SSC JE
Recruitment as Group B (Non-Gazetted) Junior Engineer in central bodies such as CPWD, MES, BRO, CWC and the Farakka Barrage. From 2026 it also covers JE (Telecom) and the IMD Scientific Assistant post.
Eligibility
A diploma or degree in the relevant engineering discipline. A few posts need a degree, and some accept a diploma plus experience. The 2026 cycle added new disciplines (CS/IT, Electronics & Telecommunication, Physics, Telecom) for specific posts. Upper age is 30 years for most posts and 32 for some, reckoned on 1 August 2026, with the usual category relaxation.
Age limit: Up to 30 or 32 years depending on post (reckoned on 1 Aug 2026; relaxation for reserved categories)
Exam pattern
Two computer-based papers. Paper 1 has 200 objective questions for 200 marks in 2 hours: General Intelligence and Reasoning (50), General Awareness (50) and the chosen engineering discipline (100), with 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer. From 2026, Paper 1 is only qualifying for Paper 2. Paper 2 (300 marks, 2 hours, discipline-specific objective questions with negative marking) alone decides final merit. Document verification follows.
Syllabus at a glance
The technical section covers diploma-level core subjects in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical engineering. For Civil, that means building materials, surveying, soil mechanics, hydraulics, RCC and steel design, and estimating. For Electrical, it means circuits, machines, power systems, measurements and utilisation. For Mechanical, it means thermodynamics, theory of machines, fluid mechanics, strength of materials and production. The new disciplines are tested at graduation level. Reasoning and General Awareness are at the standard SSC level.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 admit card | Late Oct 2026 (expected) | expected |
| Paper 1 (CBE) | 2 – 6 Nov 2026 | confirmed |
| Paper 1 result | Dec 2026 (expected) | expected |
| Paper 2 (CBE) | Dec 2026 – Feb 2027 (expected) | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- SSC JE Civil/Mechanical/Electrical Previous Solved Papers – MADE EASY Publications
- Objective Civil Engineering – R. Agor
- Objective Mechanical Engineering – R.S. Khurmi & J.K. Gupta
- Objective Electrical Technology – V.K. Mehta & Rohit Mehta
- Building Materials and Construction – S.K. Duggal
- Lucent's General Knowledge – Lucent Publications
How toppers play it
- From 2026, only Paper 2 counts for merit. Use Paper 1 to qualify, and put most of your preparation time into deep technical practice for Paper 2.
- Secure Reasoning in Paper 1. It is the most predictable 50 marks, and safely crossing the qualifying cut-off lets you focus on technical depth.
- Paper 2 has negative marking on high-value questions. Revise standard formulas and codal provisions (IS 456 and IS 800 for Civil) rather than guessing numerical questions.
- Solve at least eight years of SSC JE technical previous papers. Conceptual questions on materials, surveying (Civil) and machines (Electrical/Mechanical) recur often.