RRB ALP admit card out: CBT 1 for 11,127 posts on November 3-5

The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) will hold the first-stage computer-based test (CBT 1) for Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) recruitment under notice CEN 01/2026 on 3, 4 and 5 November 2026, in three shifts each day, and RRB ALP admit cards for the test dates have been issued on the regional RRB websites in batches ahead of each exam day. The recruitment is for 11,127 Assistant Loco Pilot posts across Indian Railways. City intimation slips, which tell candidates which city they will write the exam in, were released around 24 October.

Railway jobs remain among the most sought-after government jobs for young people in India. With more than 11,000 Assistant Loco Pilot posts on offer, CBT 1 is a big moment for the many young candidates across the country who have been preparing for it.

The exam is the first of several stages. Because it is a screening test, candidates must clear the minimum qualifying marks for their category and rank high enough to be shortlisted for CBT 2. Reports say the boards shortlist about fifteen times the number of vacancies notified by each RRB. CBT 1 marks themselves do not count towards the final merit list, but missing the cut here ends a candidate's chance in this recruitment.

The negative marking matters for strategy. With one-third of a mark taken off for each wrong answer, guessing blindly can lower a score. Candidates are usually advised to attempt questions they are confident about and to be careful with the rest.

Candidates should also note that the admit card, not the city slip, is the entry document. Reports say candidates must carry a printed admit card along with original photo identity documents to the centre. Because reports differ on when each batch of admit cards was released, every candidate should download their own card from the official website of the RRB they applied to and check their exam date, shift, reporting time and centre address carefully.

RRB ALP CBT 1 at a glance Item | Detail Exam dates | 3, 4 and 5 November 2026 Posts | 11,127 Assistant Loco Pilot Questions | 75, in 60 minutes Negative marking | One-third mark per wrong answer Qualifying marks | UR/EWS 40%, OBC-NCL/SC 30%, ST 25%

Short-term: Candidates across the country will sit CBT 1 over three days this week; those who qualify will move to CBT 2 and later stages.

Long-term: Filling more than 11,000 Assistant Loco Pilot posts will add crew to Indian Railways at a time when it is adding new trains, including new Vande Bharat services.

Who is affected: Eligible young job seekers who applied under CEN 01/2026, their families, coaching centres, and Indian Railways' operations.

Questions and Answers