ISRO Technician Exam Pattern 2026: Marks, Stages and Marking Scheme

Table of Contents

• ISRO Technician exam pattern at a glance

• Stages of the selection process

• Written test (CBT) pattern

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• Qualifying marks for the written test

• Skill test pattern

• What the pattern means for you

• How final merit is decided

• Mode, language and exam centres

• Trades and posts covered

• Time management strategy

• Practising in the right pattern

• Official sources and older pages

ISRO Technician Exam Pattern 2026 at a Glance

The ISRO Technician exam pattern is simple on paper: one written test of 80 multiple-choice questions, followed by a practical skill test in your trade. There is no separate general knowledge or reasoning paper for Technician-B. The questions come from the ITI curriculum of the trade you applied for.

Technician-B posts are advertised by individual ISRO centres, not by one central board. This page uses the official ISTRAC Advertisement No. ISTRAC:02:2026 (dated 27 June 2026) as the reference for the pattern, because it states the complete scheme. Other centres follow a similar structure, but you should always confirm the details in the notification of the centre you are applying to.

Stages of the Selection Process

The selection for Technician-B has three stages. Each stage filters candidates before the next one, so it helps to know what each stage is checking.

1. Initial screening: Your application is screened on the academic performance and other details you enter in the online form. Only screened-in candidates are called for the written test. Meeting the minimum qualification does not guarantee a call.

2. Written test or CBT: A curriculum-based test of 80 questions. Candidates who qualify, taking the number of notified vacancies into account, are shortlisted for the skill test.

3. Skill test: A practical test in your trade, conducted for shortlisted candidates. It is purely a go-no-go test.

Because the screening is based on the marks you enter, fill in your ITI scores carefully. The notification states that the online application cannot be edited after final submission.

Written Test (CBT) Pattern

The written test is the stage that decides your rank. It is a single paper with questions drawn from the syllabus of your qualification, which for Technician-B means the ITI/NTC trade syllabus.

The notification calls the paper "curriculum based" and does not publish a topic-wise breakdown or a split between theory, workshop calculation and drawing. For a topic-by-topic list, see the syllabus page of this exam. Since no split is announced, cover the full ITI curriculum of your trade rather than guessing which topics will carry more questions.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

Each correct answer earns 1 mark. Each wrong answer costs 0.33 mark, which is roughly one-third of a mark. The notification does not mention any penalty for leaving a question unanswered.

A wrong guess therefore costs you more than the mark you could have gained. If you answer a question with a 50 percent chance of being right, your expected gain is positive but small. If your chance is only one in four, your expected result is slightly negative. This is why blind guessing across the whole paper is a poor strategy.

Qualifying Marks for the Written Test

Qualifying marks apply before the skill test shortlist is made. The advertisement sets these pass marks.

Candidates who qualify in the written test are shortlisted for the skill test in a ratio of 1:5, with a minimum of 10 candidates. In simple terms, up to five candidates are called for every vacancy, and at least 10 are called in all. Passing mark is not the same as the selection mark, because the shortlist depends on the number of vacancies and on how candidates perform.

Skill Test Pattern

The skill test checks whether you can actually work in the trade. It is conducted for 100 marks and is qualifying in nature.

• Go-no-go basis: You either pass or you do not. The marks you score in the skill test are not added to your written test marks.

• Venue: For ISTRAC:02:2026, the skill test is held only in Bengaluru. Outstation candidates who are called for it are paid a travelling allowance as described in the advertisement, subject to successful document verification.

• Document check: The documents you uploaded are verified at the skill test. Admission to the written test does not give you a right to selection.

• Pass mark: The pass mark is 50 for unreserved candidates and 40 for reserved candidates, as in the table above.

The notification describes the skill test as curriculum based. Practise the standard jobs of your ITI trade, such as marking, filing, measuring and basic machine or circuit work, along with the safety steps that go with them.

What the Pattern Means for You

• The written test decides your rank: The skill test only qualifies you. Every mark in the CBT counts toward your final position.

• A 1:5 shortlist is not guaranteed by 32 marks: Scoring exactly the pass mark may not be enough if more candidates score above it than the shortlist allows.

• Accuracy matters more than volume: With -0.33 for each wrong answer, 10 wrong answers wipe out about 3.3 correct ones.

• Ninety minutes for 80 questions is comfortable: That is a little over one minute per question, so speed is rarely the problem if your basics are strong. Use the spare time for review.

• Your ITI marks matter twice: They are used in screening and as the first tie-breaker.

How Final Merit Is Decided

Final selection is based on the marks obtained in the written test, from among the candidates who pass the skill test. The skill test marks are not added.

If two or more candidates have the same written test marks, the academic score of the essential qualification notified for the post is the first tie-breaker. For Technician-B and Draughtsman-B, if the written test marks and the academic score of the notified qualification (NAC, NTC or ITI) are both tied, a candidate with a valid NAC score is preferred over one without it.

Worked example: Suppose you attempt 70 questions and get 58 right and 12 wrong. Your score is 58 minus (12 x 0.33), which is 58 minus 3.96, or 54.04 out of 80. Had you left those 12 questions blank, you would have scored 58. A wrong guess is only worth making when you are fairly sure that your chance of being right is better than one in two.

Mode, Language and Exam Centres

The advertisement states that the written test can be held online or offline, and that the organisation reserves the right to decide this. The test is conducted in Bengaluru or in different cities across India. Candidates can choose Hindi or English as the medium.

Requests to change the written test centre, skill test centre, email address or mobile number are not entertained. Admit cards and call letters are sent only by email or SMS, so check your registered email, including the spam folder.

Trades and Posts Covered

The trade you apply for determines the syllabus you study. The posts below are drawn from recent official or reported advertisements. Vacancy numbers are provisional and may change.

The ISTRAC figures come from the official advertisement. The IPRC details come from published reports of its advertisement, so confirm the pattern, fee and dates in the IPRC notification itself before relying on them.

Time Management Strategy

A simple three-pass approach works well for an 80-question, 90-minute paper.

1. First pass (about 40 minutes): Answer every question you are sure about. Skip anything that needs a long calculation or that you cannot recall.

2. Second pass (about 30 minutes): Return to the skipped questions. Eliminate options and answer only where you can narrow the choice to two.

3. Review (about 20 minutes): Recheck calculation questions and any answer you marked in a hurry.

Keep a count of your wrong answers in practice tests. If more than one in six of your attempts is wrong, you are guessing too much for this marking scheme.

Practising in the Right Pattern

Your preparation should mirror the paper: 80 questions, 90 minutes, a -0.33 penalty and questions only from your own trade. Topic-wise tests help you finish the ITI curriculum, and full-length timed tests help you build the habit of the three-pass approach.

Official Sources and Older Pages

Older pages and coaching sites still show different figures for ISRO recruitment, such as longer durations, larger question counts and different marking. These often refer to the Scientist/Engineer exam or to earlier years. For Technician-B, follow the notification of the centre you applied to.

Read the full advertisement on the official ISRO careers page and the ISTRAC recruitment page. Corrigenda, if any, are published only on ISRO and centre websites, not in newspapers.