SSC JE Eligibility Criteria 2026: Check Age Limit, Qualification, Post-Wise

Oct 13 2026

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The SSC JE eligibility criteria 2026 depend on the post you choose. You need a degree or diploma in the relevant engineering branch, and some diploma holders also need two or three years of work experience. The age limit is 18 to 30 years (32 for CPWD and DGLL posts) as on 1 August 2026. The SSC JE 2026 notification was released on 2 September 2026 for 1,748 posts, applications closed on 22 September, and Paper 1 will be held from 2 to 6 November 2026.

SSC JE Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Overview

Here are the main eligibility conditions for SSC JE 2026 at a glance.

Particulars	Details
Exam	SSC Junior Engineer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Telecom) and Scientific Assistant Examination 2026
Conducting body	Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Vacancies	1,748 (tentative) in 13 departments
Educational qualification	Degree or diploma in the relevant engineering branch; B.Sc. Physics also accepted for Scientific Assistant
Work experience	Required for diploma holders in BRO, MES, DGQA-NAVAL (2 years) and DGLL (3 years)
Age limit	18 to 30 years; up to 32 years for CPWD and DGLL
Age cut-off date	1 August 2026
Nationality	Indian citizen or other notified category

SSC JE Educational Qualification 2026

The SSC JE educational qualification is set separately for each department and branch. Some posts accept only a diploma, some accept a degree or diploma, and some accept a diploma only with relevant work experience. Check the exact rule for the post you want before you apply.

SSC JE Educational Qualification for Civil Engineering

JE Civil has the most departments. Here is the qualification for each.

Department	Required Qualification
Border Roads Organisation (BRO)	Degree in Civil Engineering, or 3-year Diploma in Civil Engineering with 2 years of experience
Brahmaputra Board	3-year Diploma in Civil Engineering
Central Water Commission (CWC)	Degree or Diploma in Civil Engineering
Central Public Works Department (CPWD)	Diploma in Civil Engineering
Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS)	Diploma in Civil Engineering
Farakka Barrage Project	Diploma in Civil Engineering
Military Engineer Services (MES)	Degree in Civil Engineering, or 3-year Diploma with 2 years of experience
National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO)	Diploma in Civil Engineering
Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL)	Degree in Civil Engineering, or Diploma with 3 years of experience
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying	Degree or 3-year Diploma in Civil Engineering

SSC JE Educational Qualification for Mechanical Engineering

JE Mechanical posts are in four departments.

Department	Required Qualification
Border Roads Organisation (BRO)	Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or 3-year Diploma in Electrical, Automobile or Mechanical Engineering with 2 years of experience
Central Water Commission (CWC)	Degree or Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
DGQA-NAVAL, Ministry of Defence	Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or 3-year Diploma with 2 years of experience
Military Engineer Services (MES)	Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering, or 3-year Diploma with 2 years of experience

SSC JE Educational Qualification for Electrical Engineering

JE Electrical posts accept Electrical diplomas in most departments, and CPWD also accepts a Mechanical diploma.

Department	Required Qualification
Central Public Works Department (CPWD)	Diploma in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering
Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS)	Diploma in Electrical Engineering
Farakka Barrage Project	Diploma in Electrical Engineering
DGQA-NAVAL, Ministry of Defence	Degree in Electrical Engineering, or 3-year Diploma with 2 years of experience
Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL)	Degree in Electrical Engineering, or Diploma with 3 years of experience
BRO and MES (Electrical and Mechanical)	As given in the Mechanical table above

SSC JE Telecom and Scientific Assistant Qualification

Two posts were added in 2026, and they open the exam to more branches. JE Telecom in the Department of Telecommunications needs a B.E./B.Tech in Electrical, Electronics, Computer Science, Telecommunication, IT or Instrumentation. Scientific Assistant in the India Meteorological Department accepts a B.Sc. with Physics, or a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electronics, Electronics and Communication, Instrumentation, IT or Telecommunication. Read more on whether a B.Sc. student can apply for SSC JE.

SSC JE Diploma vs Degree Eligibility

Both degree and diploma holders can apply, but not for every post. This table shows where each is accepted.

Qualification	Posts You Can Apply For
Diploma only	CPWD, CWPRS, Farakka Barrage, NTRO, Brahmaputra Board, CWC, Ministry of Fisheries
Diploma + 2 years of experience	BRO, MES, DGQA-NAVAL
Diploma + 3 years of experience	DGLL
Degree (B.E./B.Tech)	All posts where a degree is listed, including BRO, MES, DGQA-NAVAL, DGLL, CWC, Ministry of Fisheries and JE Telecom
B.Sc. Physics	Scientific Assistant (IMD) only

Your branch must also match the post. A Civil Engineering degree, for example, does not qualify you for a Mechanical or Electrical post.

SSC JE Age Limit 2026

The SSC JE age limit 2026 is counted as on 1 August 2026. For most posts it is 18 to 30 years, and for JE Civil and JE Electrical in CPWD and DGLL it is up to 32 years.

Maximum Age	Eligible Date of Birth
Up to 30 years	2 August 1996 to 1 August 2008
Up to 32 years	2 August 1994 to 1 August 2008

There is no limit on the number of attempts, so you can keep appearing while you are within the age limit. See how many attempts you get in SSC JE for details.

SSC JE Age Limit for Different Departments

Here is the upper age limit for each department and post.

Department	Post	Upper Age Limit
Border Roads Organisation (BRO)	JE Civil, JE Electrical and Mechanical	30 years
Brahmaputra Board	JE Civil	30 years
Central Water Commission (CWC)	JE Civil, JE Mechanical	30 years
Central Public Works Department (CPWD)	JE Civil, JE Electrical	32 years
CWPRS	JE Civil, JE Electrical	30 years
DGQA-NAVAL	JE Electrical, JE Mechanical	30 years
Farakka Barrage Project	JE Civil, JE Electrical	30 years
Military Engineer Services (MES)	JE Civil, JE Electrical and Mechanical	30 years
NTRO	JE Civil	30 years
DGLL	JE Civil, JE Electrical	32 years
Department of Telecommunications	JE Telecom	30 years
India Meteorological Department	Scientific Assistant	30 years
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying	JE Civil	30 years

SSC JE Age Relaxation for Reserved Categories

Age relaxation applies to the upper age limit only, and you must show a valid certificate to claim it.

Category	Age Relaxation
SC / ST	5 years
OBC	3 years
PwBD (UR / EWS)	10 years
PwBD (OBC)	13 years
PwBD (SC / ST)	15 years
Ex-Servicemen	3 years after deducting military service from actual age
Defence personnel disabled in hostilities or a disturbed area (UR / EWS)	3 years
Same (OBC)	6 years
Same (SC / ST)	8 years

SSC JE Nationality Criteria

To apply for SSC JE, a candidate must be:

A citizen of India, or
A subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or
A Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 to settle permanently, or
A person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam to settle permanently in India.

Candidates in the last three groups need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India.

SSC JE Eligibility Criteria for Final-Year Students

Final-year students can apply only if they complete their degree or diploma by the cut-off date in the notification. Appearing in the final exam is not enough; you must have passed it by that date. Keep these points in mind:

Your branch must match the post you choose.
For posts that need work experience, the experience must be complete by the cut-off date too.
You will need your final marksheet and degree or diploma certificate at document verification.

SSC JE Physical and Medical Standards

SSC JE has no physical test, but selected candidates must pass the medical examination of the department they join. Some departments, such as BRO and MES, can post JEs to field and border areas, so they check general medical fitness more strictly.

Standard	Requirement
Physical test	None for any SSC JE post
Medical examination	After selection, as per the department's rules
Field posts (BRO, MES)	Must be medically fit for field and remote-area postings

JE is a Group B (Non-Gazetted) post with pay at Level 6. Read whether SSC JE is Group B or Group C and check the SSC JE salary to see what you will earn after joining.

SSC JE Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Important Documents

SSC checks eligibility at document verification after Paper 2. Keep these documents ready, with the same name and date of birth as in your application.

Document	Purpose
Class 10 certificate	Proof of date of birth
Degree or diploma certificate and marksheets	Proof of educational qualification
Work experience certificate	For diploma holders applying to BRO, MES, DGQA-NAVAL or DGLL
SC / ST / OBC / EWS certificate	To claim reservation or age relaxation
PwBD certificate	To claim disability benefits
Ex-Servicemen documents	To claim ESM relaxation
Certificate of eligibility	For Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan refugee or migrant categories
Photo ID proof	Identity check

Make sure your uploads matched the SSC JE photo and signature size rules, since a wrong upload can lead to rejection.

SSC JE Eligibility Criteria: FAQs

Q1. What is the eligibility criteria for SSC JE 2026?

A degree or diploma in the relevant engineering branch (with experience for some diploma posts), age 18 to 30 years (32 for CPWD and DGLL) as on 1 August 2026, and the nationality rules.

Q2. What is the age limit for SSC JE 2026?

18 to 30 years for most posts and up to 32 years for JE Civil and JE Electrical in CPWD and DGLL, counted as on 1 August 2026.

Q3. What is the educational qualification required for SSC JE?

A degree or diploma in Civil, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering as specified for the post. JE Telecom needs a relevant B.E./B.Tech, and Scientific Assistant accepts a B.Sc. with Physics.

Q4. Can diploma holders apply for SSC JE 2026?

Yes. Diploma holders can apply directly to CPWD, CWPRS, CWC, Farakka Barrage, NTRO and Brahmaputra Board. For BRO, MES and DGQA-NAVAL they need 2 years of experience, and for DGLL 3 years.

Q5. Can B.Tech graduates apply for SSC JE?

Yes, if the branch matches the post. Most departments accept a degree in place of a diploma.

Q6. Can final-year students apply for SSC JE?

Only if they pass the final exam and hold the qualification by the cut-off date in the notification.

Q7. Is work experience required for SSC JE?

Only for diploma holders applying to BRO, MES and DGQA-NAVAL (2 years) and DGLL (3 years). Degree holders do not need experience.

Q8. Is there age relaxation for SC, ST and OBC candidates?

Yes. SC and ST candidates get 5 years and OBC candidates get 3 years of relaxation.

Q9. Can candidates from any state apply for SSC JE?

Yes. SSC JE is an all-India exam, and candidates from any state or UT can apply.

Q10. Is there any physical or medical test for SSC JE?

There is no physical test. Selected candidates must pass the medical examination of their department.

Q11. Can Civil Engineering candidates apply for Mechanical Engineering posts?

No. Your branch must match the post. A Civil qualification is accepted only for JE Civil posts.

Q12. Can candidates with a distance-learning engineering degree apply for SSC JE?

Generally no. Engineering degrees through distance learning are not recognised under UGC rules, except for specific IGNOU programmes for students enrolled up to 2009-10. Check the notification for the exact rule.