Exam comparison · from official notices

UPSC ESE vs SSC JE: salary, eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus

UPSC ESE is conducted by UPSC; SSC JE is conducted by SSC.
Qualification — UPSC ESE: A degree in Engineering from a university incorporated by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification listed in the notice (e.g. Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India)). SSC JE: Degree or diploma in civil, mechanical or electrical engineering, as specified for each department and post.
Age limit — UPSC ESE: 21–30 years (born 2 Jan 1997 – 1 Jan 2006) (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).
UPSC ESE has 3 stages in its printed pattern; SSC JE has 2.

UPSC ESE vs SSC JE: side by side

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

Fact	UPSC ESE	SSC JE
Conducting body	UPSC upsc.gov.in	SSC ssc.gov.in
Latest notice	Engineering Services Examination, 2027 — Examination Notice No. 02/2027-ENGG (published 16 September 2026)	Junior Engineer Examination, 2026 — Notice (published 2 September 2026)
Application status	Applications closed on 6 October 2026.	Applications closed on 22 September 2026.
Posts	Group 'A' and Group 'B' services/posts in four engineering categories: Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics & Telecommunication Examples named in the notice: Central Engineering Service, Indian Railway Management Service, Indian Defence Service of Engineers, Indian Telecommunications Service Gr 'A', Central Power Engineering Service Gr '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)	Not printed in the notice data shown here	All posts: Group 'B', Pay Level-6 (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400) Pay Level 6 →
Age limit	21–30 years (born 2 Jan 1997 – 1 Jan 2006) (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	A degree in Engineering from a university incorporated by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification listed in the notice (e.g. Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India)) For Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engineering posts) and Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr 'A': an M.Sc. with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering (or as listed in the notice) is also accepted Candidates who have appeared or intend to appear in the qualifying examination may apply provisionally, and must upload proof of passing within the window given after the Main result	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	Stage-I: Preliminary (objective) (5 hours in all (Paper I 2 hours; Paper II 3 hours)) Stage-II: Main (conventional) (6 hours in all (3 hours per paper)) Stage-III: Personality Test (—)	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	Stage-I: Preliminary (objective): Negative marking: one-third (1/3) of the marks of a question for each wrong answer; more than one answer counts as wrong; no penalty for a blank.	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	Approximately 480, including 19 for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (number liable to alteration)	1,699 tentative (SSC list dated 8 October 2026; the notice itself said 1,748)
Application fee	₹200 Female, SC, ST and PwBD candidates are exempted from the fee. OBC and EWS candidates get no exemption and must pay the full fee.	₹100 Women, SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen candidates are exempted from the fee.
Official notice	Open official notice ↗	Open official notice ↗

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between UPSC ESE and SSC JE eligibility?

UPSC ESE: age 21–30 years (born 2 Jan 1997 – 1 Jan 2006) as on 1 January 2027; A degree in Engineering from a university incorporated by an Act of Parliament or a state legislature, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification listed in the notice (e.g. Sections A and B of the Institution of Engineers (India)). For Indian Naval Armament Service (Electronics Engineering posts) and Indian Radio Regulatory Service Gr 'A': an M.Sc. with Wireless Communication Electronics, Radio Physics or Radio Engineering (or as listed in the notice) is also accepted. Candidates who have appeared or intend to appear in the qualifying examination may apply provisionally, and must upload proof of passing within the window given after the Main result. 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.

How is the selection process of UPSC ESE different from SSC JE?

UPSC ESE: Stage-I: Preliminary examination (two objective papers, 500 marks); Stage-II: Main examination (two conventional papers, 600 marks); Stage-III: Personality Test (200 marks); Medical examination of finally recommended candidates. 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 UPSC ESE and SSC JE?

UPSC ESE: Approximately 480, including 19 for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (number liable to alteration). 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 UPSC ESE and SSC JE?

UPSC ESE: ₹200. SSC JE: ₹100. Fee exemptions are listed in each notice.

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UPSC ESE vs SSC JE: side by side

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