Complete analysis of the SSC Junior Engineer 2026 recruitment — 3,000+ expected vacancies, dual-level eligibility (Diploma and Degree), Paper I CBT pattern, Paper II descriptive syllabus, pay scale ₹35,400–₹1,12,400, and step-by-step exam decoding strategy.

SSC JE 2026 (Junior Engineer) is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission to fill Junior Engineer posts in Central Government departments — CPWD, MES, CWC, BRO, and others. It accepts both Diploma and B.E./B.Tech holders equally, making it one of the most accessible central-government exams for civil engineers. With 2,000–3,500+ vacancies expected and a Pay Level 6 salary of ₹35,400–₹1,12,400, SSC JE is the first big career milestone for most diploma-level civil engineers.

✔ SSC JE 2026 Notification expected Q3–Q4 2025. Bookmark ssc.gov.in for official release.

Conducting Body

Staff Selection Commission

Post

Junior Engineer (Civil / Mech / Elec / Q&M)

Group

Group-B Gazetted (Non-Ministerial)

Vacancies

2,000–3,500+

Eligibility

Diploma OR Degree in Civil Engg

Age Limit

18–32 years

Pay Level

Level 6

Basic Pay

₹35,400–₹1,12,400

Important Dates

📌 Dates for the 2026 cycle are tentative based on SSC Annual Calendar and past cycles. Verify on ssc.gov.in.

Event	Tentative Date	Remarks
Notification Release	Q3 2025 (expected)	Official PDF on ssc.gov.in
Application Window Opens	2–4 weeks post-notification	Online via SSC OTR portal
Application Deadline	~4 weeks after opening	Late fee window +1–2 weeks
Correction Window	1–2 weeks after close	Name, DOB, photo corrections
Admit Card — Paper I	2–3 weeks before exam	Regional SSC portal download
Paper I CBT	Jan–Mar 2026 (expected)	Computer-Based, 2 hours
Paper I Result	4–6 weeks after CBT	Region + category cut-offs declared
Paper II Descriptive	3–4 months after Paper I	Pen & paper, 2 hours
Final Result	2–3 months after Paper II	Merit + document verification

Vacancy Distribution — Department-wise

Vacancies are distributed across Central Government departments. The breakdown below is based on recent cycles (SSC JE 2023–24) and may vary for 2026:

Organization	Civil	Mechanical	Electrical	Q&M	Total (Approx)
CPWD (Central Public Works Dept)	350–500	—	200–300	—	600+
MES (Military Engineer Services)	300–400	200–300	200–300	—	800+
CWC (Central Water Commission)	100–200	—	—	—	150+
Border Roads Organisation (BRO)	100–200	50–100	—	—	200+
Farakka Barrage Project	20–50	20–40	20–40	—	80+
Dte General of Lighthouses	—	30–50	30–60	—	80+
CWPRS / NHPC / Others	50–100	20–50	30–60	20–50	200+
All Streams Combined	~1,100–1,600	~400–600	~500–800	~100–200	~2,500–3,500

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Post Applied For	Minimum Qualification
JE (Civil)	Bachelor's Degree OR 3-year Diploma in Civil Engineering from a Govt-recognised university/institution
JE (Mechanical)	Bachelor's Degree OR 3-year Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
JE (Electrical)	Bachelor's Degree OR 3-year Diploma in Electrical Engineering
JE (Quantity Surveying & Contract)	Bachelor's Degree OR 3-year Diploma in Civil Engineering

📌 Both Diploma and Degree holders are equally eligible. There is NO pay or status difference once selected — both join at Pay Level 6.

Age Limit & Relaxation

Category	Upper Age Limit	Relaxation Over General
General / EWS	32 years	—
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	35 years	+3 years
SC / ST	37 years	+5 years
PwBD — General	42 years	+10 years
PwBD — OBC	45 years	+13 years
PwBD — SC/ST	47 years	+15 years
Ex-Servicemen (General)	35 years (after deducting military service)	+3 years
Ex-Servicemen (OBC)	38 years	+6 years
Ex-Servicemen (SC/ST)	40 years	+8 years

Exam Pattern

Paper I — Computer-Based Test (CBT)

CBT — 200 Marks

Paper I is common to all engineering streams. It shortlists candidates for Paper II. Paper I marks are NOT added to the final merit — only Paper II performance determines your rank.

Section	No. of Questions	Marks	Negative Marking
Part A — General Intelligence & Reasoning	50	50	0.25 per wrong
Part B — General Awareness	50	50	0.25 per wrong
Part C — Technical (Civil / Mech / Elec as applicable)	100	100	0.25 per wrong
Total	200	200	Duration: 2 Hours

Paper II — Descriptive (Pen & Paper)

Descriptive — 300 Marks

Paper II determines your final merit rank. It is pen-and-paper, 2 hours. Candidates appear for the section corresponding to their applied post. No negative marking in Paper II.

Section	Applicable For	Marks	Duration
Part A — Civil & Structural Engineering	JE (Civil), JE (Q&M)	300	2 Hours
Part B — Electrical Engineering	JE (Electrical)	300	2 Hours
Part C — Mechanical Engineering	JE (Mechanical)	300	2 Hours

Civil Engineering Syllabus

Paper I — Part C (Technical) Syllabus

Topic Area	Key Sub-Topics	Typical Weightage
Building Materials	Bricks, stones, cement, lime, timber, steel, glass, plastics, paints	8–12 Q
Estimating, Costing & Valuation	Rate analysis, BOQ, specifications, plinth area, carpet area, depreciation	8–10 Q
Surveying	Chain survey, compass, theodolite, levelling, EDM, GPS, curves, areas	10–15 Q
Soil Mechanics	Index properties, classification, compaction, permeability, consolidation, bearing capacity	8–12 Q
Hydraulics & Fluid Mechanics	Flow types, continuity, Bernoulli, pipe flow (Darcy-Weisbach), open channel, weirs, notches	10–14 Q
Irrigation Engineering	Canal design, duty-delta-base period, dams & spillways, waterlogging, drainage	6–8 Q
Transportation Engineering	Highway geometric design, IRC codes, pavement (flexible & rigid), railway track	8–10 Q
Environmental Engineering	Water demand, treatment processes, sewage collection, STP (activated sludge), EIA	8–10 Q
Theory of Structures	SFD & BMD, trusses, deflection, slope, three-moment theorem	8–12 Q
RCC & Steel Design	IS 456, IS 800 — beams, columns, slabs, footings, connections	8–12 Q

Paper II — Part A (Civil & Structural) Syllabus

Module	Depth of Coverage	Question Type
Building Materials & Construction	Concrete mix design (IS 10262), admixtures, NDT, waterproofing, form-work	Numerical + Theory
Estimating & Costing	Earthwork (prismoidal, Trapezoidal rule), plinth & cube rate, Annual Rental Value	Numerical
Surveying	Traverse computation, Bowditch rule, contouring, photogrammetry, horizontal & vertical curves	Numerical
Soil Mechanics & Foundation	Terzaghi bearing capacity, pile capacity (static formula), slope stability (Bishop method)	Numerical
Hydraulics	Pipes in series/parallel, pump characteristic, flood routing, Manning's & Chezy's	Numerical
Irrigation	Lacey's & Kennedy's theory, design of canal, crop water requirement, reservoir routing	Numerical
Transportation	CBR method, Marshall test, sight distances, superelevation, runway design basics	Numerical + Theory
Environmental Engg	Per capita demand, Hazen-Williams, BOD/COD computation, trickling filter design	Numerical
Structural Analysis	Slope-deflection, moment distribution, portal frames, influence line diagrams	Numerical
RCC Design (IS 456)	Doubly reinforced beams, T-beams, two-way slabs, columns (short & long), footings	Numerical
Steel Design (IS 800)	Tension/compression members, beam-column, bolted & welded connections	Numerical

Selection Process

Paper I — CBT (200 Marks)

Shortlisting stage. Top ~10–12x vacancies per category qualify for Paper II based on regional cut-offs.

Paper II — Descriptive (300 Marks)

Merit-determining stage. Only Paper II marks form the final rank. Objective speed does not matter here — analytical depth does.

Document Verification

Category certificate, educational certificates, DOB proof verified at regional SSC office.

Medical Examination

Standard fitness test by government medical officer. Vision, physical fitness assessed.

Appointment Order

Issued by SSC/respective department. Posting is based on preference, merit, and vacancy matrix.

⚠ Paper I marks are NOT added to final merit. If you score 195/200 in Paper I but 180/300 in Paper II, only 180 is counted. Focus maximum preparation on Paper II.

Pay Scale & Benefits

Pay Component	Details
Pay Level	Level 6 (7th CPC Pay Matrix)
Entry Basic Pay	₹35,400/month
Maximum Basic Pay	₹1,12,400/month
Dearness Allowance (DA)	~50% of Basic Pay (revised biannually)
House Rent Allowance (HRA)	8% (X cities: 24%, Y cities: 16%, Z cities: 8%)
Transport Allowance (TA)	₹1,350–₹7,200/month (city-based)
Gross Monthly CTC (Metro)	₹58,000–₹72,000+ (in-hand ~₹50,000–₹62,000)
Pension	National Pension System (NPS)
Medical	CGHS card for employee & family
Leave	EL (30 days/year), CL (8 days), Sick Leave as per CCS rules

Application Fee

Category	Paper I Fee	Paper II Fee	Total
General / OBC / EWS	₹100	₹100	₹200
SC / ST / PwBD / Ex-Servicemen / Women	Nil	Nil	Nil (Fully Exempted)

How to Apply

Visit ssc.gov.in and complete One-Time Registration (OTR) if not already done.
Log in to your OTR account and click "Apply Now" for the SSC JE notification.
Fill Part I: Personal details, identity, communication address.
Fill Part II: Educational qualification, experience, post preference, centre preference.
Upload scanned documents: Photograph (4–12 KB, JPEG), Signature (1–12 KB, JPEG), Left Thumb Impression.
Pay application fee via SBI Net Banking, Credit/Debit Card, or UPI.
Submit and save the confirmation page with Registration ID.

Previous Year Cut-offs — Paper I (Civil, General Category)

📌 Cut-offs vary by SSC region (NR, CR, ER, SR, WR, MPR, KKR, NWR, NER, WR). Values below are indicative all-India ranges from official result notices.

Cycle	General Cut-off (Approx)	OBC	SC	ST	EWS
SSC JE 2023	136–143	127–134	117–124	106–117	131–138
SSC JE 2022	132–140	124–131	115–122	104–114	128–135
SSC JE 2019–20	125–135	117–126	108–117	97–107	N/A

SSC JE 2026 Civil Engineering Recruitment Notification: Vacancy, Eligibility, Exam Pattern & Complete Syllabus