DRDO CEPTAM 11 STA and Technician Tier-2 Admit Card

DRDO CEPTAM 11 (Centre for Personnel Talent Management) conducts recruitment for Senior Technical Assistant (STA) and Technician posts across various DRDO laboratories and establishments pan-India. The Tier-2 examination is the second stage of selection after clearing the Tier-1 exam, designed to assess technical knowledge and subject-specific competency of candidates. DRDO, under the Ministry of Defence, is India's premier R&D organisation focused on defence technologies. Successful candidates will be appointed to technical positions supporting critical defence research projects. This recruitment offers stable central government employment with excellent career progression opportunities in scientific and technical domains. The Tier-2 exam is crucial for final selection and requires thorough preparation in domain-specific subjects.

Important Dates

Vacancy Breakdown (Typical / Indicative)

Note: Vacancy distribution varies by specific CEPTAM notification and post categories (STA/Technician across disciplines)

Educational Qualification

For Senior Technical Assistant (STA) Posts:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Technology in relevant discipline (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Computer Science, Civil, Chemical, etc.) from recognized university/institution
• OR Post Graduate Diploma in relevant specialization with 60% marks
• Minimum 60% aggregate marks (55% for SC/ST candidates)

For Technician Posts:

• 3-year Diploma in Engineering/Technology in relevant discipline from recognized board/university
• OR 10+2 with Science subjects plus ITI in relevant trade with National Trade Certificate
• Minimum 60% aggregate marks (55% for SC/ST candidates)

Age Limit

Age Relaxation:

Nationality

• Candidate must be a citizen of India
• Security clearance mandatory for employment in defence establishments

Application Process

Tier-1 Application (Already completed for Tier-2 appearing candidates):

1. Visit official DRDO CEPTAM portal at ceptam.drdo.in or recruitment portal notified in advertisement
2. Click on "CEPTAM 11 Registration" and complete one-time registration with basic details and valid email ID/mobile number
3. Login using registration credentials and fill complete application form with personal, educational, and experience details
4. Upload scanned documents: recent photograph (20-50 KB), signature (10-30 KB), and relevant certificates in prescribed format (JPG/PDF)
5. Pay application fee through online mode (Net Banking/Credit Card/Debit Card/UPI) and save payment receipt
6. Review filled application form thoroughly, make corrections if needed, and submit final application
7. Download and save submitted application form and fee receipt for future reference
8. Qualified Tier-1 candidates are automatically eligible for Tier-2; no fresh application required

Application Fees

Selection Process

1. Tier-1 Examination (Computer-Based Test): Objective type multiple-choice questions covering General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, General English, and Quantitative Aptitude. Qualifying stage with normalized marking across sessions.

1. Tier-2 Examination (Computer-Based Test): Trade/discipline-specific technical knowledge test for candidates who qualify Tier-1. Subject-specific questions based on educational qualification and post applied for. Performance determines final merit.

1. Document Verification: Shortlisted candidates based on Tier-2 performance are called for verification of original certificates including educational qualifications, age proof, caste certificate, domicile, and experience documents.

1. Medical Examination: Candidates clearing document verification undergo comprehensive medical examination as per DRDO medical standards. Fitness certificate from authorized medical board is mandatory.

1. Security Clearance: Selected candidates must obtain security clearance from government agencies. Employment is subject to successful clearance as DRDO deals with sensitive defence projects.

1. Final Merit List: Final selection is based on Tier-2 examination performance, subject to qualifying document verification, medical fitness, and security clearance. Category-wise merit lists are prepared.

Tier-1 Exam Pattern (Already Conducted)

Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer

Tier-2 Exam Pattern (Trade/Discipline Specific)

For STA Posts: 80 questions of 100 marks in 120 minutes covering engineering subjects

For Technician Posts: 60 questions of 100 marks in 90 minutes covering diploma-level technical topics

Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer in Tier-2 as well

All questions are objective type (MCQs) with four options. Computer-based examination conducted at centers across India.

Tier-2 Syllabus (Trade/Discipline Specific)

For Mechanical Engineering (STA)

• Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics, force systems, friction, kinematics and kinetics
• Strength of Materials: Stress, strain, bending moment, shear force, torsion, deflection
• Theory of Machines: Mechanisms, gears, cams, governors, flywheels, vibrations
• Manufacturing Technology: Metal cutting, machining operations, welding, casting, forming
• Thermodynamics: Laws of thermodynamics, heat engines, refrigeration, IC engines
• Fluid Mechanics: Properties of fluids, flow measurement, Bernoulli's theorem, pumps and turbines
• Machine Design: Design of shafts, keys, joints, springs, bearings
• Industrial Engineering: Production planning, inventory control, quality management

For Electronics & Communication Engineering (STA)

• Network Theory: Circuit analysis, network theorems, resonance, filters
• Electronic Devices: Semiconductors, diodes, transistors, FETs, operational amplifiers
• Analog Circuits: Amplifiers, oscillators, power supplies, rectifiers
• Digital Electronics: Boolean algebra, logic gates, combinational and sequential circuits
• Signals & Systems: Fourier series, Laplace transform, Z-transform, sampling
• Communication Systems: Amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, digital communication
• Microprocessors: 8085/8086 architecture, assembly language, interfacing
• Control Systems: Transfer functions, stability analysis, PID controllers

For Computer Science Engineering (STA)

• Programming & Data Structures: C/C++/Java programming, arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs
• Algorithms: Searching, sorting, complexity analysis, greedy algorithms, dynamic programming
• Database Management Systems: ER model, normalization, SQL, transactions, indexing
• Operating Systems: Process management, memory management, file systems, deadlocks
• Computer Networks: OSI model, TCP/IP, routing protocols, network security
• Computer Organization: Computer arithmetic, instruction sets, pipelining, memory hierarchy
• Software Engineering: SDLC models, testing, project management
• Web Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, web servers

For Electrical Engineering (STA)

• Electric Circuits: Network analysis, AC and DC circuits, network theorems
• Electrical Machines: Transformers, DC machines, induction motors, synchronous machines
• Power Systems: Generation, transmission, distribution, load flow, fault analysis
• Control Systems: Transfer functions, stability, compensators, state-space analysis
• Power Electronics: Rectifiers, inverters, choppers, AC voltage controllers
• Measurements: Measuring instruments, bridges, transducers, digital instruments
• Analog & Digital Electronics: Operational amplifiers, logic circuits, microprocessors
• Electromagnetic Theory: Maxwell's equations, wave propagation, transmission lines

For Diploma Level Technician Posts

• Basic Engineering Sciences: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry fundamentals
• Trade-Specific Technical Knowledge: Based on diploma specialization (Mechanical/Electrical/Electronics/Civil/Computer Science)
• Workshop Technology: Tools, equipment, manufacturing processes, safety
• Engineering Drawing: Orthographic projections, sectional views, dimensioning
• Basic Electronics: Components, circuits, measurement instruments
• Computer Fundamentals: MS Office, basic programming, internet usage

Salary Structure (Typical / Indicative)

For Senior Technical Assistant (STA) - Level 6:

For Technician - Level 3:

Additional Benefits: Provident Fund (GPF/NPS), Gratuity, Leave Travel Concession (LTC), Medical facilities for self and dependents, CGHS benefits, Group Insurance, Children Education Allowance, Pension benefits (NPS contribution), subsidized canteen facilities.

DRDO offers excellent career progression with regular promotions based on performance and time-bound assessments. STAs can progress to Scientific Assistant, Technical Officer, and higher technical/scientific positions (up to Level 12-13) over their career. Technicians advance through Senior Technician, Chief Technician, and Master Technician grades. Departmental examinations, skill development programs, and higher qualification opportunities facilitate upward mobility. Opportunities exist for deputation to other defence establishments and international assignments.

Tier-2 admit cards are released approximately 7-10 days before the examination date on the official DRDO CEPTAM portal. Candidates must login using their Tier-1 registration credentials (Registration Number and Password/Date of Birth) to download the admit card. The admit card contains exam center details, reporting time, and candidate photograph. Candidates must carry a printed copy of the admit card along with valid original photo ID proof (Aadhaar/Voter ID/Driving License/Passport) to the examination center for entry.

Tier-2 results are typically declared 4-6 weeks after the examination date on the official DRDO CEPTAM portal. Results include category-wise merit lists based on normalized scores in Tier-2 examination. Candidates can check their results using registration number and date of birth on the portal. Shortlisted candidates are intimated via registered email/SMS about document verification schedule. Final selection is subject to document verification, medical examination, and security clearance. Detailed scorecard with marks and cut-off information is made available online.

Tier-2 cutoff marks vary by post category, discipline, and reservation category based on difficulty level and number of vacancies. Typically, UR category cutoff ranges between 50-65% of total marks, while SC/ST cutoffs are 5-10% lower at 40-55%. OBC cutoffs fall between UR and SC/ST at approximately 45-60%. Higher cutoffs are observed for popular disciplines like Computer Science and Electronics. Cutoffs are determined separately for each technical trade based on merit and vacancies.

Exam Centers across India:

North: Delhi NCR (Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram), Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur, Dehradun, Jammu, Prayagraj (Allahabad)

South: Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Kochi, Mysuru, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati

East: Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Ranchi, Guwahati, Siliguri

West: Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nagpur, Indore, Vadodara, Nashik

Northeast: Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Shillong, Imphal, Agartala

Central: Bhopal, Jabalpur, Raipur

Exam centers are subject to availability and candidate distribution. DRDO reserves the right to cancel or add centers based on administrative feasibility.