RRB JE 2026 · Age limit & eligibility
RRB JE Age Limit 2026: Relaxation, Qualification and Eligibility
Age limit, the date on which age is counted, category-wise relaxation and the educational qualification, as printed in the official notice.
RRB JE age limit and relaxation
Age limit
18–33 years (as on 1 January 2027)
Educational qualification
- JE posts: three-year diploma in the engineering branch(es) listed for the post in Annexure A, or a combination of sub-streams of those basic streams; B.E./B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma
- Depot Material Superintendent: three-year diploma in engineering in any discipline (B.E./B.Tech accepted in lieu)
- Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (Corrigendum-1): B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45% marks, as detailed in the corrigendum
- Must be held by the closing date, 13 September 2026; candidates awaiting final results are not eligible
Upper age relaxation
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC-NCL | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 (OBC-NCL), 15 (SC/ST) |
| Ex-Servicemen (at least 6 months' continuous service after attestation) | 3 years (UR/EWS), 6 (OBC-NCL), 8 (SC/ST) after deducting length of service |
| Serving Railway Group C / erstwhile Group D staff and substitutes (3+ years' service) | Up to 40 years (UR/EWS), 43 (OBC-NCL), 45 (SC/ST) |
| Widowed / divorced / judicially separated women (not remarried) | Up to 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 (OBC-NCL), 40 (SC/ST) |
Application fee
₹500 (general); ₹250 (SC/ST/Ex-Servicemen/PwBD/Female/Transgender/Minorities/EBC). No category is exempt; ₹400 of the ₹500 fee and the full ₹250 fee are refunded, less bank charges, only to candidates who appear in CBT-1, into the Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
Source: CEN No. 04/2026 – Recruitment for various posts of Junior Engineer, Depot Material Superintendent and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (title as amended by Corrigendum-1) (published 13 August 2026 (RRB websites); Corrigendum-1 dated 18 August 2026). Confirm in the official notice before applying.
Age limit, relaxation and qualification in detail
Age is counted on 1 January 2027: you must be 18–33 years old. For UR and EWS that means born between 2 January 1994 and 1 January 2009 (both inclusive); the upper limit extends to 2 January 1991 for OBC-NCL and 2 January 1989 for SC/ST (para 5.1). Your date of birth must match your Matriculation / SSLC certificate (para 5.3).
Relaxations are not cumulative: you get the highest one you qualify for. SC, ST and OBC-NCL candidates applying against UR vacancies get no age relaxation (para 5.2 notes).
The qualification must be held by the closing date, 13 September 2026. Candidates awaiting final results are not eligible. B.E./B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the three-year diploma (Annexure A footnote).
Accepted qualifications by post group
| Posts (Cat. No.) | Minimum qualification |
|---|---|
| Electrical posts (1–9) and JE / Diesel Electrical (31) | Three-year diploma in Mechanical / Electrical / Electronics Engineering, or a combination of sub-streams of these |
| Civil posts (10–19) | Three-year diploma in Civil Engineering, or B.Sc. in Civil Engineering of three years, or a combination of sub-streams of Civil Engineering |
| JE / Track Machine (20) | Three-year diploma in Mechanical / Production / Automobile / Electrical / Electronics / Instrumentation and Control Engineering, or a combination of sub-streams of these |
| Mechanical posts (21–30) | Three-year diploma in Mechanical / Electrical / Electronics / Manufacturing / Mechatronics / Industrial / Machining / Instrumentation and Control / Tools and Machining / Tools and Die Making / Automobile / Production Engineering, or a combination of sub-streams of these |
| S&T posts (32–36) | Three-year diploma in Electrical / Electronics / Information Technology / Communication Engineering / Computer Science and Engineering / Computer Science / Computer Engineering, or a combination of sub-streams of these |
| Depot Material Superintendent (37) | Three-year diploma in engineering in any discipline |
| Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (38, Corr-1) | B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45%: Physics major with Chemistry as a subject, or Chemistry major with Physics as a subject, or another science major with both Physics and Chemistry as subjects |
B.E./B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma for diploma posts.
Upper age relaxation
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 (OBC-NCL), 15 (SC/ST) |
| Ex-Servicemen (at least 6 months' continuous service after attestation) | 3 years (UR/EWS), 6 (OBC-NCL), 8 (SC/ST), after deducting length of service from age |
| Serving Railway Group C / erstwhile Group D staff and substitutes (3+ years' service) | Up to 40 years (UR/EWS), 43 (OBC-NCL), 45 (SC/ST) |
| Quasi-administrative Railway office staff (e.g. Railway canteens, co-operative societies, institutes) | Length of service rendered or 5 years, whichever is less |
| Widowed / divorced / judicially separated women, not remarried | Up to 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 (OBC-NCL), 40 (SC/ST) |
Suitability for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities
- Suitability differs post by post and is printed in Annexure A; no post in this CEN is listed as suitable for visually impaired (VI) candidates.
- JE / Electrical / TRD and JE / S&T / Signal are not suitable for any PwBD category.
- Many Workshop, Production Unit and Design Drawing & Estimation posts, DMS and CMA are suitable for hearing impaired (D, HH) candidates; most posts are suitable for specified locomotor disabilities such as OL, LC, DW, AAV, SD and SI.
- PwBD candidates get 10–15 years' age relaxation, the ₹250 fee, and a 2-mark relaxation in qualifying marks where reserved vacancies cannot otherwise be filled.
- Scribe-eligible candidates get 20 minutes' compensatory time per hour and must register their scribe's OTR number in the window after modification closes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the age limit for RRB JE?
18–33 years, counted as on 1 January 2027, as per the CEN No. 04/2026 – Recruitment for various posts of Junior Engineer, Depot Material Superintendent and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (title as amended by Corrigendum-1). Category-wise upper age relaxation is given in the notice.
What qualification is needed for RRB JE?
JE posts: three-year diploma in the engineering branch(es) listed for the post in Annexure A, or a combination of sub-streams of those basic streams; B.E./B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma. Depot Material Superintendent: three-year diploma in engineering in any discipline (B.E./B.Tech accepted in lieu). Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (Corrigendum-1): B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45% marks, as detailed in the corrigendum. Must be held by the closing date, 13 September 2026; candidates awaiting final results are not eligible.
What is the age limit for RRB JE 2026?
18–33 years as on 1 January 2027, with 5 years' relaxation for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC-NCL, 10–15 years for PwBD and further relaxation for Ex-Servicemen, Railway staff and other categories in the notice.
What is the qualification for Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant?
A B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45% marks, with the subject combinations set out in Corrigendum-1. CMA has 35 vacancies and its own CBT-2 syllabus (Annexure VIII (E)).