RPF Constable: Pay, Physical Test, Duties and Postings

RPF Constable recruits into the Railway Protection Force — Indian Railways' dedicated security force responsible for passenger and property safety across the rail network. Unlike RRB's civilian technical and clerical exams, RPF recruitment includes uniformed-service physical standards (height and chest measurements) on top of the written exam and general PET.

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This is worth reading before anything else on this page: the Railway Protection Force (Amendment) Rules, 2025 (Gazette G.S.R. 766(E), effective 17 October 2025) rewrote Constable eligibility and who conducts the recruitment. The age band tightened, the height standard rose, and RPF/RRB no longer run this recruitment at all — the Staff Selection Commission does, under SSC's CAPF selection procedure. Everything below reflects the post-amendment rules; if you've seen an older figure elsewhere, it predates October 2025 and is no longer current.

This guide covers eligibility, the exam pattern, the physical standards that catch many otherwise-eligible candidates unprepared, job profile, and salary. See the railway exams in India overview for how RPF fits alongside RRB's NTPC, Group D, ALP, Technician and JE exams. See the police & paramilitary jobs overview for how RPF differs structurally from GRP (state police) and CAPF.

RPF Constable Eligibility

Educational Qualification: Class 10th pass from a recognised board — there's no minimum percentage requirement and no restriction on stream or subject combination.

Age Limit: 18 to under 23 years, as on the date the recruitment notification is issued — tightened from the earlier 18–25 band by the 2025 amendment. Category-wise relaxation still applies (up to 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC), but the general band itself is now materially narrower than older guides state.

RPF Constable Exam Pattern

Selection is CBT → Physical Efficiency Test (PET) → Physical Measurement Test (PMT) → Document Verification → Medical Examination, now run by the SSC under its CAPF recruitment procedure rather than by RPF or RRB directly. Since SSC has not yet conducted a cycle under these amended rules as of this writing, the CBT structure below is the last-confirmed pattern and should be checked against whatever SSC actually publishes for the next RPF Constable notification, expected around April 2026 — it's not guaranteed to carry over unchanged.

CBT: 120 objective questions for 120 marks over 90 minutes.

Negative marking is 1/3 mark per wrong answer. Questions are set at a Class 10th standard difficulty level and are available in English, Hindi and regional languages.

Physical Standards: Height, Chest, PET and PMT

This is the stage where RPF differs most from RRB's civilian exams — candidates must meet specific physical measurement standards, not just pass a fitness test.

Height (male candidates): 170 cm for General/UR category — raised from 165 cm by the 2025 amendment, aligning RPF with CAPF-style height standards. Category-specific relaxations for SC/ST and other notified categories now follow the CAPF relaxation model rather than the older railway-specific figures; confirm your category's exact relaxed figure against the current SSC notification rather than an older RPF-specific chart. Female candidates: 157 cm, with corresponding category-wise relaxation.

Chest (male candidates only): General/UR category requires 80 cm unexpanded, 85 cm expanded (a minimum 5 cm expansion) — this figure is unchanged by the 2025 amendment.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET): running 1600 metres in under 5 minutes 45 seconds for male candidates, or 800 metres in under 3 minutes for female candidates, along with long jump and high jump components assessed against gender/category-specific standards.

Physical Measurement Test (PMT): candidates who clear the PET have their height and chest measured against the standards above — clearing the running/jump components doesn't automatically mean you meet the measurement standards, so both need to be checked against your own category before applying.

Job Profile

An RPF Constable's core responsibility is railway security: patrolling stations, trains and railway premises to prevent theft, vandalism and other criminal activity; protecting passengers and railway property; maintaining law and order within railway jurisdiction; responding to security incidents during train journeys; managing crowds during high-footfall periods, events or emergencies; and participating in disaster-relief and emergency-response operations when required. As a uniformed security role, it also involves training in handling firearms, security equipment and communication devices.

RPF Constable Salary

RPF Constable starts at Pay Level 3, with a basic pay of ₹21,700 — the same level as some RRB NTPC Undergraduate posts. On top of the standard Basic + DA + HRA + Transport Allowance structure, RPF personnel also receive a Ration Money Allowance, a fixed monthly amount specific to uniformed railway security staff. See our Railway Salary guide for the full calculation.

Who Should Apply for RPF Constable?

RPF Constable suits Class 10th-pass candidates who meet the height/chest physical standards for their category and are genuinely interested in security and law-enforcement work rather than technical, clerical or engineering railway roles. If you don't expect to meet the height or chest standards for your category, it's worth checking those specific numbers before investing preparation time, since — like Group D's PET — they're hard, non-negotiable requirements rather than something exam performance can offset.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum qualification for RPF Constable?

Class 10th pass from a recognised board, with no minimum percentage or stream restriction.

Is RPF Constable recruited by RRB?

No — and as of the 2025 amendment, it isn't recruited by RPF's own process either. The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) now conducts RPF Constable (Executive) and Sub-Inspector recruitment under its CAPF selection procedure, distinct from both RRB's exams and RPF's older self-run process.

What is the height requirement for RPF Constable?

For male candidates: 170 cm for General/UR (raised from 165 cm by the October 2025 amendment). For female candidates: 157 cm. Category-specific relaxations now follow the CAPF model — confirm your category's exact figure against the current SSC notification. Chest measurement (male candidates only) is unchanged: 80 cm unexpanded / 85 cm expanded for General/UR.

What is the running requirement in RPF Constable PET?

1600 metres in under 5 minutes 45 seconds for male candidates, or 800 metres in under 3 minutes for female candidates, along with long jump and high jump components.

What is the starting salary for RPF Constable?

Basic pay starts at ₹21,700 (Pay Level 3), plus a Ration Money Allowance specific to RPF personnel on top of standard DA/HRA/Transport Allowance. See our Railway Salary guide for the full calculation.

Is there an interview for RPF Constable?

No. Selection is CBT, PET, PMT, Document Verification and Medical Examination — there's no personal interview stage.

In Summary

RPF Constable is a Class 10th-accessible entry point into railway security work, but the height and chest physical standards are hard, category-specific requirements that need checking honestly before you commit preparation time — unlike the written exam, they can't be improved through study. Confirm your category's exact physical standards and the current cycle's vacancy details from the official RPF notification before applying.

Sources

• Pay levels and entry pay: 7th Central Pay Commission report, Pay Matrix