Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
All India
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The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) conducts the Assistant Section Officer (ASO) recruitment exam. Selection spans three stages: Objective Papers (Paper I & II), Descriptive Paper (Paper III), and Computer Proficiency Test (CPT). Knowing the syllabus and exam pattern together helps in effective preparation.
| Conducting Body | Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) |
| Post Name | Assistant Section Officer (ASO) |
| Selection Stages | Stage 1 (Paper I & II Objective) → Stage 2 (Paper III Descriptive) → Stage 3 (CPT) |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 marks per wrong answer (objective papers) |
| CPT Duration | 1 hour |
| CPT Marks | 100 (Qualifying only) |
| Official Website | csir.res.in |
| Stage | Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Paper I | General Awareness | 100 | 1 Hour |
| Stage 1 | Paper I | English Language & Comprehension | 100 | 1 Hour |
| Stage 1 | Paper II | General Intelligence, Reasoning & Mental Ability | 100 | 1 Hour |
| Stage 2 | Paper III | English/Hindi Descriptive | 100 | 1 Hour |
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Word Processing | Typing, document creation, text formatting |
| Spreadsheet | Data entry, formatting, basic formulas |
| Presentation | Slide creation, formatting, inserting objects |
| Office Skills | Day-to-day computer proficiency tasks |
CPT Qualifying Marks: UR - 40%, EWS/OBC - 37%, SC/ST - 35%, PwBD - 30%.
History of India & Indian National Movement: Harappan civilisation, Vedic/Mauryan/Gupta periods, medieval India, Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Marathas, British rule, Revolt of 1857, national movement, Gandhian era.
Constitution, Polity, Governance: Historical evolution, features, amendments, Union-State relations, separation of powers, Parliament, judiciary, constitutional bodies, government policies, e-governance, poverty & hunger issues.
Current Events: National issues, economy, polity, judiciary, environment, science & technology, sports, awards, international summits, global events.
Reasoning: Analogies, similarities/differences, space visualisation, problem-solving, analysis, judgement, decision-making, visual memory, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, Venn diagrams, sitting arrangements, mathematical operations, ranking.
Arithmetical & Numerical Ability: Simplification, decimals, fractions, LCM/HCF, ratio & proportion, percentage, average, profit & loss, discount, SI & CI, mensuration, time & work, time & distance, data interpretation.
General Science: Physics (mechanics, heat, magnetism, electricity, light, sound), Chemistry (atomic structure, chemical bonds, acids/bases, organic chemistry), Biology (cell biology, ecology, human physiology), Computer/IT fundamentals.
Economic & Social Development: Basic economic concepts, resource distribution, growth vs development, HDI, sustainable development, climate change.
Ethics & Management: Ethics in human actions, human values, decision making, planning, organising, directing, control, communication, leadership, motivation.
National Geography: Physical features, river systems, climate, minerals, agriculture, natural vegetation, economic infrastructure.
Q1. What is the CSIR ASO syllabus?
Paper I: General Awareness + English. Paper II: Reasoning & Mental Ability. Paper III: Descriptive. Plus qualifying CPT.
Q2. Is there negative marking?
Yes, 0.25 marks deducted per wrong answer in objective papers.
Q3. What is CPT?
Computer Proficiency Test - 1 hour, 100 marks, practical test of word processing, spreadsheet, presentation skills. Qualifying only.
| CSIR Official Website - csir.res.in |