DRDO CEPTAM 11 Syllabus — STA-B & Technician-A Exam Pattern (Tier-I 150 Questions, Tier-II 120 Questions, 0.25 Negative Marking), Stage-wise Syllabus, Qualifying Marks & Trade Test

DRDO CEPTAM 11 Syllabus — STA-B & Technician-A Exam Pattern (Tier-I 150 Questions, Tier-II 120 Questions, 0.25 Negative Marking), Stage-wise Syllabus, Qualifying Marks & Trade Test

DRDO CEPTAM 11 Syllabus — About

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence, conducts the CEPTAM-11 recruitment through its Centre for Personnel Talent Management (CEPTAM) for the posts of Senior Technical Assistant-B (STA-B) and Technician-A.
• As reported, CEPTAM-11 covers 764 vacancies across STA-B and Technician-A post-codes; the advertisement was published on 11 December 2025.
• The selection involves Tier-I and Tier-II Computer Based Tests (CBT), both bilingual (Hindi and English), with a qualifying Trade Test for Technician-A candidates.
• Tier-I is a common screening CBT of 150 questions (150 marks, 120 minutes) for all post-codes; Tier-II Part-II is subject-specific and alone decides the merit list.
• Every question carries 1 mark with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer in both Tier-I and Tier-II (Part-II) — accuracy discipline is essential.
• DRDO Official Website: https://www.drdo.gov.in/
• CEPTAM-11 Advertisement page: CEPTAM-11 Advertisement — STA-B and Technician-A (drdo.gov.in)
• The official advertisement and the Tier-II syllabus PDF on drdo.gov.in are the binding documents — this page links official portals only.

DRDO CEPTAM 11 Exam Pattern

• Tier-I screens all post-codes with one common paper: General Science 40 questions, General English 30, Quantitative Aptitude/General Maths 40, and General Intelligence and Reasoning 40.
• Tier-II Part-I is a Personality Test of 20 minutes — its performance is NOT counted for selection; Part-II (subject-specific, 120 questions) alone builds the merit list.
• All sections of both tiers are time-bound — the question paper is divided into multiple sections, each with a specified time limit.
• The medium of examination is Hindi and English, and both tiers are conducted in CBT mode.
• The Tier-II merit list is prepared solely on Part-II performance — Tier-I marks do not carry into the final merit.

Minimum Qualifying Marks

• UR, OBC and EWS candidates need 40 percent minimum qualifying marks in the Tier-I test and in Part-II of Tier-II.
• SC, ST and PwBD candidates need 35 percent minimum qualifying marks.
• Candidates shortlisted for Tier-II are drawn from Tier-I merit in the reported ratio of 1:15 per vacancy, per category.
• Normalisation of scores applies across multiple shifts as per the published normalisation policy of CEPTAM-11.

Tier-I Syllabus — General Science (40 Questions)

• Physics fundamentals — motion, force, energy, light, sound, electricity and magnetism at the applied level.
• Chemistry fundamentals — matter, elements and compounds, acids-bases-salts, metals and non-metals, everyday chemistry.
• Biology fundamentals — human body systems, nutrition, health, diseases, plants and animals.
• Everyday science applications and scientific phenomena in daily life.
• Science and technology developments relevant to general awareness.

Tier-I Syllabus — General English (30 Questions)

• Reading comprehension passages.
• Grammar — tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement.
• Vocabulary — synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitution.
• Spotting errors and sentence improvement.
• Idioms and phrases; spelling correctness.
• Reported exam analysis described the English section as easy — spelling and passage questions were manageable.

Tier-I Syllabus — Quantitative Aptitude / General Maths (40 Questions)

• Number system, LCM-HCF, simplification and basic operations.
• Percentage, profit-loss, simple and compound interest, ratio-proportion, average.
• Time and work, time-speed-distance.
• Mensuration — area and volume.
• Data interpretation — tables and graphs.
• Elementary algebra and basic geometry at the applied level.

Tier-I Syllabus — General Intelligence and Reasoning (40 Questions)

• Analogies, classification and series (number and alphabet).
• Coding-decoding, blood relations, directions and distance.
• Syllogism, statement-conclusion and decision making.
• Non-verbal reasoning — figures, mirror images, paper folding.
• Puzzles, seating arrangement and ranking-order themes.
• Clock-calendar and basic arithmetical reasoning.

Tier-II Syllabus — STA-B (Subject-Specific, 120 Questions)

• The Part-II paper tests the discipline of the post-code — engineering and science disciplines as per the qualification required for the post.
• Discipline syllabi published by CEPTAM include Automobile Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Instrumentation, Mechanical Engineering and other technical disciplines.
• Science-based post-codes cover disciplines such as Physics — including Mechanics, Waves and Optics, Electricity and Magnetism, Heat and Thermodynamics, Modern Physics, Solid State Physics and Mathematical Physics.
• Other published disciplines include Psychology — covering schools of psychology, biopsychology, cognitive and sensory processes, statistical methods for psychological research, research and personality.
• The official Tier-II syllabus PDF on drdo.gov.in lists topic-level detail for every post-code discipline — download it for the exact subject of your post-code.
• The complete Tier-II discipline list spans dozens of post-codes — the merit list is built only from this Part-II performance.

Tier-II Syllabus — Technician-A (Subject-Specific + Trade Test)

• The Part-II paper tests the trade of the post-code at ITI level.
• Published trade syllabi include Book Binder, Carpenter, Fitter, Machinist and other DGT trades.
• Trade topics cover workshop safety, tools and their applications, measurement and marking, trade machinery and processes.
• The Trade Test (qualifying in nature) tests practical skills in the related trade per the DGT-specified syllabus — attending and qualifying it is mandatory for Technician-A candidates.
• The Trade Test date and venue are announced on the DRDO website after the Tier-II CBT result.

DRDO CEPTAM 11 — Key Facts (as reported)

• Advertisement: CEPTAM-11, published 11 December 2025 — 764 vacancies across STA-B and Technician-A post-codes.
• Tier-I CBT was conducted on 23 March 2026, with the answer key released on 25 March 2026 and the Tier-I result published on 25 May 2026.
• Tier-II CBT was scheduled for 15 June 2026; a question-challenge portal for Tier-II CBT opened on 18 June 2026.
• Preliminary document scrutiny status for STA-B was published on 23 September 2026.
• Normalisation of scores across shifts applies as per the published CEPTAM-11 normalisation policy.
• Refund of the refundable fee (minus bank charges) applies to candidates who attended only the Tier-I exam.
• As reported — verify all dates and rules from the official DRDO advertisement and portal.

CEPTAM-11 — Cycle Timeline (as reported)

• Advertisement published: 11 December 2025, with the application window running through late December 2025 (deadline extended once as reported).
• Tier-I CBT: conducted on 23 March 2026 across multiple shifts and centres pan-India.
• Tier-I answer key: 25 March 2026; Tier-I result: 25 May 2026.
• Normalization policy published: 09 June 2026; Tier-II CBT: 15 June 2026.
• Tier-II question-challenge portal: opened 18 June 2026; STA-B preliminary document scrutiny status: 23 September 2026.
• The recruitment cycle progresses stage by stage on drdo.gov.in — every milestone is announced there.

Exam-day Notes for the CBT (Indicative)

• Both tiers are time-bound section-wise — the interface does not allow returning to a closed section, so pace each block within its limit.
• Carry the admit card and valid ID matching the application date of birth — mismatches bar entry to the CBT.
• With 0.25 negative marking, answer elimination-verified questions and skip pure guesses.
• The official instructions on the admit card are binding — these notes are indicative only.

More Tier-II STA-B Disciplines (from the published syllabus list)

• Civil Engineering — structural, construction and public-health engineering topics per the published syllabus.
• Computer Science — programming, databases, networks and computing fundamentals per the post-code.
• Electrical Engineering — machines, power systems, circuits and measurements per the published syllabus.
• Mechanical Engineering — design, thermal, production and industrial engineering topics per the post-code.
• Other published disciplines include Library-related and science post-codes — the official PDF lists every post-code's topics.
• Always match your preparation to the exact post-code discipline you applied for — Tier-II papers are post-code-specific.

Tier-I — Reported Exam Analysis (Indicative)

• The reported Tier-I analysis described General English as easy — spelling-error and reading-passage questions were manageable.
• General Awareness was rated easy to moderate — a few tricky current-affairs questions were reported.
• Candidates who attempted 100–120 questions with high accuracy were considered in a strong position to advance to Tier-II.
• With 0.25 negative marking, the safe-attempt zone balances coverage against elimination-verified answers.
• Because all sections are time-bound, per-section pacing matters more than global time management.
• Section-wise strengths reported by candidates: English and science were scoring, while quant-reasoning needed speed discipline.

Why Tier-II Part-II Decides Everything

• Tier-I is only a screening gate — its marks never enter the final merit list.
• The 120-question Part-II subject paper is the single determinant of the STA-B merit list and the Technician-A shortlist.
• The Tier-II Part-I Personality Test is qualifying in nature — its performance is explicitly excluded from selection.
• Shortlisting into Tier-II follows the 1:15 per-vacancy, per-category ratio from Tier-I merit, so Tier-I rank only buys the Tier-II seat.
• This design makes discipline-depth preparation — not general-aptitude breadth — the ultimate rank factor.

Preparation Strategy — DRDO CEPTAM 11

• Tier-I rewards broad accuracy: 150 questions across four blocks with 0.25 negative marking — reported strong candidates attempted 100–120 questions with high accuracy.
• General Science (40 questions) is the largest Tier-I block — NCERT-level everyday science covers most of it.
• Quantitative aptitude and reasoning (80 questions combined) reward daily timed drills — these blocks decide screening ranks.
• For Tier-II, download the official discipline/trade syllabus PDF and build the preparation strictly on its topic list — the merit is made here.
• For Technician-A, begin trade-practical revision early — the qualifying Trade Test is mandatory and tests hands-on skills.
• Track the DRDO website for document-scrutiny status, Tier-II results and the Trade Test schedule.
• Use the published normalisation policy to interpret your score across shifts.

How to Download the CEPTAM 11 Syllabus PDFs (Process Steps)

• Open the official DRDO website at drdo.gov.in.
• Navigate to the CEPTAM-11 advertisement page for the post of STA-B and Technician-A.
• Download the CEPTAM-11 Advertisement PDF — Section-4 contains the complete examination pattern and selection process.
• Download the Syllabus for STA-B and Technician-A (Tier-II CBT) PDF for the discipline-wise and trade-wise topic lists.
• Also check the FAQ and Additional FAQ documents for marking, normalisation and refund rules.
• No third-party syllabus PDFs are linked on this page — official DRDO documents only.

Important Links — Official Only

• DRDO Official Website: drdo.gov.in (Official Website)
• CEPTAM-11 Advertisement page: CEPTAM-11 — STA-B & Technician-A (Advertisement, Syllabus, FAQ)
• The official advertisement, Tier-II syllabus PDF and FAQs are hosted on drdo.gov.in.
• No third-party syllabus or notification PDFs are linked on this page.
• No unaffiliated links are used on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the DRDO CEPTAM 11 Tier-I pattern? A common screening CBT of 150 questions (150 marks, 120 minutes): General Science 40, General English 30, Quantitative Aptitude/General Maths 40 and General Intelligence & Reasoning 40.
• Is there negative marking in CEPTAM 11? Yes — 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer in both Tier-I and Tier-II (Part-II) CBTs.
• What are the qualifying marks? 40% for UR/OBC/EWS and 35% for SC/ST/PwBD in Tier-I and Tier-II Part-II.
• What decides the final merit? Only the Tier-II Part-II (subject-specific) performance — the Personality Test in Tier-II Part-I is qualifying and not counted.
• What is the Tier-II pattern for STA-B? Part-I Personality Test (20 minutes) plus Part-II subject-specific test of 120 questions in 120 minutes.
• What is the Tier-II pattern for Technician-A? Part-I Personality Test plus Part-II subject-specific test of 120 questions in 90 minutes, followed by a qualifying Trade Test at ITI level per DGT syllabus.
• How many vacancies are there? As reported, 764 vacancies across STA-B and Technician-A post-codes.
• Where can I download the official syllabus? From the CEPTAM-11 advertisement page on drdo.gov.in — no third-party PDFs are linked on this page.

Disclaimer

• This page is an informational summary of the DRDO CEPTAM-11 examination pattern and syllabus based on the official advertisement and syllabus documents on drdo.gov.in.
• It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
• Vacancy numbers, dates, qualifying thresholds and stage rules are as reported and must be confirmed from the official CEPTAM-11 advertisement before acting on them.
• Always verify details at https://www.drdo.gov.in/.