CENTRAL GOVERNMENT JOBS

DRDO Technical Assistant / Technician

Support DRDO scientists with lab work, testing and equipment maintenance.

Class 10 pass; Science and Maths help After Class 10 Government job

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Working with machines, instruments and tools
Being part of defence research without needing a long degree
A stable central government job

It may not suit you if you dislike

Posting can be in any city, and transfers are possible
Work is detailed and repetitive, and mistakes in readings matter
Few posts and many applicants, so you may need several attempts

Class 11–12 subjects: For Technician-A: Class 10 pass, plus an ITI certificate (NCVT/SCVT) in the trade DRDO asks for (reported). For Senior Technical Assistant-B (STA-B): a B.Sc. or an engineering/technology diploma in the stream asked for (reported). Exact trades, marks and age limits change with each notice, so read the latest one.
First degree: No single degree. Technician-A needs ITI after Class 10 (usually 1–2 years, depending on the trade). STA-B needs a 3-year diploma or a B.Sc. (3 years).
Entrance exams: DRDO-CEPTAM recruitment (CEPTAM-11 advert, Dec 2025). Technician-A has a computer-based Tier-I test and a trade/skill test (reported). STA-B has Tier-I and Tier-II computer-based tests (reported).
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Open to every streamClass 10 pass; Science and Maths help.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Helping DRDO scientists in labs and workshops. You set up and run tests, operate and maintain instruments, record readings and keep the equipment working.

A day in the work
You reach the lab or workshop in the morning and check the instruments and test set-ups you need. A scientist explains the day's trial. You run the tests, take careful readings and write them in the log. In the afternoon you fix or calibrate a faulty machine and keep the area clean and safe. At the end of the day you hand your records to the scientist.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 9–10Pay attention to Science and Maths, and enjoy using your hands. Pass Class 10. This is the minimum for the Technician-A post (reported).
Step 2 · After Class 10 (1–3 years)Choose a route. Do an ITI in a relevant trade such as electronics, fitter, electrician or mechanic (reported). Or do a diploma in engineering. Or do a B.Sc. after Class 12 Science. Pick the trade carefully, because DRDO lists the trades it accepts in each notice.
Step 3 · When a notice comesDRDO-CEPTAM advertises posts online at drdo.gov.in. The latest one we found is CEPTAM-11, published Dec 2025. It covered 203 Technician-A and 561 STA-B vacancies. For Tech-A, the fee is ₹100 plus a ₹500 exam fee for General/OBC/EWS candidates, and ₹500 is refunded if you appear in Tier-I. The notice shows women, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen paying no application fee, and Tier-I attendance refunds the same ₹500 (reported).
Step 4 · Tier-I examA computer-based test. Your normalised Tier-I marks decide your place in the merit list. Check the latest notice for the syllabus and marking scheme.
Step 5 · Trade/skill test (Tech-A) or Tier-II (STA-B)Technician-A candidates take a practical test in their own trade (reported). STA-B candidates take a second computer-based test (reported). Check the notice for details. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 6 · Merit list, documents and medicalFor Tech-A, the notice says ties are broken in this order: DRDO-trained apprentices first, then normalised Tier-I marks, then the older candidate. Shortlisted candidates then have their documents checked and a medical exam (reported). After that you are posted to a DRDO lab or establishment, anywhere in India. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 7 · Joining and probationNew joiners in central government jobs normally serve a probation period before being made permanent. We could not confirm DRDO's exact probation terms, so check your appointment letter. (reported — check with the official body)

Ways in

ITI route → Technician-AClass 10, then an ITI certificate in a listed trade. Group 'C' post, Pay Level 2 (reported). 203 vacancies in CEPTAM-11.
Diploma or B.Sc. route → Senior Technical Assistant-BA diploma in engineering/technology or a B.Sc. in a relevant subject. Group 'B' technical post, Pay Level 6 (reported). 561 vacancies in CEPTAM-11.

Your real chances

In the CEPTAM-11 advertisement (Dec 2025), DRDO announced 203 Technician-A and 561 Senior Technical Assistant-B vacancies. We did not find an official count of applicants, so we can't give the odds. Expect strong competition for a small number of posts.

Source: DRDO-CEPTAM-11 advertisement (English PDF) ↗

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (ITI route after Class 10)	1–2 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	—
Class 11–12 or diploma/B.Sc. route (Senior Technical Assistant-B)	3 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	—
DRDO-CEPTAM exam application (Technician-A)	1 day exam	₹100 plus ₹500 exam fee (General/OBC/EWS); ₹500 refunded if you appear in Tier-I (reported)	—	Women, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen pay no application fee (reported)
Tier-I computer-based test and trade/skill test (Technician-A)	Check the notice	Free to appear; no fee stated beyond application (reported)	—	—
Merit list, documents and medical (Technician-A)	Check the notice	Check the notice	—	DRDO-trained apprentices get priority in ties (reported)
Joining and probation (Technician-A and STA-B)	Check your appointment letter	Pay Level 2: ₹19,900–₹63,200 (Tech-A); Pay Level 6: ₹35,400–₹1,12,400 (STA-B) (reported)	—	—

Total timeAbout 3 years after Class 12 for STA-B; ITI route takes 1–2 years after Class 10 — check the notice for exam timing

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowJob training is not stated as paid on the page; exam fees and refunds follow the CEPTAM-11 notice, so check drdo.gov.in for the latest advert.

Fees from: DRDO-CEPTAM-11 advertisement (English PDF). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Official pay

Technician-A: Pay Level 2, ₹19,900–₹63,200 (7th CPC) plus allowances, as listed for CEPTAM-11 (reported). Senior Technical Assistant-B: Pay Level 6, ₹35,400–₹1,12,400 (reported).

Source: CareerPower summary of CEPTAM-11 (reported; check the official PDF) ↗

Pay starts at a fixed government scale and rises with service, promotions and allowances, which are higher in big cities.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~You must be an engineer or scientist to work at DRDO.~~

Fact: DRDO also recruits Class 10 + ITI candidates as Technician-A and diploma or B.Sc. holders as STA-B. Scientists plan the research and technicians and assistants keep the tests and equipment running.

For girls and students with disabilities

In CEPTAM-11, women, SC/ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates were exempt from the application fee (reported). Vacancies were split by category (for Tech-A: 103 UR, 25 SC, 13 ST, 44 OBC, 18 EWS, reported). Check the notice for age relaxations and the rules for disabled candidates, because we could not confirm them from the official page.

Try it now

Class 7–9Build a small working project, such as a simple circuit, a buzzer or a torch, and write down the steps and what went wrong. If your school has an Atal Tinkering Lab or science club, join it.
Class 10–12Visit the DRDO website and read the careers/vacancy page. Look at the trades listed in the latest notice, so you can choose an ITI or diploma that fits.Open link ↗
College or afterTake a free NPTEL course in basic electronics, instrumentation or measurement. It will help you in both the written test and the trade test.Open link ↗

Good to know

Vacancies, trades, age limits and fees change with every advertisement. Always read the latest notice on drdo.gov.in, not a coaching or job-news site.
CEPTAM-11 listed Tech-A as a Group 'C', non-gazetted, non-ministerial post. Non-ministerial means it is a technical job, not an office clerk's job.
In CEPTAM-11, DRDO-trained apprentices were placed first among tied Tech-A candidates. An apprenticeship at DRDO can therefore help, if one is open to you.
Postings can be in any DRDO lab across India, so be ready to move away from home.

Sources: DRDO-CEPTAM-11 advertisement (English PDF), drdo.gov.in · CareerPower summary of CEPTAM-11 (reported; used only for pay, vacancy split and selection stages that I could not read in the official PDF)