RRB PARAMEDICAL • CEN 05/2026 • CATEGORY 9
Your Lab Assistant exam, clearly explained
RRB Lab Assistant Grade II has a 100-mark CBT: 70 questions from Professional Ability and 30 from general subjects. You get 90 minutes, with one-third mark deducted for each wrong answer.
100
Questions / marks
90 min
Standard duration
70 + 30
Professional + general
−⅓
Per wrong answer
Searching for the RRB Lab Technician syllabus 2026? This guide covers the official Lab Assistant Grade II post in CEN 05/2026. Candidates also search for it as Railway Lab Technician or RRB Lab Assistant Grade 2. Use the official post name and category number when checking your application, admit card and syllabus.
Last checked: 28 September 2026. Exam rules: CEN 05/2026, section 13, printed pages 15–16. Professional and common syllabus: Annexure C, printed page 33. The notification states that CBT dates will be communicated separately; check the RRB website for subsequent notices.
In this guide
Exam overview · CBT pattern · Professional syllabus · General subjects · Marking & qualifying marks · Preparation plan · Official PDF & resources
RRB Lab Assistant Grade II 2026: Exam Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruiting organisation | Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) |
| Notification / post | CEN 05/2026 / Lab Assistant Grade II, Category 9 |
| Common search name | RRB Lab Technician / Railway Lab Assistant Grade 2 |
| Exam mode | Computer Based Test (CBT); objective multiple-choice questions |
| Questions / maximum marks | 100 questions / 100 marks |
| Duration | 90 minutes; 120 minutes for candidates eligible for the specified scribe/compensatory-time provisions |
| Selection | CBT merit, document verification and prescribed medical examination |
| Question standard | Generally based on the prescribed educational and technical qualification |
RRB Lab Technician Exam Pattern 2026: Subject-Wise Marks
The CBT has four subject groups. Each question has four answer choices with one correct answer. The following distribution is given in section 13 of CEN 05/2026; RRB describes the section-wise split as indicative, so the actual question paper may vary.
| Subject group | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Ability | 70 | 70 |
| General Awareness | 10 | 10 |
| General Arithmetic, General Intelligence & Reasoning (combined) | 10 | 10 |
| General Science | 10 | 10 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Avoid this common mistake: Arithmetic and Reasoning share a combined allocation of 10 questions. They are not separate 10-question sections in the notified pattern.
The notification specifies a single-stage CBT and reserves RRB’s right to conduct additional CBTs if necessary. Candidates shortlisted on merit must complete document verification and meet the medical standard. No interview is listed in this selection process.
RRB Lab Assistant Grade 2 Syllabus: Professional Ability
Professional Ability carries 70 of the 100 marks in the indicative pattern. Annexure C lists the following subject areas for Lab Assistant Grade II. The second column below is an editorial revision checklist to help you organise these broad subjects; it is not an additional official chapter list or a chapter-wise marks allocation.
| Notified subject area | Suggested revision checklist |
|---|---|
| Anatomy | Body organisation; tissues; major organs and systems; basic anatomical terminology relevant to laboratory work. |
| Physiology | Functions of body systems; blood and circulation; respiration; renal function; digestion; endocrine regulation and homeostasis. |
| Biochemistry | Carbohydrates, proteins and lipids; enzymes; vitamins; basic metabolism; solutions, pH and buffers. |
| Fundamentals of Medical Laboratory Technology | Laboratory equipment; microscopy; specimen collection, identification and handling; laboratory safety; quality control and common sources of error. |
| Microbiology | Basic bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology; staining; culture principles; sterilisation and disinfection. |
| Clinical Biochemistry | Principles of routine biochemical tests; glucose, renal, liver and lipid profiles; sample requirements; assay interference and quality assurance. |
| Pathology & Histopathology | Basic disease processes; routine specimen examination; fixation; tissue processing; sectioning and staining principles. |
| Haematology & Blood Banking | Blood cells; haemoglobin and cell counts; anaemia basics; coagulation; blood groups; compatibility testing; blood components and storage principles. |
How to use this syllabus: Study the principle behind a test, the correct specimen, the method or instrument involved and likely procedural errors. Then practise topic-wise MCQs. RRB does not provide a fixed question count for each individual professional subject in this annexure, so do not rely on claims such as “exactly 15 questions from haematology”.
RRB Lab Technician Syllabus: General Subjects
1. General Arithmetic
Cover number systems, BODMAS, decimals and fractions, LCM and HCF, ratio and proportion, percentages, mensuration, time and work, time and distance, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, elementary statistics, square roots, age calculations, calendars and clocks, and pipes and cisterns.
2. General Intelligence & Reasoning
Prepare analogies, alphabet and number series, coding-decoding, mathematical operations, relationships, syllogisms, jumbling, Venn diagrams, data interpretation and sufficiency, conclusions and decision-making, similarities and differences, analytical reasoning, classification, directions, and statements involving arguments or assumptions.
Practise Arithmetic and Reasoning together in short timed sets because both fall within the same 10-question group.
3. General Awareness
Revise current affairs; Indian geography; culture and history, including the freedom struggle; Indian polity and the Constitution; the economy; environmental issues concerning India and the world; sports; and scientific and technological developments.
4. General Science
The notified scope is Physics, Chemistry and Life Sciences up to Class 10 CBSE level. Use school-level concepts and objective questions for this section. Keep this revision separate from the qualification-level Professional Ability syllabus.
Negative Marking and Minimum Qualifying Marks
One wrong answer costs one-third mark
For the notified one-mark questions, a correct answer earns +1 and a wrong answer attracts −⅓. Leaving a question unanswered does not add a wrong-answer penalty.
Raw-score example: 78 correct, 12 wrong and 10 unanswered → 78 − (12 ÷ 3) = 74 marks out of 100.
The notification specifies these minimum qualifying percentages:
| Category | Minimum qualifying percentage |
|---|---|
| UR / EWS | 40% |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) / SC | 30% |
| ST | 25% |
These standards apply to Ex-Servicemen and PwBD candidates according to their community category. The notification allows a relaxation of 2 marks for PwBD candidates when there is a shortage against vacancies reserved for them.
Qualifying marks are not the selection cut-off. Scoring the minimum does not guarantee document-verification shortlisting or appointment. Selection depends on merit, vacancies, applicable reservation rules, document verification and medical fitness.
A Practical 30-Day Preparation Plan
This is a suggested revision schedule, not an RRB instruction. Adapt it to your starting level. Give the largest share of your study time to Professional Ability while keeping daily practice for the 30 general questions.
| Days | Main focus | Daily practice |
|---|---|---|
| 1–7 | Anatomy, Physiology and fundamentals of laboratory technology | Professional MCQs, a short Arithmetic/Reasoning set and Class 10 Science revision. |
| 8–14 | Biochemistry, Clinical Biochemistry and Microbiology | Revise test principles and specimen handling; practise general subjects and current affairs. |
| 15–21 | Pathology, Histopathology, Haematology and Blood Banking | Mixed professional sets, correction of weak topics and timed section practice. |
| 22–30 | Full-syllabus revision and exam simulation | Take 100-question mocks in 90 minutes; review errors and revise concise notes. |
- Keep an error notebook: separate conceptual mistakes, calculation errors and rushed guesses.
- Use previous papers thoughtfully: practise recurring concepts, then check every topic against the current notification.
- Review each mock: accuracy and time management matter alongside the number of attempts.
- Avoid blind guessing: the one-third penalty can reduce the benefit of extra attempts.
- Try the official CBT practice link: use it when made available by RRB to become familiar with the interface.
Eligibility and Recruitment: Quick Context
CEN 05/2026 lists 31 Lab Assistant Grade II vacancies, Pay Level 3 with initial pay of ₹21,700 and medical standard B1. The stated age range is 18–33 years as on 1 January 2027, subject to applicable relaxations.
The qualification entry specifies 12th Science plus DMLT, or a qualifying certificate meeting the notification’s stated equivalence conditions. Its note also accepts 12th Science with B.Sc. in Medical Lab Technology. Check Annexure A and the full eligibility conditions for your exact qualification; a course’s informal title alone does not establish eligibility.
For application details, read our RRB Lab Assistant Grade II Recruitment 2026 guide.
RRB Lab Assistant Syllabus PDF and Official Sources
The syllabus is included in the detailed CEN 05/2026 notification. Open Annexure C, printed page 33 for the professional and common-subject syllabus, and section 13, printed pages 15–16 for the CBT pattern and marking rules. Printed page numbers can differ from the PDF viewer’s page counter.
Source links
Source note: the notification text was checked using the PDF mirror linked above. For subsequent corrigenda, dates and instructions, the latest official RRB notice takes precedence.
Continue your Lab Technician preparation
Use the syllabus as a checklist, practise papers and review your weak areas before the next mock.
RRB Lab Technician question paper resources · More Lab Technician study guides
Check the notification number on each previous paper: an exam held in 2026 may belong to an earlier recruitment cycle and does not establish the CEN 05/2026 exam date.
