RRB ALP Syllabus 2026: Revised CBT 1, CBT 2 & CBAT Subjects With PDF
RRB ALP Syllabus 2026 has been released under CEN 01/2026 along with the notification for 11,127 Assistant Loco Pilot posts. The syllabus is split across three stages, CBT 1, CBT 2, and CBAT, and this cycle brings two real changes to what candidates need to study, not just the usual list of subjects. This page covers the RRB ALP 2026 subject-wise syllabus for every stage, the trade-wise Part B mapping, what got removed or reweighted this year, and where to get the official PDF.
RRB ALP Syllabus 2026 Highlights
RRB ALP syllabus 2026 is spread across three stages, and each stage tests a different mix of subjects. The table below names the subjects and stage structure only, the topic-wise detail for each subject is covered further down this page.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | RRB Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP), CEN 01/2026 |
| Selection Stages | CBT 1, CBT 2 (Part A and Part B), CBAT, Document Verification, Medical Examination |
| CBT 1 Subjects | Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Science (3 subjects, revised for 2026) |
| CBT 2 Part A Subjects | Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, Basic Science and Engineering |
| CBT 2 Part B | Trade-specific paper based on the candidate's ITI/Diploma/Engineering discipline, qualifying in nature |
| CBAT | Psychometric test, 5 test batteries, qualifying with a 42-mark minimum in each |
| Final Merit Formula (2026) | CBT 2 Part A 50% + CBAT 50% |
| Official Syllabus PDF | Published with CEN 01/2026 on the regional RRB websites and indianrailways.gov.in |
RRB ALP syllabus and exam pattern are closely linked. The subjects named above map directly to the marks and duration set for each stage, so the pattern tells a candidate how many questions come from where, and this page tells a candidate what to actually study inside each subject.
RRB ALP CBT 1 Syllabus 2026
RRB ALP CBT 1 is a screening stage with 75 questions for 75 marks in 60 minutes, and one-third of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer. CBT 1 now has only three subjects for 2026, down from four in earlier cycles. CBT 1 marks are not counted in the final merit, this stage is only used to shortlist candidates for CBT 2 at roughly 15 times the number of vacancies per RRB zone, normalised across shifts.
| Subject | Key Topic Areas | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Number system, simplification (BODMAS), decimals and fractions, LCM and HCF, ratio and proportion, percentage, mensuration, time and work, time and distance, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, elementary statistics, square root, age calculations, calendar and clock, pipes and cisterns | Class 10 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | Analogies, alphabet and number series, coding-decoding, mathematical operations, blood relations, syllogism, jumbling, Venn diagrams, data interpretation and sufficiency, conclusions and decision making, similarities and differences, analytical reasoning, classification, directions, statements-arguments-assumptions | Class 10 |
| General Science | Physics topics such as force, gravitation, light, sound, and magnetism; chemistry topics such as the periodic table, chemical reactions, and everyday chemistry; life science topics covering the human body's skeletal, respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems | Class 10 |
Reasoning has the most questions of the three CBT 1 subjects going by the previous cycle's proportions, so it is worth the most practice time. RRB has not published an official section-wise question split for the revised three-subject CBT 1 yet, so treat any subject-wise count for 2026 as a trend estimate, not an official figure, until RRB confirms it in the shortlisting notice.
RRB ALP CBT 2 Part A Syllabus
RRB ALP CBT 2 builds on CBT 1 with a longer, more technical paper. Part A has 100 questions in 90 minutes and decides the merit rank, Part B has 75 questions in 60 minutes and is only qualifying. Total CBT 2 duration is 150 minutes for 175 questions, with the same one-third negative marking as CBT 1.
| Subject | Key Topic Areas | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Same Class 10 topics as CBT 1, applied at a slightly harder level | Part of 100 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | Same topic areas as CBT 1, with more application-based questions | Part of 100 |
| Basic Science and Engineering | Engineering drawing (projections, views, symbols), units and measurement, 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 | Part of 100 |
Basic Science and Engineering is new territory compared with CBT 1 and often decides how well a candidate does in Part A overall. A candidate whose ITI trade was Electrician or Fitter usually finds this section familiar, since basic electricity and simple machines line up with what they already studied.
Trade-Wise RRB ALP CBT 2 Part B Syllabus
RRB ALP Part B is a qualifying paper only, a candidate needs 35 percent to clear it regardless of category, and the questions come from the trade the candidate selects at the time of application. The trade has to match the candidate's ITI, diploma, or engineering discipline, and the topics for each trade are set by the Directorate General of Training, not by RRB itself.
| Engineering Background | Eligible Trade/Subject |
|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering and related combinations | Electrician, Instrument Mechanic, Wireman, Armature and Coil Winder, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Mechanic |
| Electronics Engineering and related combinations | Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic (Radio and TV) |
| Mechanical Engineering and related combinations | Fitter, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Tractor Mechanic, Mechanic (Diesel), Turner, Machinist, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Mechanic, Heat Engine, Millwright/Maintenance Mechanic |
| Automobile Engineering and related combinations | Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Tractor Mechanic, Mechanic (Diesel), Heat Engine, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Mechanic |
A candidate should pick the trade that matches their actual qualification and stick with it through document verification, since a mismatch between the declared trade and the certificate held gets flagged at that stage.
RRB ALP CBAT 2026 Psycho Test Pattern
RRB ALP CBAT, also called the Psycho Test, is the one stage in this recruitment that is not knowledge-based. It runs only for the ALP post, not for other RRB technician-style posts, and it checks mental alertness and decision-making rather than subject knowledge. RRB shortlists roughly 8 times the number of vacancies per category for CBAT, based on CBT 2 Part A performance, and there is no negative marking here.
| Test | What It Checks | Qualifying Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Test | Recalling locations and patterns from a map or diagram studied earlier | 42 per battery |
| Following Directions Test | Understanding and applying a sequence of directional instructions | 42 per battery |
| Depth Perception Test | Judging distance and depth between objects in a pile or stack | 42 per battery |
| Test of Observation / Concentration | Spotting a correct number, symbol, or match quickly under time pressure | 42 per battery |
| Perceptual Speed Test | Matching figures accurately and quickly | 42 per battery |
A candidate has to clear all five batteries, not just score well on average. Practising real CBAT-style mock batteries matters more here than reading theory, since these are timed pattern-recognition tasks, not fact-based questions.
RRB ALP 2026 Topic Weightage and Important Topics
RRB does not release an official topic-by-topic weightage sheet for RRB ALP, so the weightage below is based on past-cycle patterns, not an official figure. Time and work, time and distance, mensuration, and percentage questions show up most often in Mathematics. Coding-decoding, series, and analogy questions carry a steady share in Reasoning every cycle.
| Subject | Consistently High-Weightage Areas | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Time and work, time and distance, mensuration, percentage, profit and loss | Trend, past cycles |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | Coding-decoding, number and alphabet series, analogies, blood relations | Trend, past cycles |
| General Science | Physics topics on light, force, and electricity; life-science topics on the human body | Trend, past cycles |
| Basic Science and Engineering | Basic electricity, levers and simple machines, units and measurement | Trend, past cycles |
What Changed in RRB ALP Syllabus for 2026
RRB ALP syllabus for 2026 carries two real changes from the previous cycle, and both affect how a candidate should divide study time, not just what gets tested.
Change 1: General Awareness and Current Affairs has been dropped from CBT 1. Earlier cycles ran CBT 1 across four subjects, Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Science, and General Awareness and Current Affairs, with roughly 10 of the 75 questions from General Awareness. That subject is gone from CBT 1 for 2026, and the total question count and marks for CBT 1 stay at 75, spread only across the remaining three subjects.
Change 2: CBAT now carries equal weight with CBT 2 Part A in the final merit. Earlier cycles gave CBT 2 Part A 70 percent weight and CBAT 30 percent. For 2026, both carry 50 percent each. This means a candidate can no longer treat CBAT as a formality after a strong CBT 2 score, since half the final rank now comes directly from the psycho test batteries.
Neither change touches CBT 2 Part B, which stays the same as previous cycles.
Subject-Wise Preparation Approach for RRB ALP 2026
RRB ALP syllabus covers Class 10 level Mathematics and Science, so NCERT Class 9 and 10 textbooks cover both well. Reasoning has no fixed textbook syllabus, it comes down to practising pattern types repeatedly. Basic Science and Engineering and the trade paper draw on ITI-level content, so a candidate's own ITI notes are usually a better start than a generic guide.
| Subject | Where to Start | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | NCERT Class 9 and 10 | Speed and accuracy on calculation-heavy topics |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | Practice sets, no fixed textbook syllabus | Pattern recognition under time pressure |
| General Science | NCERT Class 9 and 10 Science | Physics and life-science basics over rote memorisation |
| Basic Science and Engineering / Trade | ITI or diploma coursework, DGT trade syllabus | Practical, applied concepts over theory |
Recommended Books for RRB ALP Syllabus 2026
A candidate does not need a large shelf of books for RRB ALP, three or four cover most of the syllabus well. For Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey and Test of Reasoning by Edgar Thorpe are commonly used. Lucent's General Knowledge still helps with General Science, since some of its content overlaps there even with General Awareness off the CBT 1 syllabus this year. For Mathematics, any standard Class 10 level arithmetic book is enough. For the trade paper, a candidate's own ITI textbook is more useful than a generic railway exam guide, since Part B questions come from the DGT's own trade syllabus.
CBT 1 vs CBT 2: How RRB ALP Question Difficulty Changes
RRB ALP CBT 1 and CBT 2 share two subjects, Mathematics and Reasoning, but the difficulty is not identical. CBT 1 questions stay close to direct, single-step calculations and recall-based reasoning. CBT 2 keeps the same topics but leans more on application, so a Mathematics question here is more likely to combine two concepts, such as time and work with ratio, than test either alone. This is why candidates who clear CBT 1 comfortably sometimes find CBT 2 harder than expected.
| Relevant Links | ||
|---|---|---|
| RRB ALP Eligibility | RRB ALP Application Process | RRB ALP Answer Key |
| RRB ALP Admit Card | RRB ALP Result | RRB ALP Cutoff |
RRB ALP Syllabus 2026 FAQs
Ques: Has General Awareness been removed from RRB ALP CBT 1 for 2026?
Ans: Yes. CBT 1 now has only Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, and General Science. General Awareness and Current Affairs, which was part of CBT 1 in earlier cycles, is no longer tested at this stage.
Ques: Does CBAT carry the same weight as CBT 2 in the RRB ALP 2026 final merit?
Ans: Yes, for this cycle. CBT 2 Part A and CBAT are each weighted 50 percent in the final merit list, compared with 70 percent and 30 percent in the previous cycle.
Ques: Is there a separate syllabus for RRB ALP CBT 2 Part B for every trade?
Ans: Yes. Part B is trade-specific and set by the Directorate General of Training, so an Electrician candidate and a Fitter candidate answer a different Part B paper, even though Part A is common to all trades.
Ques: Does clearing RRB ALP CBT 1 guarantee a seat in CBT 2?
Ans: No. CBT 1 only shortlists roughly 15 times the vacancies per RRB zone. A candidate can clear the qualifying percentage and still miss the CBT 2 shortlist if their rank falls outside that band.
Ques: Can a candidate switch their declared trade after applying for RRB ALP?
Ans: The trade selected at the time of application is checked against the candidate's certificate at document verification, so switching later is not something the process allows for; the declared trade should match the qualification held from the start.
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