RRB releases 2026 tentative exam calendar for multiple posts: Check complete schedule here
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has outlined its tentative recruitment roadmap for 2026, giving aspirants a structured view of when key notifications are likely to be released for posts including ALP, Technician, JE, NTPC, Group D and others. While the calendar does not specify exam dates, it sets out the expected notification months and shows the internal sequence of vacancy assessment, approval and CEN drafting that will shape next year’s hiring cycle. With several large-scale recruitments clustered between February and October 2026, candidates can now align their preparation strategies in advance.
Major RRB notifications expected in 2026
According to the calendar, the cycle is slated to begin with the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) recruitment in February 2026, followed by Technician posts in March. The Section Controller notification is expected in April 2026, marking the close of the first quarter.From mid-year, activity picks up with Paramedical categories and the Junior Engineer (JE) recruitment tentatively scheduled for July 2026. The widely anticipated Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) notification (undergraduate and graduate posts) is expected in August 2026, followed by the Ministerial and Isolated Categories in September 2026.The Group D Level-1 recruitment, one of the largest in terms of applicant volume, is expected around October 2026, placing it in the final quarter of the year.
RRB exam calendar 2026: Tentative schedule
Aspirants can check the tentative schedule for RRB recruitment exams 2026 in the table below:
Note: These are tentative months based on the RRB exam calendar. Actual notification and exam dates will be released through official RRB portals.
How RRB’s administrative cycle will run
The calendar provides a detailed view of the administrative phases preceding each notification. This includes vacancy assessment timelines, posting approved vacancies into the OIRMS system and preparation of draft Centralised Employment Notifications (CENs).For example, the ALP recruitment cycle reflects vacancy assessment by mid-2027, OIRMS postings in late 2025 and CEN drafting in early 2026. Recruitment groups scheduled for the April–September window, including Technicians, JE, NTPC and Paramedical roles, are mapped to CEN preparation between April and August 2026. These structured phases are designed to standardise timelines across RRBs and ensure quicker movement from assessment to notification.
Ongoing and scheduled exams to note
Apart from the 2026 calendar, RRB has already notified a few confirmed exam timelines from earlier recruitment cycles. The RRB Level-1 CEN-08/2024 CBT is set to be conducted between January 4 and March 17, 2026, making it one of the first major exams of the year.For the ongoing NTPC 2025 cycle, city intimation slips have already been released, with admit cards expected to follow through official regional websites.
What aspirants should do now
Candidates planning to appear for multiple RRB exams in 2026 can use this calendar as a preparation blueprint. With notifications spaced at predictable intervals, the year offers a clear runway for structured study planning. Aspirants should continue to rely solely on official RRB websites for application windows, CEN details and exam schedules, as dates mentioned in the calendar are provisional.
