RRB JE 2026 (CEN 04/2026) CBT-1 is scheduled for 27–28 October 2026 (some reports also mention 30 October, so check your own admit card). CBT-1 is the same for all branches, Civil included. It has no technical questions. It tests Maths, Reasoning, General Awareness and General Science. This page gives you the pattern, a 15-day plan, and the most-used formulas and facts on one page.
Important dates (expected)
- City intimation slip: around 17–18 October 2026 (about 10 days before the exam)
- Admit card (e-call letter): about 4 days before your exam date
- CBT-1: 27–28 October 2026
These dates are from news reports. Always check the official website of your regional RRB.
RRB JE CBT-1 exam pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 25 |
| General Awareness | 15 | 15 |
| General Science | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Key point: Maths + Science = 60 marks. These two decide whether you clear CBT-1. Science is from Class 10 level Physics, Chemistry and Biology, so engineering students can score well here with a short revision.
15-day plan
| Days | Maths | Reasoning | Science / GA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Percentage, profit & loss, SI/CI | Analogy, series, coding | Physics: motion, force, work, energy |
| 4–6 | Ratio, average, ages, mixture | Blood relation, direction, ranking | Physics: light, electricity, sound |
| 7–9 | Time & work, pipes, time & distance, trains | Syllogism, Venn, puzzles | Chemistry: acids, metals, carbon compounds |
| 10–12 | Mensuration, geometry, trigonometry, algebra | Calendar, clock, mathematical operations | Biology: human body, diseases, nutrition |
| 13–15 | One full mock every day + analysis + current affairs (last 6 months) + your short notes | ||
Maths formulas you must know
Percentage, profit and interest
- Successive change a% and b%: net = a + b + ab/100.
- Profit % = (SP − CP)/CP × 100. Discount is always on marked price.
- SI = P × R × T/100. CI amount = P(1 + R/100)ⁿ.
- Difference CI − SI for 2 years = P(R/100)².
Time, work and distance
- A does work in a days, B in b days: together = ab/(a + b) days.
- Speed: km/h × 5/18 = m/s.
- Average speed for equal distances = 2xy/(x + y).
- Train crossing a pole: time = train length ÷ speed. Crossing a platform: (train + platform) ÷ speed.
- Boats: downstream = u + v, upstream = u − v.
Mensuration and geometry
- Circle: area πr², circumference 2πr.
- Triangle (Heron): √[s(s − a)(s − b)(s − c)], s = (a + b + c)/2. Equilateral: (√3/4)a².
- Cylinder: volume πr²h, curved surface 2πrh. Cone: volume ⅓πr²h, curved surface πrl.
- Sphere: volume (4/3)πr³, surface 4πr². Hemisphere total surface 3πr².
- Sum of interior angles of a polygon = (n − 2) × 180°.
Algebra and trigonometry
- (a + b)² = a² + 2ab + b². a³ + b³ = (a + b)(a² − ab + b²).
- If a + b + c = 0, then a³ + b³ + c³ = 3abc.
- sin²θ + cos²θ = 1, sec²θ − tan²θ = 1, cosec²θ − cot²θ = 1.
- sin 30° = 1/2, sin 45° = 1/√2, sin 60° = √3/2. tan 45° = 1.
General Science quick facts
- Units: force – newton, work/energy – joule, power – watt, pressure – pascal, frequency – hertz, resistance – ohm.
- Ohm’s law: V = IR. Power P = VI = I²R. Series: R = R₁ + R₂. Parallel: 1/R = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂.
- Motion: v = u + at, s = ut + ½at², v² = u² + 2as. g ≈ 9.8 m/s².
- Light: mirror/lens formula 1/f = 1/v ± 1/u (sign convention). Power of lens P = 1/f (f in metres), unit dioptre.
- Sound: speed in air about 343 m/s at 20 °C; fastest in solids. Human hearing 20 Hz – 20 kHz.
- Chemistry: pH < 7 acid, 7 neutral, > 7 base. Baking soda NaHCO₃, washing soda Na₂CO₃·10H₂O, bleaching powder CaOCl₂, plaster of Paris CaSO₄·½H₂O.
- Biology: vitamin C deficiency – scurvy, vitamin D – rickets, vitamin A – night blindness, iodine – goitre. Largest gland – liver. Insulin – pancreas.
Smart strategy for 90 minutes
- GA first (about 8 min): you either know it or you don’t. Do not think too long.
- Science next (about 20 min): mostly direct questions.
- Reasoning (about 22 min).
- Maths last (about 35 min): skip long questions in the first round, come back later.
Negative marking is 1/3. Three wrong answers cancel one right answer. Guess only if you can remove two options.
Clear CBT-1? Start CBT-2 Civil now
CBT-2 has 100 technical questions, and it decides your rank. Don’t wait for the CBT-1 result. Start with these Civil topics on our site:
- Water-cement ratio and IS 456 Table 5
- Unit weight of steel bars (D²/162)
- Concrete cube test (IS 516)
- Lap length as per IS 456
All the best! Also check new openings on our civil engineering job board.
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