DRDO STA-B Syllabus 2026: Tier I and Tier II Topics

The DRDO STA-B syllabus has two layers. Tier I is a common screening paper for every post code, covering General Science, General English, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning. Tier II is a subject test built around your own discipline, at Diploma or B.Sc level. CEPTAM (Centre for Personnel Talent Management) runs both tiers for the Senior Technical Assistant-B post, and the latest cycle is CEPTAM-11 with 561 STA-B vacancies.

DRDO names the Tier I subjects and the discipline for each post code in its advertisement, but it does not publish a detailed topic-wise list for every section. The topic lists below are built from the advertisement structure and from the questions candidates reported in previous papers. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list, and match your Tier II preparation to the exact post code you applied for.

Table of Contents

• DRDO STA-B Syllabus at a Glance

• Key Changes to Know

• Tier I Syllabus

• Tier II Syllabus by Discipline

• Overlap Between Tier I and Tier II

• Personality Test: Is There a Syllabus?

• How to Cover the DRDO STA-B Syllabus

DRDO STA-B Syllabus at a Glance

Sectional timing of 30 minutes for Tier I is as reported from the CEPTAM-11 exam interface. Marking rules, including the reported 0.25-mark deduction for wrong answers, are explained on the DRDO STA-B exam pattern page.

Official website: https://www.drdo.gov.in/

Key Changes to Know

• General Science is a full section in Tier I: CEPTAM-11 gave General Science 40 of the 150 questions, the same weight as Maths and Reasoning. Older pages that list General Awareness as the fourth Tier I section describe earlier cycles.

• Tier I has 150 questions: Some pages still show a 120-question Tier I from CEPTAM-10. Plan for 150 questions in four timed sections.

• Tier II has two parts: A short personality test comes before the subject test. Only the subject test decides provisional selection, as reported.

• Fewer disciplines than before: CEPTAM-11 lists 17 STA-B disciplines. Disciplines such as Agriculture, Botany, Zoology and Photography that appear on older syllabus pages are not part of this cycle's vacancy list.

Older pages may still show the CEPTAM-10 sections, so follow the current advertisement.

Tier I Syllabus

Tier I tests general ability at roughly Class 10 to Class 12 level. It is the same paper for every post code, so a Mechanical diploma holder and a B.Sc Physics graduate face the same questions.

High-weight topics in Tier I

Candidates reported that CEPTAM-11 Tier I was easy to moderate overall, with Maths slightly tougher than the other sections. General Science leaned on Class 9 and 10 physics and chemistry, including lenses, electricity, force and the periodic table, with a few biology questions. Reasoning was dominated by arrangements, blood relations and directions.

Because each section reportedly runs on its own 30-minute clock, a weak section cannot be rescued by time saved elsewhere. Aim for steady accuracy in all four rather than mastery of one.

Tier II Syllabus by Discipline

Tier II Part II is the paper that decides your provisional selection. It is set at the level of the Diploma or B.Sc course that forms the essential qualification for your post code. DRDO's advertisement names the discipline; the topic areas below follow standard Diploma and B.Sc curricula. Check your post code in the advertisement before you plan.

Computer Science and Engineering

• Programming and data structures: C and C++ basics, arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs, searching and sorting.

• Computer organisation: Number systems, Boolean algebra, logic gates, memory, CPU and instruction cycle.

• Operating systems: Processes, scheduling, deadlock, memory management, file systems.

• DBMS and networks: ER model, SQL, normalisation, OSI and TCP/IP models, IP addressing, network devices.

• Software and web basics: Software development life cycle, testing, HTML and internet fundamentals.

Mechanical Engineering

• Mechanics and materials: Engineering mechanics, strength of materials, engineering materials.

• Thermal engineering: Thermodynamics, heat transfer, IC engines, refrigeration and air conditioning.

• Fluids: Fluid mechanics and hydraulic machines.

• Machines and design: Theory of machines, vibrations, machine design.

• Manufacturing: Casting, welding, machining and machine tools, metrology, industrial engineering and inventory control.

Electronics / ECE / ETE

• Devices and circuits: Semiconductor devices, diodes, transistors, amplifiers, oscillators, op-amps.

• Digital electronics: Logic families, combinational and sequential circuits, counters, ADC and DAC.

• Microprocessors: 8085 and 8086 architecture and basic programming, microcontroller basics.

• Communication: Analog and digital modulation, transmission lines, antennas, optical fibre basics.

• Measurements: Network theory, electronic instruments and measurements.

Electrical Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering

• Circuits and fields: DC and AC circuits, network theorems, electromagnetic induction.

• Machines: Transformers, DC machines, induction and synchronous machines.

• Power systems: Generation, transmission, distribution, protection, switchgear, earthing.

• Control and electronics: Control systems, power electronics and drives, analog and digital electronics.

• Measurements and utilisation: Electrical measurements, illumination, electric drives.

Other engineering disciplines

Science disciplines

These lists are drawn from standard course content and previous papers, not from an official DRDO topic list. Use your own Diploma or B.Sc syllabus as the master reference and treat the table as a priority guide.

Overlap Between Tier I and Tier II

Some of your preparation serves both tiers. Planning for the overlap saves weeks, especially for science and engineering candidates.

Personality Test: Is There a Syllabus?

No. Tier II Part I is a personality test of statement-based questions about everyday situations and attitudes, reportedly lasting about 20 minutes. There is no syllabus to study and no right answer to memorise. Answer honestly and consistently, since such tests often repeat ideas in different words.

Reports indicate that this part is not counted in the merit list, but it is still part of the Tier II session, so read the instructions on the screen and complete it before moving on.

How to Cover the DRDO STA-B Syllabus

The gap between Tier I and Tier II in CEPTAM-11 was under three months, so start both layers together instead of treating Tier II as a later problem.

1. Weeks 1 to 8, concepts: Spend about half your time on core Tier II subjects and half on Tier I Maths and Reasoning. Start a daily 20-minute English habit.

2. Weeks 3 to 10, science layer: Add General Science from Class 9 and 10 textbooks, two chapters a week, and make one-page notes per chapter.

3. Weeks 6 to 12, topic tests: Take short topic tests in each Tier I section and in each Tier II subject. Track wrong answers in an error log.

4. Weeks 10 onwards, sectional timing: Practise 30-minute sectional tests that match the Tier I section lock.

5. Final phase, full mocks: Take full-length Tier I mocks with same-day analysis, then shift most of your hours to Tier II discipline tests after Tier I.

Reference material that works

• Tier I General Science: NCERT Science textbooks for Classes 9 and 10 cover most of what was asked. Read them before any guide book.

• Tier I Maths and Reasoning: Any standard arithmetic and reasoning practice book used for SSC-level exams is enough; the key is daily timed practice, not more books.

• Tier II discipline paper: Your own Diploma or B.Sc textbooks and class notes are the most reliable source, because the paper is set at that level. Add objective question banks for your branch once the concepts are clear.

• Previous papers: Earlier CEPTAM papers show the depth of the discipline paper. Remember that the Tier I pattern has changed, so use older Tier I papers only for topic practice.

When you build revision material, keep it short and topic-wise.