ISRO Assistant, UDC and Steno Recruitment 2026: 267 Posts, CBT Held

ISRO’s 2026 recruitment for office staff has 267 posts of Assistant, Upper Division Clerk, Junior Personal Assistant and Stenographer across ISRO centres. There is no interview at any stage. The key rule sits right at the start: graduation with 60% and no rounding, so 59.9% is a rejection. Applications closed on 20 August 2026 (extended from 16 August), and the CBT was held on 21 September 2026.

ISRO Assistant and UDC 2026: Quick Facts

One number to get right up front: the vacancy tables in the original advertisement summed to 244. ISRO’s corrigendum dated 11 August 2026 added 23 posts (20 Assistant posts in the Thiruvananthapuram zone, 2 Assistant posts in Bengaluru and 1 UDC post), so the total is now 267. The notice itself prints no grand total.

The 60% Rule With No Mercy

ISRO’s FAQ spells this out more bluntly than most notifications ever do. You need graduation with a minimum of 60% marks or a CGPA of 6.32 on a 10-point scale, and there is no rounding: 59.9% is not eligible, and neither is a CGPA of 6.319. You cannot convert CGPA to percentage or the other way around, a strong post-graduation cannot compensate for a weaker graduation, and the degree must have been completed within its stipulated duration, so backlog years disqualify. There is no relaxation in marks for any category. The result must be declared by the date you apply. ISRO checks original documents at the skill test. A candidate whose marks fall below this bar can be rejected there.

Where the 267 Posts Sit

Candidates could apply for different posts, but not for the same post in two zones. All their applications had to use the same exam city. Selected candidates can be posted or transferred to any ISRO or Department of Space centre in India. The posts are permanent, held as temporary only until probation completes.

Who Fits Which Post

• Assistant and UDC: graduation with the 60% rule plus computer proficiency. No prior work experience is needed, whatever some job sites claim; the notification asks for none.
• JPA and Stenographer: graduation, or a Diploma in Commercial or Secretarial Practice plus a year’s experience as a steno-typist or stenographer, with the same 60% bar, English stenography at 60 words per minute and computer proficiency. After the corrigendum dated 11 August 2026, the experience condition applies only to diploma holders. Holders of a Diploma in Commercial Practice (DCP) or in Commercial and Computer Practice (DCCP) can count a BOAT apprenticeship certificate as the experience.
• Age as on 16 August 2026: up to 28 for UR and EWS (born on or after 17 August 1998), 31 for OBC and 33 for SC/ST where posts are reserved, with further relaxations per government rules for PwBD, ex-servicemen and others.

The ₹500 Fee That Comes Back

ISRO’s fee works differently from most exams. Every applicant pays ₹500 per application upfront, through the Bharatkosh gateway, regardless of category. The refund comes after you actually appear in the written test: women, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates get the full ₹500 back, and everyone else gets ₹400 back, with ₹100 retained as the application fee. Candidates who skipped the CBT get no refund at all. The refund goes to the bank account given in the form, and ISRO is not responsible for problems caused by wrong bank details. Applying for both post groups costs ₹1,000 upfront.

A 200-Mark CBT, a Computer Test, and No Interview

Selection is a written test followed by a qualifying skill test, and the final merit comes from the written test alone:

• CBT for Assistant and UDC: 200 questions for 200 marks in 150 minutes: General English 50, Quantitative Aptitude 50, Reasoning 50 and General Knowledge 50, with +1 for a correct answer and 0.25 negative marking. Qualifying is 50% for UR and EWS candidates and 40% for reserved candidates (OBC, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen).
• CBT for JPA and Stenographer: the same 200 marks and timing, but weighted to language: English Language and Comprehension 100, Reasoning 50, Quant and GK 50.
• Skill test (qualifying only): a Computer Literacy Test of 100 marks in 75 minutes covering Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The pass mark is 60% for UR and EWS candidates and 50% for OBC, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen. JPA and Stenographer candidates also face a stenography test: 300 words dictated at 60 wpm, transcribed on a computer in 30 minutes, in Pitman’s shorthand. Up to 10% mistakes are allowed for UR and EWS candidates and 12% for OBC, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen.

Candidates are called for the skill test at up to 5 times the vacancies. There is no interview, and ties in the CBT are broken by the reasoning-section marks (English section for steno posts) and then age. The advertisement listed 38 exam cities, from Port Blair to Jammu. The CBT was held on 21 September 2026. ISRO’s response sheet and objection portal was open from 25 September (2 PM) to 28 September 2026 (2 PM). ISRO has given 25 October 2026 as the tentative skill test date. The shortlist for the skill test is not out yet. ISRO will send skill test call letter details to shortlisted candidates by email and SMS, with no hard copy by post.

Pay at Level 4 and What ISRO Adds

All four posts sit in Level 4 of the pay matrix with a basic pay starting at ₹25,500 a month, plus dearness allowance, house rent allowance and transport allowance, under the New Pension Scheme. ISRO layers on medical cover for the family, subsidised canteen, limited staff quarters in lieu of HRA, leave travel concession and group insurance. For a graduate-level clerical post, a Level 4 central government job at ISRO with no interview is a good offer.

How to Apply for ISRO ICRB 2026

New applications closed on 20 August 2026. The steps below show how the application worked.

1. Open the Careers section on isro.gov.in and follow the apply link for Advertisement ISRO:ICRB:01(A-JPA):2026.
2. Register and fill the form, uploading a recent passport-style photo (20 to 50 KB) and signature (10 to 20 KB), and choosing your exam city, which stays common across your applications.
3. Enter your bank account and IFSC correctly, since the fee refund is paid there.
4. Pay ₹500 per application via Bharatkosh and submit by the last date (extended to 20 August 2026). ISRO sent no hard-copy hall tickets. Admit cards came through the online link on its page.

This joins our ISRO ISTRAC Apprentice coverage and the wider PSU jobs we track. ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre has 3 Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ posts under LPSC/03/2026, with the form closing at 2 PM on 13 October 2026. See ISRO LPSC Scientist Engineer 2026. For ITI and diploma holders, the ISRO IPRC Recruitment 2026 page covers 22 posts with the form closing at 5 PM on 24 October 2026.

ISRO ICRB 2026: Our Take and the Next Step

For graduates who cleared the 60% bar, this was one of the strongest clerical-grade openings of the year. It offers an ISRO posting, Level 4 pay and a refundable fee, with merit decided by CBT marks. The honest caveats are the hard marks gate, competition concentrated by the prestige of the name, and, for the steno posts, a genuine 60 wpm Pitman shorthand requirement (plus a year’s experience for diploma holders). Applications closed on 20 August 2026 and the CBT was held on 21 September 2026. The skill test is tentatively set for 25 October 2026, and the shortlist is not out yet.

ISRO ICRB 2026: Common Questions

What is the qualification for ISRO Assistant and UDC 2026?

Graduation with at least 60% marks or CGPA 6.32, with no rounding and no category relaxation in marks, plus computer proficiency. No work experience is required for Assistant or UDC.

How many posts are in ISRO ICRB 2026?

267 after the corrigendum dated 11 August 2026: 152 Assistant (including autonomous institutes), 82 JPA, 23 UDC and 10 Stenographer. The original advertisement’s tables summed to 244.

Is there an interview for ISRO Assistant 2026?

No. Selection is the 200-mark CBT plus a qualifying computer literacy test (and a stenography test for JPA/Steno). Final merit comes from the CBT alone.

What is the ISRO ICRB application fee and refund?

₹500 upfront per application. On appearing in the exam, women, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen get the full amount back; others get ₹400. No refund if you skip the exam.

What is the ISRO Assistant salary?

Pay Level 4 with basic pay from ₹25,500 a month plus DA, HRA and transport allowance, under the New Pension Scheme, with ISRO’s medical, canteen, LTC and insurance benefits.

What is the last date for ISRO ICRB 2026?

The last date was extended from 16 August to 20 August 2026 by the corrigendum dated 11 August 2026. The window opened on 27 July 2026, and the CBT was held on 21 September 2026.

✍️ Published 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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