RRB ALP Answer Key 2026 (CEN 01/2025) Out
Response Sheet Live from 20 March 2026 · 17:00 hrs IST | Raise Objection by 26 March 5 PM
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) published the notice for the Provisional Answer Key of the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) CBT-1 under CEN 01/2025 on 18 March 2026. The question paper, recorded responses (response sheet), and provisional answer key are viewable from 20 March 2026 at 17:00 hrs IST on all regional RRB zone websites. Candidates who appeared in the CBT-1 on 13, 16, 17, and 18 February 2026 and the Re-Examination on 11 March 2026 can log in, review their answers, and raise objections. The objection window closes strictly on 26 March 2026 at 17:00 hrs IST — no extension. Objection fee: ₹50/question + bank charges, refunded if valid. This recruitment fills 9,970 ALP vacancies across all 21 RRB zones.
5 PM IST
Deadline 5 PM
+Bank Charges
Vacancies
Appeared
60 Min
| Conducting Authority | Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) — All 21 Regional RRBs | rrbapply.gov.in |
| Notification No. | CEN 01/2025 — Centralized Employment Notification for Assistant Loco Pilot |
| Total Vacancies | 9,970 ALP posts across all 21 Railway Recruitment Boards |
| CBT-1 Exam Dates | 13, 16, 17, 18 February 2026 (main) + 11 March 2026 (re-exam) |
| Candidates Appeared | Approximately 22 lakh candidates across all shifts and dates |
| Answer Key Notice | 18 March 2026 — published on all 21 regional RRB websites |
| Answer Key + Response Sheet Live | 20 March 2026 at 17:00 hrs IST (5 PM) |
| Objection Window | 20 March 2026 (17:00 hrs) → 26 March 2026 (17:00 hrs) — STRICT. No extension. |
| Objection Fee | ₹50 per question + applicable bank service charges | Refunded if objection is found valid |
| Login Credentials | Registration Number + Password or Date of Birth at respective regional RRB candidate portal |
| CBT-1 Pattern | 75 Questions | 75 Marks | 60 Minutes | −1/3 negative marking | Bilingual |
| Normalisation | Z-score normalisation applied across all exam shifts and dates |
| Shortlisting for CBT-2 | 15× community-wise vacancies per RRB zone — based on normalised score |
| Final Answer Key | After expert committee reviews objections — expected April 2026 |
| CBT-1 Result | Expected April–May 2026 — zone-wise Roll Number PDFs on all RRB websites |
| Pay Scale (ALP) | Level-2 | ₹19,900 – ₹63,200 | Entry basic pay ₹19,900/month |
| Event | Date / Time | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Official Notification Released (CEN 01/2025) | 11 April 2025 | |
| Online Application Window | 12 Apr – 19 May 2025 | |
| Application Correction Window | 22–31 May 2025 | |
| CBT-1 Admit Card Released | ~10 February 2026 | |
| CBT-1 Main Exam Conducted | 13, 16, 17, 18 February 2026 | |
| CBT-1 Re-Examination | 11 March 2026 | |
| Answer Key Notice Published | 18 March 2026 | |
| Answer Key + Response Sheet — LIVE ✅ | 20 March 2026 · 17:00 hrs IST | |
| Objection Window — OPEN NOW ⚡ | 20 Mar → 26 Mar 2026 · 17:00 hrs | |
| Objection Deadline — STRICT, No Extension | 26 March 2026 · 17:00 hrs IST | |
| Final Answer Key Released | April 2026 (expected) | |
| CBT-1 Result Declared | April–May 2026 (expected) | |
| CBT-2 Examination | 2026 (to be notified) | |
| CBAT (ALP only) + DV + Medical | After CBT-2 result (to be notified) |
Visit Your Designated Regional RRB Zone Website
Go to the official website of the RRB zone you registered under — for example, rrbchennai.gov.in, rrbmumbai.gov.in, rrbsecunderabad.gov.in, rrbcdg.gov.in, rrbpatna.gov.in, etc. All 21 zone links are in Section 09. Your RRB zone is on your application acknowledgement and original admit card. Candidates who appeared in the 11 March re-exam can also access rrb.digialm.com. Use Chrome or Firefox on a desktop for the best experience.
Click the CEN 01/2025 ALP Answer Key Link on the Homepage
On the RRB regional homepage, find in Latest Notifications / What's New the link: "Notice on Viewing of CBT Questions, Responses & Answer Keys and Raising of Objections for CEN 01/2025 (ALP)". Active from 20 March 2026 at 17:00 hrs. Clicking redirects you to the candidate login portal. If the page loads slowly, try early morning (before 9 AM) or after 11 PM — avoid peak hours near the 26 March deadline.
Login — Registration Number + Password or Date of Birth
Enter your Registration Number (from your application confirmation) and your Password or Date of Birth (DD/MM/YYYY). Enter the Captcha code carefully. Click Submit / Login. Avoid repeated failed login attempts — it may lock your account temporarily. If login fails, recheck your Registration Number from your application receipt or admit card.
View Question Paper, Your Responses, and the Provisional Answer Key
After login, navigate to the "Candidate Response / Answer Key" section for CEN 01/2025 ALP CBT-1. You will see your specific question paper, your marked response for each question, and the provisional answer key answer side by side. Carefully compare each question. Note every discrepancy where you believe the RRB answer is wrong — these are your potential objections.
Download Response Sheet PDF and Estimate Your Score
Click Download / Print to save as PDF immediately — this may be unavailable after the objection window closes. Count correct (+1 each), wrong (−1/3 each), and skipped (0 each) to estimate your raw CBT-1 score. Use the Score Calculator in Section 06 for instant calculation. Your actual shortlisting score is the Z-score normalised figure, not the raw score.
Research and Identify Questions with Solid Evidence
Only challenge questions where you have citable, page-specific evidence from NCERT textbooks (Class 10/12), standard engineering references, or authoritative technical manuals that the RRB's provisional answer is wrong. Note the exact edition, chapter, page, and paragraph. Vague objections are consistently rejected and you lose the ₹50 fee.
Login and Navigate to "Raise Objection / Challenge Answer Key"
Log in to your regional RRB candidate portal using Registration Number + Password or DOB. Navigate to the "Raise Objection / Challenge Answer Key" section — available from 20 March 2026. Only your exam paper's questions appear here. Select the specific question number you want to challenge.
State Your Claimed Answer + Upload Supporting Reference
For each challenged question: (a) select the question, (b) state your claimed correct answer, (c) write a clear technical justification, and (d) upload a supporting reference document — scanned page from NCERT, standard engineering reference, or official technical publication. The expert committee reviews each submission — specific, credible references lead to higher acceptance rates.
Pay ₹50 Per Question + Bank Charges Online
Pay ₹50 per challenged question + applicable bank service charges via Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI. No offline payment. Refund policy: If accepted, the fee (minus bank charges) is refunded to your original payment account. If rejected, the fee is forfeited. Only pay for questions you are genuinely confident about.
Submit Before 26 March 2026 · 17:00 hrs IST — Save Acknowledgement
After payment, click Submit. Save the acknowledgement receipt — it is your proof of filing. Submit ALL objections before 26 March 2026 at 17:00 hrs IST. The portal closes automatically at exactly 17:00 hrs — no grace period. Submit by 25 March to avoid last-minute portal overload and technical failures.
- Never challenge without page-specific reference — the expert panel consists of subject experts; vague objections always rejected, fee lost
- Portal closes exactly at 17:00 hrs on 26 March — no grace period, no exception. Submit by 25 March to be safe
- Expert committee's decision is final — no further correspondence or appeals after final answer key is published
- You can only challenge your own shift's questions — not questions from other candidates' shifts
| Subject | Qs | Marks | Level | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 20 | 20 | 10th std | Number System, BODMAS, LCM/HCF, Ratio & Proportion, Percentage, Profit & Loss, SI/CI, Time & Work, Speed-Distance-Time, Mensuration (2D & 3D), Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra, Statistics, Calendar |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 25 | 10th std | Analogies, Number/Letter Series, Coding-Decoding, Mathematical Operations, Blood Relations, Syllogism, Jumbling, Venn Diagrams, Data Interpretation, Statement-Conclusion, Mirror & Water Images, Analytical Reasoning |
| General Science | 20 | 20 | 10th std | Physics: Laws of Motion, Work-Energy, Heat, Sound, Light, Electricity, Magnetism | Chemistry: Matter, Acids/Bases/Salts, Metals, Carbon compounds, Periodic Table | Biology: Cell, Human body, Diseases, Nutrition, Heredity, Ecology |
| General Awareness & Current Affairs | 10 | 10 | Current | National & International events (last 6 months), Indian Railways, Sports, Science & Tech, Govt. schemes, Awards, Appointments, Art & Culture |
| TOTAL | 75 | 75 | — | 60 min | −1/3 neg. marking | Online CBT | Bilingual | No sectional time limit |
🎯 Minimum Qualifying Marks & Shortlisting
| Category | Qualifying % | Min. Score (/75) | Shortlisting for CBT-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UR / EWS | 40% | 30 marks | Top 15× community-wise vacancies per RRB zone. Merely meeting minimum qualifying marks does NOT guarantee shortlisting — actual cut-offs are much higher given ~22 lakh candidates for 9,970 posts. |
| OBC (NCL) | 30% | 22.5 marks | |
| SC | 30% | 22.5 marks | |
| ST | 25% | 18.75 marks |
Official cut-offs will be published with the CBT-1 result. The following are estimates only based on exam difficulty, competition volume, and historical trends from previous RRB ALP recruitments.
| Category | Min. Qualifying | Expected Cut-off (/75) | Key Factors |
|---|---|---|---|
| UR / EWS | 30 marks (40%) | 45–62 marks | Heavy competition in Mumbai, Chennai, Secunderabad zones; 15× shortlisting ratio |
| OBC (NCL) | 22.5 marks (30%) | 38–52 marks | Typically 10–14 marks below UR cut-off for same zone |
| SC | 22.5 marks (30%) | 32–46 marks | ~12–16 marks below UR in comparable recruitments historically |
| ST | 18.75 marks (25%) | 26–38 marks | Varies most by zone — low-vacancy zones can be close to minimum |
| Normalisation applies — your actual rank depends on normalised score. High-vacancy zones typically have higher cut-offs than low-vacancy zones. | |||
- 15× shortlisting per zone: 200 UR vacancies → only top 3,000 UR scorers advance. Even 45/75 may not be enough in high-competition zones
- Z-score normalisation: Easier shift = lower normalised score; harder shift = higher normalised score. Never compare raw scores across different shifts
- Historical reference (RRB ALP 2024-25 CBT-1): UR cut-offs ranged ~40–72 marks zone-wise. Muzaffarpur historically reports the highest; smaller zones report lower
- RRB may adjust 15× ratio based on candidate availability across categories — can shift cut-offs significantly
| Stage | Key Details | Merit Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| CBT-1 (Current) | 75 MCQ | 75 marks | 60 min | −1/3 neg. marking | Z-score normalised | Screening only — NOT in final merit |
| CBT-2 ← Next Stage | 175 Qs | Part A: 100 Qs / 90 min (Maths, Reasoning, Science, GA) | Part B: 75 Qs / 60 min (Trade-specific) | −1/3 neg. marking | Min. 35% in Part B | Part A score = final merit for ALP & Technician |
| CBAT (ALP only) | Spatial reasoning, Information ordering, Selective attention, Perceptual speed & accuracy | No negative marking in CBAT | Combined with CBT-2 Part A for ALP final merit |
| Document Verification | Original certificates — 10th, ITI/Diploma, age, caste, character | called = vacancies + 50% extra | Qualifying only |
| Medical Examination | Vision: A2 standard (6/9 both eyes) | No colour blindness | LASIK disqualifies ALP candidates | Qualifying only |
| Final ALP Merit | CBT-2 Part A + CBAT score | Subject to qualifying Part B (35%) + Medical A2 + DV | Zone-wise + Category-wise merit list | |
- CBT-1 score is NOT in the final merit list — even 70/75 in CBT-1 means nothing if you underperform in CBT-2 + CBAT
- LASIK surgery permanently disqualifies ALP candidates — Vision standard A2 required (6/9 both eyes, no colour blindness). PRK also disqualifies.
- Part B of CBT-2 is qualifying at 35% — trade-specific. Failing Part B eliminates you from both ALP and Technician, regardless of Part A score
- Normalisation applies in both CBT-1 and CBT-2 — only normalised scores determine rank; never compare raw scores across shifts
Access the answer key only on your designated RRB zone website — verify your zone from your application receipt or admit card.
Refund: If the expert committee finds your objection valid and correct, the ₹50 fee (after deducting bank charges) is refunded to the payment account. If the objection is rejected, the fee is forfeited. Payment is online only — Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or UPI. Objections without fee payment are not registered in the system.
Subject-wise:
• Mathematics — 20 questions (10th std)
• General Intelligence & Reasoning — 25 questions
• General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) — 20 questions (10th std)
• General Awareness / Current Affairs — 10 questions
Online CBT | Bilingual (Hindi + English + regional languages) | No sectional time limit | Multiple shifts with Z-score normalisation
Example: 52 correct, 12 wrong, 11 skipped:
Score = 52 − (12 ÷ 3) = 52 − 4 = 48 marks
Download your response sheet PDF → compare each answer against the provisional key → count correct, wrong, skipped → apply the formula. Use the Score Calculator in Section 06 for instant results.
Important: This is your raw score. Your actual normalised score (used for shortlisting) is calculated by RRB via Z-score normalisation across all exam shifts and may be higher or lower than your raw score.
The final ALP merit list is based on:
• CBT-2 Part A score (combined merit for ALP and Technician)
• CBAT score (ALP candidates only)
• Subject to qualifying Part B at min. 35% + Medical A2 standard + Document Verification
Even a perfect 75/75 in CBT-1 does not guarantee selection if you underperform in CBT-2 + CBAT.
Effect:
• Easier shift → normalised score likely lower than raw score
• Harder shift → normalised score likely higher than raw score
Never compare raw scores with friends from different shifts. Your actual rank is determined by the normalised score. RRB's normalisation formula and methodology are published at rrbapply.gov.in.
Age (as on 01 July 2025):
• UR/EWS: 18–30 years | OBC (NCL): 18–33 years | SC/ST: 18–35 years | PwBD: +10 years
Medical (ALP-specific): Vision A2 standard — distant 6/9 both eyes (with/without glasses), no colour blindness. LASIK / PRK surgery permanently disqualifies candidates for the ALP post.
Additional components: Dearness Allowance (DA, revised bi-annually), HRA (city-based), Transport Allowance, Night Duty Allowance, Risk & Hardship Allowance, Running Allowance (₹5,000–₹12,000 extra/month for km operated), free/subsidised railway travel passes (self + family), NPS pension (10% basic + 14% govt contribution), Railway hospital facilities, quarters (subject to availability)
Gross in-hand at start: approximately ₹28,000–₹38,000/month depending on city, shifts, and running duty km operated.
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