Railway Board Allows Third Chance for JAA Appendix-II Exam Beyond Four-Year Limit

In a significant relief to Junior Accounts Assistants (JAA) in the Indian Railways, the Railway Board has decided to allow a third chance to appear in the Appendix-II (IREM) Examination even beyond the prescribed four-year period of service, subject to certain conditions.

The decision has been communicated through RBA No. 31/2025, issued by the Ministry of Railways, following a review of long-standing representations regarding delays in conducting departmental examinations RBA-No_-31-2025 (1).

According to the Railway Board, Zonal Railways and Production Units may now permit eligible JAAs to avail their third attempt after completion of four years of service, with the approval of the General Manager and on the specific recommendation of the Principal Financial Adviser (PFA). The relaxation is intended to address situations where candidates could not be provided with their second or third chance within the stipulated time frame due to administrative or procedural constraints.

The circular recalls that earlier, under a Railway Board letter dated June 28, 1995, the power to grant the third chance within four years was delegated to the General Manager on the recommendation of the FA&CAO. The latest decision extends this flexibility only in respect of the time limit, without altering the overall framework of the examination system.

Importantly, the Railway Board has clarified that there is no increase in the number of permissible chances. Junior Accounts Assistants will continue to have only the existing number of attempts as prescribed under the rules. All other conditions governing the Appendix-II (IREM) Examination will remain unchanged.

The Board has also emphasised that while granting such relaxation, Zonal Railways must record the reasons explaining why examinations could not be conducted in a manner that would have enabled candidates to exhaust their chances within the normal three- or four-year period.

The order has been circulated to all Zonal Railways and Production Units for immediate implementation, and is expected to benefit a section of JAAs who were adversely affected by examination delays beyond their control.

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