Checked 29 September 2026. Links point to NAIR's website, which hosts the 2022 to 2024 papers. The 2026 final key is to be published on RRB/Ajmer's site only after all Zonal Railways and Production Units conclude the selection. No date for the next CBT had been announced on 29 September 2026.
Three official AEN LDCE question papers with final answer keys are public, all on the website of the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR), Vadodara, which ran the centralised CBT until 2024: the first CBT of 20.11.2022, the 2023 CBT of 25.06.2023, and the special drive of 04.08.2024. From the 2025-26 cycle RRB/Ajmer runs the CBT, and its 2026 final key is due only after all Zonal Railways and Production Units conclude the whole selection. This guide lists each paper with its official link, what we counted inside it, how many questions were deleted and why that matters, how the objection process worked in 2026, and a planner to fit the papers into your revision.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with Indian Railways, the Railway Board, RRB/Ajmer or any zonal railway. Every rule below is quoted or summarised from their published letters, and your zone's Personnel Department decides every application.
How we label sources in this guide: "official" means a document published by an Indian Railways body in the chain that runs this exam — the Railway Board, RRB/Ajmer, NAIR or a zonal railway or production unit. "Reported" means a secondary source such as a staff-news or exam-analysis site.
NAIR papers and keys; ECoR marks disclosure.
Where other pages get this wrong
The centralised CBT for Group B was introduced by Board letter E(GP)2022/2/4 of 28.06.2022 (PBC 162/2022). The letter of 07.11.2022 prescribes the syllabus.
Commonly published instead: "Railway Board letter E(GP)2022/2/4 of 7 November 2022 … the same letter moved the examination to a centralised computer based multiple choice format" — our own notice-board page for this exam, which also cites a news site rather than the letter.
The 2025-26 Southern Railway notification credits the CBT to the 28.06.2022 letter (para 6 i). The 07.11.2022 letter, embedded in North Eastern Railway's notification, sets the syllabi for 70% selections and 30% LDCEs from 01.01.2023. Both letters share a file number, which is how they get mixed up.
Every official AEN paper, at a glance
| Paper | Conducted by | CBT date | AEN shift | Questions | Deleted in final key | What is published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 (first centralised CBT) | NAIR | 20.11.2022 | Afternoon, 15:30–18:30, with APO, AFA and AEE | 175 (question IDs 276–360, 446–535) | 6: three in the professional part, two in GK, one in rules | Question paper and final key, separate files |
| 2023 (vacancy cycle 2023-24) | NAIR | 25.06.2023 | Morning, 09:30–12:30, with AME, ASTE and APO | 175 (85 / 55 / 35) | 6, all in the professional part | Question paper with final key, one file |
| 2024 special drive (vacancy cycle 2023-24) | NAIR | 04.08.2024 | Afternoon, 15:30–18:30, with AME, AFA and APO | 175 (85 / 55 / 35) | 3: one in the professional part, two in GK | Question paper with final key, one file |
| 2026 (vacancy cycle 2025-26) | RRB/Ajmer | 24.05.2026 and 31.05.2026 | Morning, 09:00–12:00, with APO, AEE, AFA and ASTE | 175 (85 / 55 / 35) | 4 or 5, depending on date group (ECoR marks table) | Final key to be published after all zones finish; not found by 29.09.2026 |
Dates, shifts and files are official (NAIR pages; RRB/Ajmer letter of 14.05.2026). The question splits and deletion counts are our count of the question IDs and "Deleted" entries in the official keys, and for 2026 of the ECoR marks table.
Download the official files
- 2022: AEN question paper and final answer key (CBT of 20.11.2022)
- 2023: AEN question paper with final key (CBT of 25.06.2023)
- 2024 special drive: AEN question paper with final key (CBT of 04.08.2024)
- NAIR's CBT for Group B selection page, which lists every post and year
All links are to nair.indianrailways.gov.in, the conducting body's own site. The papers are scanned images, so they cannot be searched as text.
What each paper tells you
2022 was the first centralised CBT, held by NAIR on 20.11.2022 in the afternoon shift, with objections accepted until 24.11.2022. Its key carries question IDs 276 to 360 for the professional part (85) and 446 to 535 for GK and rules (446 to 500, then 501 to 535). Six were deleted: three professional questions, two in GK and one in rules.
2023 is the paper whose date is easiest to get wrong. NAIR's page for the "CBT for 30% LDCE-2023", covering the vacancy cycle 01.01.2023 to 31.12.2024, gives it: 25.06.2023, morning shift 09:30 to 12:30, AEN with AME, ASTE and APO. The objection tracker stayed open until 17:00 on 30.06.2023. All six deleted questions were in the professional part — the part candidates prepare hardest.
2024 was a special drive against the 30% LDCE for the 2023-24 vacancy cycle, held on 04.08.2024 in the afternoon. Only three questions were deleted, one professional and two in GK.
Our count of "Deleted" entries in the official keys, and of the deleted-questions column in the ECoR marks table for 2026.
| Paper | Professional | GK and official language | Rules | Total deleted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2024 special drive | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026 | not published | not published | not published | 4 or 5 |
Our count from the official keys. The 2026 marks table gives only a total per candidate.
Why deletions matter to your score
Three to six questions out of 175 are deleted in a typical AEN paper. Deletion is not a penalty: in 2026, a deleted question you had attempted simply left your count, and your mark was rescaled to 150 (our reading of the ECoR marks table; see the scoring guide in this series). But it is a signal. A question is deleted when the objection review finds it wrong or ambiguous, which means the provisional key you check on the day is not final. Do not panic over a provisional score within a few marks of 90.
How objections worked in 2026
| Step | Detail (official, RRB/Ajmer letter of 14.05.2026) |
|---|---|
| Response sheet and provisional key | Download from rrbajmer.gov.in, HRMS ID as user name and an OTP on the HRMS-linked mobile; scheduled for 10:00 on 03.06.2026 to 23:55 on 05.06.2026. A later rescheduling of this window has been reported; we could not find or read the notice, so we print the schedule the letter gives |
| Objections | Only through the objection tracker in the same window; letters and emails are not entertained |
| Fees | RRB/Ajmer "reserves the right to impose fees on objections" |
| Evidence | Only genuine objections with documents; a reference to a previous CBT question or key is not entertained |
| Decision | Examined by the paper setters; their decision is final and no representation on the final key is entertained |
| Final key | Published on RRB/Ajmer's website only after all zones and production units finish the whole selection |
Two lines in that letter change how you should use old papers. First, you cannot cite a previous CBT's key to argue an objection — so if a question repeats and you think the old key is wrong, argue from the code or manual, not from the old key. Second, the 2026 final key will come out only after all Zonal Railways and Production Units conclude the whole selection. On 29 September 2026 at least one zone (North Eastern Railway) had not published an AEN result that we could find, and we found no 2026 final key.
How to use three papers well
Our suggestions for the official papers
- Sit them, do not read them. Three hours, the clock running, 150 answers chosen from 175, one third off for each wrong answer. The mark you get is your honest baseline; reading answers first wastes the paper.
- Mark each question by syllabus head. The AEN annexure has 18 civil engineering heads and 28 rule heads. After three papers you will see which heads recur and which you keep missing.
- Record which questions you would have skipped. The 25 optional questions (5, 15 and 5) are a choice you make in the hall. Practise making it.
- Treat deleted questions as a lesson in wording. Read why each might have been ambiguous; that is how examiners think.
- Count your negative marks. In the 2026 ECoR table the average candidate had 58 wrong answers, costing about 19.5 marks (our arithmetic). Most candidates below 90 lost more to wrong answers than they missed the line by.
- Use the RRB/Ajmer mock test when it opens. In 2026 the mock ran in the same window as the call letter, four days before each CBT date.
Our suggestions, based on the official pattern and the 2026 marks table.
Plan your revision around the official papers
No date has been announced for the next AEN CBT, so enter the date you are planning for (or the one in your zone's letter once it comes) and the hours you can give each week. The planner reserves time to sit up to three official papers under exam conditions (7 hours each), then shares the rest by marks.
Our planning arithmetic, not an official schedule. Each official paper is budgeted at 3 hours to sit plus 4 hours to check against the final key. If the date field is empty, the planner assumes 26 weeks from today.
| Weeks available | Hours a week | Official papers (ours) | Professional (ours) | GK and OL (ours) | Rules (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 10 | 21 h | 53 h | 26 h | 20 h |
| 26 | 10 | 21 h | 127 h | 64 h | 48 h |
| 26 | 15 | 21 h | 197 h | 98 h | 74 h |
Our arithmetic, the same split the planner uses (three papers at 7 hours each, the rest shared 80 : 40 : 30), for readers whose browser does not run it.
When the next paper comes
Group B selections are held once in two years (IREM Vol I para 201.2), and the 2025-26 vacancy cycle ran from 01.01.2025 to 31.12.2026, including anticipated vacancies up to 30.06.2027. On 29 September 2026 there was no Board letter, calendar or zonal notification for the next cycle. The 2025-26 cycle ran from a Southern Railway notification in August 2025 to a CBT in May 2026 — about nine months — but the CBT date itself moved twice before it held (reported earlier drafts of 08.03.2026 and 12/19.04.2026). We print no date for the next CBT because nobody has announced one; the planner lets you plan to your own.
| Cycle | CBT | Conducted by |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 (first CBT cycle) | 25.06.2023; special drive 04.08.2024 | NAIR |
| 2025-26 | 24.05.2026 and 31.05.2026 | RRB/Ajmer |
| Next cycle | Not announced (29.09.2026) | Not announced |
The 20.11.2022 CBT preceded the vacancy cycle beginning 01.01.2023. NAIR's page records that the Board's letter of 03.04.2025 nominated RRB/Ajmer in place of NAIR from the 2025-26 cycle.
Where can I download AEN LDCE previous year papers?
On the NAIR website (nair.indianrailways.gov.in), under CBT for Group B selection. It hosts the AEN papers of 20.11.2022, 25.06.2023 and the special drive of 04.08.2024, each with its final answer key.
When was the 2023 AEN LDCE held?
On 25.06.2023, in the morning shift from 09:30 to 12:30, conducted by NAIR for the vacancy cycle 01.01.2023 to 31.12.2024.
Is the 2026 AEN answer key available?
RRB/Ajmer's letter of 14.05.2026 scheduled response sheets and the provisional key for 03.06.2026 to 05.06.2026; a later rescheduling of that window has been reported, but we could not read the notice. RRB/Ajmer's letter says the final key will be published only after all Zonal Railways and Production Units conclude the whole selection; we had not found it by 29 September 2026.
How many questions are usually deleted?
Six in 2022, six in 2023, three in the 2024 special drive, and four or five in 2026 depending on the date group, by our count of the official keys and the ECoR marks table.
Can I cite an old answer key in an objection?
No. RRB/Ajmer's 2026 instructions say any reference to a previous CBT question or answer key will not be entertained. Support objections with the code, manual or rule instead.
Who conducts the AEN LDCE CBT now?
RRB/Ajmer, from the 2025-26 cycle. NAIR conducted the CBTs of 2022, 2023 and the 2024 special drive.
When is the next AEN LDCE?
Not announced as of 29 September 2026. Selections are normally held once in two years, but no Board letter or notification for the next cycle had been issued.
Sources
- official — NAIR — AEN question paper, CBT of 20.11.2022
- official — NAIR — final answer key of AEN, CBT of 20.11.2022
- official — NAIR — CBT for Group B selection, 2022 page (date, shift, objection window)
- official — NAIR — AEN question paper with final key, CBT for 30% LDCE 2023
- official — NAIR — CBT for 30% LDCE 2023 page (CBT 25.06.2023, morning shift)
- official — NAIR — AEN question paper with final key, special drive against 30% LDCE (CBT 04.08.2024)
- official — NAIR — special drive against 30% LDCE, vacancy cycle 2023-24 page
- official — NAIR — CBT for Group B selection page (RRB/Ajmer nominated from the 2025-26 cycle)
- official — RRB/Ajmer letter No. GBS/RRB/CBT/2025-26/30%/LDCE dated 14.05.2026 — CBT protocol and instructions to candidates (enclosed on the ECoR site)
- official — East Coast Railway — disclosure of marks, AEN 30% LDCE 2025-26 (full CBT table as furnished by RRB/Ajmer, plus viva and record-of-service totals)
- official — Southern Railway — 30% LDCE for AEN notification No. P(G)532/I/AEN/30% LDCE/CCBT 2025-2026 dated 29.08.2025, with Annexure A (syllabus)
- official — North Eastern Railway — AEN 30% LDCE notification dated 19.12.2025 (Hindi), with Board letter E(GP)2022/2/4 dated 07.11.2022 (syllabus)
- official — Railway Board — IREM Vol I, Chapter II (Group B promotion; parts superseded)
- reported — staffnews.in — Board letter E(GP)2022/2/4 dated 28.06.2022, centralised CBT for Group B (reported)
- reported — staffnews.in — Board letter E(GP)2024/2/37 dated 12.12.2025, first 2025-26 calendar (reported)
- reported — staffnews.in — Board letter dated 19.02.2026, CBT moved to April 2026 (reported)
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.
