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With ISRO ICRB Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:01(A-JPA):2026 open for Assistant, Junior Personal Assistant, Upper Division Clerk, and Stenographer posts, one of the most valuable preparation resources for any aspirant is the previous year question paper (PYQ). Practicing with past papers gives a real sense of question difficulty, topic-wise weightage, and the exact style of questions ISRO tends to favor. In this blog, you’ll learn why ISRO Recruitment 2026 Previous Year Question Papers are important, how to use them effectively, and how to include them in your preparation strategy.
ISRO Assistant/UDC/JPA/Stenographer Recruitment 2026 – Notification Details
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Department of Space |
| Recruiting Body | ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB) |
| Advt No. | ISRO:ICRB:01(A-JPA):2026 dated 27-07-2026 |
| Posts | Assistant, Junior Personal Assistant (JPA), Upper Division Clerk (UDC), Stenographer |
| Total Vacancies | 113 (Assistant) + 81 (JPA) + 22 (UDC) + 10 (Stenographer) + 17 (Assistant – Autonomous Bodies) + 1 (JPA – Autonomous Bodies) |
| Pay Level | Level 4 of Pay Matrix, Minimum Basic Pay ₹25,500/- p.m. |
| Application Mode | Online only |
| Application Start Date | 27-07-2026 (10:00 AM) |
| Application Last Date | 16-08-2026 (11:55 PM) |
| Official Website | www.isro.gov.in |
ISRO Recruitment 2026 Previous Year Question Papers – Download PDF
1: In a certain code language, ‘ROK’ is written as ‘44’ and ‘MIG’ is written as ‘29’. What will be the code for ‘TAL’ in that code language?
Want to practice offline? Download ISRO Assistant, JPA, UDC & Stenographer previous year question papers PDF along with detailed solutions on the Entri App and start solving at your own pace, anytime, anywhere.
| Post Name | PYQs |
|---|---|
| ISRO Assistant PYQs | |
| ISRO Junior Personal Assistant (JPA) PYQs | |
| ISRO Upper Division Clerk (UDC) PYQs | |
| ISRO Stenographer PYQs | |
| ISRO Assistant (Autonomous Institutions) PYQs | |
| ISRO Junior Personal Assistant (Autonomous Institutions) PYQs |
ISRO Assistant / UDC Exam Pattern 2026
Duration: 150 Minutes
Type of Exam: Objective (Multiple Choice Questions)
Marking Scheme: +1 for each correct answer, -0.25 for each incorrect answer
Qualifying Marks: 50% (UR Category), 40% (Reserved Categories)
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | General English | 50 | 50 |
| B | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 |
| C | General Intelligence & Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 |
| D | General Knowledge | 50 | 50 |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
ISRO JPA / Stenographer Exam Pattern 2026
Duration: 150 Minutes
Type of Exam: Objective (Multiple Choice Questions)
Marking Scheme: +1 for each correct answer, -0.25 for each incorrect answer
Qualifying Marks: 50% (UR Category), 40% (Reserved Categories)
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | English Language & Comprehension | 100 | 100 |
| B | General Intelligence & Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 |
| C | Quantitative Aptitude & General Knowledge | 50 | 50 |
| Total | 200 | 200 |
Why Previous Year Question Papers Matter for ISRO Recruitment 2026
Since the current exam pattern for Assistant/UDC and JPA/Stenographer posts follows a fixed structure — 200 questions in 150 minutes with +1/-0.25 marking — previous year papers help candidates in several concrete ways:
- Understanding difficulty level — PYQs reveal whether a section leans toward calculation-heavy questions or concept-based ones, which pure syllabus reading cannot show
- Topic-wise weightage patterns — recurring question types across past papers (e.g., heavy focus on Data Interpretation in Quant, or Sitting Arrangement in Reasoning) help you prioritize study time
- Familiarity with question framing — ISRO and similar recruitment boards often phrase questions in a particular style; repeated exposure through past papers builds comfort and reduces exam-day surprises
How to Use ISRO Recruitment 2026 Previous Year Question Papers Effectively
Simply solving old papers isn’t enough — how you use them determines the actual benefit.
1. Solve Under Exam Conditions First
Attempt the full paper in one sitting, replicating the actual 150-minute window, before checking answers. This builds the stamina and pacing needed for the real exam.
2. Analyze Section-Wise Performance
After solving, break down your performance by section:
- Time spent per section vs. ideal time allocation
- Accuracy rate per section (correct attempts ÷ total attempts)
- Questions left unattempted and why
3. Identify Recurring Topics
Go through multiple years’ papers (or, where limited past ISRO papers are available, similar-level PSU/government clerical exams) and note which topics repeat most often within each section — Number System and Percentages in Quant, Coding-Decoding and Series in Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Error Detection in English, and Current Affairs plus Science & Technology in GK tend to be consistently emphasized across this exam category.
4. Rework Mistakes, Not Just Review Them
Don’t just read the correct answer — attempt the question again after a day or two without looking at the solution, to confirm the concept has actually been retained.
ISRO Recruitment 2026 Previous Year Question Paper Practice Strategy
Since ISRO Assistant/JPA/UDC/Stenographer recruitment is conducted periodically rather than annually, aspirants may find that direct previous year papers specific to this exact post combination are limited compared to more frequent exams like SSC or banking. In such cases:
- Use papers from similar-level government/PSU clerical and stenographer recruitment exams to practice question style and difficulty
- Focus more heavily on the official syllabus and exam pattern (Annexure II & III of the advertisement) to guide topic-wise practice, since this is the most reliable source of what will actually be tested
- Prioritize sectional mock tests built specifically around the ISRO 2026 pattern over generic past papers where a mismatch in structure exists
| Preparation Stage | How to Use PYQs |
|---|---|
| Early preparation | Solve section-wise from past papers to understand question style, without timing pressure |
| Mid preparation | Solve full papers under timed conditions once every week to track improvement |
| Final revision | Redo previously solved papers, focusing only on questions you got wrong earlier |
ISRO Previous Year Question Papers vs Mock Tests: Using Both Together
Previous year papers and mock tests serve slightly different purposes and work best combined:
- Previous year papers show you what has actually been asked before, helping you calibrate difficulty expectations and identify recurring topics
- Mock tests built to the current exam pattern give you updated, exam-specific practice with accurate section weightage, especially useful given the specific Assistant/UDC vs. JPA/Stenographer pattern differences in this recruitment
| Post Name | Mock Test |
|---|---|
| ISRO Assistant Mock Test | |
| ISRO Junior Personal Assistant (JPA) Mock Test | |
| ISRO Upper Division Clerk (UDC) Mock Test | |
| ISRO Stenographer Mock Test | |
| ISRO Assistant (Autonomous Institutions) Mock Test | |
| ISRO Junior Personal Assistant (Autonomous Institutions) Mock Test |
Using previous year papers early to understand style and difficulty, then shifting to pattern-matched mock tests for the bulk of your timed practice, is the most effective combination for ISRO Recruitment 2026 preparation.
For updated study material, sectional practice sets, and mock tests aligned to the ISRO Assistant/JPA/UDC/Stenographer 2026 exam pattern, explore Entri App — your one-stop platform for competitive exam preparation.
