Exam Pattern
RRB Group D Exam Pattern
Railway Recruitment Board: Group D (Level 1 posts)
Reasoning is the largest section, which is not where most of the preparation goes. General Intelligence and Reasoning takes 30 of the 100 questions, ahead of General Science and Mathematics at 25 each and General Awareness and Current Affairs at 20, and it is the only one of the four that needs no syllabus, just practice at a question type. Ninety minutes for 100 questions leaves 54 seconds each. What follows the CBT adds nothing to your score: the Physical Efficiency Test is qualifying only, then Document Verification and a Medical Examination. This paper is the whole of your rank.
CBT
Official CEN 09/2025 pattern| Questions | 100 |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.333 per wrong answer |
| Sections | General Science, Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness and Current Affairs |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Science | 25 | 25 |
| Mathematics | 25 | 25 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 30 | 30 |
| General Awareness and Current Affairs | 20 | 20 |
Timing: Single 90-minute timer for all four sections combined (no sectional lock).
The CBT is followed by a Physical Efficiency Test (PET), which is qualifying only and not written, and then Document Verification and a Medical Examination.
Official source · checked 4 August 2026The RRB Group D CBT exam pattern is 100 questions carrying 100 marks, to be answered in 90 minutes. That works out to about 54 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 4 sections are General Science, Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning and General Awareness and Current Affairs. General Intelligence and Reasoning carries the most, 30 marks of the 100 or about 30%, against 20 marks for General Awareness and Current Affairs. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
RRB Group D 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 80 of the 100 questions and get 60 right and 20 wrong, and you score 53.34 out of 100.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 54 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free RRB Group D mock test to see where your time actually goes.
RRB Group D exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in RRB Group D?
RRB Group D 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 RRB Group D?
RRB Group D has 100 questions. That leaves about 54 seconds per question in RRB Group D.
What are the total marks in RRB Group D?
RRB Group D is out of 100 marks, which works out at 1 mark a question.
How long is the RRB Group D exam?
RRB Group D runs for 90 minutes.
Does RRB Group D have a sectional time limit?
No. RRB Group D 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.