For SSC JE 2025, Paper-I contains 200 questions for 200 marks, and Paper-II contains 100 questions for 300 marks. Both are computer-based. Prepare reasoning and general awareness for Paper-I, plus the engineering branch selected in your application for both papers. This guide uses the 2025 notice; it does not establish the rules of a later cycle.
Start with the notice for your exam cycle
SSC JE recruits Junior Engineers in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical disciplines for Government of India organizations. This guide is based on the 2025 recruitment notice.
As of September 13, 2026, the application dates in that notice are historical. The Commission’s March 9, 2026 notice scheduled the 2025 cycle’s Paper-II for April 7, 2026, which is also past. A schedule alone does not confirm that an event took place.
The tentative 2026–27 calendar is not a substitute for a detailed 2026 examination notice. Later-cycle candidates should compare their own notice’s eligibility, paper scheme and syllabus before using this guide.
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025; SSC Important Notice dated 09.03.2026 — Paper-II (CBE) 7th April 2026 — ssc.gov.in notice_09032026.pdf; SSC Tentative Calendar of Examinations 2026-2027 — ssc.gov.in Tentative_Calendar2026_27_08012026.pdf
Check the requirements for the exact post
The 2025 notice gives qualifications and age limits by organization and post. A branch name alone does not establish your eligibility.
Use your target post’s row to check the accepted degree or diploma, whether experience is required, the qualifying date and any relevant conditions. Some diploma routes require additional experience; others do not.
Read the nationality, age-relaxation and documentation provisions that apply to your circumstances. Candidates considering Border Roads Organisation posts should also check its separate physical and medical requirements in the full notice.
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025
Compare the two papers
Paper-I totals 200 questions and 200 marks. Paper-II has 100 engineering questions worth 300 marks.
Both papers use objective multiple-choice questions in Hindi and English. The normal time limit is two hours per paper; the notice allows two hours and 40 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe under paragraphs 9.1–9.3.
You must attempt the engineering part matching the stream you declared in your application: Civil candidates attempt Part-A in both papers, Electrical candidates Part-B, Mechanical candidates Part-C. Attempting the wrong part leads to rejection of candidature.
| Component | Questions / marks |
|---|---|
| Paper-I: General Intelligence and Reasoning | 50 / 50 |
| Paper-I: General Awareness | 50 / 50 |
| Paper-I: your selected General Engineering part | 100 / 100 |
| Paper-I total | 200 / 200 |
| Paper-II: your selected General Engineering part | 100 / 300 |
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025
Prepare Paper-I’s common subjects
General Intelligence and Reasoning includes verbal and non-verbal reasoning. General Awareness covers current events, everyday science, and India and neighbouring countries.
The reasoning list includes analogies, classification, number series, spatial visualization, observation, relationships, problem-solving and analytical functions. For awareness, the notice names history, culture, geography, the economy, general polity and scientific research.
Use the complete list in section 14.2 to check your resources. A topic list establishes coverage; it does not tell you how many questions a particular subtopic will receive.
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025
Map the syllabus for your engineering branch
Use Part-A for Civil and Structural, Part-B for Electrical, or Part-C for Mechanical, matching the branch selected in your application.
The notice places engineering questions at approximately diploma level. Its Paper-I section gives a short branch outline, while section 14.3 expands the Paper-II topics. The table below is a navigation aid, not a replacement for the detailed syllabus.
| Branch | Areas to locate in the official syllabus |
|---|---|
| Civil and Structural | Building materials; estimating, costing and valuation; surveying; soil mechanics; hydraulics; irrigation; transportation; environmental engineering; structures, concrete, RCC and steel design. |
| Electrical | Basic concepts and circuit law; magnetic circuits; AC fundamentals; measurement; electrical machines and motors; synchronous machines; generation, transmission and distribution; estimation; electrical-energy use; electronics. |
| Mechanical | Machines and design; engineering mechanics and strength of materials; thermal engineering and cycles; engines, boilers, compressors and refrigeration; fluid mechanics and machinery; production engineering. |
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025
Understand negative marking with a worked example
In the 2025 scheme, each wrong answer loses 0.25 marks in Paper-I and 1 mark in Paper-II.
Each correct Paper-I answer is worth 1 mark; each correct Paper-II answer is worth 3. A wrong answer is therefore 1.25 or 4 marks below a correct answer, respectively. It is only 0.25 or 1 mark below leaving that question blank.
The original exercise below calculates raw marks only. It does not predict a qualifying score, cutoff or selection outcome.
Worked practice
Apply the 2025 marking rules. In Paper-I, you have 160 correct answers, 30 wrong answers and 10 unanswered questions. In Paper-II, you have 80 correct, 15 wrong and 5 unanswered. What are the two raw scores?
Reveal answer
Paper-I: 152.5 out of 200. Paper-II: 225 out of 300.
Paper-I: 160 × 1 − 30 × 0.25 = 160 − 7.5 = 152.5. Paper-II: 80 × 3 − 15 × 1 = 240 − 15 = 225. Unanswered questions earn no marks and incur no wrong-answer deduction. Both question totals match the respective papers.
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025
Practise with the permitted on-screen aids
The 2025 notice provides for an on-screen scientific calculator and the IS 456:2000 and Steam Table references when required.
The Table of IS 456:2000 and the Steam Table appear under the 'Useful Data' option next to 'Instructions'. You access the relevant table button for reference throughout the examination and click 'Close' after referring to it. A scientific calculator icon sits to the left of your application image and remains available for the full duration.
No physical tables or calculators are permitted inside the exam lab. Practise using an on-screen calculator before exam day, since button layouts differ from a physical device.
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025
Keep raw marks separate from merit
SSC’s notice provides for normalization of multi-shift scores and for normalization between Mechanical and Electrical Paper-II scores.
Normalized scores are used for final merit and cutoffs under the notice. A raw-score calculation helps you understand marking, but it is not the complete selection calculation. Check the Commission’s results notices and final answer keys for the applicable cycle.
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025
Build a focused preparation checklist
Cover both common Paper-I subjects and your selected branch, then use practice errors to decide what needs attention.
As a study suggestion, map each official syllabus topic to a resource and a set of practice questions. Record whether a mistake came from a missing concept, a calculation, a unit, or an overlooked condition. Review the cause before repeating the question.
- Confirm the exact cycle and branch before using a topic list.
- Use the detailed branch syllabus to check for gaps.
- Include reasoning and awareness in Paper-I preparation.
- Practise timed sets and record correct, wrong and unanswered totals.
- Check solutions against reliable engineering references; a syllabus heading alone does not establish a formula.
- Review the current admission instructions and any approved accommodation arrangements.
Official sources: Notice — Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical & Electrical) Examination, 2025 — ssc.gov.in Notice of adv JE 2025; SSC Important Notice dated 09.03.2026 — Paper-II (CBE) 7th April 2026 — ssc.gov.in notice_09032026.pdf
Official sources
Facts checked: