If you sat the Railway Group D exam in August, the wait for some clarity is over. The Railway Recruitment Boards put out the provisional answer key and the individual response sheets on September 7.
This is the first real chance candidates get to work out where they stand. It is also the only chance to flag a question that looks wrong, and that window is short.
What Has Actually Been Released
Three things are available through the candidate login: the question paper as it appeared in your shift, the responses you marked, and the official correct answer against each question. The word to note is provisional — these answers can still change if enough valid challenges come in.
The computer-based test ran from August 3 to August 25 across sixteen exam days and three shifts a day. As per the board's figures, 52,39,760 candidates appeared, competing for 22,195 Level 1 posts including Track Maintainer, Pointsman, Assistant (Loco Shed) and Assistant TL & AC.
Key Dates at a Glance
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| CBT exam dates | August 3 – August 25, 2026 |
| Answer key and response sheet released | September 7, 2026 |
| Objection window closes | September 15, 2026, 5 PM |
| Objection fee | Rs 50 per question |
| Result (expected) | November 2026 |
How to Download the Response Sheet
Go to your regional RRB website — the zone you applied to, not any other — and open the CEN 09/2025 answer key link under Latest Notifications or Candidate's Corner. That takes you to the rrb.digialm.com login, where you need your registration number and date of birth or password.
Download a copy rather than only viewing it on screen. The link will not stay up forever, and you will want the file if you plan to file a challenge or compare notes later.
Calculating Your Score
The marking is one mark for a correct answer and minus one-third for a wrong one. Unattempted questions cost nothing. So the arithmetic is simply the number of correct answers minus one-third of the wrong ones.
Do not read too much into the raw figure. RRB normalises scores across shifts, because a paper set on August 5 is never exactly as hard as one set on August 20. Your final mark will move up or down from what you calculate, and cut-offs vary by zone.
Filing an Objection
If you believe an answer is wrong, log back in, pick the question, upload documentary proof supporting your claim and pay Rs 50 online. Save the acknowledgement receipt.
The fee is refunded if your challenge is upheld. What matters more is the proof — a textbook page, an official source, something a reviewer can check. A challenge with nothing attached to support it has little to go on, and the RRB's decision on each objection is final.
One practical tip that trips people up: match questions by the question ID on your response sheet, not by their position in the paper. Shuffling means question 12 in your shift may not be question 12 in someone else's.
What Happens Next
Once the window shuts, the boards review the challenges and publish a final answer key. Results are built on that key alone, so nothing raised after September 15 counts. Expect the result around November 2026, along with zone-wise cut-offs and merit lists. Candidates who clear the CBT move on to the Physical Efficiency Test.
If you are following the other big exam cycles this year, we have also covered the NEET UG 2026 result, cut-offs and counselling schedule and the NEET 2026 paper leak controversy.
Conclusion
Download the response sheet, work out your score honestly, and decide well before the deadline whether any question is worth Rs 50 and a documented challenge. Once the window closes at 5 PM on September 15, the key moves towards being final and there is no appeal after that.
Dates and figures here are compiled from Railway Recruitment Board notices and reports published up to September 8, 2026. Always confirm details on your own regional RRB website before acting on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the RRB Group D answer key 2026 released?
On September 7, 2026, for CEN 09/2025. It is accessed through the candidate login at rrb.digialm.com using your registration number and date of birth or password.
What is the last date to raise objections?
5 PM on September 15, 2026. Anything submitted after that is not considered.
How much does it cost to challenge one question?
Rs 50 per question plus bank charges, refunded if the challenge is accepted. The RRB's decision on each objection is final.
What is the marking scheme?
Plus one for a correct answer, minus one-third for a wrong one, nothing for an unattempted question.
When will the RRB Group D result 2026 come out?
Around November 2026, after normalisation and the final answer key, with zone-wise cut-offs and merit lists.