| Conducting body | Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Assistant Loco Pilot (Level 2) |
| Qualification | Matriculation/SSLC plus ITI from an NCVT/SCVT institution in Fitter, Electrician, Instrument Mechanic, Millwright/Maintenance Mechanic, Mechanic (Radio and TV), Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Wireman, Tractor Mechanic, Armature and Coil Winder, Mechanic (Diesel), Heat Engine, Turner, Machinist or Refrigeration and AC Mechanic; or Matriculation plus Course Completed Act Apprenticeship in these trades; or Matriculation plus a 3-year diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Automobile Engineering. An engineering degree in these branches is accepted in place of the diploma. |
| Age limit | 18–30 years on 1 July 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | First stage CBT (CBT-1, screening only) → Second stage CBT (CBT-2: Part A for merit, Part B qualifying) → Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) → Document verification → Medical examination (standard A-1) |
| Latest notification | CEN 01/2026: Assistant Loco Pilot · 11,127 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About RRB ALP
RRB ALP recruits Assistant Loco Pilots at pay level 2 of the 7th CPC. It is open to candidates with an ITI, a completed apprenticeship or an engineering diploma in the listed trades. The process has five stages: two CBTs, a computer-based aptitude test, document verification and a medical at standard A-1.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–30 years, counted on 1 July 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- SC and ST candidates get 5 extra years and OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates get 3. SC, ST and OBC candidates applying against unreserved vacancies get no age relaxation.
- Ex-servicemen with more than six months of service after attestation get 3 years (UR and EWS), 6 years (OBC-NCL) or 8 years (SC and ST), counted after deducting their length of service from their age.
- Serving railway Group C and erstwhile Group D staff, and substitutes, with at least 3 years of service can apply up to 40 (UR and EWS), 43 (OBC-NCL) or 45 (SC and ST).
- Widowed, divorced or judicially separated women who have not remarried can apply up to 35 (UR and EWS), 38 (OBC-NCL) or 40 (SC and ST).
- Course Completed Act Apprentices get relaxation equal to their apprenticeship training. Those who became Course Completed Act Apprentices before turning 25 can apply up to 35 (UR and EWS), 38 (OBC-NCL) or 40 (SC and ST).
- If you qualify for relaxation on more than one ground, you get the largest one only; they do not add up.
Qualification
Matriculation/SSLC plus ITI from an NCVT/SCVT institution in Fitter, Electrician, Instrument Mechanic, Millwright/Maintenance Mechanic, Mechanic (Radio and TV), Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Wireman, Tractor Mechanic, Armature and Coil Winder, Mechanic (Diesel), Heat Engine, Turner, Machinist or Refrigeration and AC Mechanic; or Matriculation plus Course Completed Act Apprenticeship in these trades; or Matriculation plus a 3-year diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Automobile Engineering. An engineering degree in these branches is accepted in place of the diploma.
Other conditions
- Open to Indian citizens, and to citizens of Nepal, subjects of Bhutan and a few other groups named in the notice, who need a Government of India eligibility certificate.
- The post is not suitable for PwBD candidates.
- Candidates called for the CBAT must bring the self-screening medical declaration in the prescribed format (Annexure VIII A and VIII B) or they cannot sit the test.
- You can apply to only one RRB. A second application, to the same or another RRB, gets all your applications rejected.
Selection process
- First stage CBT (CBT-1, screening only)
- Second stage CBT (CBT-2: Part A for merit, Part B qualifying)
- Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT)
- Document verification
- Medical examination (standard A-1)
Exam pattern
CBT-1
Mode: Online, objective multiple choice · Duration: 60 minutes · Negative marking: 1/3 mark cut for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics, Mental Ability and General Science (75 questions of 1 mark each) | 75 | 75 |
CBT-2 Part A
Mode: Online, objective multiple choice · Duration: 90 minutes · Negative marking: 1/3 mark cut for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS |
|---|---|
| Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, Basic Science and Engineering | 100 |
CBT-2 Part B (qualifying)
Mode: Online, objective multiple choice, trade questions · Duration: 60 minutes · Negative marking: 1/3 mark cut for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS |
|---|---|
| Questions from your ITI trade (or a chosen trade for diploma and degree holders); 35% needed to qualify | 75 |
CBAT
Mode: Aptitude test batteries in English and Hindi · Negative marking: None
| SUBJECT |
|---|
| A T-score of at least 42 in each test battery, for all categories |
RRB ALP syllabus
CBT-1 and CBT-2 Part A: Mathematics
- Number system, BODMAS, decimals, fractions, LCM and HCF
- Ratio and proportion, percentages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest
- Time and work, time and distance, pipes and cisterns
- Mensuration, algebra, geometry and trigonometry
- Elementary statistics, square roots, age problems, calendar and clock
CBT-1: Mental Ability / CBT-2 Part A: General Intelligence and Reasoning
- Analogies, alphabetical and number series, coding-decoding
- Mathematical operations, relationships, syllogism, jumbling, Venn diagrams
- Data interpretation and sufficiency, conclusions and decision making
- Similarities and differences, classification, directions
- Analytical reasoning, statement with arguments and assumptions
CBT-1: General Science
- Physics, chemistry and life sciences at Class 10 level
CBT-2 Part A: Basic Science and Engineering
- Engineering drawing: projections, views, drawing instruments, lines, geometric figures, symbolic representation
- Units, measurements, mass, weight and density
- Work, power and energy; speed and velocity; heat and temperature
- Basic electricity, levers and simple machines
- Occupational safety and health, environment education, IT literacy
CBT-2 Part B
- Trade syllabus prescribed by the Directorate General of Training (DGT) for your ITI trade
- Diploma and degree holders pick one trade mapped to their engineering branch
What they ask
CBT-1 is a short screening paper of 75 questions in 60 minutes on maths, mental ability and Class 10 science, and its marks are not used in the final panel. CBT-2 Part A replaces general science with basic science and engineering: drawing, units, simple machines, basic electricity and safety. Part B asks trade questions from the DGT syllabus and needs only 35% to pass. Final merit gives equal weight to Part A marks and the CBAT score, and 8 times the vacancies are called to the CBAT.
How to prepare
- Aim for accuracy in CBT-1: 75 questions in 60 minutes with a third of a mark lost per wrong answer, and you need 40% as UR or EWS to go ahead.
- Study engineering drawing, basic electricity and simple machines for CBT-2 Part A. These topics are new compared with CBT-1.
- Revise your own ITI trade theory from the DGT syllabus for Part B. It only needs 35%, but without that pass your Part A score is not counted.
- Take the CBAT seriously from day one. It carries 50% of your final merit, needs a T-score of 42 in every battery, and RDSO's website has guidance for candidates.
- Build daily practice in maths and reasoning with topic-wise quizzes on the free Improvam app.
RRB ALP is one of the exams in the Improvam app. Open it to start a practice quiz.
Open in the Improvam appPhoto and signature
- Photo: A live photograph is captured through the online application. A photo of a printed or existing digital picture is rejected, and your appearance at every stage must match the captured photo.
- Signature: JPG/JPEG, 30 KB to 49 KB, at least 140 x 60 pixels, scanned at 100 DPI or more. Sign in black ink on white paper in running handwriting; capital, block or disjointed letters are rejected.
Source: official instructions ↗
Resize your photo and signature for RRB ALP
RRB ALP FAQs
Yes. Matriculation plus a 3-year diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Automobile Engineering is accepted, and so is an engineering degree in these branches.
Sources
- RRB CEN 01/2026 detailed notification: Assistant Loco Pilot ↗ (official, checked )
- RRB notices page for CEN 01/2026 ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.