RRB Section Controller Recruitment 2026: 119 Posts, Apply by 14 August
RRB Section Controller Recruitment 2026: 119 Posts, Apply by 14 August
The Railway Recruitment Board is closing applications for CEN 03/2026 on 14 August 2026 at 11:59 pm. That is two days away. There are 119 Section Controller vacancies at Level 6 of the 7th CPC pay matrix, with an initial basic pay of ₹35,400 and reported in-hand earnings between ₹56,946 and ₹64,026 per month.
Before you rush to the form, read the medical section on this page. Section Controller carries an A-2 medical standard that disqualifies a large number of otherwise eligible graduates, and most coverage of this recruitment buries it near the bottom. Spending ₹500 and three months of preparation on a post you can never be medically cleared for is the worst outcome available here.
Overview
Three Deadlines, Not One
Reporting on the fee deadline is not unanimous. Most sources give 16 August, one gives 18 August. Treat 16 August as your working date and do not test the difference.
The Medical Standard That Ends Applications
Section Controller is an operational railway post. Safety of train movement depends on the person holding it, so the vision requirement is strict and non-negotiable.
A-2 medical standard requires:
- Distant vision of 6/9 in each eye without glasses, with no fogging permitted
- Near vision of Sn 0.6 in each eye without glasses
- Passing colour vision, binocular vision, night vision and myopia tests
Read "without glasses" twice. If you need spectacles to reach 6/9, you do not meet A-2.
There is a second disqualifier that catches people who assume they have solved the problem. Candidates who have undergone LASIK or any other corrective eye surgery are not eligible for the Section Controller post. Surgery does not restore eligibility here, it removes it.
A valid vision certificate in the prescribed format has to be produced at the CBAT stage. This gets checked well before the final medical examination, so a candidate who fails it loses the recruitment midway rather than at the end.
If either condition applies to you, this recruitment is closed regardless of how well you would score. Put your effort into a post without an A-2 requirement instead.
Eligibility
Age as on 1 July 2026
Between 20 and 33 years, with relaxation as per category and valid certificates in the prescribed format. The date-of-birth band varies by category, so check it in the notification PDF rather than calculating it yourself.
Educational Qualification
A University Degree or equivalent from a recognised University or Institute.
The degree must be complete by 14 August 2026. Candidates awaiting a final examination or final semester result are not eligible to apply. This is different from many banking notifications that allow provisional applications, and it disqualifies this year's final-year students entirely.
Application Fee
RRB refunds a portion of the fee to candidates who actually appear for the first stage examination, which is the Board's standard practice. One source reports the general fee as ₹400 rather than ₹500, so confirm the figure on the payment screen against the official CEN before paying.
Exam Pattern
Stage 1: Computer Based Test
100 objective questions in 120 minutes, one mark each, with one-third deducted for every wrong answer. If the CBT runs across multiple shifts, scores are normalised. Candidates are shortlisted for the CBAT at roughly eight times the number of vacancies.
Sixty of the hundred marks sit in one section. Analytical and Mathematical Capability carries more weight than the other two combined. If your preparation time is limited, that is where it goes.
You also have 120 minutes for 100 questions, which is 72 seconds per question. Compare that with Group D's 90 minutes for 100 questions. This paper gives you time to think, which means the questions expect thinking rather than recall.
Stage 2: Computer Based Aptitude Test
The CBAT is conducted by RDSO using psychology-based test batteries, in English and Hindi, with no negative marking.
Here is the rule that ends more candidacies than the CBT does. You must score a minimum T-score of 42 in every single test battery. No category-wise relaxation applies to this threshold. Falling below 42 in even one battery disqualifies you from the merit list entirely, no matter how high your CBT score was.
This is why treating the CBAT as something to worry about later is a mistake. Prepare for it alongside the CBT, not after it.
Final Merit
Unlike many railway exams where the aptitude test is purely qualifying, here the CBAT contributes 30 percent of your final score. It affects both whether you qualify and where you rank.
Salary and the Job Itself
The in-hand range depends on your city's HRA class and is computed at 60 percent DA. Job location can be anywhere within the zone you applied to.
Training runs for 12 months, split into six months of classroom instruction and six months on the job, with a mandatory psychometric test.
Why This Matters if You Are Writing Group D Right Now
Lakhs of candidates are sitting the Group D CBT this month for Level 1 posts. Section Controller is Level 6, and the same graduate degree that many Group D aspirants already hold makes them eligible for it.
The trade is obvious once you see it. Section Controller pays several levels higher, but 119 posts against Group D's 22,195 makes it a far narrower opening, and the A-2 medical standard removes candidates that Group D would accept. Our Group D exam analysis covers that side.
How to Apply
- Go to rrbapply.gov.in and open the CEN 03/2026 link.
- Complete "Create an Account". Authenticate through DigiLocker or Aadhaar, which is recommended.
- Choose your RRB carefully. Apply to only one RRB. Multiple applications lead to rejection of all of them.
- Fill the application form and upload documents to the specified formats.
- Pay the fee by 16 August 2026.
- Print the submitted form.
Two fields you cannot fix later. The details entered in the Create an Account form, including your mobile number and email ID, cannot be modified afterwards. Neither can your chosen RRB. Check both before you submit, because the 17 to 26 August correction window does not cover them.
Reporting on how many RRBs and zones are covered varies between 15, 21 and 27 across sources, so read the RRB-wise vacancy table in the official CEN before choosing rather than picking from a blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the last date to apply for RRB Section Controller 2026?
14 August 2026 at 11:59 pm for the application itself. Fee payment runs until 16 August 2026, and a correction window opens from 17 to 26 August 2026.
Can I apply if I wear glasses?
The A-2 medical standard requires distant vision of 6/9 in each eye without glasses and near vision of Sn 0.6 without glasses. If you need spectacles to reach those levels, you do not meet the standard for this post.
Am I eligible after LASIK surgery?
No. Candidates who have undergone LASIK or any other corrective eye surgery are not eligible for the Section Controller post.
Can final year students apply?
No. Your degree must be completed by the closing date of 14 August 2026. Candidates awaiting a final examination or final semester result are not eligible.
Is there negative marking?
Yes in the CBT, where one-third of the marks allotted is deducted for each wrong answer. There is no negative marking in the CBAT.
How is the final merit calculated?
CBT carries 70 percent weightage and CBAT carries 30 percent. You must also secure a minimum T-score of 42 in every CBAT test battery, with no category relaxation, or you are excluded from the merit list regardless of your CBT score.
Two Days, One Honest Question
119 posts at Level 6 with an in-hand figure near ₹60,000 is a genuinely strong opening for a graduate, and the paper gives you 120 minutes for 100 questions rather than the 90 that Group D allows.
But this is a post with a hard physical gate. Before you pay anything, answer one question honestly: can you read 6/9 in each eye without your glasses on, and have you never had corrective eye surgery? If the answer is no to either, close the form and put those two days into a recruitment that will actually take you.
If the answer is yes, open rrbapply.gov.in tonight. Pick your RRB carefully because you cannot change it, check your mobile number and email before submitting, and pay the fee by 16 August. Then start on Analytical and Mathematical Capability, because that section alone is 60 of the 100 marks.