RPF Constable¶
RPF Constable (Executive) recruits constables for the Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force. Selection is through a Class 10 level CBT followed by PET/PMT and document verification. Every number below is from CEN RPF 02/2024, the latest Constable notification on the RRB sites.
At a glance¶
| Conducted by | Railway Recruitment Boards for the Railway Protection Force |
| Post and pay | Constable (Executive), Level-3, initial pay ₹21,700 |
| Vacancies in this CEN | 4,208 (3,577 male, 631 female, including 420 ExSM) |
| Stages | CBT → PET and PMT → document verification |
| Qualification | Class 10 pass or equivalent from a recognised Board |
| Age (as on 01.07.2024) | 18–28 years (includes a one-time 3-year Covid relaxation over the normal 18–25) |
| Age relaxation | SC/ST +5 years, OBC-NCL +3 years, plus ExSM and other categories per the CEN table |
| Medical standard | B-1 (glasses, flat foot, knock knee, squint, colour blindness and similar conditions are disqualifying) |
| Fee | ₹500 (₹400 refunded on appearing in CBT); ₹250 for SC, ST, ExSM, female, minority and EBC candidates (refunded on appearing) |
| Application window | 15.04.2024 to 14.05.2024 |
Official sources¶
- Detailed CEN RPF 02/2024 in English (RRB Secunderabad): https://rrbsecunderabad.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Final-Notice-RPF-Constable-02-2024_English.pdf
- Centralised RRB application portal: https://www.rrbapply.gov.in
- Previous year question papers: The conducting body does not publish official previous year question papers.
Exam pattern¶
CBT (Class 10/Matric level): 120 questions in 90 minutes. One mark per correct answer, minus one-third mark per wrong answer; unattempted questions score nothing. Marks are normalized across shifts. Minimum pass: 35% for UR, EWS and OBC-NCL, 30% for SC and ST. Section weightage: General Awareness 50 marks, Arithmetic 35 marks, General Intelligence and Reasoning 35 marks.
| Section | Questions |
|---|---|
| General Awareness | 50 |
| Arithmetic | 35 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 35 |
PET (qualifying only, no marks): men run 1600 m in 5 min 45 s, long jump 14 ft, high jump 4 ft; women run 800 m in 3 min 40 s, long jump 9 ft, high jump 3 ft. One chance for the run, up to two chances each for the jumps. Ex-servicemen skip PET but must take the PMT.
PMT: UR/EWS/OBC — men 165 cm, women 157 cm; men's chest 80 cm unexpanded and 85 cm expanded. SC/ST — men 160 cm, women 152 cm; chest 76.2/81.2 cm. Garhwalis, Gorkhas, Marathas, Dogras, Kumaonese and other notified categories — men 163 cm, women 155 cm; chest 80/85 cm.
CBT merit shortlists candidates for PET/PMT and document verification up to 10 times the vacancies in each male/female/ExSM category group, with at most two PET/PMT rounds to cover shortfalls.
Syllabus¶
- Arithmetic (35 marks): number system, whole numbers, decimals and fractions and their relationships, fundamental operations, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, tables and graphs, mensuration, time and distance.
- General Intelligence and Reasoning (35 marks): analogies, similarities and differences, spatial visualization and orientation, problem solving analysis, judgement, decision making, visual memory, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, verbal and figure classification, number series, non-verbal series, coding and decoding, statement-conclusion, syllogistic reasoning.
- General Awareness (50 marks): the environment and its application to society, current events, everyday observation and experience, Indian history, art and culture, geography, economics, general polity, the Indian Constitution, sports and general science.
How to prepare (free, in order)¶
- General awareness is 50 of 120 questions. Make it a daily habit (NCERT Class 6–10 + PIB).
- Train running, long jump and high jump from the start; the PET is qualifying but mandatory.
- Practise full papers at 90 minutes. The −1/3 penalty makes blind guessing costly.
Free resources¶
- Shared modules for this exam: Quantitative aptitude · Logical and analytical reasoning · General awareness and current affairs
- Every exam that shares these modules: overlap map
- NCERT Science and Maths, Class 6–10 (the base for railway GS and maths): https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php
- Press Information Bureau for current affairs: https://pib.gov.in