CSIR JSA Exam Pattern 2026: Paper I, Paper II, Marking and Typing Test

The CSIR JSA exam pattern has three tested parts: Paper I (Mental Ability), Paper II (General Awareness and English Language) and a computer typing test. Paper I and the typing test are qualifying, and only Paper II marks decide the merit list. This page follows the last combined CSIR cycle, Advertisement No. CRRI/02/PC/JSA-JST/2025, and the 2026 lab advertisements from CSIR-CLRI and CSIR-NEIST, which use the same scheme.

Knowing which marks count changes how you use your time. A candidate who treats Paper I as the main paper can lose rank in Paper II, where every wrong answer costs a mark.

CSIR JSA exam pattern at a glance

Paper I pattern

Each correct answer earns 2 marks, and there is no negative marking. The Selection Committee sets a minimum threshold, and only candidates who reach it have Paper II evaluated. In the 2025 combined cycle the Paper I threshold was 40% for UR, 35% for EWS and OBC, 33% for SC, ST and ESM, and 30% for PwBD.

Paper II pattern

The total written exam time is 2 hours 30 minutes, with extra time for candidates eligible for a scribe as stated in each advertisement. Questions are set in English and Hindi, except the English Language section.

Marking scheme and negative marking

Blank answers are not penalised in either paper. In a multi-shift CBT, scores can be normalised; the 2025 combined cycle published normalised Paper II scores.

What the CSIR JSA pattern means for you

• Attempt everything in Paper I: With no negative marking, a blank question is a lost chance. Guess on anything you cannot solve in time.

• Be selective in Paper II: A correct answer earns 3 marks and a wrong one costs 1. A pure guess among four options is roughly break-even, but if you can rule out one or two options the odds turn in your favour.

• Paper II speed matters: 100 questions in 60 minutes leaves about 36 seconds per question. Fast General Awareness answers buy time for English.

• Your rank depends on Paper II: Plan study hours so General Awareness and English get most of your time once Paper I is comfortably above past thresholds.

Typing test pattern

The typing test is qualifying only. In the 2025 combined cycle, it ran on lab computers with backspace, delete, copy-paste and spell check disabled, and the permitted error margin was 5% for most categories and 7% for some, with extra mistakes deducted from speed. Rules can differ between labs, so read the typing test notice for your cycle. The Selection Committee decides whether the typing test comes before or after the written exam.

Final merit calculation

The final merit list is based only on Paper II marks among candidates who clear the Paper I threshold, the Paper II threshold where one is set, and the typing test. Ties are broken by fewer negative marks, then older date of birth, then earlier attainment of the minimum qualification, then alphabetical order of first name.

Worked example: A candidate attempts 85 questions in Paper II and gets 70 right and 15 wrong. The score is 70 x 3 minus 15 x 1, which is 210 out of 300. If another candidate also scores 210 with only 9 wrong answers, that candidate ranks higher on the first tie-breaker.

Time management on exam day

1. Paper I: Do one quick pass of easy questions, then return to puzzles and long arithmetic. Mark an answer for every question before time ends.

2. Paper II, General Awareness first: Answer what you know in about 15 to 20 minutes, skipping anything you would only guess blind.

3. Paper II, English next: Use the remaining 40 minutes for grammar, vocabulary and comprehension, then review marked questions.

Older pages may still show an interview stage or merit based on both papers, so follow the official advertisement for your cycle. Check the CSIR-CRRI recruitment page for the 2025 scheme and the CSIR website for lab links.