OVERVIEW

SSC JE (Staff Selection Commission Junior Engineer) is a national-level examination conducted to recruit Junior Engineers for various departments of the Central Government. The selection process is carried out in two stages – Paper I and Paper II.

Exam Name: Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical)
Conducting Authority: Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Purpose: Recruitment of Junior Engineers in Central Government departments
Exam Level: National
Exam Dates: 3rd to 6th December 2025
Official Website: https://ssc.gov.in/

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Candidates applying for SSC JE 2025 must meet the required educational qualifications and age limits as mentioned in the official notification.

Nationality

The candidate must be:

• A citizen of India, or

• A subject of Nepal, or

• A subject of Bhutan, or

• A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 with the intention of permanent settlement, or

• A person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, or East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, Vietnam) with the intention of settling permanently in India.

Candidates belonging to the above special categories must possess a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India.

Age Limit

The upper age limit varies depending on the department.

Most departments: Up to 30 years
CPWD: Up to 32 years

Departments include:
Border Roads Organization
Brahmaputra Board
Central Water Commission
Central Public Works Department (CPWD)
Central Water and Power Research Station
DGQA-NAVAL (Ministry of Defence)
Farakka Barrage Project
Military Engineer Services (MES)
National Technical Research Organization (NTRO)

Age Relaxation

SC/ST: 5 years
OBC: 3 years
PwD: 10 years
PwD + OBC: 13 years
PwD + SC/ST: 15 years
Ex-Servicemen: 3 years after deduction of military service
Disabled Defence Personnel: 3 years
Disabled Defence Personnel (SC/ST): 8 years
Jammu & Kashmir domicile (1980–1989): 5 years

Educational Qualifications

The required qualification depends on the department and post. In general:

Civil Engineering: Degree or Diploma from a recognized institution
Electrical / Mechanical Engineering: Degree or Diploma from a recognized institution

Some departments such as Border Roads Organization, MES, and DGQA require two years of relevant work experience along with a diploma.

Departments include:
Border Roads Organization
Brahmaputra Board
Central Water Commission
CPWD
Central Water & Power Research Station
DGQA-NAVAL
Farakka Barrage Project
Military Engineer Services
NTRO

EXAM PATTERN

The SSC JE examination consists of two papers. Both are Computer-Based Tests (CBT) and contain objective-type multiple-choice questions.

Paper I

General Intelligence & Reasoning: 50 questions – 50 marks
General Awareness: 50 questions – 50 marks
General Engineering (Civil/Electrical/Mechanical): 100 questions – 100 marks

Total: 200 questions – 200 marks
Duration: 120 minutes (160 minutes with scribe)
Negative marking: 0.25 marks for each wrong answer

Paper II

Mode: Computer-Based Test
Total Marks: 300
Duration: 120 minutes (160 minutes with scribe)
Negative marking: 1 mark for each wrong answer

Candidates must attempt only one section based on their engineering branch.

Medium of Examination

The question paper will be available in both English and Hindi.

Minimum Qualifying Marks

UR: 30%
OBC/EWS: 25%
Other categories: 20%

Tie-Breaking Criteria

If two or more candidates score equal marks:

1. Higher marks in Paper II

2. Older candidate will be given preference

3. Alphabetical order of the candidate’s name

Normalization of Marks

If the examination is conducted in multiple shifts, scores will be normalized to ensure fairness across different difficulty levels.

EXAM SYLLABUS

Paper I includes three main sections:

1. General Intelligence and Reasoning

2. General Awareness

3. Technical Subjects (Civil / Electrical / Mechanical)

General Intelligence & Reasoning

Analogies, similarities, differences
Spatial visualization and orientation
Problem solving and decision making
Coding-decoding and syllogism
Number series and classification
Venn diagrams and directions
Non-verbal reasoning and critical thinking

General Awareness

Current affairs (national and international)
History, geography, and culture
Indian polity and economy
General science and scientific research
Important events, sports, awards, books and authors
Environmental issues and government schemes

Technical Subjects

Candidates must attempt only one section based on their branch.

Civil Engineering:
Building materials, surveying, soil mechanics
Hydraulics and irrigation
Transportation and environmental engineering
Structural engineering, RCC, steel design

Electrical Engineering:
Basic electrical concepts and circuit laws
AC fundamentals and electrical machines
Power generation, transmission and distribution
Measuring instruments and basic electronics

Mechanical Engineering:
Engineering mechanics and strength of materials
Thermodynamics and power cycles
Fluid mechanics and machinery
Production engineering and industrial engineering
Refrigeration and air conditioning

SELECTION PROCESS

1. Candidates must qualify Paper I to be eligible for Paper II.

2. Shortlisting for Paper II is done based on normalized Paper I marks.

3. Final merit is prepared based on the combined performance in Paper I and Paper II.

4. Post allocation is done according to merit and candidate preference.

5. If a candidate does not meet the medical or other requirements of the allotted post, the candidature will be cancelled and no alternative post will be provided.

6. Eligibility conditions will be verified at different stages. If found ineligible at any stage, the candidature will be cancelled.

7. Selected candidates will undergo a probation period of two years along with required training.

8. Candidates appointed through SSC JE may be posted anywhere in India (All India Service Liability).