RRB ALP

Overview

RRB ALP is the recruitment of Assistant Loco Pilots in Indian Railways, conducted by the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs). The current cycle is CEN 01/2025, which per secondary reporting was revised upward to 11,127 vacancies (from an initial 9,970) across Indian Railways zones, with the CBT 2 exam conducted on 28 July for this cycle. Recruitment is run through 20 zonal Railway Recruitment Boards, each notified under the same CEN number. Because the official RRB sites could not be reached directly for this review, cycle-specific facts should be confirmed against the live CEN document.

Who can apply

Age limits and educational/technical qualification requirements for Assistant Loco Pilot are set out in the specific CEN for the recruitment cycle and can differ between cycles, so candidates should check the current CEN published by their zonal RRB or on the central application portal (rrbapply.gov.in) rather than assume a fixed rule.

Exam pattern

RRB ALP recruitment runs through CBT 1, CBT 2, a Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT), document verification and a detailed medical examination. Per secondary reporting on the current CEN cycle's revised pattern:

CBT 1 — screening stage, Class 10 level questions

Duration: 60 minutes. Negative marking: 1/3 mark per wrong answer. General Awareness and Current Affairs, earlier part of CBT 1, has been removed from this section in the revised pattern. Qualifying marks: UR and EWS 40%, OBC (non-creamy layer) and SC 30%, ST 25%.

CBT 2 — two papers, 175 questions total, negative marking of 1/3 mark per wrong answer

Only Part A marks count for shortlisting to CBAT; Part B is qualifying only, with a 35% pass mark for all categories. Part A qualifying marks mirror CBT 1: UR and EWS 40%, OBC (NCL) and SC 30%, ST 25%.

CBAT (Psycho Test) — a computer-based aptitude test checking mental ability, psychometric and decision-making skills; qualifying in nature with no negative marking, and candidates must score at least 42 marks in each of its component tests. Under the pattern for the current cycle, CBT 2 Part A and CBAT are weighted equally (50% each) toward the final merit list, revised from an earlier 70:30 split favouring CBT 2 Part A.

Selection process

1. CEN notification published by the zonal RRBs.

2. Online application during the notified window on rrbapply.gov.in.

3. CBT 1 (screening stage).

4. CBT 2 (Part A and Part B) for candidates shortlisted from CBT 1.

5. CBAT for candidates shortlisted on CBT 2 Part A marks.

6. Document verification and a detailed medical examination.

7. Final merit, combining CBT 2 Part A and CBAT scores equally.

How to apply

Applications for RRB ALP are submitted online through rrbapply.gov.in during the window specified in the current CEN. Admit cards (e-call letters) are issued only through the official RRB website for the zone the candidate applied under.

Preparation tips

Because RRB releases a fresh CEN with its own pattern and eligibility details for each recruitment cycle, always confirm the current cycle's exam structure — including the CBT 2/CBAT weightage, which has changed between cycles — from the live CEN document on rrbapply.gov.in or your zonal RRB site before relying on any previous cycle's pattern. Since CBT 2 Part B (trade syllabus) is only qualifying, candidates should prioritise Part A (Mathematics, Reasoning, Basic Science and Engineering) for merit, while still clearing the 35% trade-paper threshold.