RRB JE syllabus and exam pattern for CBT 1 and CBT 2

RRB JE syllabus at a glance: the four steps

Selection moves through four steps. CBT 1 works as a filter: its normalised marks decide who is called to CBT 2, but they are not carried into the final merit list. CBT 2 is the paper that decides selection, and candidates are ranked on its normalised score. Those who clear the merit list then go through document verification and a medical examination set to the standard of the post (A3, B1, B2 or C1 depending on the job).

You will not face an interview or a skill test. That makes CBT 2, and the 100 technical questions inside it, the single biggest block of marks in the whole process.

RRB JE CBT 1 exam pattern and CBT 2 exam pattern

To qualify in each CBT, UR and EWS candidates need 40%, OBC (non creamy layer) and SC candidates need 30%, and ST candidates need 25%. If you write with a scribe, the notice allows you some added minutes.

RRB JE CBT 1 syllabus, section by section

Mathematics (30 questions)

• BODMAS and simplification, number system, LCM, HCF, fractions and decimals
• Percentage, ratio, proportion, interest (simple, compound), profit, loss
• Pipes, work rate, trains and boats, mensuration
• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, elementary statistics, square root, age problems, calendar and clock, pipes and cistern

General Intelligence and Reasoning (25 questions)

• Analogies, letter and number series, coding
• Syllogism, blood relations, jumbled words, maths operations with symbols
• Data sufficiency and interpretation, Venn diagrams
• Conclusions and decision making, similarities and differences, analytical reasoning, classification, directions, statements with arguments and assumptions

General Awareness (15 questions)

Expect recent news from India and abroad, sports, Indian art, culture, literature and monuments, plus science up to the CBSE class 10 level. Static topics cover Indian history with the freedom movement, world and Indian geography in its physical, social and economic sides, the Constitution, polity and governance, and India's progress in science and technology, including its space and nuclear work.

General Science (30 questions)

Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences at the level of the CBSE class 10 syllabus. The class 9 and 10 NCERT science texts are enough for it.

RRB JE CBT 2 syllabus: the four general sections

• General Awareness: the same broad list as CBT 1, with current affairs carrying more weight.
• Physics and Chemistry: up to class 10 CBSE level, such as motion, force, light, electricity, atomic structure, periodic table, acids, bases and salts, carbon compounds.
• Basics of Computers and Applications: how a computer is organised, devices for input, output and storage, networking, Windows, Unix and Linux as operating systems, word processing and spreadsheets in MS Office, binary and other data formats, internet and email, websites and browsers, computer viruses.
• Basics of Environment and Pollution Control: basics of environment, adverse effects of environmental pollution and control strategies, air, water and noise pollution, solid waste management, ozone depletion, global warming, acid rain, alternative sources of energy.

These 50 questions are the same for every branch, so a mechanical aspirant and an electronics aspirant compete on equal footing here.

RRB JE CBT 2 syllabus electrical, civil, mechanical and electronics

The 100 technical questions follow the exam group you are placed in, which depends on your qualification and the posts you choose.

RRB JE civil syllabus

Engineering mechanics, building construction, building materials, construction of substructure and superstructure, building finishes, building maintenance, building drawing, concrete technology, surveying, computer aided design, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, irrigation engineering, mechanics of structures, theory of structures, design of concrete structures, design of steel structures, transportation engineering (railway and highway), environmental engineering, advanced construction techniques and equipment, estimating and costing, contracts and accounts.

RRB JE electrical syllabus

Basic concepts, circuit laws, magnetic circuits, AC fundamentals, measurement and measuring instruments, electrical machines, synchronous machines, generation, transmission and distribution, estimation and costing, utilisation of electrical energy, basic electronics.

RRB JE mechanical syllabus

Engineering mechanics, material science, strength of materials, machining, welding, grinding and finishing, metrology, fluid mechanics and hydraulic machinery, industrial management, thermal engineering.

RRB JE electronics syllabus

Electronic components and materials, electronic devices and circuits, digital electronics, linear integrated circuits, microprocessor and microcontroller, electronic measurements, communication engineering, data communication and networks, computer programming in C and C++, basic electrical engineering.

Where the marks really are

Two thirds of CBT 2 is technical, so your core branch subjects decide rank. In CBT 1, maths and general science together make up 60 of the 100 marks, and both reward steady practice more than memory. Reasoning is quick to score once you have seen the common question families. General awareness is only 15 questions in each paper, so keep it light but regular.

Since CBT 1 is only a filter, aim for a safe score there and then put most of your hours into the technical subjects that repeat in diploma level exams, such as strength of materials, theory of structures, machines or digital electronics.

Sixteen weeks, mapped to CBT 1 then CBT 2

1. Weeks 1 to 4: maths basics daily for 90 minutes, reasoning sets on alternate days, class 9 and 10 NCERT science one chapter a day.
2. Weeks 5 to 8: start CBT 1 mock tests twice a week, and begin two technical subjects from your diploma notes.
3. Weeks 9 to 13: finish the technical syllabus subject by subject, with 50 topic questions after each one. Add computers and environment in short evening sessions.
4. Weeks 14 to 16: full CBT 2 mocks with strict 120 minute timing, and review every wrong answer before the next mock.

Old papers are the best practice set for both CBTs; see RRB JE previous year question papers, and check the RRB JE cut off page for the scores you need.

Which books to study from

Start with the official syllabus annexure in the CEN. For general science, NCERT class 9 and 10 books are enough. For maths and reasoning, any standard practice book for railway exams works if it has plenty of solved sets. For the technical paper, your own diploma textbooks and a branch wise objective question book are the most useful pair, because the questions are diploma level and very fact based.

Planning a parallel attempt at central government engineering posts? Compare this with the SSC JE syllabus, which overlaps heavily on the technical side. More railway options are listed on the railway exams hub.