RPF Constable 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, PET & Free Mocks

RPF Constable recruitment fills Constable posts in the Railway Protection Force and the Railway Protection Special Force, the armed security force responsible for protecting railway property, passenger areas and passengers across the Indian Railways network. Recruitment is conducted by the Railway Recruitment Boards on behalf of the Ministry of Railways.

It is one of very few uniformed central force posts open to candidates with only a Class 10 qualification. Selection runs through a single computer-based test, followed by a Physical Efficiency Test and Physical Measurement Test, document verification and a medical examination. Only the CBT carries merit marks.

RPF Constable is popular because it offers a uniformed armed-force career in Indian Railways to Class 10 candidates, combining Level 3 pay with railway service benefits such as free travel passes and railway housing.

The post uniquely combines two attractive employment categories — it is a uniformed force post with the authority and status that carries, and simultaneously a railway post with access to travel passes, railway quarters, railway hospitals and railway schools.

Because the written stage is set at Class 10 difficulty and only one CBT decides merit, a well-prepared candidate who is also physically ready has a clear and short path to selection compared with multi-stage graduate examinations.

• Only Class 10 required for a uniformed central force post
• Level 3 pay with full railway service benefits
• Single CBT decides merit — no second written stage
• Free travel passes, railway quarters, hospitals and schools

Dates are announced by the Railway Recruitment Boards with the RPF employment notice.rrbcdg.gov.in — Official RRB Portal

The most recent RPF Constable cycle carried approximately Notified per cycle vacancies.

RPF vacancies are published group-wise across railway zones rather than as a single national pool, and candidates apply to one group. The figure that matters when assessing your chances is the vacancy count for your chosen group. Confirm current numbers in the official employment notice.

Vacancies are notified group-wise in the RPF employment notice.rrbcdg.gov.in — Official Notification

To apply for RPF Constable 2026 a candidate must have passed Class 10 (Matriculation) from a recognised board and be between 18 and 28 years of age as on the date specified in the notification, and must meet the prescribed physical measurement and efficiency standards.

Educational Qualification

Passed Matriculation or Class 10 examination from a recognised Board.

• No higher qualification is required, and no additional weightage is given for one.
• Candidates must possess the qualification as on the closing date of the application.

Age Limit

The age limit for RPF Constable is 18 to 28 years. Age is reckoned as on the date specified in the employment notice. The Railways have varied this between cycles, so confirm against the current notification.

Nationality

• A citizen of India, or
• A subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or
• A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Physical Standards

Physical Measurement Test (PMT): male candidates require a height of 165 cm (UR/OBC) or 160 cm (SC/ST) with a chest of 80 cm and 5 cm expansion; female candidates require a height of 157 cm (UR/OBC) or 152 cm (SC/ST). Relaxed height standards apply to Garhwalis, Gorkhas, Marathas, Dogras, Kumaonese and candidates from the North-Eastern states. Physical Efficiency Test (PET): male candidates must run 1,600 metres in 5 minutes 45 seconds, clear a long jump of 14 feet and a high jump of 4 feet; female candidates must run 800 metres in 3 minutes 40 seconds, clear a long jump of 9 feet and a high jump of 3 feet.

RPF Constable has a single computer-based test of 120 questions carrying 120 marks, to be completed in 90 minutes, with one-third of a mark deducted for each wrong answer, followed by qualifying physical tests.

1. 1Online application through the RRB portal for the chosen group.
2. 2Computer Based Test (CBT) — the only stage carrying merit marks.
3. 3Physical Efficiency Test (PET) — qualifying: running, long jump and high jump.
4. 4Physical Measurement Test (PMT) — qualifying: height and chest measurement.
5. 5Document verification against the qualification and category claimed.
6. 6Medical examination as per the prescribed fitness standard for the force.
7. 7Final merit list and allotment of railway zone.

The RPF Constable syllabus covers three areas at Class 10 difficulty — General Awareness carrying 50 marks, Arithmetic carrying 35 marks, and General Intelligence and Reasoning carrying 35 marks.

RPF Constable is a Pay Level 3 post under the Seventh Pay Commission with a basic pay of ₹21,700 to ₹69,100, giving an approximate in-hand salary of ₹28,000 to ₹33,000 per month plus railway travel passes and quarters.

Allowances and Benefits

• Dearness Allowance (DA) — revised twice a year
• House Rent Allowance (HRA) or railway quarters
• Transport Allowance (TA)
• Free and concessional travel passes for the employee and family
• Uniform and ration allowance
• Railway hospitals, schools and housing colonies

The decisive RPF Constable strategy is to build General Awareness depth, which alone carries 50 of the 120 marks, while training for the PET from the outset since the physical stage eliminates a large share of written-qualified candidates.