The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) conducts two very popular exams in India, these are;
- RRB Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) and Technician Exam – For Assistant Loco Pilots and Technician Posts
- RRB NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories) Exam – For Non-Technical Posts
In this article, we will discuss the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) and Technician exams in detail.
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) conducts the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) and technician examination to recruit assistant loco pilots and technicians for various railway zones in the country.
This is a national-level exam, but the RRB fills vacant positions separately for different railway zones.
The RRB Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) and technician examination exam consists of the following phases (stages);
1. First stage of the computer-based test (CBT)
2. Second stage of Computer-based test (CBT)
3. Third stage is computer-based aptitude test – CBAT (The third stage is only applicable for Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) post, not for the technician post) followed by a medical test and document verification.
After completing all the above stages, the Railway Recruitment Board – RRB publishes the results on their respective regional websites.
RRB Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) and Technician Exam Highlights:
Exam Name: RRB ALP and Technician Exam
Conducting Body: Railway recruitment board (RRB)
Exam Level: National
Exam Frequency: Vacancy based
Exam Mode: Online
Exam Duration:
First Stage Computer Based Test – 1 Hour
Second Stage Computer Based Test – 2 Hours (Additional 30 Minutes are given for physically handicapped candidates)
Language: Question papers are made available in the following Twelve languages- Hindi, English, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Manipuri, Konkani, Assamese
Exam Fees: General / OBC-Rs 500, SC / ST / PWD-Rs 250
No. of Applications Received: 1.2 Crore (approx.)
Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) Eligibility Criteria:
The RRB has established special age and education criteria for the Assistant Loco Pilots and the technicians.
Age: Minimum Age – 18 years
Maximum Age – 28 years & 32 years for some posts.
NOTE: Relaxation in age given as per government norms.
Educational Qualifications for Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) & Technician Post:
For Assistant Loco Pilot Post: SSLC Plus ITI/Degree in Engineering/Matriculation/Course Completed Act Apprentices or Diploma.
For Technician Post: SSLC Plus ITI/Matriculation/Course Completed Act Apprentices or 10 + 2 with Physics and Maths or Diploma in Engineering (As Applicable).
Selection Procedure for Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) & Technician Post:
The ALP & Technician and NTPC Exams take place in four stages: CBT in the first stage & second stage, aptitude test, and medical and document verification. The important facts are given below:
First Stage CBT:
- This computerized test is the first step in this exam.
- The paper contains 75 objective questions (MCQs) and the total time allowed to complete the paper is 60 minutes. In NTPC Exam it is 100 questions in 90 min.
- Generally, there is a negative score for incorrect answers.
Second Stage CBT:
- Those who clear cut off marks in the first CBT step, get approval for the second CBT step.
- This is the second stage of the exam, which has two parts;
- Part A
- Part B
Part A will have a hundred (100) questions and the total time is 90 minutes & Part B will have seventy-five (75) questions and the duration of the paper is 60 minutes,
Note:
1. The total time duration of the RRB NTPC 2nd Stage CBT Exam is 90 Minutes. The duration of the RRB NTPC 2nd Stage CBT for the PWD exam is 120 minutes.
2. The minimum percentage of marks to qualify in the examination is;
- UR – 40%
- EWS – 40%
- OBC – 30%
- SC – 30%
- ST – 25%
• Generally, there is a negative score for incorrect answers.
Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT):
- This stage applies only to applicants who have applied for the assistant pilot posts.
- Question papers are available in English and Hindi
Medical And Document Verification:
• Candidates who complete all stages must have the documents verified by the respective RRCs. Candidates are required to carry the original documents requested by the RRBs on the day of document verification.
• If a candidate does not submit the original documents or if a document is found to be forged, their application may be cancelled.
Result:
The final result of the RRB ALP and Technician Exam is published on the zonal RRBs websites after verifying the documents. A PDF containing the names of selected applicants is published.
FAQ RELATED TO THIS EXAM:
Q: What is the age limit for the RRB exam?
A: The lower age limit for the RRB ALP exam is 18 years & Upper age limit for the exam is 30 years. For NTPC Exam the maximum age limit is 18 to 33.
Q: Is CBAT mandatory for the Assistant Loco Pilot exam?
A: Yes Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) is mandatory for the Assistant Loco Pilot exam.
Q: What is the syllabus of this Exam?
A: Both the RRB ALP & NTPC exam is a computer-based objective test which includes topics like mathematics, General Intelligence, Reasoning, General Science, Basic Science and Engineering, General awareness & current affairs.
Q: Is the RRB ALP & NTPC exam conducted every year?
A: Recruitment depends on the number of vacant posts, depending on the recruitment for which the vacancy is based.
Q: How to prepare for the RRB Exams?
A: Study regularly; keep formulas and steps to solve problems at your fingertips. Practice and revise properly for the exam.
Recent Concerns for the Exam:
Due to the irregularities, some protests were held in many parts of the country. The Railways has started an outreach program to connect with aspirants who had protested against irregularities in its NTPC
Protests broke out in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh against the Railway Recruitment Board’s Non-Technical Popular Categories exam of 2021.
Railways had to suspend the exams due to the protests and formed a committee to look into the grievances.
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