superficial either. Expect questions on measurement units, laws of motion, electricity basics, the periodic table, human body systems, and everyday chemical reactions. This is the section most technical-background candidates underestimate because they assume "basic science" means "easy science." It is basic in scope, not in precision — the questions are short but exact, and vague half-knowledge gets punished by close-option traps.

CBT 1 qualifying marks (before any relaxation) generally sit around 40% for UR/EWS candidates, with standard relaxations for OBC-NCL (30%), SC (30%), and ST (25%) categories, subject to the specific notification's terms. Exam trap: these percentages can shift slightly notification to notification — always confirm the exact cutoff logic from your specific RRB's official notification rather than assuming last year's number carries over unchanged.

3. Stage 2 — CBT 2 (Second Stage Computer Based Test)

This is where the exam earns its reputation for being tough. CBT 2 has two distinct parts administered together, but scored and treated very differently: Part A and Part B.

3.1 Part A — The General Merit Paper

Part A has 100 questions in 90 minutes, again with one-third negative marking. The subject split is:

Subject	Approximate Questions	Approximate Weightage
Mathematics	25	25%
General Intelligence & Reasoning	25	25%
Basic Science & Engineering	40	40%
General Awareness on Current Affairs	10	10%

Look closely at that table. Basic Science & Engineering jumps to 40%, the largest single share in the entire exam, across both CBTs. This is the single most important number in this chapter. Basic Science & Engineering here covers a distinctly technical band of topics — engineering drawing basics (orthographic projection, drawing instruments, symbolic representation), units and measurements, mass weight and density, work power energy, speed and velocity, heat and temperature, electric current, basic electronics, levers, simple machines, occupational safety, and environment education relevant to a technical workplace. It is not the same as the "General Science" of CBT 1. Where CBT 1 tests school-level science recall, Part A's Basic Science & Engineering tests applied, workshop-relevant science — the kind an apprentice would encounter on day one of ITI training.

Memory hook: think of the CBT process as a funnel narrowing from "can you think and remember" (CBT 1) to "can you actually do the job" (CBT 2 Part A, then Part B). Each stage gets more hands-on and less bookish.

Part A's marks count toward the final merit list, combined with Part B's qualifying status and any document verification stage. The Basic Science & Engineering section is scored alongside Math, Reasoning, and GA within Part A — there's no separate sectional cutoff for it within Part A itself, but because it's 40% of the paper, weak preparation here drags your composite score down more than weakness in any other single section.

3.2 Part B — The Trade-Specific Paper

Part B is where ALP and Technician recruitment departs sharply from every other government exam pattern you may have studied for. It has 75 questions in 60 minutes, drawn entirely from the syllabus of the specific trade the candidate has declared or is eligible for based on their qualification (Electrician, Fitter, Diesel Mechanic, Electronics Mechanic, Machinist, Welder, and so on, depending on the specific ITI trade or equivalent diploma/degree held).

Part B is qualifying only — its marks are not added to the merit list score. But do not let that word "qualifying" lull you. The qualifying threshold is 35% for UR/EWS candidates, with the standard relaxation slabs applying for reserved categories, and if you don't clear it, your Part A score becomes irrelevant. You are simply out. Every single year, candidates who topped Part A on the strength of strong Math and Reasoning fail to make the final list because they treated Part B as an afterthought and couldn't clear even a 35% bar in their own trade.

Exam trap: Part B tests your ITI or diploma trade theory syllabus directly — the same subjects you studied for your trade certificate. Candidates who finished their ITI two or three years before applying often assume the knowledge is "still there." It isn't, not at exam-sharp recall. Revise your trade theory book cover to cover, not just the topics you remember enjoying.

There is an important nuance in how Part B trades work for ALP specifically: candidates from any of the four notified trades — Electrician, Electronics, Mechanic (Diesel), or Fitter — can apply for ALP posts, and each candidate attempts the Part B paper corresponding to their own trade. The score isn't compared across trades for merit; it only needs to clear the qualifying cutoff. For Technician posts, the trade is more directly tied to the specific vacancy and grade (Technician Grade I, II, III) being filled, and Part B corresponds exactly to that post's required trade qualification.

4. Stage 3 — Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT)

CBAT applies only to Assistant Loco Pilot candidates, not to Technicians. This is a psychometric aptitude test, not a knowledge test — there is nothing to "mug up" here, and no amount of static GK revision helps. CBAT measures traits considered essential for a loco pilot's job: alertness, spatial and directional reasoning, reaction time consistency, concentration under repetitive stimuli, and the ability to track multiple visual and auditory cues simultaneously.

CBAT is scored on a qualifying basis with a minimum aggregate of 42 marks out of 70 in each battery of the test, and every sub-test within the battery also carries its own minimum qualifying marks — you must clear each individual sub-test, not just the average. This is a critical distinction: a candidate who scores very high on one sub-test cannot compensate for a poor score on another. Exam trap: many candidates walk into CBAT thinking a single overall high score is enough. It is not; each component test has its own independent qualifying line.

Because CBAT has no syllabus to "study" in the conventional sense, the honest preparation strategy is different: practice with genuine psychometric-style test formats before the exam so the test structure itself doesn't surprise you, get proper sleep before the test date, and understand that this stage measures consistency and calm attention far more than raw intelligence. Candidates who clear CBT 1 and CBT 2 but have never seen a CBAT-style interface on screen sometimes fumble not because of ability, but because of unfamiliarity with the interface and timing pressure.

5. Document Verification and Medical Examination

After CBT 2 and (for ALP) CBAT, shortlisted candidates go through Document Verification (DV), where educational certificates, category certificates, ITI/diploma marksheets, and identity documents are checked against what was declared in the application. This stage disqualifies more candidates than people expect — mismatched names across certificates, expired category certificates, or missing NCVT/SCVT trade certification are common, avoidable reasons for rejection at this point.

Following DV comes the medical examination, which for ALP posts is notably stringent because of the safety-critical nature of running a locomotive. ALP posts require A-2 medical standard, which includes specific visual acuity requirements (including color vision — a loco pilot who cannot distinguish signal colors correctly is an operational hazard) and a hearing standard tested without hearing aids. Technician posts generally require a somewhat less stringent medical standard depending on the specific trade and grade, but hearing and vision checks remain part of the process across the board. Exam trap: color blindness, even partial, disqualifies a candidate for ALP posts regardless of how well they scored in every written stage. If you have any doubt about your color vision, get it tested early in your preparation timeline, not after clearing CBT 2, so you don't invest a year of study toward a post you cannot medically qualify for.

6. Post Categories — Assistant Loco Pilot and Technician Grades

Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) is a single, unified post category across zones, though the recruiting RRB and zone of posting will vary by notification. An ALP works under supervision initially, assisting and eventually independently operating locomotives — goods trains, passenger trains, and eventually higher grades of running staff — after a structured training and promotion path within the railway's operating department.

Technician posts are graded, and this grading matters both for eligibility and for pay:

• Technician Grade III is generally the entry point for candidates with a fresh ITI qualification in a notified trade, and forms the bulk of Technician vacancies in any large recruitment cycle.
• Technician Grade I requires higher qualification and/or experience and sits at a senior technical level, generally filled through a mix of direct recruitment and promotion depending on the specific recruitment cycle's rules.
• Some cycles also notify Technician Grade II vacancies as an intermediate grade, though the exact grade structure notified varies by year and by department (Mechanical, Electrical, S&T/Signal, Carriage & Wagon).

Memory hook: think of ALP as one job with one entry gate, and Technician as a ladder with multiple entry rungs depending on your qualification level — a fresh ITI candidate enters lower on the ladder than someone with additional experience or a diploma.

Technician posts span several railway departments — Mechanical (locomotive and coach maintenance), Electrical (traction and signaling-adjacent electrical work), Signal & Telecommunication, and Carriage & Wagon — and the Part B trade paper for each vacancy corresponds to the specific trade notified for that department's post.

7. Why This Exam's Weightage Differs From SSC and Other RRB Exams

If you've prepared for SSC CGL, CHSL, or even RRB NTPC before switching focus to ALP/Technician, understand this clearly: static GK (history, polity, geography, art and culture) has a far smaller footprint here than in SSC exams. The General Awareness section in both CBT 1 and CBT 2 Part A leans toward current affairs — recent government schemes, sports events, awards, appointments, and railway-specific news — rather than deep static facts about ancient dynasties or constitutional articles. This doesn't mean static GK is absent; a baseline of governance and geography knowledge still shows up. But if you spend 40% of your study time on static GK the way an SSC CGL aspirant might, you are misallocating effort that Basic Science and Reasoning need far more urgently in this exam.

The other structural difference is the presence of two Basic Science-flavored sections that are not identical: CBT 1's "General Science" (school-level, Class 9-10 breadth) and CBT 2 Part A's "Basic Science & Engineering" (workshop and applied-technical breadth). Treating them as the same syllabus is a common and costly error. Exam trap: a candidate who prepares only NCERT-style Class 10 science for both stages will do fine in CBT 1 and then get blindsided in CBT 2 Part A by questions on orthographic projection, screw threads, or electrical safety symbols that were never part of school science.

8. Biggest Preparation Mistakes Specific to ALP/Technician Aspirants

Mistake one: neglecting Part B until after CBT 2 results. Because Part B doesn't count toward merit marks, many candidates postpone trade revision until they've cleared CBT 1 and see their CBT 2 admit card. This leaves only a few weeks to revise an entire trade theory syllabus, which is not enough. Start Part B revision in parallel with CBT 1 preparation, at a slower pace, so it's already familiar territory by the time CBT 2 approaches.

Mistake two: underestimating Basic Science & Engineering's weight. As shown above, this single section is 40% of Part A. Candidates from a strong Mathematics or Reasoning background sometimes coast on those strengths and give Basic Science & Engineering only casual attention, not realizing it alone can make or break their composite score.

Mistake three: ignoring CBAT preparation entirely. Because there's no traditional syllabus, ALP candidates often assume there's nothing to prepare. Familiarity with the test format, timing, and instruction style genuinely improves performance — this stage rewards calm familiarity as much as raw ability.

Mistake four: skipping the medical fitness check early. Discovering a disqualifying medical condition after a year of preparation is a preventable tragedy. Get a basic vision and hearing check done at the start of your preparation cycle, especially for ALP aspirants, given the color vision requirement.

Mistake five: applying negative marking arithmetic wrong during practice. With one-third negative marking active at every CBT stage, guessing recklessly on eliminated-to-two-options questions is different from blind guessing on four options. Build the habit of calculating expected value before you guess, not after the exam is over and you're reviewing your score.

Mistake six: confusing General Science (CBT 1) with Basic Science & Engineering (CBT 2 Part A) as one undifferentiated block of study, instead of preparing each with its correct depth and applied focus.

Carry these six warnings into your study plan from day one, and you'll already be ahead of a large share of the competition before you've solved a single practice question.

9. How the Stages Combine Into a Final Merit List

Understanding how your scores actually flow into the final selection removes a lot of confusion during preparation. CBT 1 does not carry forward as marks into your final merit — it only decides who advances to CBT 2. Once you're inside CBT 2, Part A's raw marks become your working score, but that score only matters if Part B is cleared with at least the qualifying percentage. Think of Part B as a gate you must walk through, not a hurdle you jump and land beyond with extra height credited to your account. Clear it by one mark or by forty, the effect on your merit list is the same: zero. All the effect of your effort in Part B shows up as a pass or fail, never as bonus marks.

For ALP candidates, CBAT sits after CBT 2 as a further qualifying gate, again on a pass/fail logic rather than adding marks to the merit list. So by the time a candidate reaches the final selection stage, their rank is built almost entirely from CBT 2 Part A's score, filtered through three separate qualifying checks: CBT 1 clearance, Part B clearance, and (for ALP) CBAT clearance. This is why coaching veterans describe the exam as "one paper that decides your rank, and three gates that decide whether you're even in the race for that rank." Internalising this early changes how you spend your last month before CBT 2 — polishing Part A speed and accuracy earns you rank, while Part B and CBAT preparation simply need to be solid enough to pass, not necessarily perfect.

Exam trap: some candidates, on realising Part B doesn't add marks, swing to the opposite extreme and barely study it at all, gambling on a lucky 35%. Given that Part B has its own 75 questions with independent negative marking, a careless attempt can easily land below the cutoff even for someone who knows the trade reasonably well. Treat the 35% target with the same seriousness you'd give any other pass/fail exam in your life, such as a driving test — you don't need a perfect score, but you do need consistent, exam-day-reliable knowledge, not fragments recalled under pressure.

10. Zone-Wise Notification Timing and Why It Matters for Your Planning

Because RRB recruitment is decentralised across zonal boards even though the pattern is uniform, notification timing can differ by a few weeks between zones in the same recruitment cycle. A candidate tracking only one RRB's official page sometimes misses the broader picture that CBT 1 dates, once announced, tend to be scheduled close together across zones to keep the process synchronised nationally. Practically, this means your last six to eight weeks before CBT 1 need to be locked in as revision time the moment dates are announced, because the gap between notification and exam is rarely long enough to start a subject from zero. Build your foundational understanding of Mathematics, Reasoning, Basic Science, and current affairs well before any notification drops, and treat the notification period itself purely as a revision and mock-test phase, not a first-learning phase.

Quick Revision — One-Line Facts

• CBT 1 has 75 questions in 60 minutes with one-third negative marking, common for both ALP and Technician.
• CBT 1 subject split: Mathematics, General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Science, General Awareness on Current Affairs.
• General Intelligence & Reasoning carries the highest weightage in CBT 1, around one-third of the paper.
• CBT 2 has two parts: Part A (general merit) and Part B (trade-specific, qualifying only).
• CBT 2 Part A has 100 questions in 90 minutes with one-third negative marking.
• Basic Science & Engineering is the single largest section in Part A, at roughly 40% weightage.
• CBT 2 Part B has 75 questions in 60 minutes and tests the candidate's specific ITI/diploma trade syllabus.
• Part B marks do not count toward the merit list; they only need to cross the qualifying cutoff.
• Part B qualifying cutoff is generally 35% for UR/EWS, with standard relaxations for reserved categories.
• Four notified trades for ALP eligibility typically include Electrician, Electronics, Mechanic (Diesel), and Fitter.
• CBAT (Computer Based Aptitude Test) applies only to ALP candidates, not to Technicians.
• CBAT qualifying aggregate is generally 42 out of 70, with each sub-test carrying its own minimum qualifying score.
• CBAT tests psychometric traits like alertness and spatial reasoning, not book knowledge.
• ALP medical standard is A-2, which includes strict color vision and hearing requirements.
• Color blindness disqualifies a candidate for ALP posts regardless of written exam performance.
• Document Verification checks certificates, category proof, and trade certification against the application.
• Technician posts are graded, commonly Grade III (entry-level) and Grade I (senior), with Grade II notified in some cycles.
• Technician trades span Mechanical, Electrical, Signal & Telecommunication, and Carriage & Wagon departments.
• CBT 1 qualifying marks are generally around 40% for UR/EWS, with relaxation for reserved categories.
• General Science in CBT 1 is school-level (Class 9-10 breadth); Basic Science & Engineering in Part A is applied, workshop-level.
• Static GK carries less weight in ALP/Technician exams than in SSC exams; current affairs matters more than deep static facts.
• Reasoning and Basic Science together dominate the ALP/Technician exam far more than General Awareness does.
• Part B revision should start early, in parallel with CBT 1 preparation, not after CBT 2 admit cards arrive.
• Negative marking of one-third applies uniformly across CBT 1, CBT 2 Part A, and CBT 2 Part B.
• The RRB structure is uniform in pattern across zones even though the conducting board differs by region.
• CBAT has no fixed syllabus but rewards familiarity with test format and calm, consistent attention.
• Technician recruitment does not include a CBAT stage; it moves from CBT 2 directly toward document verification.
• A mismatch between name spellings on certificates is a common, avoidable reason for rejection at Document Verification.
• Basic Science & Engineering topics include engineering drawing basics, units and measurement, and occupational safety.
• The ALP training path begins under supervision before a candidate operates a locomotive independently.

Memory Tables

Table 1: Stage-Wise Structure at a Glance

Stage	Applies To	Questions	Duration	Negative Marking	Nature
CBT 1	ALP and Technician	75	60 minutes	1/3 mark	Screening, merit-based
CBT 2 Part A	ALP and Technician	100	90 minutes	1/3 mark	Merit-based
CBT 2 Part B	ALP and Technician (trade-specific)	75	60 minutes	1/3 mark	Qualifying only (35%)
CBAT	ALP only	Battery of sub-tests	Fixed per battery	Not applicable	Qualifying only (42/70 aggregate, plus per-sub-test minimums)
Document Verification	ALP and Technician	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	Eligibility check
Medical Examination	ALP and Technician	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	A-2 standard for ALP; trade-dependent for Technician

Table 2: Subject Weightage Comparison, CBT 1 vs CBT 2 Part A

Subject	CBT 1 Questions	CBT 1 %	Part A Questions	Part A %
Mathematics	20	26.7%	25	25%
General Intelligence & Reasoning	25	33.3%	25	25%
Science (General/Basic + Engineering)	20	26.7%	40	40%
General Awareness on Current Affairs	10	13.3%	10	10%

Practice MCQs

Q1. How many questions appear in the CBT 1 stage of ALP/Technician recruitment, and within what time limit? (a) 100 questions, 90 minutes (b) 75 questions, 60 minutes (c) 75 questions, 90 minutes (d) 90 questions, 75 minutes

Q2. Which section carries the highest weightage in CBT 1? (a) General Awareness on Current Affairs (b) Mathematics (c) General Intelligence & Reasoning (d) General Science

Q3. In CBT 2, which part of the paper is qualifying only and does not count toward the final merit score? (a) Part A (b) Part B (c) Both Part A and Part B (d) Neither part, both count fully

Q4. What is the approximate weightage of Basic Science & Engineering in CBT 2 Part A? (a) 10% (b) 25% (c) 40% (d) 50%

Q5. The Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) applies to which category of candidates? (a) Technician candidates only (b) Both ALP and Technician candidates equally (c) Assistant Loco Pilot candidates only (d) Only candidates above 30 years of age

Q6. What is the standard negative marking applied at CBT 1, CBT 2 Part A, and CBT 2 Part B? (a) 1/4 mark (b) 1/2 mark (c) 1/3 mark (d) No negative marking

Q7. A candidate scores very high on Part A but fails to cross the qualifying threshold in Part B. What happens to their candidature? (a) They are selected anyway because Part A score is higher (b) Their Part A and Part B scores are averaged (c) They are not considered for the final merit list (d) They get one additional attempt at Part B only

Q8. Which of the following is NOT typically one of the four notified trades for ALP eligibility? (a) Electrician (b) Fitter (c) Mechanic (Diesel) (d) Civil Draughtsman

Q9. What medical standard is generally required for Assistant Loco Pilot posts? (a) A-1 (b) A-2 (c) B-1 (d) B-2

Q10. In CBAT, what does a candidate need to clear in addition to the overall qualifying aggregate? (a) Nothing else; the aggregate alone matters (b) A minimum qualifying score in each individual sub-test (c) A written interview (d) A separate physical test

Q11. How does "General Science" in CBT 1 differ from "Basic Science & Engineering" in CBT 2 Part A? (a) They are identical in scope and difficulty (b) General Science is workshop-level while Basic Science & Engineering is school-level (c) General Science is school-level (Class 9-10 breadth) while Basic Science & Engineering is applied, workshop-relevant (d) There is no science section in CBT 2 Part A

Q12. Why does color vision testing matter specifically for ALP candidates during the medical examination? (a) It affects night driving speed limits (b) A loco pilot must correctly distinguish signal colors for safe train operation (c) It is required only for candidates over 40 years of age (d) It determines eligibility for Technician posts only

Q13. Which Technician grade is generally the entry point for a candidate with a fresh ITI qualification? (a) Technician Grade I (b) Technician Senior Grade (c) Technician Grade III (d) Technician Grade A

Q14. Why is it a mistake to postpone Part B (trade-specific) revision until after CBT 2 admit cards are released? (a) Part B syllabus changes every year without notice (b) It leaves too little time to revise an entire trade theory syllabus properly (c) Part B is not required for ALP candidates (d) Admit cards are released before CBT 1 itself

Q15. Compared to SSC exams like CGL or CHSL, how does static GK weightage in the ALP/Technician General Awareness section generally compare? (a) It is significantly heavier in ALP/Technician exams (b) It is roughly identical in both exam types (c) It is lighter, with more emphasis on current affairs and applied science instead (d) Static GK is completely absent from ALP/Technician exams

Answer Key

Q	Answer	Reason
1	(b)	CBT 1 is fixed at 75 questions within 60 minutes for both ALP and Technician candidates.
2	(c)	Reasoning carries about one-third of CBT 1 marks, more than any other single section.
3	(b)	Part B is qualifying only; Part A marks decide the merit list ranking.
4	(c)	Basic Science & Engineering is roughly 40% of Part A, the largest single section.
5	(c)	CBAT is a psychometric test administered only to Assistant Loco Pilot candidates.
6	(c)	One-third negative marking applies uniformly across all three written CBT components.
7	(c)	Failing to cross Part B's qualifying cutoff removes the candidate regardless of Part A score.
8	(d)	Civil Draughtsman is not among the standard four ALP-eligible trades of Electrician, Fitter, Electronics, and Diesel Mechanic.
9	(b)	ALP posts require the stringent A-2 medical standard due to safety-critical duties.
10	(b)	Each CBAT sub-test has its own independent qualifying minimum, not just the overall aggregate.
11	(c)	CBT 1's science is school-level breadth, while Part A's science is applied and workshop-oriented.
12	(b)	Misreading a signal color due to color blindness creates a direct safety hazard in train operation.
13	(c)	Technician Grade III is the standard entry grade for freshly qualified ITI candidates.
14	(b)	An entire trade theory syllabus cannot be revised properly in the short gap between CBT 1 results and CBT 2.
15	(c)	ALP/Technician General Awareness leans toward current affairs, unlike the heavier static GK focus of SSC exams.