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ISRO ICRB Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:01(A-JPA):2026 has opened online registration from 27-07-2026 to 16-08-2026 for Assistant, Junior Personal Assistant, Upper Division Clerk, and Stenographer posts in Level 4 of the Pay Matrix. With a 200-question, 150-minute written exam followed by a Computer Literacy Test (and Stenography Test for JPA/Stenographer posts), aspirants need a well-structured, day-wise study plan rather than random preparation. Follow this 120-day ISRO Recruitment 2026 study plan to complete your preparation on time with phase-wise strategies and daily subject-wise targets.
ISRO Recruitment 2026 Syllabus & Exam Pattern
Before starting your preparation, download the ISRO Recruitment 2026 Syllabus and understand the latest exam pattern.
- Assistant/UDC (Post No. 1, 3, 5): General English (50), Quantitative Aptitude (50), General Intelligence & Reasoning (50), General Knowledge (50) — 200 marks, 150 minutes, +1/-0.25 marking.
- JPA/Stenographer (Post No. 2, 4, 6): English Language & Comprehension (100), General Intelligence & Reasoning (50), Quantitative Aptitude & General Knowledge (50) — 200 marks, 150 minutes.
ISRO Assistant/UDC/JPA/Stenographer Recruitment 2026 – Notification Details
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?
| 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 Paper PDF Download
| 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 Recruitment 2026: 120-Day Study Plan for Assistant, JPA, UDC & Stenographer Exam
| Phase | Days | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Foundation | Day 1–30 | Full syllabus coverage, concept building |
| Phase 2: Practice | Day 31–70 | Topic-wise question sets, accuracy building |
| Phase 3: Mock Test & Speed Building | Day 71–100 | Full-length mock tests, time management |
| Phase 4: Revision & Skill Test Prep | Day 101–120 | Final revision, Computer Literacy & Stenography practice |
Phase 1: Foundation Phase (Day 1–30) – Day-wise topic allocation
| Days | Quantitative Aptitude | Reasoning | English | GK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–7 | Number System, Simplification, Percentages | Series, Analogy, Coding-Decoding | Grammar basics, tenses, error spotting | History (Ancient & Medieval) |
| 8–14 | Profit & Loss, Discount, Ratio & Proportion | Venn Diagrams, Logical word arrangement | Vocabulary building, synonyms/antonyms | History (Modern India) |
| 15–21 | Averages, SI & CI, Time & Work | Sitting/Ranking Arrangement, Blood Relations | Reading comprehension basics | Geography (Indian & World) |
| 22–30 | Time & Distance, Pipes & Cisterns, Boats & Streams | Direction Sense, Calendar, Clock | Idioms, phrases, one-word substitution | Polity & Economy basics |
JPA/Stenographer aspirants: Add 20 minutes daily of basic shorthand theory (Pitman’s system) starting Day 1, even before speed practice begins — early exposure to outlines pays off later.
Phase 2: Practice Phase (Day 31–70) – Week-wise focus:
| Weeks | Quant Focus | Reasoning Focus | English Focus | GK Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5–6 (Day 31–44) | Mensuration, Algebra basics | Dice, Cube & Cuboid, Number Series | Cloze test, Para jumbles | Science & Technology |
| 7–8 (Day 45–58) | Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry | Coded equations, Mirror/Water Images | Reading comprehension (timed) | Culture, Awards, Appointments |
| 9–10 (Day 59–70) | Data Interpretation, Statistics | Counting figures, Alphabet-based problems | Sentence correction, vocabulary revision | Current affairs (last 3 months) |
JPA/Stenographer aspirants: Begin shorthand speed practice at 40–50 wpm during this phase, gradually building toward the required 60 wpm target by Phase 3.
Take your first full sectional test in each subject and note your accuracy percentage — this becomes your baseline before mock test phase begins.
Phase 3: Mock Test & Speed Building Phase (Day 71–100)Â
This 30-day phase is dedicated to full-length, timed mock tests that replicate the exact exam structure — 200 questions in 150 minutes with negative marking.
- 3 full-length mock tests per week (alternating Assistant/UDC or JPA/Stenographer pattern as applicable)
- 2 days for mock test analysis (accuracy rate, time spent per section, negative marks lost)
- 2 days for weak-topic revision based on mock test errors
Suggested time allocation per mock test (Assistant/UDC pattern):
- General English: ~30 minutes
- Quantitative Aptitude: ~45 minutes
- General Intelligence & Reasoning: ~40 minutes
- General Knowledge: ~20 minutes
Suggested time allocation per mock test (JPA/Stenographer pattern):
- English Language & Comprehension: ~60 minutes
- General Intelligence & Reasoning: ~45 minutes
- Quantitative Aptitude & General Knowledge: ~45 minutes
Key focus areas during this phase:
- Track your wrong-answer rate closely — negative marking means guesswork can actively reduce your score
- Identify your best-performing section and attempt it first in every mock test to bank marks early
- Push your General Knowledge attempt speed up, since this section usually needs the least time per question but is often rushed due to poor time allocation elsewhere
JPA/Stenographer aspirants: By Day 85–90, you should be consistently taking dictation at the full 60 wpm speed with transcription practice immediately after, mirroring the actual 5-minute dictation + 30-minute transcription format.
Computer Literacy Test prep starts here too: Begin weekly hands-on practice in MS Word (tables, mail merge, formatting), MS Excel (formulas like SUM, AVERAGE, VLOOKUP, sorting/filtering), and MS PowerPoint (slide layouts, graphics) — even though this comes after the written exam, building familiarity early avoids a rushed learning curve later.
Phase 4: Final Revision & Skill Test Preparation (Day 101–120)
The last 20 days should shift almost entirely away from new topics and toward consolidation, revision, and skill-test readiness.
Day 101–110: Intensive Revision
- Revisit formula sheets for Quantitative Aptitude daily
- Re-solve previously marked “difficult” questions from your error log
- Do a full current affairs sweep covering the last 4 months, with specific attention to ISRO missions and space policy news
- Take 1 full-length mock test every 2 days, focusing on maintaining accuracy under fatigue
Day 111–115: Skill Test Deep Practice
- Daily 75-minute Computer Literacy Test simulations (MS Word 35, MS Excel 35, MS PowerPoint 30 marks) under timed conditions
- JPA/Stenographer aspirants: Daily full stenography test simulations — 5-minute dictation at 60 wpm + 30-minute transcription, followed by self-evaluation against the master passage for omissions, substitutions, and spelling errors
Day 116–120: Final Wind-Down
- Light revision only — formula sheets, error logs, and current affairs notes
- No new topics, no new mock tests in the final 2 days
- Confirm all application and exam-day logistics: registered email/mobile active, hall ticket downloaded, exam center and travel plan finalized
- Prioritize rest and sleep — reasoning speed and accuracy both decline sharply with fatigue, regardless of preparation level
Tips to Follow Your 120-Day ISRO Recruitment 2026 Study Plan
- Maintain a single error log across all four phases — revisiting the same log repeatedly (rather than starting fresh each phase) reinforces retention
- Don’t skip current affairs any week, even during the Foundation phase — cramming current affairs in the final week rarely works as well as steady weekly exposure
- Track daily study hours honestly; consistency across 120 days matters more than occasional long study marathons
- If you fall behind schedule, compress Phase 1 revision rather than skipping Phase 3 mock tests — exam-day pacing practice is harder to make up for later
For structured day-wise study plans, sectional and full-length mock tests, and skill-test practice modules aligned to the ISRO Assistant/JPA/UDC/Stenographer exam pattern, explore Entri App — your one-stop platform for competitive exam preparation.
