By the ExamguruX Editorial TeamUpdated 1 October 20264 min read
CBT 1 is a general paper
CBT 1 is a 90-minute screening test of 100 questions for 100 marks, with one-third of a mark deducted for each wrong answer. It covers four areas. Your discipline only comes into play in CBT 2.
- Mathematics: about 30 questions.
- General Intelligence & Reasoning: about 25 questions.
- General Science (Class 10 physics, chemistry and life science): about 30 questions.
- General Awareness: about 15 questions.
Dates to note
The city intimation slip usually comes about 10 days before your exam date, and the e-call letter about four days before. Your exact date and shift will be on these. Download them only from your RRB's official website.
A four-week plan
- Week 1: Mathematics and General Science together carry about 60 marks. Revise the arithmetic chapters and Class 10 science, NCERT-style, one chapter a day.
- Week 2: Reasoning practice daily (series, coding-decoding, syllogism, blood relations), plus static GK and current affairs in 30-minute blocks.
- Week 3: A full timed mock every other day. Keep an error log and redo every question you got wrong.
- Week 4: A mock every day, no new topics, and the final two days spent only on your error log and formula sheet.
Don't drop CBT 2
Keep about 45 minutes a day for your engineering discipline, even now. The CBT 2 gap after the CBT 1 result is usually short, and candidates who stop technical revision for a month find it hard to restart.
Key takeaways
- RRB JE / DMS / CMA CBT 1 (CEN 04/2026) is on 27, 28 and 30 October 2026.
- CBT 1 has no engineering questions: 100 questions on maths, reasoning, general science and GA, −1/3 per wrong answer.
- Maths and general science are about 60 of the 100 marks, so start there.
Sources
Dates and patterns change — always confirm on the official website before applying.
