
RRB Depot Material Superintendent (DMS) CBT 1 2026 Free Guess Paper
RRB DMS CBT 1 2026 exam analysis: pattern, PYQ topic weightage, cutoff trends, fees, salary, and a section-wise study plan for aspirants.
The Railway Recruitment Board opened 324 Depot Material Superintendent (DMS) posts under CEN 04/2026, inside a combined drive of 3,993 Junior Engineer and DMS vacancies.Railway Recruitment Boards released Centralised Employment Notice CEN No. 04/2026 for Junior Engineer and Depot Material Superintendent posts, with 324 Depot Material Superintendent vacancies listed under Category No. 37. RRB DMS CBT 1 2026 now decides who moves forward. A clear read of the exam pattern and past papers changes how a candidate spends the next study weeks.
TL;DR
- 324 DMS vacancies exist under CEN 04/2026, spread across zones such as Chandigarh (139), Bhubaneswar (57), and Guwahati (69).
- CBT 1 carries 100 marks in 90 minutes, split across Mathematics, Reasoning, General Awareness, and General Science.
- A wrong answer costs 1/3 mark. An unattempted question costs nothing.
- The General category cleared CBT 1 at 82.25 marks out of 100 in 2024, up from 65-70 in 2019.
- Mathematics and General Science together make up 60% of CBT 1 marks.
- The application fee is ₹500 (₹400 refundable) for most candidates and ₹250 (fully refundable) for SC, ST, and other exempt categories, refunded only after the candidate sits CBT 1.
Vacancy Spread and Why Competition Is Rising
The Stores department, which runs the DMS post, holds 324 seats out of 3,993 total posts under this notice.The recruitment drive announced 324 Stores department posts, broken down as 139 for the unreserved category, 57 for Scheduled Castes, 29 for Scheduled Tribes, 69 for Other Backward Classes, and 30 for Economically Weaker Sections. A diploma holder in any engineering discipline can apply.The qualification requires a three-year diploma in engineering in any discipline, or a B.E./B.Tech in any engineering discipline. This wide entry bar pulls in diploma holders and engineering graduates together, so the applicant pool stays large. A large pool pushes the qualifying score up each cycle, which matters more than the raw vacancy count when a candidate sets a target score.
Selection Stages
Selection for the DMS post runs through four stages: CBT Stage 1, CBT Stage 2, document verification, and a medical examination. CBT 1 does not decide the final rank. CBT 1 only shortlists candidates for CBT 2, and the final merit list comes entirely from CBT 2 marks. A candidate must still clear CBT 1 first, so a low CBT 1 score ends the attempt regardless of later potential.
RRB DMS CBT 1 2026 Exam Pattern
CBT 1 is common to Junior Engineer and DMS candidates.The exam runs for 90 minutes and awards 100 marks across four sections: Mathematics (30 marks), General Intelligence and Reasoning (25 marks), General Awareness (15 marks), and General Science (30 marks).
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 25 |
| General Awareness | 15 | 15 |
| General Science | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Each correct answer earns 1 mark. Each wrong answer deducts 1/3 mark. An unattempted question carries no penalty. This rule changes strategy directly. A candidate who guesses on more than three questions for every one they know risks a net loss.
PYQ Topic Weightage: Where Marks Actually Come From
Past papers repeat certain topics year after year. A study plan built on this pattern covers more scoring ground per hour than a plan that follows the syllabus list in order.
Mathematics (30 Marks)
Across nine shifts of a recent exam cycle, 270 mathematics questions favored Ratio and Proportion, Mensuration, Number System, Profit and Loss, Algebraic Identities, Time and Distance, and Simple and Compound Interest most often. Percentage, Average, and Statistics appear less often but still recur each year.
| Topic | Typical Marks |
|---|---|
| Number System | 4-5 |
| Simplification & BODMAS | 3-4 |
| Percentage | 2-4 |
| Ratio and Proportion | 2-3 |
| Profit and Loss | 2-3 |
| Time, Speed, and Distance | 2-3 |
| Simple and Compound Interest | 1-3 |
| Mensuration | 1-2 |
General Intelligence and Reasoning (25 Marks)
Analogy, Series, and Coding-Decoding draw 3 to 4 marks each in most shifts, and non-verbal reasoning items such as mirror images and figure completion add another 3 to 4 marks. Blood Relation, Syllogism, and Venn Diagram questions appear in smaller, steadier numbers each year.
A candidate who masters these seven or eight recurring topics in Mathematics and Reasoning can lock in more than half the CBT 1 score before touching General Science or General Awareness.
Cutoff Trend: The Real Target Score
Cutoffs move with the applicant count, not with the syllabus. The General category CBT 1 cutoff climbed from 72.50 in 2019 to 82.25 in 2024, out of 100. The Other Backward Classes cutoff followed the same path.
| Year | General | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 65-70 | 55-60 | 50-55 | 45-50 |
| 2024 | 82.25 | 73.50 | 64.75 | 56.25 |
Minimum qualifying marks stay fixed by rule at 40% for General, 30% for OBC and SC, and 25% for ST, but the actual zone cutoff usually runs far above this floor once shortlisting math applies. A candidate targeting only the minimum qualifying percentage will miss the shortlist in most zones. The safer target for RRB DMS CBT 1 2026 sits close to 85 marks for General category applicants, based on this five-year climb.
Application Fee: A Cost Aspirants Recover
General, OBC, and EWS candidates pay ₹500, of which ₹400 comes back after they appear in CBT 1. SC, ST, PwBD, Ex-Servicemen, and other exempt categories pay ₹250, fully refundable on appearance. A candidate who applies but skips CBT 1 forfeits the entire fee. This refund rule rewards candidates who sit the exam even when preparation feels incomplete, since a partial score still beats a forfeited fee.
Salary and Pay Level After Selection
The DMS post carries Pay Level 6 of the 7th Central Pay Commission matrix, with a starting basic pay of ₹35,400 per month. Allowances such as Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and Transport Allowance add to this basic figure, so the gross monthly pay for a Level 6 railway post typically runs well above the basic figure once postings and city class apply. This pay level places DMS on par with the Junior Engineer post, despite the different subject demands of the two roles.
Section-Wise Study Allocation for CBT 1
General Science and Mathematics together make up 60% of the CBT 1 marks. A study plan should mirror this split rather than treat all four sections equally.
- Mathematics and General Science (60 marks combined): Give these the largest weekly time block. Master the recurring topic list first, then expand.
- General Intelligence and Reasoning (25 marks): Practice timed sets daily. Accuracy matters more than speed here, since the negative marking rule punishes guesses.
- General Awareness (15 marks): Cover the last three to four months of current affairs. Add static General Knowledge in short daily doses rather than one long session.
- Full-length mock tests: Run one full paper under timed conditions each week from the final month onward. Review every wrong answer before moving to a new mock.
Timing matters as much as topic choice. CBT 1 for this cycle is scheduled for 27, 28, and 30 October 2026. A candidate should complete syllabus coverage at least two weeks before this window, leaving the final stretch for mock tests and revision alone.
Common Questions
What is the RRB DMS CBT 1 2026 exam pattern? CBT 1 has 100 questions across Mathematics, Reasoning, General Awareness, and General Science, worth 100 marks in 90 minutes, with 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer.
Does the CBT 1 score count toward final selection? No. CBT 1 only shortlists candidates for CBT 2. The final merit list uses CBT 2 marks alone.
What score is safe for the General category in CBT 1? Based on the 2019-2024 trend, a score near 85 out of 100 gives a General category candidate a safer margin above the likely cutoff.
Is the RRB DMS application fee refundable? Yes. The fee is ₹500 (₹400 refundable) or ₹250 (fully refundable), and the refund applies only to candidates who appear for CBT 1.
What is the starting salary for a Depot Material Superintendent? The post carries Pay Level 6, with a starting basic pay of ₹35,400 per month, plus standard allowances.
What This Means for Aspirants
The gap between the 2019 and 2024 General category cutoff shows a steady rise in competition, not a one-time spike. A candidate preparing for RRB DMS CBT 1 2026 should treat 82-85 marks as the working target, not the bare qualifying percentage. Time spent on the recurring Mathematics and Reasoning topics listed above will return more marks per hour than broad, unfocused revision. The fee refund and the fixed exam window remove any reason to delay a first attempt at a full mock test.
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