Ship Building Centre, Visakhapatnam — a Ministry of Defence (R&D) work centre — opened applications on 22 August 2026 under Advertisement No. 3201/2026. The window closes 14 September 2026, 11:00 PM, giving you roughly a week from today. The Computer Based Test itself is only tentatively slated for October 2026, so the actual exam date, time, and venue won’t be known until your admit card arrives — everything past the application stage is still pending.
Here’s the detail worth knowing before you assume how selection works: even for Fire Engine Driver and Civilian Motor Transport Driver — posts built entirely around a practical, hands-on skill — your final merit ranking is decided purely by your CBT score. The driving skill test and physical endurance test that these two posts require are qualifying only. You need to clear them to stay in contention, but scoring exceptionally well in the skill test doesn’t push you up the merit list; a candidate who barely clears the skill test but tops the written CBT outranks one who’s an outstanding driver but scores lower on the written paper. If you’re strong practically but weaker on paper, that imbalance matters more here than it might for a typical driving-focused post elsewhere.
The Basics
| Particular | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Ship Building Centre (SBC), Visakhapatnam — Ministry of Defence (R&D) |
| Advertisement No. | 3201/2026 |
| Post Category | General Central Service Group ‘C’, Technical/Non-Technical, Non-Gazetted, Non-Ministerial |
| Total Vacancies | 9 |
| Application Window | 22 August to 14 September 2026, 11:00 PM |
| Exam | Computer Based Test (CBT), tentatively October 2026 |
| Job Location | Visakhapatnam, with All India Service liability |
| Official Website | sbcrecruitment.in |
Where the 9 Posts Sit
| Post | Grade/Pay Level (7th CPC) | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| Construction Assistant ‘A’ (Fitter) | Level 2 | 3 (UR-3) |
| Construction Handler (Electrician) | Level 1 | 2 (UR-2) |
| Fire Engine Driver (Ordinary Grade) | Level 3 | 3 (UR-2, ST-1) |
| Civilian Motor Transport Driver (Ordinary Grade) | Level 2 | 1 (UR-1) |
Fire Engine Driver is the only post carrying any reserved vacancy — one ST seat within its three. Every other post here is entirely UR. The notification also flags that Fire Engine Driver and CMTD posts are identified as NOT suitable for PwBD candidates — so if you’re applying under PwBD reservation, your options within this notification narrow to Construction Assistant ‘A’ or Construction Handler only. All nine figures are explicitly provisional and could be reduced, increased, or even zeroed out entirely, per SBC’s own stated discretion.
Qualification — Four Posts, Four Different Bars
| Post | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Construction Assistant ‘A’ | 10th pass + ITI/NAC in the relevant trade + 2 years’ experience in that trade |
| Construction Handler | 10th pass + ITI certificate in the relevant trade (no separate experience clause) |
| Fire Engine Driver | 10th pass + valid heavy motor vehicle licence + knowledge of motor mechanism (minor defect repair) + at least 3 years’ heavy-vehicle driving experience + physical fitness for strenuous duty |
| CMTD | 10th pass + valid light motor vehicle/car licence + knowledge of motor mechanism + at least 3 years’ car-driving experience (heavy vehicle licence desirable, not mandatory) |
Notice Construction Handler doesn’t carry the 2-year experience requirement that Construction Assistant ‘A’ does — a genuinely different bar despite both being ITI-based trade posts. Also worth flagging: holding qualifications beyond what’s prescribed doesn’t earn you anything extra here. SBC states plainly that additional academic or technical qualifications give no weightage and create no claim to higher pay parity — if you’re an ITI holder with, say, a diploma on top, that diploma doesn’t strengthen your candidacy or entitle you to a different pay level than what the post itself carries.
Age Limit
18 to 27 years, reckoned as on the closing date of application. Only a Matriculation/SSC certificate from a recognised Education Board counts as valid date-of-birth proof — no substitute document is accepted for this.
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| ST | 5 years (applicable only against the reserved post, i.e., the single ST seat under Fire Engine Driver) |
| PwBD | 10 years |
| Departmental candidates (3+ years continuous regular Central Govt. service) | Up to 40 years (45 for ST departmental candidates), subject to past service being relevant |
That ST relaxation caveat is worth sitting with: it doesn’t apply blanket across all nine posts — only against the specific reserved seat. An ST candidate applying for Construction Assistant ‘A’ or Construction Handler, where every seat is UR, doesn’t get this relaxation, since there’s no reserved post there to relax the age limit for.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General/UR/OBC/EWS (not otherwise exempted) | Rs. 350, excluding taxes/charges |
| SC/ST/PwBD/eligible Ex-Servicemen/Women | Exempted |
There’s a specific carve-out worth knowing if you’re an Ex-Serviceman: if you’ve already secured regular civil-side Central Government employment after previously availing ESM reservation benefits, you’re not eligible for the fee waiver this time and must pay as a general category candidate. This is easy to miss if you assume ESM status alone guarantees fee exemption regardless of your current employment history. Fee is online-only, non-refundable, and must be paid separately for each post if you’re applying to more than one. A separate Rs. 200 fee applies per objection if you want to formally challenge a question or the provisional answer key later.
Exam Pattern — Different Fourth Subject Depending on Which Post You’re Applying For
The CBT is bilingual (Hindi/English, except the General English section), 120 minutes, 100 questions total.
| Subject | CA’A’/CH Questions | FED/CMTD Questions |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence | 20 | 25 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 25 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 25 |
| Trade Syllabus (CA’A’/CH) / General English (FED/CMTD) | 40 | 25 |
Notice the fourth subject flips entirely depending on which post you’re targeting — Construction Assistant ‘A’ and Construction Handler candidates face a heavily trade-specific paper (40 of 100 questions), while Fire Engine Driver and CMTD candidates instead get tested on General English at that same weight, with no trade-specific component in the written paper at all. If you’re preparing for FED or CMTD, spending time on trade-technical content instead of English would be effort misapplied — your practical driving knowledge gets tested separately in the Skill Test, not in this written paper.
Minimum qualifying marks: 35% for UR, 30% for OBC, 25% for all other categories.
Selection Process — The Skill/Endurance Test Is a Gate, Not a Score Booster
- Construction Assistant ‘A’ and Construction Handler: CBT only. No endurance or skill test at all for these two posts — final merit is CBT score, full stop.
- Fire Engine Driver: Shortlisted at a minimum 1:15 ratio (vacancy to shortlisted candidates) based on CBT merit, then a qualifying Endurance Test (carrying filled sand and water buckets 100m in 45 seconds, 20 squats, 15 push-ups, 15 bent-knee sit-ups), followed by a qualifying Skill Test (driving assessment, vehicle mechanism knowledge, tyre-changing, minor repairs, firefighting awareness).
- CMTD: Shortlisted at a minimum 1:15 ratio based on CBT merit, then a qualifying Skill Test only (driving on ramp/road, traffic rules, vehicle mechanism knowledge, routine checks). No Endurance Test for this post.
As covered above, both the Endurance Test and Skill Test are strictly qualifying — clear them, and your final rank is still decided by your CBT score alone. Ties in aggregate marks break first by date of birth (older ranks higher), then by alphabetical order of first names if birthdates also match.
How to Apply
- Visit sbcrecruitment.in.
- Keep scanned documents ready: passport photo (100–150 KB, light background), signature on plain paper in black ink (80–150 KB), caste certificate if applicable, Matriculation/SSC certificate, highest qualification proof, and Ex-Servicemen/PwBD certificates as relevant.
- Register with a valid, active email and mobile number — neither can be changed once entered, so use ones you’ll have continuous access to through the entire process.
- Select up to three preferred examination cities.
- Pay the applicable fee online.
- Submit and print your application for personal records — don’t send this printout to SBC.
Only one application per post is allowed. If you’re applying for multiple posts, each requires a fully separate application and its own fee payment. If you accidentally submit more than one application for the same post, the one with the higher registration number is the one considered — not the first, the later one.
Important Instructions Worth Flagging
Mistakes in your application cannot be corrected by SBC after final submission — there’s no correction window mentioned anywhere in this notification, so review everything before hitting submit. At the exam venue, the name on your Admit Card must exactly match your photo ID; Ration Cards and Learner’s Driving Licences are explicitly not accepted as valid ID. Mobile phones and electronic gadgets — even switched off — are treated as unfair means if found on you, with potential debarment and criminal proceedings, not just disqualification from that day’s exam. No TA/DA is paid for the CBT or Skill Test stages.
important links |
|
| Apply Online (SBC Group C 2026) | click here (Active 22 Aug – 14 Sep 2026) |
| official notification | click here |
| Official Recruitment Website | click here |
| Helpline Number | +91 9513631713 (Toll Free) |
| firstjob24 jobs | click here |
| join whatsapp channel | click here |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. I’m preparing for the Fire Engine Driver post and I’m an excellent driver but weaker on written tests — will my driving skill help my final ranking?
No. The Skill Test and Endurance Test for Fire Engine Driver are qualifying only. Once you clear them, your final merit position is decided entirely by your CBT score, not by how well you perform in the practical tests.
Q2. I’m an Ex-Serviceman who already got a regular government job through ESM reservation earlier — do I still get the fee waiver?
No. The notification specifically excludes Ex-Servicemen who have already secured regular civil-side Central Government employment after availing ESM benefits from the fee exemption. You would need to pay as per your other applicable category.
Q3. I’m ST category and applying for Construction Handler, where all posts are UR — do I get the 5-year age relaxation?
No. The ST age relaxation applies specifically against the one reserved ST seat under Fire Engine Driver. Since Construction Handler carries no reserved vacancy, that relaxation doesn’t apply there.
Q4. I have a diploma in addition to my ITI certificate — does that give me an edge or higher pay for Construction Assistant ‘A’?
No. The notification states explicitly that possessing higher qualifications beyond what’s prescribed gives no weightage and doesn’t entitle you to higher pay parity or any other additional benefit for the post applied.
Q5. What subjects should I focus on if I’m applying for CMTD or Fire Engine Driver?
The written CBT for these two posts tests General Intelligence, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and General English — there’s no trade-specific written component. Your practical driving and vehicle-mechanism knowledge is assessed separately in the Skill Test/Endurance Test stage, not in the written paper.
Disclaimer: Vacancy figures (9 across 4 posts), qualification, age limits, fee, exam pattern, and selection process above are drawn from SBC Visakhapatnam’s official Advertisement No. 3201/2026. The exact CBT date, time, and venue are not yet announced and are tentatively scheduled for October 2026. For the latest updates, check the official website: https://sbcrecruitment.in.
