DRDO CEPTAM 2026 — Complete Guide

Update (April 2026): No official DRDO CEPTAM 2026 notification released yet. Expected as CEPTAM-11, likely August–September 2026 at drdo.gov.in. Previous CEPTAM-10 (2023) had 1,901 posts for STA-B, Tech-A, and Admin-A. Start preparing Tier-I (General Intelligence, GK, Maths, English) and your discipline-specific Tier-II subject now.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is India's premier defence R&D agency under the Ministry of Defence. DRDO operates 50+ laboratories across India and recruits technical and administrative staff via the Centre for Personnel Talent Management (CEPTAM) exam.

1. DRDO CEPTAM 2026 — Overview

Parameter	Details
Organisation	DRDO (Ministry of Defence)
Recruiting Body	CEPTAM (Centre for Personnel Talent Management)
Posts	STA-B, Tech-A, Admin-A, RA-A
Category	Central Government — Defence
Official Website	drdo.gov.in
Application Mode	Online at drdo.gov.in/careers
Selection	Tier-I CBT → Tier-II CBT (No Interview)

2. Important Dates

Event	Expected
CEPTAM-11 Notification	August – September 2026
Online Application	August – September 2026
Application Closes	~30 days after notification
Tier-I Exam (CBT)	November – December 2026
Tier-II Exam	January – February 2027
Result	2–3 months after Tier-II

3. Posts & Eligibility

Senior Technical Assistant-B (STA-B)

• Qualification: 3-year Diploma OR B.Sc in Physics/Chemistry/Maths/Electronics/CS/Life Sciences (min. 60%)
• Age: 18–28 years (General); OBC: 31; SC/ST: 33
• Pay Level: Level-6 (₹35,400–₹1,12,400)

Technician-A (Tech-A)

• Qualification: Matriculation + ITI (relevant trade) OR 10+2 + 3-year trade diploma
• Trades: Electronics, Mechanical, Electrical, IT, Fitter, Turner, Welder, Machinist
• Age: 18–28 years (General)
• Pay Level: Level-3 (₹21,700–₹69,100)

Administrative Assistant-A (Admin-A)

• Qualification: Graduation + typing speed 35 wpm (English) / 30 wpm (Hindi)
• Age: 18–28 years (General)
• Pay Level: Level-4 (₹25,500–₹81,100)

4. DRDO CEPTAM Exam Pattern & Selection Process

Step 1: Tier-I CBT (Qualifying) — 100 Marks, 90 minutes
         ↓
Step 2: Tier-II CBT (Merit-based) — 100 Marks, 90 minutes
         ↓
Step 3: Merit List (Based only on Tier-II score)
         ↓
Step 4: Document Verification + Medical

Tier-I Syllabus (Common for All Posts)

Section	Marks
General Intelligence & Reasoning	25
General Awareness & Current Affairs	25
Quantitative Aptitude	25
General English	25
Total	100

• Negative Marking: ¼ per wrong answer in Tier-I
• Tier-I is only qualifying — Tier-II marks determine final merit

Tier-II Syllabus (Discipline-specific)

Post	Tier-II Subject
STA-B (Electronics)	Electronic Devices, Circuits, Signals, Communication
STA-B (Mechanical)	Engineering Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics
STA-B (Physics)	Mechanics, Optics, Modern Physics, Electromagnetism
STA-B (Computer Science)	Data Structures, DBMS, OS, Networks, Programming
Tech-A (Electronics ITI)	Trade-specific theory and applications
Admin-A	General English, Office Procedures, Computer Applications

5. Salary & Benefits

Post	Pay Level	Basic Pay	Gross Monthly (Approx.)
STA-B	Level-6	₹35,400–₹1,12,400	₹50,000–₹65,000
Tech-A	Level-3	₹21,700–₹69,100	₹32,000–₹42,000
Admin-A	Level-4	₹25,500–₹81,100	₹38,000–₹48,000

Additional DRDO-specific perks:

• Research campus facilities (housing, subsidized canteen)
• Professional development courses
• DRDO Science & Technology Allowance for technical staff

6. Previous DRDO CEPTAM Data

Edition	Year	Vacancies	Posts
CEPTAM-9	2019	1,817	STA-B, Tech-A, Admin-A
CEPTAM-10	2023	1,901	STA-B, Tech-A, Admin-A

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Official Website: drdo.gov.in | Careers: drdo.gov.in/careers