Pattern
SSC JE — SSC JE exam pattern 2026: Paper 1, Paper 2, marks, time and negative marking
The Junior Engineer examination has two objective papers and no interview. Paper 1 mixes reasoning and general awareness with a 100-mark engineering section and is qualifying; Paper 2 is engineering only, 300 marks, and is the entire merit list. Since 2023 both papers have been computer-based, and the 2026 notice keeps the scheme while adding Scientific Assistant in IMD and JE (Telecom) as separate post groups with their own engineering parts.
SSC JE Paper 1 exam pattern 2026. Objective; Hindi and English; one mark per question; 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer; no sectional timer.| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
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| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 50 | 50 | 2 hours for the paper (2 hours 40 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates) |
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| General Awareness | 50 | 50 | |
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| General Engineering — Part A Civil and Structural, Part B Electrical, Part C Mechanical; Part D Computer Science and IT, Part E Electronics and Telecommunication, Part F Physics for Scientific Assistant in IMD; Part G Telecommunication for JE (Telecom) | 100 | 100 | |
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| Total | 200 | 200 | |
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SSC JE Paper 2 exam pattern 2026. Objective; three marks per question; one mark deducted per wrong answer.| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
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| General Engineering in the same part as Paper 1 | 100 | 300 | 2 hours (2 hours 40 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates) |
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How the papers are scored
- Paper 1 is qualifying — Candidates above the minimum qualifying marks are shortlisted for Paper 2 on normalised Paper 1 marks, through separate merit lists for JE (Civil), JE (Electrical and Mechanical), Scientific Assistant in IMD and JE (Telecom). Paper 1 marks are not added afterwards.
- Paper 2 is the merit list — Normalised Paper 2 marks decide the rank; the post preferences and the fix/float sliding decide the organisation.
- Minimum qualifying marks in both papers — 30 per cent for UR, 25 for OBC and EWS, 20 for all other categories.
- Negative marking differs between the papers — 0.25 per wrong answer against one mark in Paper 1; one mark against three in Paper 2. A three-option guess breaks even in Paper 1 and loses in Paper 2.
- Reference tables on screen — The IS 456:2000 tables and steam tables are provided on the console under Useful Data where the discipline requires them; nothing may be carried in.
Where the engineering marks are, by discipline
- Civil and Structural (Part A) — Building materials, estimating and costing, surveying, soil mechanics, hydraulics, irrigation, transportation and environmental engineering; structural engineering with theory of structures, concrete technology, RCC design and steel design.
- Electrical (Part B) — Basic concepts, circuit law, magnetic circuits, AC fundamentals, measurement and instruments, electrical machines, fractional-kilowatt motors and single-phase motors, synchronous machines, generation, transmission and distribution, estimation and costing, utilisation, basic electronics.
- Mechanical (Part C) — Theory of machines and machine design, engineering mechanics and strength of materials, thermodynamics and its properties, air standard cycles, IC engines, boilers, refrigeration and air conditioning, fluid mechanics and machinery, production engineering.
For reference, the JE 2025 cycle shortlisted candidates for Paper 2 on 6 March 2026, held Paper 2 in April, and recommended 1,731 candidates in the final result of 3 August 2026 after the first round of tentative allocation on 9 July and the sliding process on 20–21 July.
