Railway Exams (RRB & RPF)

How RRB exams are structured

Railway recruitment runs through Centralised Employment Notices (CENs), each covering a group of posts. Most follow a Computer Based Test in one or two stages, then a skill or aptitude test where the post demands it, then document verification and a medical examination whose standards vary by post.

You apply to one RRB, and merit is decided there

This is the structural fact that catches candidates out. Applications go to a single Railway Recruitment Board, and merit is drawn within that region — not nationally. The same score can be selected in one RRB and not in another in the same cycle, so the board you choose matters as much as your preparation.

Normalisation and the fee refund

RRB exams run across multiple shifts and normalise scores accordingly. Unusually among recruiters, RRBs refund a large part of the examination fee to candidates who actually appear — a detail many candidates never claim because they do not know it exists.

Medical standards are part of eligibility

Railway posts carry medical classifications (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1, C2) tied to safety duties. A candidate can clear every written stage and still be found unfit for a specific post, so read the medical standard for the post before you apply, not after.