Indian Space Research Organisation Scientist CS
ISRO Scientist CS is a recruitment exam conducted by Indian Space Research Organisation, relevant to engineering graduates targeting technical government and PSU roles.
ISRO Scientist CS is the recruitment of Scientist/Engineer 'SC' (Computer Science) at the Indian Space Research Organisation, run by the ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB) in Bengaluru. Selected candidates can be posted or transferred to any ISRO or Department of Space centre or unit.
The current cycle is Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026, dated 27 August 2026. Selection is through a computer based test (CBT) and an interview. This page gives you the facts from the official advertisement, explains what they mean for your preparation, and points you to the detailed pages for syllabus, pattern, eligibility and cut-off.
Table of Contents
ISRO Scientist CS at a glance
Particular | Details |
|---|---|
Recruiting body | ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB), Bengaluru |
Post | Scientist/Engineer 'SC', Computer Science |
Advertisement | ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026, dated 27 August 2026 |
Post codes | BE003 (ISRO) and BE003A (PRL) |
Qualification | BE/B.Tech or equivalent in Computer Science Engineering, minimum 65% aggregate or 6.84/10 CGPA |
Age limit | 28 years as on 16 September 2026 |
Selection stages | Written test (CBT) of 100 marks, then interview of 100 marks |
Pay | Level 10 of the Pay Matrix, minimum basic pay Rs. 56,100 per month |
Official website | isro.gov.in (Careers section) |
Notification and vacancy details
The 2026 advertisement covers three disciplines: Electronics, Mechanical and Computer Science. Computer Science has its own post code, so you compete only with other CS applicants for the CS vacancies.
Post code | Discipline | Vacancies (tentative) |
|---|---|---|
BE003 | Computer Science (ISRO) | 21 |
BE003A | Computer Science (PRL, an autonomous body) | 1 |
These numbers are provisional. The advertisement says vacancies can be increased or reduced by a corrigendum on the ISRO website, and that ISRO may decide not to fill posts. Some vacancies are reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD), as detailed in the advertisement.
The advertisement does not mention GATE. Selection in this cycle is through the CBT and interview, so a GATE score does not feature in the stated process.
Important dates
Event | Date |
|---|---|
Advertisement released | 27 August 2026 |
Online application window | 27 August 2026 to 16 September 2026, up to 11:55 PM |
Age reckoned as on | 16 September 2026 |
CBT date | 29 October 2026 (shifted from 19 October 2026, as shown on the ISRO recruitment page) |
Answer key | Within three working days of the test, per the advertisement |
Objections to answer key | Within five days of publication, through the official link only |
Result and interview dates | Not announced on the pages we checked (tentative, watch the Careers page) |
Dates can change, as the CBT postponement shows. Track the official recruitment page on isro.gov.in and your registered email, because call letters are sent only by email.
Eligibility in brief
You need a BE/B.Tech or equivalent degree in Computer Science Engineering with at least 65% aggregate marks or 6.84/10 CGPA. ISRO accepts a list of allied branch names, such as Information Technology, Computer Engineering and several CSE specialisations. The official FAQ states that there is no relaxation in the marks requirement for any category.
Only Indian nationals can apply. Registration on the National Career Services (NCS) portal is also mentioned in the advertisement. Age relaxation is available for serving Central Government civilian employees, ex-servicemen and PwBD candidates as per Government of India orders. For the full rules on CGPA conversion, dual degrees and disqualifiers, read the ISRO Scientist CS eligibility page.
Application fee and refund
Every applicant paid a processing fee of Rs. 750 online through Bharatkosh. Rs. 250 of this is a non-refundable application fee. The rest is refunded only if you appear in the CBT.
Category | Refund after appearing in the CBT |
|---|---|
Women, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen | Full processing fee |
All other candidates | Rs. 500 (after deducting the Rs. 250 application fee) |
The separate FAQ document words the category list slightly differently, so check the refund rule for your category in the official advertisement and FAQ.
Exam pattern
The CBT is a 120-minute test of 100 marks with two parts. Part A is discipline-specific (Computer Science), and Part B tests aptitude and reasoning.
Part | Questions | Marks | Time | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A: Area/discipline specific | 80 MCQs | 80 | 90 minutes | 1/3 mark per wrong answer |
B: Aptitude/ability | Maximum 15 MCQs | 20 | 30 minutes | None |
What this means for you
Part A decides the result: It carries 80 of 100 marks, so Computer Science depth matters far more than reasoning speed.
Guess with care in Part A: A wrong answer costs one-third of a mark, so guess only when you can remove at least one option.
Do not neglect Part B: You must clear the minimum in each part separately, and Part B has no penalty for wrong answers.
Older articles may still describe earlier ISRO patterns, so follow the current advertisement. Full detail is on the ISRO Scientist CS exam pattern page.
Syllabus summary
ISRO names the test areas but does not publish a topic-wise syllabus for Part A. The working list below is built from the core Computer Science subjects and from topics seen in earlier papers, so treat it as a checklist rather than an official list.
Section | Main areas |
|---|---|
Part A: core CS | Data structures, algorithms, operating systems, DBMS, computer networks, digital logic, computer organisation, theory of computation, compiler design |
Part A: supporting areas | Engineering mathematics, discrete mathematics, programming, software engineering, information security |
Part A: newer areas | Artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing |
Part B | Numerical, logical, diagrammatic, abstract and deductive reasoning |
Topic-level detail and the overlap with GATE CS are covered in the ISRO Scientist CS syllabus guide.
Selection process
Written test (CBT): 100 marks. Unreserved candidates need at least 50% in each of Part A and Part B. For PwBD candidates the minimum is 40% in each part.
Shortlisting: Candidates are shortlisted for the interview in a ratio of 1:5, with a minimum of 10 candidates, based on written test performance.
Interview: 100 marks covering technical knowledge (40), general awareness related to the specialisation (20), presentation and communication (20), comprehension (10) and academic achievements (10).
Final panel: The written test and interview carry 50% weightage each. Ties are broken first by written test marks, then by marks in the essential qualification, then by date of birth.
ISRO reserves the right to change interview and selection criteria for administrative reasons, so recheck the notice before the interview stage.
Pay and benefits
The post is placed in Level 10 of the Pay Matrix with a minimum basic pay of Rs. 56,100 per month. Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and Transport Allowance are payable as per rules. The advertisement also lists New Pension Scheme coverage, medical facilities, subsidised canteen, group insurance, Leave Travel Concession and house building advance. In-hand salary varies by posting city and allowances, so treat any monthly take-home figure you see elsewhere as an estimate.
How to prepare
Preparation for ISRO Scientist CS rewards strong fundamentals, because Part A is a pure subject test. A practical order of work looks like this:
Build the core first: Operating systems, DBMS, networks, digital logic and computer organisation supplied many questions in the 2025 paper, and they reward clear concepts.
Cover the extras: Security, big data, AI and cloud questions are easy to lose if you prepared only from a GATE CS list.
Practise earlier papers: ISRO publishes Computer Science papers for 2023 and 2025 on its recruitment page. Solve them under timed conditions.
Keep Part B warm: Twenty minutes of reasoning practice, three or four days a week, is a sensible routine for clearing the minimum.
Do not skip interview preparation: The interview is half of the final merit, so revise your degree subjects and be ready to explain your projects.
Timed practice makes the difference between knowing a topic and scoring on it. You can attempt ISRO Scientist CS mock tests on Testkart, review the section-wise analysis, and then revise from your error log. Pair them with study notes for the CS subjects so your revision stays focused.
Previous cut-off reference
ISRO published cut-off marks for the 2025 written test held on 26 October 2025. For Computer Science (BE003), the cut-off for shortlisting was 57.41 for candidates other than PwBD and 44.36 for PwBD candidates, on a basis of 96 marks for evaluation. Cut-offs change every cycle with paper difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants, so use these as a benchmark only. Details and a target-setting method are on the ISRO Scientist CS cut-off page.
For official documents, use the ISRO recruitment page for Scientist/Engineer 'SC' and the official advertisement PDF.