RPF EXAM

RPF Exam

The RPF Exam is the recruitment test conducted by the Indian Railways for the Railway Protection Force and the Railway Protection Special Force, filling critical security roles for Constable (minimum 10th Pass, age 18-28) and Sub-Inspector (SI) (Graduate, age 20-28) posts. The selection is a rigorous, multi-stage process. Both posts involve safeguarding passengers, railway property, and infrastructure, with the SI role carrying supervisory responsibilities. The initial written test for both posts is a Computer-Based Test (CBT).

Eligibility:

• Nationality: The candidate must be a citizen of India.

• Educational Qualification:

  • Constable: Must have passed 10th Class (Matriculation) from a recognized board.

  • Sub-Inspector (SI): Must hold a Bachelor’s Degree (Graduation) from a recognized university.

• Age Limit: The age bracket is generally between:

  • Constable: 18 to 28 years

  • Sub-Inspector (SI): 20 to 28 years

Exam Pattern

The RPF (Railway Protection Force) selection process is a three-phase procedure, with the final merit list determined by the marks scored in the Computer-Based Test (CBT).

1. Phase I: Computer-Based Test (CBT) – Merit Based

This is the online objective written examination. The standard of the test is Matriculation (10th) level for Constable and Graduate level for Sub-Inspector (SI).

Subject	No. of Questions	Maximum Marks
General Awareness	50	50
Arithmetic	35	35
General Intelligence & Reasoning	35	35
Total	120	120

• Duration: 90 Minutes (1 hour 30 minutes).

• Marking: +1 mark for every correct answer.

• Negative Marking: 1/3rd of the mark (approximately 0.33 marks) is deducted for every incorrect answer.

2. Phase II: Physical Efficiency Test (PET) & Physical Measurement Test (PMT) – Qualifying Only

Candidates shortlisted from the CBT (typically 10 times the vacancies) must pass these physical standards and endurance tests. No marks are awarded for this phase; it is strictly pass/fail.

A. Physical Measurement Test (PMT)

Category	Height (Male)	Height (Female)	Chest (Male – Unexpanded/Expanded)
UR/OBC	165 cm	157 cm	80 cm / 85 cm
SC/ST	160 cm	152 cm	76.2 cm / 81.2 cm

B. Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

Activity	Constable (Male)	Constable (Female)	SI (Male)	SI (Female)
1600m Run	5 min 45 sec	N/A	6 min 30 sec	N/A
800m Run	N/A	3 min 40 sec	N/A	4 min
Long Jump	14 feet	9 feet	12 feet	9 feet
High Jump	4 feet	3 feet	3 ft 9 inches	3 feet

(Note: Only one chance is given for the running events, while two chances are given for the Long Jump and High Jump.)

3. Phase III: Document Verification (DV) & Medical Examination

Candidates who successfully clear the PET and PMT are called for the final stage, which includes verification of all original documents and a medical check-up to ensure fitness according to RPF standards.