ISRO Technician Syllabus 2026: Trade-wise Topics, Exam Pattern and Study Plan

The ISRO Technician syllabus is the first thing to sort out before you open a single book. Unlike many government exams, ISRO does not publish a topic-wise list for this post. The written test is based on your ITI trade, so what you study depends on your trade and on the centre that has advertised the vacancy. This guide explains what ISRO has officially said, what the paper looks like, and a trade-wise checklist you can use to plan your preparation.

It is written for ITI-qualified candidates applying for Technician 'B' posts at ISRO centres such as ISTRAC, LPSC and IPRC in the 2026 cycle. Read it together with the overview page so that vacancies, dates and eligibility are clear in your mind.

Table of Contents

• Important note on the syllabus

• ISRO Technician Syllabus at a Glance

• Key Changes to Know

• Written Test Pattern

• Common Topics Across Trades

• Trade-wise Syllabus Checklist

• Deeper Look at the Main 2026 Trades

• Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skill Test: What Is Tested

• Four-Phase Study Plan

• Practice and Mock Tests

Important Note on the Syllabus

ISRO states that the written test is purely curriculum based on the ITI trade you have passed. It does not release a chapter-by-chapter syllabus in the advertisement. This means no website can claim an "official" topic list for the written test.

What this page gives you: a working checklist built from the standard areas that an NCVT ITI curriculum covers for each trade. Treat it as a preparation guide, not as an official ISRO document. Always compare it with your own ITI course books and with the trade list in the notice of the centre you are applying to.

You can read the official advertisements on the ISRO careers site: ISRO Careers.

ISRO Technician Syllabus at a Glance

Key Changes to Know

• Centre-wise advertisements: ISRO recruits for each centre separately. ISTRAC, LPSC and IPRC each issued their own 2026 notice, so trades and vacancies differ.

• Trades differ by centre: A trade open at one centre may not be open at another. Check the trade list in the notice before you start.

• Older pages show older notices: Many websites still describe the 2025 cycle. Always match any detail you read with the 2026 notices on isro.gov.in.

• Dates may change: Test dates for some centres have not been announced. Keep checking the official site.

Written Test Pattern

Knowing the pattern tells you how to spend your study time. The written test is a single paper based on your trade.

What this means for you: You get about one minute per question, and wrong answers cost marks. Practise attempting only the questions you are reasonably sure about, and leave the rest.

Common Topics Across Trades

Whatever your trade, a few areas appear in almost every ITI curriculum. Cover these first, because they are useful for every candidate.

Workshop Calculation and Science

• Basic arithmetic: Fractions, percentages, ratio and proportion, and simple unit conversion.

• Mensuration: Area, volume and surface area of common shapes used in workshop problems.

• Basic science: Units of measurement, force, work, power, heat and basic properties of materials.

Engineering Drawing

• Drawing basics: Types of lines, scales, dimensioning and sheet layout.

• Views: Orthographic projection and reading simple drawings.

• Symbols: Standard symbols and conventions used in your trade.

Safety and Employability Skills

• Workshop safety: Personal protective equipment, fire safety, first aid and safe handling of tools.

• Hand and measuring tools: Names, uses and care of common tools and instruments.

• General awareness: Basic communication and workplace conduct.

Trade-wise Syllabus Checklist

The table below lists indicative topic areas for the trades that ISRO commonly recruits. It is based on standard ITI trade content and is meant as a planning checklist. Confirm that your trade is open in your centre's notice.

How to use this table: Pick your trade, tick off each area against your ITI books, and mark the ones you have not revised in a long time. Those are your starting points.

Deeper Look at the Main 2026 Trades

The 2026 advertisements concentrate on a handful of trades. Here is how to think about each one, so that your revision goes beyond a list of headings.

Fitter

• Measurement first: Learn to read a vernier calliper, micrometer and dial gauge, and practise least-count calculations. These are easy marks.

• Limits, fits and tolerances: Understand clearance, interference and transition fits with simple numerical examples.

• Processes: Know the purpose of filing, sawing, drilling, reaming and tapping, and the tool and speed you would choose for each.

Electronics Mechanic

• Components: Colour codes, tolerances and the working of resistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes.

• Circuits: Rectifiers, filters, regulators, transistor biasing and amplifier basics.

• Digital basics: Number systems, logic gates, flip-flops and counters.

• Practical knowledge: Fault finding, soldering and desoldering, and correct use of a multimeter and an oscilloscope.

Electrician

• Theory: Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's laws, series and parallel circuits, power and energy.

• Machines: Working principles, starting methods and common faults of DC and AC motors and transformers.

• Installation: Wiring methods, earthing, fuses, circuit breakers and safety rules.

Turner and Machinist

• Machine knowledge: Parts of the lathe, milling machine, shaper and grinder, and what each does.

• Calculations: Cutting speed, feed, depth of cut, taper and thread calculations.

• Tools: Tool materials, tool angles and the right tool for the job.

Welder

• Processes: Gas welding, arc welding and the basics of inert gas welding.

• Materials and joints: Electrode selection, joint types, welding positions and flame types.

• Quality and safety: Common weld defects, their causes and remedies, and safe working practice.

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

• Cycle and parts: The vapour compression cycle and the role of each major component.

• Service work: Tube cutting, flaring, brazing, evacuation, charging and leak testing.

• Controls: Thermostats, relays, overload protectors and basic wiring diagrams.

For Carpenter and Draughtsman posts, follow the checklist in the earlier table and give extra time to drawing and reading skills.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Studying a general syllabus: Candidates often prepare as if the paper had reasoning and general awareness sections. It does not; it is trade based.

• Ignoring calculations: Workshop calculation questions are quick to solve if you have practised, and slow if you have not.

• Guessing too much: With 0.33 marks deducted per wrong answer, random guessing reduces your score.

• Neglecting the skill test: Written marks decide your rank, but failing the skill test ends your chances.

Skill Test: What Is Tested

The skill test follows the written test for shortlisted candidates. It is worth 100 marks, and it is qualifying in nature. Candidates must score at least 50 marks if they are in the general category, and 40 marks if they belong to reserved categories. The test checks whether you can do the job practically, not only answer questions.

• Practical tasks: You may be asked to carry out a job from your trade, such as a fitting job, a wiring task, a turning operation or an electronic circuit assembly.

• Tool handling: Correct use of tools and measuring instruments is observed.

• Accuracy and finish: The quality of the result and the time taken both matter.

• Safety practice: Safe working habits are noted during the test.

Since the exact tasks are decided by the centre, practise the standard jobs of your ITI course and keep your hand skills sharp until the day of the test.

Four-Phase Study Plan

If you have about two months, this plan keeps your preparation balanced. Adjust the weeks to match your test date once it is announced.

Alongside the written test preparation, spend a little time every week on practical work for the skill test.

Daily routine that works

• Theory block: Spend 90 minutes on one topic from your checklist and write a half-page summary in your own words.

• Question block: Solve 30 to 40 questions on the same topic and mark the ones you got wrong or guessed.

• Revision block: Spend 20 minutes on the previous day's notes before starting something new.

• Practical block: Two or three days a week, practise a standard job from your trade for the skill test.

If you are already working in your trade, you may need less time on practicals and more on written theory, because many workshop questions test names, standards and reasons rather than hand skill.

Practice and Mock Tests

Since the paper has 80 questions in 90 minutes with negative marking, timed practice matters as much as knowing the theory. A mock test shows you how many questions you can attempt safely and where you lose marks.

• Take timed tests: Use a 90-minute limit so that pace becomes a habit.

• Keep an error log: Write down each wrong answer and the reason, such as a concept gap or a careless mistake.

• Revisit weak topics: Go back to your trade checklist and revise the areas that keep appearing in your error log.

Candidates who want to practise earlier papers can also try ISRO Technician previous year papers.