Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), a Navratna Public Sector company and a group entity of Indian Oil Corporation, has released Advertisement No. 01 of 2026 (CPCL/HRD:03:055), dated 14 August 2026, inviting applications for 60 Junior Engineering Assistant-IV posts across Production, Mechanical, Electrical, and Instrumentation disciplines. These are non-executive, diploma-level engineering roles at CPCL’s Chennai refinery, which processes 10.5 million metric tonnes of crude per year. This article covers the complete recruitment details — vacancy breakup, eligibility, exam pattern, salary, and how to apply.
1. Recruitment Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) |
| Company Status | Navratna PSU, a group company of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. |
| Advertisement Number | 01 of 2026 – CPCL/HRD:03:055, dated 14.08.2026 |
| Category | Non-Executive Personnel, Grade IV |
| Total Vacancies | 60 |
| Disciplines | Production, Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation |
| Work Location | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Mode of Application | Online only |
2. Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online application opens | 14 August 2026 |
| Online application closes | 11 September 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Age/qualification reckoning date | 1 July 2026 |
| Admit card release | Approximately 10 days before the CBT |
| Computer Based Test (CBT) | Tentatively September/October 2026, at Chennai only |
3. Vacancy Details
Total Vacancies: 60, across four positions:
| Position Code | Post | Total | UR | SC | ST | OBC | EWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPCL01 | Jr. Engineering Assistant-IV (Production) | 40 | 19 | 4 | – | 12 | 4 |
| CPCL02 | Jr. Engineering Assistant-IV (Mechanical) | 10 | 3 | 3 | – | 2 | 1 |
| CPCL03 | Jr. Engineering Assistant-IV (Electrical) | 5 | 2 | – | – | 1 | – |
| CPCL04 | Jr. Engineering Assistant-IV (Instrumentation) | 5 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Total | 60 | 26 | 9 | – | 15 | 5 |
Backlog vacancies (unfilled posts from earlier recruitment cycles, included within the totals above): SC – 2, OBC – 3, PwBD – 3. This is the third attempt to fill the PwBD-reserved posts specifically.
A note on women candidates: Because Production-related and shift-based roles at the refinery involve hazardous operations, CPCL is not considering women candidates for the Production discipline (CPCL01) or for any role requiring round-the-clock shift work. Women can apply for Mechanical (CPCL02), Electrical (CPCL03), and Instrumentation (CPCL04) positions.
4. Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification & Experience (as on 1 July 2026)
| Position | Qualification | Minimum Marks | Experience Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jr. Engg. Assistant (Production) | 3-year Diploma in Chemical/Petroleum/Petrochemical Engineering, or B.Sc. with Chemistry as a major subject | 60% (General/OBC/EWS); 55% (SC) | 3 years in continuous process units — refining, chemical, petrochemical, fertilizer, or gas processing industries |
| Jr. Engg. Assistant (Mechanical) | 3-year Diploma in Mechanical Engineering | 60% (General/OBC/EWS); 55% (SC/PwBD) | 3 years maintaining rotary equipment (pumps, compressors, turbines) or stationary equipment (boilers, exchangers, vessels) in a refinery/process industry |
| Jr. Engg. Assistant (Electrical) | 3-year Diploma in Electrical/Electrical & Electronics Engineering | 60% (General/OBC/EWS); 55% (SC/PwBD) | 3 years maintaining electrical equipment (motors, transformers, HT/LT switchgear) in a continuous process industry |
| Jr. Engg. Assistant (Instrumentation) | 3-year Diploma in Instrumentation/Instrumentation & Electronics/Instrumentation & Control/Electronics & Communication | 60% (General/OBC/EWS); 55% (SC) | 3 years in process control instrumentation maintenance, including field instruments, DCS/PLC familiarity |
Important qualification rules:
- Candidates with higher qualifications such as B.E./B.Tech, MBA, CA, LLB, or MCA are not eligible. If discovered after selection, the job offer can be cancelled.
- A 59.99% aggregate is treated as below 60% — CPCL doesn’t round up fractional percentages.
- CGPA/OGPA must be converted to percentage using your university’s official formula.
- Experience gained through Apprenticeship Training under the Apprentices Act, 1961 counts as valid work experience.
- Diploma holders who entered through the lateral entry scheme (12th Science or ITI candidates admitted directly into the 2nd year of a Diploma) are also eligible, provided they meet the percentage criteria based on all 4 semesters.
Age Limit
- Upper age limit: 30 years, as on 1 July 2026, for all positions.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 5 years (against reserved posts) |
| OBC | 3 years (against reserved posts) |
| PwBD | 10 years (General); 13 years (OBC); 15 years (SC) |
| Ex-Servicemen | Service period + 3 years, up to a maximum age of 50 |
Relaxations cannot be combined — only one applies to a candidate.
5. Selection Process
Selection happens in three stages:
- Computer Based Test (CBT)
- Document Verification — for candidates shortlisted based on CBT performance
- Skill, Proficiency and/or Physical Test (SPPT) — qualifying in nature
CBT Pattern
| Section | Questions | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| General Aptitude | 50 | Verbal Ability, General Knowledge, Reasoning/Logical Deduction, Numerical Ability |
| Discipline Knowledge | 70 | Technical questions related to the candidate’s specific engineering discipline |
| Total | 120 |
- Duration: 2 hours
- Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for every wrong answer
- Minimum Qualifying Marks: 40% overall (35% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates against reserved positions — a 5% relaxation)
- The CBT will be held only in Chennai, tentatively in September/October 2026
Shortlisting & Merit
- Candidates are shortlisted for the SPPT stage in a ratio of 1:3 (three candidates per vacancy, factoring in reserved posts).
- If there’s a tie in marks at the cutoff position, all tied candidates are called for SPPT, even if this exceeds the 1:3 ratio.
- The category-wise merit list is prepared from CBT marks, but only among candidates who also qualify the SPPT.
- Tie-breaker for merit list: the candidate with the earlier date of birth (older by age) is ranked higher.
- Final selection depends on the candidate being declared medically fit as per CPCL’s pre-employment medical standards.
6. Salary & Pay Structure
Selected candidates will be placed in the Non-Supervisory Cadre (Grade IV), under the IDA pay scale:
₹25,000 – ₹1,05,000, with a starting basic pay of ₹25,000.
In addition to basic pay, selected candidates get:
- Dearness Allowance (DA)
- House Rent Allowance (HRA) / Self-Lease
- Provident Fund (PF)
- Gratuity
- Leave Travel Concession (LTC) / Leave Fare Assistance (LFA)
- Reimbursement of medical expenses
- Superannuation benefits
No pay protection is given under any circumstances — even to candidates coming from a higher-paying previous role.
7. Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / EWS / OBC | ₹500 (non-refundable) |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Ex-Servicemen / Women | Exempted — no fee |
- Fee must be paid online only, via SBI e-Pay, using Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI, or Net Banking.
- Bank/gateway charges, if any, must be borne by the candidate.
- If a candidate applies for more than one post, the fee is not refunded for the extra application — though note that applying for more than one post isn’t permitted in the first place (see rules below).
8. How to Apply
- Visit the official CPCL recruitment portal: cpcl.onlineregistrationform.org/TNCPCL/index.action
- Read the on-screen instructions, then check the declaration box and click Continue.
- Select your post from the “Post Applying For” dropdown, and complete the new user sign-up with your active email ID and mobile number (both verified via OTP).
- Once registered, you’ll receive a User ID and Password on screen and via email/SMS — use these to log in.
- Complete the application in sequence:
- Personal Details
- Academic Details
- Work Experience (mandatory for all four posts)
- Upload Photo (JPG/JPEG/PNG, 20KB–60KB)
- Upload Signature (JPG/JPEG/PNG, 10KB–30KB)
- Upload Documents (PDF only, 60KB–2MB)
- Review everything on the Preview page — this is your last chance to edit before locking in your application.
- Accept the declaration and proceed to payment.
- Pay the applicable fee (if not exempted) via Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI.
- Download your submitted application form and payment receipt for your records.
Key rules to keep in mind:
- You can apply for only one post, using one email ID and one mobile number. Applying for more than one post won’t get you a fee refund for the extra application.
- No documents need to be posted or couriered to CPCL — your candidature is assessed purely on the information you enter online, so accuracy matters.
- Apply well before the deadline. CPCL has specifically warned that heavy website traffic near the closing date can cause login or payment failures.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
60 vacancies for Junior Engineering Assistant-IV posts — 40 in Production, 10 in Mechanical, 5 in Electrical, and 5 in Instrumentation.
11 September 2026, 11:59 PM. The application window opened on 14 August 2026.
A 3-year diploma in the relevant engineering discipline (or B.Sc. Chemistry for Production), with 55–60% aggregate marks depending on category, plus a minimum of 3 years of relevant post-qualification work experience.
No. Candidates holding higher qualifications such as B.E./B.Tech, MBA, CA, LLB, or MCA are not eligible for these diploma-level posts.
30 years as on 1 July 2026, with relaxation for SC/ST, OBC, PwBD, and Ex-Servicemen categories.
120 marks total — 50 questions on General Aptitude and 70 on Discipline Knowledge, in 2 hours, with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer. Minimum qualifying marks are 40% (35% for SC/ST/PwBD against reserved posts).
₹500 for General/EWS/OBC candidates; no fee for SC/ST/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen/women candidates.
No. Women are not considered for the Production discipline or other shift-heavy roles, due to the hazardous nature of those operations. They can apply for Mechanical, Electrical, and Instrumentation posts.
A starting basic pay of ₹25,000, within the IDA pay scale of ₹25,000–₹1,05,000, plus DA, HRA, PF, gratuity, and other allowances.
Only in Chennai, tentatively in September/October 2026.
10. Official Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Notification – CPCL Recruitment 2026 | Download PDF |
| Official Application Portal | cpcl.onlineregistrationform.org/TNCPCL |
| Official CPCL Website | cpcl.co.in |
| Query Email/Phone | cpcl2026@onlineregistrationform.org / 022-62507770 |
Read the complete official notification carefully before applying, since qualification and experience requirements are strictly enforced with no equivalence claims accepted. Rely only on the official CPCL website for updates on admit cards, exam dates, and results.
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