Latest official update
CEN 01/2026 CBT I is tentatively scheduled for 3–5 November 2026. Its application window closed on 14 June. Separately, CEN 01/2025 has a tentative CBAT date of 30 October 2026; that is not the CBT I schedule for new-cycle applicants.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Post | Assistant Loco Pilot |
| Notified vacancies | 11,127; provisional, subject to official revision |
| Recruitment | CEN 01/2026 |
| Application status | Original submission window closed on 14 June 2026 |
| CBT I | 3–5 November 2026; tentative |
| Base age | 18–30 years on 1 July 2026; prescribed relaxations apply |
| Initial basic pay | Pay Level 2: ₹19,900 |
| Selection | CBT I → CBT II → CBAT → document verification → medical examination |
What changed in this cycle?
CEN 01/2026 must be read independently of CEN 01/2025. The newer notice uses its own age cut-off, vacancy total and merit rules. Its final merit gives equal weight to CBT II Part A and CBAT, rather than importing the older 70:30 calculation.
Notification and official PDF
CEN 01/2026 detailed notification and 21 September CBT I schedule.
Important dates
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Online applications | 15 May–14 June 2026, closing at 23:59 |
| Fee payment for submitted forms | By 16 June 2026, 23:59 — closed |
| Modification window | 17–26 June 2026, closing at 23:59 — closed |
| CBT I tentative window | 3–5 November 2026 |
| City and date information | 10 days before the examination date under the schedule notice |
| E-call letter | 4 days before the date in the city/date intimation |
| CBT II / CBAT | No date is established by the CBT I schedule cited here |
Vacancies and posts
The initial notice lists 11,127 tentative Assistant Loco Pilot vacancies across the participating Railways/RRBs. Use the board, Railway, community and suitability rows in the vacancy annexure; an all-India total does not show the seats available in every category.
Eligibility
Detailed guide: Railway Exams 2026–27: Notifications, Eligibility, Dates & Latest Updates
The base age is 18–30 on 1 July 2026. The ordinary unreserved/EWS date-of-birth range is 2 July 1996–1 July 2008, inclusive. SC/ST upper-age relaxation is five years and OBC-NCL three years; other eligible groups have separate rules. Multiple relaxation grounds are not simply added together. Read paragraphs 5.1–5.2 for the category and vacancy being claimed.
Annexure A accepts Matriculation/SSLC plus an approved listed ITI trade or completed Act Apprenticeship in those trades. The alternative is Matriculation/SSLC plus a three-year diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Automobile Engineering, or the specified combinations. An engineering degree in those disciplines can substitute for the diploma. Class 12 alone, or a diploma in an unrelated discipline, does not establish eligibility.
Listed trades include Fitter, Electrician, Instrument Mechanic, Millwright/Maintenance Mechanic, Mechanic (Radio & TV), Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Wireman, Tractor Mechanic, Armature & Coil Winder, Mechanic (Diesel), Heat Engine, Turner, Machinist and Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Mechanic. Required results had to be available by the application deadline; candidates awaiting the prescribed qualification result were not eligible to apply.
The post uses medical standard A1 and is marked not suitable for PwBD in Annexure A. The notice excludes candidates who have undergone LASIK or other surgery to correct refractive error. Its medical declarations are provisional: the final Railway medical examination still applies. An unsuitable medical finding does not create a right to an alternative appointment. Read the official medical clauses rather than relying on a general “fit for government jobs” assumption.
Application process and fees
Applications were online through the official RRB link. Only one RRB and one application per candidate were permitted for this CEN. The submitted RRB choice and account details were not changeable through the modification window. The ₹250 modification charge was non-refundable and separate from the examination fee.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Other candidates | ₹500; ₹400 refundable, less bank charges, on attending CBT I |
| SC/ST, ex-servicemen, female, transgender, minority or EBC candidates | ₹250; refundable, less bank charges, on attending CBT I |
EBC is not the same as OBC or EWS. A refund depends on the notice’s attendance and banking conditions; it is not an unconditional fee waiver. The application and correction dates above have passed. Registered candidates should retain their acknowledgement and payment record and use only official later notices for any permitted action.
Exam pattern and syllabus
| Stage | Questions / marks | Duration | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBT I | 75 questions / 75 marks | 60 minutes | Screening; not counted in final merit |
| CBT II Part A | 100 questions | 90 minutes | Scored for further shortlisting and final weighting |
| CBT II Part B | 75 questions | 60 minutes | Qualifying trade test: 35% for every category |
| CBAT | Separate aptitude batteries | Follow the official stage instructions | Minimum T-score 42 in each battery; no category relaxation |
Both CBTs deduct one-third mark per wrong answer. CBAT has no negative marking. The minimum percentage in CBT I and CBT II Part A is UR/EWS 40%, OBC-NCL 30%, SC 30% and ST 25%. These are qualifying minima, not predictions of the competitive cut-off. Marks are normalized where the CBT runs in multiple shifts.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| CBT I Mathematics | Number system, BODMAS, fractions/decimals, HCF/LCM, ratio, percentages, mensuration, work and time, speed/distance, interest, profit/loss, algebra, geometry/trigonometry, statistics, age, calendars/clocks and pipes/cisterns. |
| CBT I Mental Ability | Analogies, series, coding, operations, relationships, syllogisms, Venn diagrams, data interpretation/sufficiency, classification, directions, statements and analytical reasoning. |
| CBT I General Science | Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences at Class 10 level. |
| CBT II Part A | Mathematics; General Intelligence and Reasoning; Basic Science and Engineering, including drawing, units/measurements, work/power/energy, heat, electricity, machines, safety, environment and IT literacy. |
| CBT II Part B | The applicable DGT trade syllabus. ITI/apprenticeship candidates take their trade; diploma/degree candidates choose from the trades mapped to their engineering discipline in the notice. |
The notification’s topic examples guide preparation; they do not promise a fixed number of questions for each topic. Map your trade before buying a Part B course. Passing general aptitude alone does not remove the trade-test requirement.
Selection process
The route is CBT I, CBT II, CBAT, document verification and medical examination. Part B of CBT II is a qualifying trade test. CBAT requires the prescribed minimum in each battery; do not replace the notice’s qualification and merit rules with an aggregate “safe score”.
Salary and job profile
ALP has initial basic pay ₹19,900 in Level 2. Allowances and deductions change net pay. The role supports locomotive operation and requires the notified technical qualifications and A1 medical fitness.
Preparation and previous papers
- ALP eligibility and A1 medical requirements
- ALP CBT and CBAT pattern
- ALP syllabus and trade-specific Part B
- Detailed ALP 2026 recruitment article
Previous-cycle archives
- CEN 01/2025 recruitment record
- 2025-cycle CBAT schedule
- Chandigarh CBT II result for CEN 01/2025
- Chandigarh CBT II cut-off
- 2025-cycle CBAT guidance
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Which exam is on 30 October?
The tentative CBAT for CEN 01/2025, not the new CEN 01/2026 CBT I.
Are 3–5 November final individual dates?
They are the tentative window. Your official city information and call letter identify your assigned date.
Can I apply now?
The original CEN 01/2026 submission period is closed.