CERT-In Scientist-B Recruitment 2026: 133 Cyber Security Posts, Apply by 17 August

A Group-A cybersecurity post in the Government of India, with a starting basic of ₹56,100, no written exam and no application fee, decided on your GATE score and an interview: that is what CERT-In is offering this cycle. But the eligibility gate is a strict two-key lock, and most applicants fail it on one of the two. CERT-In Scientist-B Recruitment 2026 has 133 posts, with applications open until 17 August 2026.

CERT-In Scientist-B 2026: Quick Facts

Two Keys You Both Need: GATE and the Right Degree

This is where eligibility is won or lost. You must hold both of the following, not one:

• A valid GATE score from GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026, in the paper that matches your discipline: paper CS for the Computer Science and IT stream, DA for Data Science and AI, and EC for Electronics and Communication. All three years carry equal weight, and you submit your best score from any one of them. The notification sets no minimum GATE cut-off; shortlisting is purely on GATE merit.
• A qualifying degree from the notification’s lists: for the Computer Science and IT stream, a 4-year BE or BTech, a Master’s in Science or an MCA in a listed computing discipline; for Electronics and Communication, a 4-year BE or BTech or a Master’s in Science in a listed electronics discipline. No minimum percentage is fixed for the degree itself.

The notification also states that no claim of an equivalent qualification will be entertained, though the lists do include a controlled catch-all for degrees whose main discipline is named as Computer Science, IT, Data Science, AI or Electronics. One honest caveat: the Data Science and AI stream’s degree list sits awkwardly across a page break in the official PDF and is not cleanly separated, so if you are applying under the DA paper, confirm your exact eligibility route against the official FAQ before you apply. A GATE score without the degree, or the degree without a valid GATE score, makes you ineligible either way.

The 133 Posts by Discipline

Across all three, the category split is 60 Unreserved, 36 OBC, 18 SC, 8 ST and 11 EWS, with 5 posts reserved horizontally for persons with benchmark disabilities. The notification calls these counts tentative and reserves the right to change them.

No Written Exam: 60% GATE Plus 40% Interview

There is no written test and no prior experience requirement. The process is short but weighted:

• Shortlisting: candidates are called for the interview at 5 times the vacancies, discipline-wise and category-wise, purely on GATE-score merit.
• Interview: out of 50 marks, scored on technical and academic knowledge, communication, and a small academic-performance component. You must clear a minimum of 50% in the interview if you are UR, or 40% if you are EWS, OBC, SC, ST or PwBD; below that, your GATE score cannot save you.
• Final merit: 60% weight to your GATE score and 40% to the interview, computed discipline-wise and category-wise. Document verification happens before the interview, and your GATE score is validated live on the GATE portal on interview day.

Because 60% of your final rank is the GATE score you already have, this recruitment rewards candidates who scored well in GATE and can hold a technical interview, rather than those willing to grind a fresh exam.

Age, Fee and How to Apply

• Age as on 17 August 2026: up to 30 for UR and EWS, 33 for OBC, 35 for SC and ST, and 40 for PwBD, with the standard further relaxations for in-service government candidates.
• Fee: nil for every category. There is no application fee at all.
• How to apply: online only, through the NIC recruitment portal linked from the CERT-In website, using Aadhaar-based authentication. You register, fill the form, upload your documents including your GATE score card and degree certificate, and download the confirmation page, which is what makes your application complete. One application only, with no edits to key fields after submission.

What CERT-In Is, and Why This Post Matters

CERT-In is the national nodal agency for cyber security, set up in 2004 and operating under the Ministry of Electronics and IT and the Information Technology Act. It handles cyber-incident response and coordination for the country, which means a Scientist-B here works at the centre of India’s digital defence. Postings can be anywhere in India or abroad. For an engineering or computing graduate with a strong GATE score, this is one of the few direct routes into a Group-A technical role in national cybersecurity, at a Level-10 pay scale, without sitting another written exam.

Is It Worth Applying?

If you hold both a valid GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026 score in CS, DA or EC and a listed BE/BTech, M.Sc or MCA, this is a strong, low-friction application: no fee, no written exam, and a Group-A cybersecurity career on a ₹56,100 starting basic. The honest limits are that the two-key eligibility rules out most casual applicants, the DA stream’s degree list needs a personal eligibility check, and 60% of your fate rests on a GATE score you cannot change now. If you qualify, apply well before the 17 August close.

CERT-In Scientist-B 2026: Common Questions

What is the eligibility for CERT-In Scientist-B 2026?

You need both a valid GATE 2024, 2025 or 2026 score in the matching paper (CS, DA or EC) and a listed degree: a 4-year BE/BTech or a Master’s in Science in the relevant computing or electronics discipline, with an MCA also qualifying for the Computer Science and IT stream. Missing either key makes you ineligible.

Is there a written exam for CERT-In Scientist-B?

No. Selection is 60% of your GATE score plus a 40% interview. Candidates are shortlisted for the interview at 5 times the vacancies on GATE merit.

What is the CERT-In Scientist-B salary?

Pay Level 10 of the 7th CPC, a scale of ₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500, as a Group-A officer.

What is the CERT-In Scientist-B application fee?

There is no fee. Application is free for all categories.

What is the last date for CERT-In Scientist-B 2026?

17 August 2026 at 5:30 PM, online only through the NIC portal linked from cert-in.org.in. The window opened on 14 July 2026.

How many CERT-In Scientist-B posts are there?

133 in total: 83 in Computer Science and IT, 25 in Data Science and AI, and 25 in Electronics and Communication.

✍️ Written & reviewed byLokesh Rathore

Lokesh Rathore is a content writer with over 4 years of experience covering Government Jobs, Sarkari Result, Admit Card and Sarkari Yojana. He turns complex official notifications into clear, accurate and easy-to-follow updates for job seekers across India - with every post cross-checked against official government sources.

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