SSC JE CBT-2 2025 Civil Objectionable Questions

SSC JE CBT 2 examination for Civil Engineering presented several questions with potential ambiguities or answers conflicting with standard codes and textbooks. This analysis focuses on identifying these objectionable questions across various disciplines, providing rationales based on established engineering principles and Indian Standard (IS) codes or IRC guidelines. Understanding these discrepancies is crucial for candidates challenging official answers.

SSC JE CBT-2 2025 Civil Objectionable Questions

SSC JE CBT-2 2025 Civil Objectionable Questions highlights key issues and discrepancies found in the Civil paper, including unclear data, standard code mismatches, and ambiguous values. Such questions can create confusion during the exam and affect accuracy.

To help candidates understand these concerns clearly, we have provided a detailed video below. From there, candidates can check the objectionable questions, explanations, and better understand how to approach similar problems in future exams. 

Objectionable Questions: Highway Engineering & Surveying

A question in the exam asked for the PCU (Passenger Car Unit) value for an auto-rickshaw as per IRC guidelines. The options, including 1 and 1.2, led to confusion because the question did not mention the type of road (rural or urban).

The PCU value for an auto-rickshaw varies significantly based on the road type, as detailed in different IRC codes:

Objection Rationale: Since the type of road was not specified, and different IRC codes provide different valid PCU values (1 for rural, 1.2 for urban), more than one option is correct. This ambiguity makes the question objectionable.

Procedure for Raising Objection: Candidates should log in to the official response sheet portal, navigate to the 'Challenge System', and select 'Type of Complaint' as "More than one option/answer is correct". The complaint should state that "As per IRC 64:1990, Page 10, Table 1, the PCU value for an auto-rickshaw is 1 for rural roads. For urban roads, the PCU value varies from 1.2 to 2.0 as per IRC 106:1990. The question lacks road type specification." Supporting PDF files, such as screenshots of Table 1 from IRC 64:1990 and Table 1 from IRC 106:1990, must be uploaded.

Reciprocal Leveling Error Elimination

A question concerned errors eliminated by reciprocal leveling. Most standard textbooks explicitly mention that reciprocal leveling eliminates errors due to curvature, refraction, and collimation. 

While the question might have caused confusion due to its phrasing or options, standard references confirm the elimination of these specific errors.

Objectionable Questions: Building Materials and Construction (BMC) & Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC)

A question asked for the density range of lightweight concrete. The SSC's provided answer was 400-2000 kg/m³.

Standard References:

• S.K. Duggal (BMC), Page 481, indicates the density of lightweight concrete is 300-1200 kg/m³.

• Another reference from S.K. Duggal (Page 245) classifies concrete based on density, stating lightweight concrete is 500-1800 kg/m³. This particular range is often considered a more reliable source for objection.

Objection Rationale: The SSC's provided range (400-2000 kg/m³) does not consistently align with standard textbook values, where a narrower range like 500-1000 kg/m³ is commonly accepted for lightweight concrete.

Load Combination for Earthquake-Resistant Structures (Limit State of Collapse)

A question inquired about the load combination for earthquake-resistant structures under the Limit State of Collapse.

 Standard Codes:

• IS 456:2000, Page 68, specifies that for the Limit State of Collapse, when considering Dead Load (DL), Live Load (LL), and Wind Load (WL) or Earthquake Load (EL), the load factor for all three is 1.2 (i.e., 1.2 DL + 1.2 LL + 1.2 WL/EL). It also clarifies that when earthquake effects are considered, the earthquake load is used in place of the wind load, and design is based on the higher of the two.

• IS 18893 Part 1:2016, Clause 6.3.4.1, also provides relevant load combinations involving Dead Load, Live Load, and Earthquake Load.

Objection Rationale: Different codes and clauses can lead to alternative correct load combinations, potentially challenging the SSC's provided answer if it only considered one specific combination.

Objectionable Questions: Irrigation Engineering, Environmental Engineering & Hydrology

A question addressed the discharge capacity of a typical tube well. The problem arose because the question did not specify whether it was a shallow or deep tube well, which significantly impacts discharge.

The characteristics of tube wells vary:

• Deep Tube Well (Santosh Kumar Garg, Irrigation & Hydrology): Typically 20 to 300 meters deep.

• Shallow Tube Well (Santosh Kumar Garg, Irrigation & Hydrology): Typically 20 to 70 meters deep.

• General Average Yield (Standard Tube Well): The most appropriate general average yield is 40 to 45 liters per second (L/s).

Objection Rationale: The SSC's answer (10-20 L/s) was not the most appropriate general average, and the widely accepted average yield of 40-45 L/s was not even an option.

Permissible Concentration of Phenolic Compounds

A question asked for the permissible concentration of phenolic compounds. It is crucial to understand the key distinction between the acceptable range (desirable range) and the permissible range.

According to the latest edition, IS 10500:2012:

• The Acceptable Range for phenolic compounds is 0.0001 mg/L.

• The Permissible Range (maximum limit when no other option is available) for phenolic compounds is 0.002 mg/L.

Objection Rationale: The SSC's answer of 0.01 mg/L is incorrect for the permissible range; it corresponds to the acceptable range. The question explicitly asked for the permissible range.

Per Capita Water Demand for Indian Towns (Population Below 20,000)

A question sought the conventional per capita water demand (LPCD) for Indian towns with a population below 20,000. The problem here was that the question did not mention the presence of a flushing system.

Standard Reference (S.K. Garg, Water Supply Engineering):

• For towns with a population below 20,000, without a flushing system mentioned, the per capita demand is 110 LPCD. (Note: If a flushing system were specified, the answer would be different).

Objection Rationale: Without explicit mention of a flushing system, the correct standard value is 110 LPCD. However, the SSC indicated 90 LPCD as the correct answer.

Rainfall Duration for Rational Method

A question stated: "If the Time of Concentration (TC) of a catchment is 2 hours, what should be the duration of rainfall for the Rational Method?"

Rational Method Principle: The fundamental principle dictates that the duration of rainfall (T) must be greater than or equal to the time of concentration (TC). This can be expressed symbolically as T ≥ TC.

Source (K. Subramanya, Engineering Hydrology): This principle is clearly stated, explaining that "if the rainfall continues beyond TC, run off will be constant at the peak value," and further clarifies that the "Time Period [T] can be equal to or more than [TC]".

Given: TC = 2 hours.

Objection Rationale: Based on the principle of T ≥ TC, both "Equal to 2 hours" and "More than 2 hours" are valid durations for rainfall. The SSC, however, selected "Equal to 2 hours" as the sole correct answer, making this a multiple-correct-option scenario.