DRDO Administrative Assistant Syllabus, Exam Pattern

The CBT is in Hindi and English, with no negative marking. To be ranked you need at least 40% (UR, OBC, EWS) or 35% (SC, ST). About eight candidates per vacancy were called to the typing test.

At the typing test you get a 5-minute trial passage first. Hindi can be typed on InScript or Remington (CBI and GAIL) layouts. Omitted, added or misspelt words count as full mistakes; spacing, capitalisation, punctuation and transposed words count as half mistakes. The details are in the typing test instructions of July 2023.

CEPTAM gives no topic-wise syllabus. Its FAQ says the paper is pitched at the level of the qualification, which here is Class 12, across four areas: quantitative aptitude, reasoning, general awareness and general English.

• Qualification: Class 12 pass or equivalent from a recognised board or university, held by the crucial date. Awaiting results does not count.
• Typing: English at 35 words a minute (post 0601) or Hindi at 30 words a minute (post 0602) on a computer. You prove this at the typing test; no certificate is asked for.
• Age: 18 to 27 on the crucial date. OBC (non-creamy layer) get 3 extra years, SC and ST 5, PwBD 10 on top of their category, and ex-servicemen, departmental staff with three years' service and some others get relaxation under central rules.
• Nationality: Indian citizen.

Vacancies in CEPTAM-10/A&A:

Within these, 0601 kept 12 posts for PwBD (3 in each disability category), 3 for ex-servicemen and 1 for a meritorious sportsperson; 0602 kept 1 for PwBD category D.

English Typing posts were spread over 21 stations: Ahmednagar, Ambernath, Balasore, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Gwalior, Haldwani, Hyderabad, Jagdalpur, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kochi, Leh, Mysore, Nashik, Pune, Tezpur and Visakhapatnam. Hindi Typing posts were at Agra, Ahmednagar, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Delhi, Jodhpur and Pune.

Rank comes from the Tier-I score alone. The typing test is pass or fail, and you must pass it to be selected. There is no interview.

If two candidates tie, the older one goes higher, then alphabetical order decides. Selected candidates are nominated to a lab according to vacancies and the station preferences they gave in the form, which cannot be changed later. Documents are checked and a medical exam held by the lab at joining.

Pay Level 2 of the 7th CPC matrix, ₹19,900–63,200, plus DA, HRA, transport allowance, children's education allowance, LTC, medical cover and CSD canteen facility. New entrants are under the National Pension System and start on probation.

Applications are online only, through the link CEPTAM puts on DRDO's Vacancies page. Register first, then fill the form with the user ID sent to your email.

• Fee ₹100, paid online. Women, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen pay nothing.
• English and Hindi Typing are separate post codes, so each needs its own application and fee.
• Pick three exam cities in order of priority.
• Station preferences entered in the form are final.

In 2022 the Tier-I CBT could be taken in 41 cities, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Patna, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jammu, Leh and Port Blair. The full list is in section 3.4 of the advertisement. The typing test centre is assigned by CEPTAM.

Dates from the CEPTAM-10/A&A cycle:

CEPTAM does not run this on a fixed calendar. The previous A&A round, CEPTAM-09, closed in October 2019, three years before CEPTAM-10. No date has been announced for the next one.

The CEPTAM-10/A&A Tier-I result was out by late May 2023 and the final results for 0601 and 0602 by December 2023, linked from the CEPTAM-10/A&A page (archived). Scores of candidates who qualified but were not selected are published afterwards. Results for a new round will be posted on the DRDO Vacancies page.

• Tier-I gives you 60 minutes for 75 questions and there is no negative marking, so answer everything.
• Since rank depends only on Tier-I, every mark there matters; the typing test only has to be cleared.
• Practise typing on a computer, not a phone, and get comfortably above 35 wpm with few errors. Hindi typists should settle on InScript or Remington early.
• CEPTAM warns that guides sold with 'CEPTAM' or 'DRDO Entry Test' in the title are not its publications.

• DRDO Vacancies (new CEPTAM advertisements appear here)
• CEPTAM-10/A&A advertisement, 2022 (archived PDF)
• CEPTAM-10/A&A FAQs (archived PDF)
• Typing test instructions, July 2023 (archived PDF)
• CEPTAM-10/A&A result page, December 2023 (archived)
• DRDO: how CEPTAM recruits

Is there a DRDO Administrative Assistant vacancy open now?

No. The last advertisement was CEPTAM-10/A&A in November 2022, and nothing for this post has been notified since.

What qualification do I need?

Class 12 pass, plus typing speed of 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Hindi, tested on a computer.

What is the age limit?

18 to 27, with the usual central government relaxations.

Is there negative marking?

No.

Does the typing test add to my marks?

No. It is qualifying only; your Tier-I score decides rank.

What is the pay?

Level 2, starting at ₹19,900 basic plus allowances.