RRB Group D is the single largest railway recruitment drive by applicant volume - a single cycle has drawn well over a crore of applications - filling posts like Track Maintainer, Helper/Assistant across Electrical, Mechanical and S&T departments, Pointsman and similar Level-1 posts. The CBT is 100 questions in 90 minutes with General Science and General Awareness together accounting for 45 of the 100 questions, alongside Mathematics and General Intelligence & Reasoning, with a −1/3 penalty per wrong answer.
The CBT is 100 questions in 90 minutes: General Science (25 questions), Mathematics (25 questions), General Intelligence & Reasoning (30 questions) and General Awareness & Current Affairs (20 questions) - so Science and GA together make up 45 of the 100 questions, the largest combined share on the paper. A wrong answer deducts one-third of a mark. Candidates who clear the CBT proceed to a Physical Efficiency Test (PET) - a timed run and, for some categories, a weight-carrying test - which is a qualifying (pass/fail) stage, followed by document verification and medical examination.
| Section | Questions |
|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 30 |
| General Science | 25 |
| Mathematics | 25 |
| General Awareness & Current Affairs | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
General Science is drawn from Class 9-10 level Physics, Chemistry and Biology - a genuinely distinct feature of Group D compared to most SSC/RRB exams, which lean on General Knowledge rather than pure science. Mathematics covers number systems, BODMAS, decimals, fractions, LCM/HCF, ratio, percentages, mensuration (2D/3D), time-work, time-distance, simple/compound interest, profit-loss, elementary algebra and geometry, and elementary statistics/data interpretation. Reasoning covers analogies, alphabetical/number series, coding-decoding, mathematical operations, similarities/differences, jumbling, puzzle and figural pattern-based questions. General Awareness & Current Affairs covers science & technology, sports, culture, personalities, economics, politics and general knowledge of everyday science and events.
Male candidates typically must run 1000m within a set time limit and separately carry a specified weight over a set distance within a time limit (standards differ for female candidates and vary by category); the exact distances, weights and time limits are notified per recruitment cycle - PET is qualifying only, it doesn't add marks to your CBT score, but failing it disqualifies you regardless of CBT rank. Physical conditioning for the run and weight-carry component needs months of consistent training, so candidates should start preparing physically well before the CBT result is out, not after.
Because General Science is genuinely a distinct subject here (not folded into General Awareness like most other exams), candidates coming from an SSC-prep background often underestimate how much dedicated Physics/Chemistry/Biology revision Group D needs - treat it as its own subject with its own topic list, not an extension of GK. Beyond that, the section-wise time allocation (roughly 22 minutes each if split evenly across four sections in 90 minutes) rewards drilling Reasoning and Mathematics to automatic speed, while Science and GA reward retention built through spaced repetition rather than one-time reading.
Reviewed by the Pareeksha Exam Content Team - SSC & RRB pattern specialists. Patterns below reflect recent notification cycles; always cross-check the exact dates, vacancies and marking scheme in your cycle's official notification before applying.
Track Maintainer, Helper/Assistant across Electrical, Mechanical and Signal & Telecommunication departments, Pointsman and other Level-1 posts across Indian Railways.
Yes - General Science (Class 9-10 level Physics, Chemistry, Biology) is a distinct 25-question section, separate from the General Awareness & Current Affairs section.
Yes, for the categories/posts the notification specifies - it's a qualifying (pass/fail) physical test taken after clearing the CBT, and does not add to your written score.