SSC JE answer key 2026
SSC has not released the SSC JE 2026 Paper I answer key yet. Paper I runs from 2 to 6 November and 30 November to 1 December 2026. Last cycle, the tentative key and response sheets came on 19 December 2025, 13 days after the last paper, and objections were open till 22 December at ₹50 per question. You see the key after you log in on ssc.gov.in.
SSC JE answer key 2026
What is known now, what happened last cycle, and how to count your Paper I marks from the response sheet.
Paper I answer key: what we know now
SSC JE 2026 Paper I answer key
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paper I exam | 2 to 6 Nov and 30 Nov to 1 Dec 2026 |
| Tentative answer key | Not out yet. SSC has not announced a date |
| Where | ssc.gov.in, after you log in |
| Objection fee | ₹50 per question in the last cycle. Check the SSC notice |
| Final answer key | After SSC reviews the objections |
Updated 28 Oct 2026. We add the official date and link on the day SSC puts out the key.
Last cycle, for timing
SSC put out one key for all shifts after the last paper. If it works the same way this year, expect the key after the second window ends on 1 December 2026. This is a guess from last year, not an SSC date.
SSC JE 2025 Paper I timeline
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Paper I exam | 3 to 6 Dec 2025 |
| Tentative key and response sheets | 19 Dec 2025 |
| Objection window | 19 Dec to 22 Dec 2025, 6 PM |
| Paper I result | 6 Mar 2026 (15,607 called for Paper II) |
From Physics Wallah, Careers360 and MadeEasy reports of the SSC notices.
How to download the answer key and response sheet
1. Go to ssc.gov.in and log in with your registration number and password.
2. Open the answer key link for Junior Engineer Paper I.
3. Your response sheet shows each question, the answer you marked and the right answer.
4. Save it as a PDF. Last time the link stayed open only for the 4 days of the objection window.
How to raise an objection
While the window is open, pick the question in the answer key page, write why the key is wrong, add proof if you have it, and pay the fee online for each question.
In the last cycle the fee was ₹50 per question. In August 2025 SSC cut it from ₹100 to ₹50 and said the fee would be refunded for accepted objections once its refund system is ready. Objections after the deadline are not taken.
How to count your marks
Paper I has 200 questions of 1 mark each, with 0.25 cut for each wrong answer. Score = right answers − (wrong answers ÷ 4).
Example: 130 right and 40 wrong gives 130 − 10 = 120 out of 200.
SSC normalises marks across shifts, so your official score can be a little different from this count.
Paper I marking
| Answer | Marks |
|---|---|
| Right | +1 |
| Wrong | −0.25 |
| Not attempted | 0 |
Is my score enough for Paper II?
First you need the minimum qualifying marks. Then SSC calls candidates to Paper II category-wise, by Paper I merit, so the real cut-off is much higher than the minimum. From 2026, Paper I marks do not count in the final merit list.
Paper I: minimum marks and last UR cut-offs (out of 200)
| Item | Civil | Electrical & Mechanical |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum: UR (30%) | 60 | 60 |
| Minimum: OBC, EWS (25%) | 50 | 50 |
| Minimum: other categories (20%) | 40 | 40 |
| UR cut-off, 2025 cycle | 127.23 | 127.30 |
| UR cut-off, 2024 cycle | 122.92 | 132.07 |
Minimum marks from the 2026 notification. Cut-offs are normalised marks from SSC results, as reported by Careers360 and MadeEasy.
SSC JE (Junior Engineer): questions people ask
When will the SSC JE 2026 answer key come?
SSC has not announced a date. Last cycle, the Paper I key came on 19 December 2025, 13 days after the last paper. This year Paper I ends on 1 December 2026, so the key will likely come after that. You see it after you log in on ssc.gov.in.
What is the SSC JE answer key objection fee?
₹50 per question in the last cycle (SSC cut it from ₹100 in August 2025). Objections are taken only inside the window SSC gives, which was 4 days last time.
What are the minimum qualifying marks in SSC JE Paper I?
30% for UR (60 of 200), 25% for OBC and EWS (50) and 20% for other categories (40). Only the minimum is not enough: SSC calls candidates to Paper II by merit, and the 2025 UR cut-off was about 127.
Sit a full SSC JE (Junior Engineer) mock this week
The real pattern on the real clock. Your result shows the sections to fix before the exam.