SSC JE Answer Key 2026: Paper-I Key Status, Challenge Fee ₹50

The SSC JE 2026 Paper-I answer key is not out yet: Paper-I is scheduled for 2 to 6 November 2026, with JE (Telecom) on 30 November - 1 December 2026, and SSC places tentative keys on its website after the exam. The JE 2026 notice sets the challenge fee at ₹ 50/- per question, non-refundable. Last cycle, the JE 2025 Paper-I key came on 19 December 2025.

How to challenge the SSC JE answer key

• Login: in the 2025 cycle, tentative keys with question paper-cum-response sheets were opened on ssc.gov.in using the Registration Number and Password.
• Window: the JE 2025 Paper-I challenge ran from 19.12.2025 (06:00 PM) to 22.12.2025 (06:00 PM) at INR 50/- per question/answer challenged, as set out in the write-up of 19 December 2025. The Paper-II window ran from 16.04.2026 (06:00 PM) to 19.04.2026 (06:00 PM).
• Online only: representations by letter, application or email are not entertained.
• Question order: the challenge module shows one common sequence for everyone in a shift, which may differ from your exam screen, but your selected answers are reflected accurately.

SSC decides challenges under its guidelines of 10 April 2026, which para 13.15 of the JE 2026 notice applies. A question that is ambiguous, has errors or has no correct option is discarded, and its marks go to all candidates. If more than one option is correct, choosing any correct one earns full marks. A wrong choice still loses marks, and leaving the question unattempted earns zero.

How to calculate your SSC JE score

• Paper-I: General Intelligence and Reasoning (50 questions, 50 marks), General Awareness (50/50) and your General Engineering part (100/100). That is 1 mark a question, minus 0.25 for each wrong answer.
• Paper-II: your General Engineering part, 100 questions for 300 marks. That is 3 marks a question, minus one (01) mark for each wrong answer.
• Qualifying marks: UR 30%, OBC/EWS 25%, all other categories 20%. For JE 2025 this meant 60, 50 and 40 marks in Paper-I, and 90, 75 and 60 marks in Paper-II.
• Normalisation: multi-shift papers are normalised by SSC's procedure of 02.06.2025. Electrical and Mechanical marks are normalised by treating the two as different shifts, and the same applies to the three IMD parts.
• Merit: Paper-I only qualifies you. Under the 2026 notice, only normalised Paper-II scores determine final merit.

What happens after the JE key

Final keys are released after each result, together with question papers and marks. In 2025, the Paper-I result came on 06.03.2026. Final keys (login with Roll Number and Password) and marks (login with Registered ID and Password) were then open from 23.03.2026 (18:00 Hrs) to 06.04.2026 (18:00 Hrs). After the final result of 03.08.2026, the Paper-II final keys and marks were open from 21.08.2026 (18:00 Hrs) to 04.09.2026 (18:00 Hrs), as SSC's notice of 21 August 2026 states. SSC does not entertain individual requests once a window closes.

SSC JE answer key in past cycles