Exam Pattern
RPF Sub-Inspector Exam Pattern
Railway Protection Force: Sub-Inspector
This paper publishes a floor. The Sub-Inspector CBT sets a minimum pass percentage of 35% for UR, EWS and OBC-NCL candidates and 30% for SC and ST, and a raw total on its own will not tell you where you stand against it. With a third of a mark deducted per wrong answer, a candidate who attempts widely can finish under a line that a shorter and more accurate attempt would have cleared. The Constable CBT runs the same 120 questions in the same 90 minutes over the same three sections; this one is set at graduation level.
CBT
Official CEN No. RPF 01/2024 pattern| Questions | 120 |
| Total marks | 120 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.333 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Arithmetic, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 35 | 35 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 35 | 35 |
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 |
Timing: Single 90-minute timer for all three sections combined (no sectional lock).
The CBT is a graduation-level screening stage for RPF/RPSF Sub-Inspector (Executive). Minimum pass percentage: UR, EWS and OBC-NCL 35%, SC and ST 30%. Candidates shortlisted on CBT performance proceed to a Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Measurement Test (PMT), both qualifying only, followed by Document Verification.
Official source · checked 7 August 2026The RPF Sub-Inspector CBT exam pattern is 120 questions carrying 120 marks, to be answered in 90 minutes. That works out to about 45 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Arithmetic, General Intelligence and Reasoning and General Awareness. General Awareness carries the most, 50 marks of the 120 or about 42%, against 35 marks for General Intelligence and Reasoning. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
RPF Sub-Inspector CBT marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 1 mark.
- A wrong answer deducts 0.333 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 25% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. That is exactly what a blind guess between four options returns, so guessing at random neither gains nor loses marks over a long paper. The moment you can rule out even one option, it starts paying.
- Worked example: attempt 96 of the 120 questions and get 72 right and 24 wrong, and you score 64.01 out of 120.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 45 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free RPF Sub-Inspector mock test to see where your time actually goes.
RPF Sub-Inspector exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in RPF Sub-Inspector?
RPF Sub-Inspector deducts 0.333 marks for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in RPF Sub-Inspector?
RPF Sub-Inspector has 120 questions. That leaves about 45 seconds per question in RPF Sub-Inspector.
What are the total marks in RPF Sub-Inspector?
RPF Sub-Inspector is out of 120 marks, which works out at 1 mark a question.
How long is the RPF Sub-Inspector exam?
RPF Sub-Inspector runs for 90 minutes.
Does RPF Sub-Inspector have a sectional time limit?
No. RPF Sub-Inspector runs every section on one composite timer of 90 minutes, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.