UPSC also conducts some other major exams, Civil Services, Engineering Services, CDS, and NDA. Moreover, the aspirant must have completed the 10+2 means of education to apply for the test. Candidates possessing a graduation degree from a recognized university can also apply for this examination.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) have their headquarters located at Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi- 110069. UPSC SCRA Exam helps to employ skilled graduates for the Class I officer post in the Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineering.
The following table shows relevant information about the UPSC SCRA 2021 Exam.
| Exam Name |
Union Public Service Commission Special Class Railway Apprentice (UPSC SCRA) |
| Level of the Exam |
National |
| Mode of test |
Offline |
| Frequency |
Once every year |
| Eligibility |
Aspirants should clear the 10+2 qualification from a recognized board or institute. |
| Organizing Authority |
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Total Score (written exam) |
600 Marks |
| Total Score (personality test) |
200 marks |
| Negative Marking |
No negative deductions |
| Age Limit |
17-21 years |
| Official site |
www.upsc.gov.in |
UPSC SCRA Highlights
- Before applying for the exam, candidates must verify their eligibility criteria for admissions.
- The application form, admit card, result, etc. to be released in online mode only.
- No need to send hard copies of the application form etc., documents to the UPSC office.
- Students who cleared both the written and the personality tests are eligible for admissions.
- Based on the document verification and eligibility criteria fulfillment, enrolment is finally determined.
UPSC SCRA Exam Notification
The Union Public Service Commission releases an official notification for the SCRA Exam. For the current year, UPSC is yet to announce the SCRA 2021 Notification. Aspirants who wish to build their careers in the governmental department can check all the essential information about the UPSC SCRA 2021 Exam notification once it is released. It includes eligibility criteria, age limits, application form details, the application process, and the number of vacancies for the year. UPSC SCRA Examination will provide candidates with decent remuneration and job security. Candidates should regularly check the official website of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for updates. The UPSC SCRA 2021 Notification can probably come out in October 2021. Since 2015, UPSC discontinued this exam, with no further information provided of conducting it in the future.
Following are the estimated dates for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Recruitment.
| Events |
Dates/Information |
| Name of the Organization |
Union Public Service Commission |
| Name of the Post |
Special Class Railway Apprentice |
| Applying Mode |
Online |
| UPSC SCRA 2021- Notification |
October 2021 (Estimate) |
| Online form for UPSC SCRA 2021 availability |
October 2021 (Estimate) |
| Last date for UPSC SCRA 2021 application |
November 2021(Estimate) |
The actual dates for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Recruitment are as follows.
| Events |
Dates/Information |
| Name of the Organization |
Union Public Service Commission |
| Name of the Post |
Special Class Railway Apprentice |
| Applying Mode |
Online |
| UPSC SCRA 2021- Notification |
Yet to be released |
| Online form for UPSC SCRA 2021 availability |
Yet to be released |
| Last date for UPSC SCRA 2021 application |
Yet to be released |
UPSC SCRA 2021- Exam Date
The official website for the UPSC SCRA does not have exam dates published. The exact dates will get updated upon the release of the official notification.
- When the registration portal opens, aspirants can begin filling the UPSC SCRA application form on the website. Aspirants should take great caution filling it before the last date of registration.
- Offline mode will be the mode of conduct for the UPSC Special Class Railway Apprentice 2021 examination.
Estimated dates for upcoming UPSC SCRA 2021 events:
| Events |
Date |
| The release date for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Notification |
October 2021 |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Online Application Form Availability |
October 2021 |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Last date to apply |
November 2021 |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Admit Card release date |
December 2021 |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Exam Date |
Yet to be released |
| Result declaration for UPSC SCRA 2021 |
Yet to be released |
The commission decides when to schedule the UPSC SCRA Exam every year. Candidates should know the dates of the following events related to the UPSC SCRA Exam.
| Events |
Date |
| The release date for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Notification |
Yet to be released |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Online Application Form Availability |
Yet to be released |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Last date to apply |
Yet to be released |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Admit Card release date |
Yet to be released |
| UPSC SCRA 2021 Exam Date |
Yet to be released |
| Result declaration for UPSC SCRA 2021 |
Yet to be released |
Know More – UPSC SCRA Important Date & Notifications
UPSC SCRA 2021- Application Fee
Candidates have to pay the Application Fee using any available online means such as debit card, credit card, net banking, etc. Additionally, aspirants can use challan to pay offline.
Different categories of candidates need to pay/ are exempt from paying the application fees.
| Category |
Fee |
| General, OC, and OBC Category |
INR 100/- |
| SC, ST, PWD, and Female |
Exempt |
Fees may or may not change over time. Hence to update themselves with the latest changes, candidates should check the official Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) website from time to time. Candidates can also pay their fees on the www.upsc.gov.in website.
UPSC SCRA 2021- Eligibility Criteria
- Educational Qualifications
- Prospects should clear the 10+2 stage from a recognized Board/University.
- Aspirants should have chosen Mathematics as one subject along with Physics/Chemistry as a compulsory subject.
- Recruits need a minimum score of 2nd division in their 10+2.
- Prospects have scored a minimum of 2nd division to clear their first year of their three-year graduation.
- Aspirants should clear their pre-engineering level with a minimum of the 2nd division grade.
- The candidate must score at least 45% in 12th grade.
Nationality
Candidates who wish to apply must either be:
- An Indian Citizen, a subject of Nepal or a subject of Bhutan
- A refugee from Tibet, who came to India before 1st January 1962, intends to settle permanently in India.
- A person of Indian Origin who migrated from Burma, Sri Lanka, East African Countries of Kenya, Pakistan, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zaire, and Vietnam, intends to settle permanently in India.
Age Limit
- Prospects should be at least 17 years old as of 1st January 2021.
- Candidates should not be older than 21 years as of 1st January 2021.
Age Relaxation
Candidates belonging to some categories have age relaxation. UPSC states these relaxations as follows:
| Category |
Age Relaxation |
| SC/ST |
5 years |
| OBC |
3 years |
| Residence in Jammu and Kashmir |
5years |
| Defense Services Candidates |
3years |
| Ex-Serviceman/Military Services/ECOs/SSCOs |
5 years |
UPSC SCRA 2021- Vacancies
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Special Class Railway Apprentices (SCRA) Exam to recruit candidates for the Class I officers posts in the Indian Railways Service of Mechanical Engineering. In other words, it offers a total of 42 vacancies for positions through the SCRA 2021 recruitment. SC/ST and OBC category candidates can apply for reservations within this vacancy. These vacancies may differ from what the several ministries require.
UPSC Vacancy List (Overall)
For the past few years, the following are the UPSC Vacancies:
| UPSC Vacancy |
Year |
| 712 |
2021 |
| 796 |
2020 |
| 896 |
2019 |
| 782 |
2018 |
| 980 |
2017 |
| 1079 |
2016 |
| 1164 |
2015 |
| 1364 |
2014 |
| 1228 |
2013 |
UPSC SCRA 2021- Salary
Special Class Railway Apprentices (SCRAs) get recruited after clearing their 10+2 through the UPSC SCRA Exam.
Students who had Physics, Chemistry, and Maths as their subjects can appear for the SCRA Exam. Candidates clearing the Online written exam and the interview can attend a four-year training program with a stipend. It is said to vary every year.
For the 1st and 2nd years, it will be INR 9100/- per month. In the 3rd year, it will be INR 9400/- per month. During the 4th year, for the first half, the stipend will be INR 9400/- and for the next half, it will be INR 9700/-.
Additionally, candidates are entitled to leave for a month with a stipend for the same period. They also get medical facilities free of cost in railway hospitals and traveling facilities by providing passes and privilege tickets. The table below shows the same data more accurately:
| Period |
Salary/Stipend |
| First Year |
INR 9100/- per month |
| Second Year |
INR 9100/- per month |
| Third Year |
INR 9400/- per month |
| Fourth Year (First Half) |
INR 9400/- per month |
| Fourth Year (Second Half) |
INR 9700/- per month |
UPSC SCRA 2021- Syllabus
Prospects should prepare from the topics of the entire syllabus to fare well in the exam.
The following list shows which topics the UPSC SCRA 2021 Exam syllabus includes.
| Subjects |
Topics |
| General Ability |
Vocabulary, History, English language, General knowledge, etc. |
| Physical Science |
Current, Electromagnetic induction, Electricity, Biochemistry, Polymer, etc. |
| Mathematics |
Matrices, Trigonometry, Calculus, Algebra, Probability, Determinants, etc. |
- General Ability
- English Language: Candidates are evaluated based on their understanding and their command of the language.
- General Knowledge: Candidates are evaluated based on their general awareness of their surroundings and how it applies to the society.
- Constitution of India and its characteristics
- Politics, History, and Society in India.
- Social disorganization in India
- Money
- Physical Sciences
- Physics: Length measurements using vernier, screw gauge, spherometer, and optical lever. Measurement of time and mass. Moment of a force, couple. Law of Gravitation by Newton. Escape velocity, acceleration due to gravity. Microscopes and telescopes, defects of vision. Prisms, deviation, and dispersion, Minimum deviation, Visible spectrum, etc.
- Chemistry: Chemical Bonding, electrovalent, covalent, coordinate covalent bonds. Bond Properties, sigma and Pie bonds, simple molecule shapes like water, hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ammonium chloride. Energy changes in a chemical reaction. Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions. Application of First Law of Thermodynamics, Law of constant heat summation by Hess.
- Mathematics
- Algebra: Concept of a set, Union and Intersection of sets, Complement of a set, Null set, Universal set and Power set, Venn diagrams, and simple applications. Representation of real numbers on a line. Complex numbers: Modulus, Argument, Algebraic operations on complex numbers.
- Trigonometry
- Analytic Geometry (two dimensions)
- Differential Calculus
- Vectors and their applications
- Statistics and probability
UPSC SCRA 2021- Exam Pattern
The UPSC SRCA Exam Pattern helps candidates prepare for the exam more efficiently.
- Students need to appear for the exam through online means.
- Each subject of the SRCA Exam consists of 200 marks each with a 2-hour duration.
- Prospects score a mark per correct answer.
- Negative marking takes place for every wrong answer.
- The interview phase comes after the written examination if candidates can clear the latter.
UPSC SCRA Phase I:
This phase consists of subjects such as Physical Science, Mathematics, and General Ability Test.
| Subjects |
Duration |
Weightage |
| Physical Sciences |
2 hours |
200 marks |
| Mathematics |
2 hours |
200 marks |
| General Ability |
2 hours |
200 marks |
UPSC SCRA Phase II:
Prospects who pass the written test qualify for a personality test. However, this phase weighs in total to 200 marks compared to the total 600 mark phase I.
| Subjects |
Duration |
Weightage |
| Personality Test |
2 hours |
200 marks |
Know More – UPSC SCRA Exam Pattern and Syllabus
UPSC SCRA 2021- Admit Card
- The admit card will be available to download by the conducting authority on the official website.
- The Candidates can do so from the official website as it will get released 15-20 days before the examination.
- Candidates need to input their application number, password, and date of birth to download the admit card.
- It will consist of the details of a candidate and the venue of the examination.
The applicant needs to carry the admit card to the venue and some ID proof with them. Those without the admit card will not be allowed to give the examination. Candidates should keep their Admit Cards safe throughout the examination process.
Know More – UPSC SCRA Admit Card and Interview call letter
UPSC SCRA 2021- Results
- Candidates can check their SCRA 2021 result from the official website when it will get announced.
- Applicants will qualify if they score more than the prescribed cut-off.
- A merit list of the candidates is prepared based on the marks obtained in the written exam.
- Shortlisted candidates get invited to take part in the personality test.
- Candidates who need to report for their personality test must carry their original certificates for document verification on the same day.
- The applicants who clear the personality test and who verify their documents successfully get offered final admissions.
- UPSC announces the SCRA 2021 results after two months of the examination.
Know More – UPSC SCRA Result & Cut off Marks
How to Apply?
Prospects interested in enrolling for the SCRA exam need to fill the UPSC SCRA Application Form. They should fill the form with correct, authentic information and filling in all the mandatory fields. Candidates aspiring for UPSC SCRA 2021 need to fill the latest application form accordingly.
Candidates need to follow the given steps to fill the application form.
- Prospects need to visit the UPSC official website using the ‘upsc.gov.in’ link.
- The link directs candidates to the homepage. Here, they need to click on the “UPSC SCRA Registration form” tab.
- They also have to communicate the necessary details to complete the registration process.
Fields to fill in UPSC SCRA Application Form
UPSC SCRA Registration form Part-I:
- Personal Detail Section: Aspirants need to fill in their Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Father’s Name, Mother’s Name, Nationality, Marital Status, Physically challenged, Community, etc. Candidates have to mention their name, which is also present on their HSC or matriculation certificates.
- Qualification details: Students should select their educational qualifications from the drop-down box in the form.
- Address Section: Prospects have to enter their House/Building No, Street Name, City, District, State, Pincode, Mobile Number, Email ID in the form. They need to mention their active Email ID for helping the center to communicate with them.
- Click ‘Continue’ to commence with the Part-II of the registration form.
UPSC SCRA Registration Part-II:
Students can begin filling the Part-II registration form only after completing the first part. Candidates need to log in before filling the Part-II registration form. Registration Part-II consists of three subparts:
- UPSC SRCA- Application Fee payment: Students need to pay their application fees through any available online payment modes such as debit card/credit card/net banking and offline mode by using challan. Candidates who belong to the OC/OBC or general category need to pay the application fee of INR 100/-, candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PWD/Female category are exempt from paying the application fee.
- UPSC SRCA- Exam Center: Prospects need to choose their exam center as they prefer. Those who are can not get their preferred exam centers due to the ceiling should choose from the remaining available exam centers on the portal.
- Students need to accept the given declaration only after they read it.
- Tap on the ‘Submit’ Option to finish the UPSC SCRA Application form.
FAQs
Q. When will UPSC release the SCRA application form?
UPSC has yet to announce the dates for releasing the SCRA application form. Candidates can expect them to arrive with the release of the UPSC SCRA 2021 notification.
Q. When will UPSC conduct the SCRA examination for the year 2020-21?
Candidates are waiting for UPSC to reveal the key dates in their notification. Tentative dates state the exam to be in December 2021.
Q. Did UPSC release any updates regarding the SCRA examination in 2020?
Since UPSC discontinued the exam in 2015, there were no updates relating to the SCRA examination in 2020. Students should regularly check the official website for the latest updates.
Q. Can students appearing for their 11th grade apply for the SCRA Examination?
The eligibility criteria for the SCRA examination require the candidate to clear 10+2 grades to apply for it. Hence a student appearing for their 11th grade cannot apply for the SCRA Examination.
Q. Do the female category candidates need to pay their application fee?
Students from the SC/ST/PWD and female category do not need to pay for their applications. UPSC exempts them from doing so.
Recently Asked Questions
Q. Can students who opted for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology during their 10+2 grade apply for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Exam?
The only eligible candidates who can apply for the UPSC SCRA 2021 exam are those who opted for Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
Q. What is the duration of the Online written test for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Examination?
Students have to appear for three subjects which have a duration of 2 hours each. Combining all these subjects, Phase I of the SCRA exam consists of 600 marks of questions. These questions should be attempted and 6 hours of duration in total.
Q. Can students who cleared their first graduation year apply for the UPSC SCRA Exam?
The educational qualification criteria state that the prospect must have completed their freshman year of graduation with a score of at least 2nd division in the examination.
Q. Is there any relaxation for age limits for reserved categories of candidates to apply for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Examination?
Candidates who wish to apply for the UPSC SCRA 2021 Examination should have their age fall between the limit of 17-21 years. Some candidates who belong to the reserved categories are eligible to get relaxation in their age limits.
SC/ST- 5 years
OC/OBC- 3 years
Defense service personnel: 3 years.
Q. What is the UPSC SCRA examination? How is it beneficial?
It is an entrance exam that the UPSC organizes to assess the interested candidates and shortlist them for positions within the railway department. It is a golden opportunity for candidates seeking to build their careers in the railway industry. They are entitled to many privileges. Some of these privileges are one month of paid leave, traveling privileges, decent remuneration, etc.
