RRB Station Master CBAT 2026 — 42 T-Score in every battery, 70:30 merit, and A-2 medical certificate

The Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) is a separate qualifying stage after the single CBT. The RRB shortlists candidates for it generally up to eight times RRB-wise vacancies; the administration may adjust that ratio to operational need. The candidate's own RRB choice is therefore central to this stage, not a nationwide combined list of applicants irrespective of board.

What the notification actually fixes

The qualifying criterion applies independently to every battery. Even if overall aptitude performance seems strong, falling below 42 in any required battery means the test is not qualified for Station Master. T-Score is not interchangeable with a percentage of raw correct answers. No official numeric distribution of questions, CBAT duration or names/count of batteries is supplied in CEN 08/2026, so those figures should not be borrowed from an older notice or invented as a 2026 pattern.

Why CBAT changes the result of a good CBT score

Passing CBT may permit an invitation to CBAT; it does not automatically settle final ranking. Candidates must first cross the per-battery 42 T-Score threshold. For those who do, final merit is drawn using the stated 70:30 contribution from CBT and CBAT. A comparison of two applicants can change if one has stronger aptitude performance, but the CEN does not declare hypothetical merit cut-offs for any board or community. Candidates shortlisted at the CBT stage by using reserved benefits continue under the corresponding categories at later stages as explained in the CEN.

A-2 vision proof must be ready before the aptitude test

The eye specialist certificate is not an optional afterthought. Original Vision Certificate in the official Annexure VI or VI-A form has to be produced when appearing for CBAT; failing to produce it prevents admission to CBAT. Station Master is a safety-sensitive position with A-2 medical standard: distant and near visual acuity without glasses, and colour, binocular, night and myopic-vision requirements. LASIK or other corrective refractive surgery is specifically disqualifying in this recruitment. Government railway medical verification still follows at the final stage.

What an applicant should check beforehand

• Whether the required unaided visual acuity and other A-2 tests can be met, rather than assuming a passing everyday vision check is sufficient.
• Whether the original Annexure VI or VI-A certificate is accurately filled by the appropriate eye specialist; the prescribed railway format matters.
• Whether the chosen application RRB is correct, because an RRB change is not permitted in the correction window.
• Whether the candidate can perform CBAT using the stated English/Hindi choice and understands the distinction between qualifying T-Score and final weighted merit.

DV tie-breaking and outcome

Only CBAT-qualified candidates are considered for 70:30 combined merit. For document verification, the RRB normally calls candidates in a number equal to its vacancies (1:1). The older candidate outranks a younger one on an exact merit tie; if their age is identical, the alphabetically earlier given name comes first. At DV, original education, category, age and eligibility proofs are verified. Medical fitness and railway vacancy availability remain essential. RRB recommends successful candidates; the railway administration issues appointment orders.

Avoid three common misunderstandings

CBAT is not described as a conventional 100-mark MCQ paper. The official rule is a T-Score minimum in each battery; a guessed fixed number of questions would be misleading.

Category concessions do not lower the T-Score standard. The notification specifically disallows relaxation below 42 in any battery, irrespective of category.

CBAT qualification alone does not guarantee a job. The combined rank, DV and A-2 medical fit decision still control the final outcome.

For aptitude-test candidate guidance, the notice points candidates to the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Traffic and Psychology → Psychology → Candidate's Corner. Use that official destination for process-specific guidance rather than treating a private practice questionnaire as a 2026 official paper.

Primary authority: CEN 08/2026, paragraphs 15.2 and 15.3, and paragraph 6 (medical standard and prescribed vision certificates).