Checked 16 October 2026. From NCR GDCE-01/2026 Annexures A–D, CR GDCE-02/2026 para 9.0 and ECoR GDCE 2026 paras 17–23 with its JE addendum of 14.09.2026. The Technician lists are called illustrative and not exhaustive; the JE, Nursing and 120-question lists say questions are “likely to include” the topics; the ALP lists end in “etc.”. No list is closed.
NCR’s 2026 notification says it in one line: the syllabus and pattern for GDCE are “same as prescribed by RRB for the Direct Recruitment except ALP category”, for which a revised pattern is given (para 6.0, Table-A). In practice that means five main syllabi: ALP, Technician Gr-III, Technician Gr-I Signal and Telecom, Junior Engineer by exam group, and the 120-question paper shared (same pattern and syllabus, though possibly held as separate CBTs) by Goods Train Manager, Station Master, Commercial Clerk cum Ticket Clerk, Junior Account Assistant cum Typist (CR) and the clerk-typist posts — plus CR’s own Nursing Superintendent paper. This guide maps them side by side so you can see what overlaps and put your hours where your paper’s listed topics are; the lists are a guide to priorities, not a closed list.
Where other pages get this wrong
In the 2026 notifications of NCR, CR and ECoR the GDCE ALP exam is ONE paper of 100 questions, with the Trade Specific Section as its fourth part of about 25 questions.
Commonly published instead: An ALP syllabus split into a separate “Part-A” and “Part-B” CBT, with the trade part as a separate Part-B (WR's 2023 notice uses those labels, but its corrigendum makes it a single-stage CBT).
NCR Annexure A Table-B: “Number of Question Paper: One”, four parts of roughly 25% each. ECoR para 17.0 prints 25 + 25 + 25 + 25. The Part-A / Part-B wording survives in Western Railway’s corrigendum for its older 2023 notification, which refers to a separate Part-B notice of 07.01.2025 — so it is right for that notification only. Read your own RRC’s paper description.
Which section is in which paper
A tick means the section is a named part of the paper in the 2026 notifications. Numbers are the indicative questions per section.
| Section | ALP (100) | Tech Gr-III (100) | Tech Gr-I S&T (100) | JE (150) | 120-Q paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | ~25 | 25 | 20 | — | 35 |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | ~25 | 25 | 15 | — | 35 |
| General Awareness | — | 10 | 10 | 15 | 50 |
| General Science (class 10 Physics, Chemistry, Life Science) | — | 40 | — | Physics & Chemistry 15 | inside GA |
| Basic Science & Engineering | ~25 | — | 35 | — | — |
| Basics of Computers & Applications | IT literacy inside BS&E | — | 20 | 10 | inside GA |
| Environment & Pollution Control | Environment Education, inside BS&E | — | — | 10 | inside GA |
| Trade / Technical Abilities | ~25 (your ITI trade) | — | — | 100 (your exam group) | — |
NCR Annexures A–D; CR para 9.0; ECoR paras 17–23. “Inside GA” means the 120-question paper’s General Awareness list names that subject (general science and life science up to class 10 CBSE, basics of computers, environmental issues). In the 2026 NCR, CR and ECoR patterns ALP has no General Awareness section (check older or zone-specific notices separately).
Mathematics — the lists differ by paper
The ALP, Technician Gr-III, Nursing Superintendent and 120-question papers share an arithmetic-heavy core: number system, decimals, fractions, LCM and HCF, ratio and proportion, percentages, mensuration, time and work, time and distance, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, elementary statistics. ALP, Technician Gr-III and Nursing Superintendent also list BODMAS, square root, age calculations, calendar and clock, and pipes and cisterns. The 120-question paper’s list names none of those five, says “elementary algebra” and stops at elementary statistics.
Technician Gr-I Signal and Telecom has a different, more class-10-and-11 list: rational and irrational numbers, quadratic equations, arithmetic progression, similar triangles, Pythagoras theorem, coordinate geometry, trigonometric ratios, heights and distances, surface area and volume, sets and Venn diagrams, measures of dispersion (range, mean deviation, variance, standard deviation) and probability. It also lists the BODMAS rule. A Gr-III candidate and a Gr-I candidate should not use the same maths list.
General Intelligence and Reasoning
ALP, Technician and Nursing Superintendent: analogies, alphabetical and number series, coding and decoding, mathematical operations, relationships, syllogism, jumbling, Venn diagram, data interpretation and sufficiency, conclusions and decision making, similarities and differences, analytical reasoning, classification, directions, statement–arguments and assumptions. The 120-question paper’s list is partly different: it names puzzles, statement–conclusion, statement–courses of action, maps and interpretation of graphs, and does not name classification, directions or statement–arguments and assumptions.
ALP: Basic Science & Engineering and the trade section
Basic Science and Engineering covers engineering drawing (projections, views, drawing instruments, lines, geometric figures, symbolic representation), units, measurements, mass, weight and density, work, power and energy, speed and velocity, heat and temperature, basic electricity, levers and simple machines, occupational safety and health, environment education and IT literacy. The Trade Specific Section has around 25 questions on the common topics of the DGT (Directorate General of Training) syllabus for the 15 ALP trades “combinedly”; the trade syllabi are on www.dgt.gov.in. ITI and apprenticeship holders sit the section for their own trade; diploma and degree holders pick a trade from the list mapped to their discipline:
| Your diploma / degree discipline | Choose your trade from |
|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering (and combined streams) | Electrician, Instrument Mechanic, Wireman, Winder (Armature), Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic |
| Electronics Engineering (and combined streams) | Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic Radio & TV |
| Mechanical Engineering (and combined streams) | Fitter, Mechanic Motor Vehicle, Tractor Mechanic, Mechanic Diesel, Turner, Machinist, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic, Heat Engine, Millwright Maintenance Mechanic |
| Automobile Engineering (and combined streams) | Mechanic Motor Vehicle, Tractor Mechanic, Mechanic Diesel, Heat Engine, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic |
NCR Annexure A; CR para 9.0(i); ECoR para 17.0. You name the trade in your online application and receive questions from it in the CBT (NCR item 15).
Technician Gr-III: General Science is an indicative 40 of 100
Technician Gr-III’s largest section is General Science: Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences of class 10 standard. Its General Awareness covers current affairs in science and technology, sports, culture, personalities, economics, politics “and any other subject of importance”. The detailed Technician Gr-III tables have no trade section, so a Technician Gr-III candidate’s preparation is maths, reasoning, school science and a short General Awareness section. One inconsistency to know: NCR para 1.0 item 15 says Technician candidates name an ITI trade and receive questions from it, which its Annexure B does not show; ask RRC/NCR if you are unsure.
Technician Gr-I Signal and Telecom
Gr-I adds Basics of Computers and Applications (computer architecture, input, output and storage devices, networking, Windows, Unix and Linux, MS Office, data representation, internet and e-mail, websites and browsers, computer virus) and a deep Basic Science and Engineering section: electric charge, field and potential, Ohm’s law and its limitations, resistances in series and parallel, Ampere’s law, electromagnetic induction and Faraday’s law, basic and digital electronics, microcontrollers and microprocessors, electronic measurements, the cathode ray oscilloscope, LCD and LED panels and transducers.
Junior Engineer: an indicative 100 questions from your exam group
The JE paper’s general part (an indicative 50 questions) is General Awareness, Physics and Chemistry up to class 10 CBSE, Basics of Computers and Applications, and Basics of Environment and Pollution Control (air, water and noise pollution, waste management, global warming, acid rain, ozone depletion). The other indicative 100 questions are Technical Abilities for the exam group your qualification is mapped to. NCR and CR give those 100 questions 100 marks; ECoR’s table (para 20.0(f)) prints 150 marks, which looks like a misprint.
| Exam group | Mapped diplomas / degrees | Topics named |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical and Allied | Mechanical, Production, Automobile, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Industrial, Machining, Tools and Machining, Tools and Die Making, and combinations of their sub-streams | Engineering mechanics, material science, strength of materials, machining, welding, grinding and finishing, metrology, fluid mechanics and hydraulic machinery, industrial management, thermal engineering |
| Electrical and Allied | Electrical, and combinations of its sub-streams | Basic concepts, circuit laws, magnetic circuits, AC fundamentals, measurement, electrical machines, synchronous machines, generation, transmission and distribution, estimation and costing, utilisation, basic electronics |
| Electronics and Allied | Electronics, Instrumentation and Control, Communication, Computer Science and Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, IT, and combinations of their sub-streams | Components and materials, devices and circuits, digital electronics, linear ICs, 8085 microprocessor and microcontrollers, measurements, communication, data networks, C and C++ programming, basic electrical engineering |
| Civil and Allied | Civil, combinations of its sub-streams, and B.Sc. Civil Engineering of three years | Engineering mechanics, building construction and materials, construction of substructure and superstructure, building finishes, maintenance and drawing, concrete technology, surveying, CAD, geotechnical, hydraulics, irrigation, structures, RCC and steel design, railway, bridge and tunnel engineering, highways, environmental engineering, advanced construction techniques and equipment, estimating, contracts |
NCR Annexure C; CR para 9.0(iii); ECoR para 20.0, which already carried the Civil syllabus, and its addendum of 14.09.2026, which added the discipline mapping table and the Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics syllabi. A candidate with qualifications mapped to two groups may choose one group, provided the posts opted for map to it (CR note under the mapping table). The Civil list is the longest — 24 topics — so start it early.
The 120-question paper: General Awareness is indicatively 50 marks
Goods Train Manager, Station Master, Commercial Clerk cum Ticket Clerk, Junior Account Assistant cum Typist and the clerk-typist posts share one syllabus. General Awareness, with an indicative 50 of the 120 questions, is the broadest General Awareness list of the GDCE papers: current events, games and sports, art and culture, Indian literature, monuments and places of India, general science and life science up to class 10 CBSE, Indian history and the freedom struggle, physical, social and economic geography of India and the world, polity and the constitution, science and technology including India’s space and nuclear programmes, the UN and world bodies, environmental issues, basics of computers, common abbreviations, transport systems in India, the Indian economy, famous personalities of India and the world, flagship government programmes, flora and fauna of India, and important government and public-sector organisations.
Nursing Superintendent (CR only) is mostly professional: 70 of 100 questions on anatomy, physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, nursing foundations, psychology, microbiology, sociology, pharmacology, pathology, genetics, medical-surgical nursing (adult including geriatrics)-I, community health, child health and mental health nursing, midwifery and obstetrical nursing, nursing research and statistics, and management of nursing services and education.
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Practise it, don't just read it
The quiz library covers Mathematics and General Intelligence and Reasoning, which appear in every GDCE paper except Junior Engineer.
The ProSyllabus Railway GDCE library has topic quizzes on Mathematics and on General Intelligence and Reasoning, which appear (Mathematics sometimes as Arithmetic) in every 2026 GDCE paper of NCR, CR and ECoR except Junior Engineer. The first quiz is free.
Frequently asked questions
Is the GDCE syllabus the same as RRB direct recruitment?
NCR’s 2026 notification says the syllabus and pattern are the same as prescribed by the RRB for direct recruitment, except for ALP, which has a revised pattern.
What is in the GDCE ALP trade section?
Around 25 questions on the common topics of the DGT syllabus for the relevant trades combined; ITI holders answer their own trade, diploma or degree holders pick a trade mapped to their discipline.
Is General Awareness in the GDCE ALP paper?
No. The ALP paper’s four parts are Mathematics, Reasoning, Basic Science and Engineering, and the Trade Specific Section.
What science is in the GDCE Technician Grade III paper?
Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences of class 10 standard — an indicative 40 of the 100 questions.
Which exam group should I choose for GDCE JE?
The group your diploma or degree maps to in the discipline table; if you hold qualifications in two groups you may choose one, provided the posts you opt for map to it.
Is the GDCE Goods Train Manager syllabus the same as Commercial Clerk?
Yes. Both sit the 120-question paper with the same syllabus and an indicative split of General Awareness 50, Mathematics 35, Reasoning 35.
Is computer knowledge in GDCE?
As its own section in the Technician Gr-I (indicatively 20 questions) and JE (indicatively 10) papers; as IT literacy inside ALP Basic Science and Engineering; and as a topic inside the 120-question paper’s General Awareness.
Where can I get the ALP trade syllabus?
On the DGT website, www.dgt.gov.in, as all three 2026 notifications say.
Did ECoR change the GDCE JE syllabus?
Its addendum of 14.09.2026 added the discipline mapping table and the Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics syllabi, beside the Civil syllabus already printed, and extended the closing date to 29.09.2026.
Is the GDCE syllabus exhaustive?
No. Each notification calls its Technician topics illustrative and not necessarily exhaustive, introduces the JE, Nursing and 120-question lists as topics questions are likely to include, and ends the ALP lists with “etc.”
Sources
- official — RRC/NCR Prayagraj — GDCE Notification No. RRC/NCR/GDCE-01/2026 (28.09.2026)
- official — RRC/CR Mumbai — GDCE Notification No. RRC/CR/GDCE-02/2026 (22.04.2026)
- official — RRC East Coast Railway — GDCE 2026 Notification No. ECoR/Pers/RRC-GDCE/2026 (07.08.2026), incl. Annexure F (RRB normalisation notice, 09.02.2026)
- official — RRC East Coast Railway — Addendum: JE syllabus and extension of closing date (14.09.2026)
- official — RRC Western Railway — Corrigendum for exam pattern, GDCE Notification 01/2023 (per RBE 28/2026), uploaded 25.05.2026
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
