Exam comparison · from official notices

RRB JE vs SSC JE: salary, eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus

  • RRB JE is conducted by RRB; SSC JE is conducted by SSC.
  • Qualification — RRB JE: JE posts: three-year diploma in the engineering branch(es) listed for the post in Annexure A, or a combination of sub-streams of those basic streams; B.E./B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma. SSC JE: Degree or diploma in civil, mechanical or electrical engineering, as specified for each department and post.
  • Age limit — RRB JE: 18–33 years (as on 1 January 2027). SSC JE: Up to 30 years (born 2 Aug 1996 – 1 Aug 2008); up to 32 years for CPWD and Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships posts (born 2 Aug 1994 – 1 Aug 2008) (as on 1 August 2026).
  • Pay levels printed — RRB JE: Level 6. SSC JE: Level 6.
  • RRB JE has 2 stages in its printed pattern; SSC JE has 2.

RRB JE vs SSC JE: side by side

Each cell is copied from the exam's latest official notice. Always confirm in the notice before applying.

FactRRB JESSC JE
Conducting body
  • RRB
  • rrb.indianrailways.gov.in
  • SSC
  • ssc.gov.in
Latest notice
  • CEN No. 04/2026 – Recruitment for various posts of Junior Engineer, Depot Material Superintendent and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (title as amended by Corrigendum-1) (published 13 August 2026 (RRB websites); Corrigendum-1 dated 18 August 2026)
  • Junior Engineer Examination, 2026 — Notice (published 2 September 2026)
Application status
  • Applications closed on 13 September 2026.
  • Applications closed on 22 September 2026.
Posts
  • Various posts of Junior Engineer (37 post categories with DMS), Depot Material Superintendent (DMS) and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA)
  • All posts: Level 6 of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix, initial pay ₹35,400
  • Medical standard and PwBD suitability differ by post (Annexure A)
  • Junior Engineer (Civil), (Mechanical), (Electrical) and (Electrical & Mechanical) in central government departments
  • Junior Engineer (Telecom) in the Department of Telecommunications
  • Scientific Assistant in the India Meteorological Department
  • All posts: Group 'B', Pay Level-6 (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400)
Pay (as printed)
  • All posts: Level 6 of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix, initial pay ₹35,400

Pay Level 6 →

  • All posts: Group 'B', Pay Level-6 (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400)

Pay Level 6 →

Age limit
  • 18–33 years (as on 1 January 2027)
  • Up to 30 years (born 2 Aug 1996 – 1 Aug 2008); up to 32 years for CPWD and Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships posts (born 2 Aug 1994 – 1 Aug 2008) (as on 1 August 2026)
Qualification
  • JE posts: three-year diploma in the engineering branch(es) listed for the post in Annexure A, or a combination of sub-streams of those basic streams; B.E./B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma
  • Depot Material Superintendent: three-year diploma in engineering in any discipline (B.E./B.Tech accepted in lieu)
  • Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (Corrigendum-1): B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45% marks, as detailed in the corrigendum
  • Must be held by the closing date, 13 September 2026; candidates awaiting final results are not eligible
  • Degree or diploma in civil, mechanical or electrical engineering, as specified for each department and post
  • BRO, DGQA-Naval and MES accept a three-year diploma only with two years' experience; Lighthouses & Lightships accepts a diploma with three years' experience
  • JE (Telecom): B.E./B.Tech. in Electrical, Electronics, Electrical Communications, Computer Science, Telecommunications, IT or Instrumentation
  • Scientific Assistant: B.Sc. with Physics, or a bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Applications, Electronics, ECE, IT, Instrumentation or Telecom/Communication Engineering with Class XII Physics and Mathematics
  • Qualification (and any experience, gained after it) must be held by the closing date, 22 September 2026
Selection stages
  • CBT-1 (screening) (90 minutes (120 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates))
  • CBT-2 (120 minutes (160 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates))
  • Paper-I (2 hours (2 hours 40 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates))
  • Paper-II (2 hours (2 hours 40 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates))
Negative marking
  • Negative marking: 1/3 mark per wrong answer.
  • Paper-I: Negative marking: 0.25 per wrong answer.
  • Paper-II: Negative marking: 1 mark per wrong answer.
  • Paper-I has negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer and Paper-II of 1 mark per wrong answer.
Vacancies
  • 4,029 (all RRBs) after Corrigendum-1 (CEN printed 3,993; Corrigendum-1 added 1 JE/Electrical/TRS and 35 CMA posts). Ex-Servicemen posts are included in these totals.
  • 1,699 tentative (SSC list dated 8 October 2026; the notice itself said 1,748)
Application fee
  • ₹500 (general); ₹250 (SC/ST/Ex-Servicemen/PwBD/Female/Transgender/Minorities/EBC)
  • No category is exempt; ₹400 of the ₹500 fee and the full ₹250 fee are refunded, less bank charges, only to candidates who appear in CBT-1, into the Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
  • ₹100
  • Women, SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen candidates are exempted from the fee.
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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between RRB JE and SSC JE eligibility?

RRB JE: age 18–33 years as on 1 January 2027; JE posts: three-year diploma in the engineering branch(es) listed for the post in Annexure A, or a combination of sub-streams of those basic streams; B.E./B.Tech in the same discipline is accepted in lieu of the diploma. Depot Material Superintendent: three-year diploma in engineering in any discipline (B.E./B.Tech accepted in lieu). Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (Corrigendum-1): B.Sc. in Physics and Chemistry with at least 45% marks, as detailed in the corrigendum. Must be held by the closing date, 13 September 2026; candidates awaiting final results are not eligible. SSC JE: age Up to 30 years (born 2 Aug 1996 – 1 Aug 2008); up to 32 years for CPWD and Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships posts (born 2 Aug 1994 – 1 Aug 2008) as on 1 August 2026; Degree or diploma in civil, mechanical or electrical engineering, as specified for each department and post. BRO, DGQA-Naval and MES accept a three-year diploma only with two years' experience; Lighthouses & Lightships accepts a diploma with three years' experience. JE (Telecom): B.E./B.Tech. in Electrical, Electronics, Electrical Communications, Computer Science, Telecommunications, IT or Instrumentation. Scientific Assistant: B.Sc. with Physics, or a bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Applications, Electronics, ECE, IT, Instrumentation or Telecom/Communication Engineering with Class XII Physics and Mathematics. Qualification (and any experience, gained after it) must be held by the closing date, 22 September 2026. Both from the latest official notices.

What is the salary of RRB JE vs SSC JE?

As printed in the notices — RRB JE: All posts: Level 6 of the 7th CPC Pay Matrix, initial pay ₹35,400. SSC JE: All posts: Group 'B', Pay Level-6 (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400). Allowances are paid on top; in-hand pay is not estimated here.

How is the selection process of RRB JE different from SSC JE?

RRB JE: CBT-1: screening test common to all posts (normalised score used only to shortlist for CBT-2); CBT-2: 15 times the community-wise vacancies of each RRB shortlisted from CBT-1; Document verification: candidates equal to the number of vacancies, on CBT-2 merit and options; Medical examination to the medical standard of the allotted post. SSC JE: Paper-I: computer-based examination (qualifying); Paper-II: computer-based examination (decides merit and post allocation); Online post preference, allocation on merit-cum-preference; Document verification by the user department after the final result; BRO posts only: physical efficiency test and physical/medical examination by BRO after the final result.

How many vacancies are there in RRB JE and SSC JE?

RRB JE: 4,029 (all RRBs) after Corrigendum-1 (CEN printed 3,993; Corrigendum-1 added 1 JE/Electrical/TRS and 35 CMA posts). Ex-Servicemen posts are included in these totals.. SSC JE: 1,699 tentative (SSC list dated 8 October 2026; the notice itself said 1,748). As printed in each latest notice.

What is the application fee for RRB JE and SSC JE?

RRB JE: ₹500 (general); ₹250 (SC/ST/Ex-Servicemen/PwBD/Female/Transgender/Minorities/EBC). SSC JE: ₹100. Fee exemptions are listed in each notice.

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