The ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB) has fixed the Computer Based Test (CBT) for Advertisement No. ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026 (175 Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ posts) for 29 October 2026. Reports on whether the call letter is out conflict, and the official pattern document says call letters go only to your registered email. The result, interview dates and cut-off are not announced.
Where the call letter stands
A search today turns up pages saying “Admit Card Out”, “Expected Today”, “Within This Week”, “25 October” and “Notify Later”, sometimes on the same page. A headline reading “Admit Card Released” over a table that says “Notify Later” is a reason to distrust the page. I could not open the ICRB recruitment page myself, and I found no confirmation from ISRO that call letters have been issued for this exam.
The official exam pattern document, which I read through a portal-hosted copy, says something that most portals skip: call letters for the written test will be sent only to the registered email ID of candidates. A separate ISRO careers notice for another recruitment, URSC:01:2026, also says its call letters were dispatched to registered email IDs. So for this recruitment, check your registered inbox, including spam and promotions folders, as well as the ICRB page on isro.gov.in. Do not log in through a third-party “direct link”, and do not pay anyone for a call letter.
One portal puts the call letter on 25 October and says city intimation was due on 19 October. Both dates are unconfirmed and should be treated as estimates.
Which ISRO recruitment this is
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| This article | ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026, Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ in Electronics, Mechanical and Computer Science, 175 posts |
| Different notice | URSC:01:2026 (Industrial Engineering), written test held 27 September 2026, answer key already out |
| Different notice | LPSC/03/2026 dated 26 September 2026, a separate Scientist/Engineer ‘SC’ recruitment |
These share a post name, so portals mix them up. If your registration is under ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026, the date that matters is 29 October.
Important dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications | 27 August to 16 September 2026 |
| Age and eligibility reckoned on | 16 September 2026 |
| Call letter | Not confirmed (portal estimates range from 19 to 25 October) |
| CBT | 29 October 2026 |
| Interview | Not announced |
A portal also lists a “new exam date” notice, which implies the date moved. I could not find what the earlier date was, so confirm 29 October on your own call letter. You have eight days.
Test venues
The pattern document lists 37 CBT venues: Agartala, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh/Mohali, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Ernakulum, Gorakhpur, Gurugram, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Kavaratti, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Mysore, Nagpur, Patna, Port Blair, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Tiruchirapalli, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. ICRB reserves the right to cancel or change a venue and to reallot candidates to another centre. A centre different from your first choice is therefore possible, so wait for the call letter before booking tickets that cannot be changed.
Vacancy
| Discipline | Post code | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics | BE001 | 99 |
| Electronics (PRL, autonomous body) | BE001A | 1 |
| Mechanical | BE002 | 52 |
| Mechanical (PRL) | BE002A | 1 |
| Computer Science | BE003 | 21 |
| Computer Science (PRL) | BE003A | 1 |
| Total | 175 |
Electronics alone is 57 per cent of the posts. Category-wise splits are in the advertisement, and I did not see them.
Eligibility, age, fee and pay
You need a BE or B.Tech in the matching branch with at least 65 per cent aggregate or a CGPA of 6.84 out of 10. The age limit is 18 to 28 years as on 16 September 2026, with relaxation as per the notification. The initial processing fee was Rs. 750 for all candidates. After the written test, UR, OBC and EWS candidates are refunded Rs. 500, and SC, ST, PwBD, ex-servicemen and women are refunded the full Rs. 750. Pay is Level 10, with a basic pay of Rs. 56,100 a month, plus allowances.
Exam pattern
| Part | Content | Time | Questions | Marks | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Area/discipline-specific | 90 min | 80 MCQs | 80 | 1/3 per wrong answer |
| B | Aptitude/ability tests | 30 min | Up to 15 MCQs | 20 | None |
| Total | 100 |
Part B covers numerical, logical, diagrammatic, abstract and deductive reasoning. Each correct answer in Part A earns one mark, and unattempted questions earn zero.
The timing gives you about 67 seconds a question in Part A, and a little over 2 minutes a question in Part B, since up to 15 questions share 20 marks and some are worth more than one.
The qualifying marks matter more than the total
Unreserved candidates need at least 50 per cent in each of Part A and Part B. For PwBD candidates, where posts are reserved, the bar is 40 per cent in each. That means 40 of 80 in Part A and 10 of 20 in Part B for unreserved candidates.
Two practical consequences follow. A strong Part A cannot save you if Part B falls below 10 of 20, so a technical candidate who ignores the reasoning section is taking a real risk. And because Part B has no negative marking, every question there should be attempted.
In Part A, the 40-mark floor is on net marks after the one-third penalty. If you attempt all 80 questions, you need 50 correct to net 40, since 50 − 30 ÷ 3 = 40. That is an accuracy of 62.5 per cent. A blind guess among four options is worth zero in expectation, and a guess pays only if you are at least 25 per cent likely to be right. The arithmetic assumes four options, which the pattern document does not state.
Syllabus
The pattern document gives Part B’s reasoning topics but, in the pages I read, no topic list for Part A. The branch topics below are my unofficial suggestions, in the style of engineering entrance syllabi:
| Branch | Topics to prioritise (unofficial) |
|---|---|
| Electronics | Network theory, analog and digital circuits, signals and systems, communication systems, electromagnetics, control systems, microprocessors |
| Mechanical | Thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, strength of materials, machine design, manufacturing, vibrations, propulsion basics |
| Computer Science | Data structures and algorithms, operating systems, databases, computer networks, theory of computation, compilers, computer organisation |
Part A is discipline-specific, so the paper will lean on your degree subjects. Part B is the place where a day of practice can recover marks quickly.
Interview and final panel
Based on written test performance, candidates are shortlisted for interview in a ratio of 1:5, with a minimum of 10 candidates in aggregate. For reserved vacancies, distinct additional candidates are shortlisted, without counting reserved candidates already shortlisted as unreserved. On the 1:5 rule, 175 posts would mean around 875 to 890 candidates in all, which is my arithmetic from the stated ratio and the 10-candidate floor, and the category rules will add some.
The interview carries 100 marks:
| Attribute | Marks |
|---|---|
| Technical (academic) knowledge | 40 |
| General awareness in your area of specialisation | 20 |
| Presentation and communication skill | 20 |
| Comprehension | 10 |
| Academic achievements | 10 |
The 10 academic-achievement marks come from your record and are not from the interview itself. They are 3 for studying at an IIT, IISc, IIST, NIT or an NIRF top-20 institute, 4 for a CGPA above 9 (or above 85 per cent) or 2 for a CGPA of 7.5 to 9 (71 to 85 per cent), and 3 for a rank from 1 to 3 awarded by the institute. A candidate from another institute with a CGPA of 8 would get 2 of those 10.
The final panel weights the written test and the interview at 50 per cent each. Qualifying marks are 50 per cent in the written test, 50 per cent in the interview and 60 per cent in aggregate for unreserved candidates, and 40, 40 and 50 per cent for PwBD candidates. Ties are broken first by written-test marks, then by marks in the essential qualification.
Cut-off
There is no cut-off for this recruitment, because the test has not been held. I found no verified past cut-off to quote. The only numbers fixed in advance are the qualifying minimums above and the 1:5 shortlisting ratio, so the written-test cut-off for the interview will depend on how many candidates clear both parts.
The last eight days
These are my suggestions and are unofficial.
- Spend most of the remaining time on core subjects of your branch with timed question sets, and take two or three full papers of 80 questions in 90 minutes.
- Practise Part B daily for 20 to 30 minutes. It is 20 marks, it has a pass mark of its own and it has no penalty.
- Decide a guessing rule now: skip a question only if you cannot rule out any option.
- Check your email and spam folder every day. Make sure the email address you registered with is one you can still log in to.
- Prepare ID and a printout plan, since call letter instructions will list what to carry.
Mistakes to avoid
- Relying on a portal that says “Admit card out” without seeing the email or the ISRO page.
- Treating Part B as optional.
- Attempting every Part A question without checking your accuracy, since the one-third penalty bites.
- Booking non-refundable travel before the call letter fixes your centre.
- Mixing up this recruitment with URSC:01:2026 or LPSC/03/2026.
ISRO ICRB Admit Card 2026 Important Links
| Description | Official Link |
|---|---|
| ISRO ICRB Scientist/Engineer Admit Card 2026 | Check Admit Card Release Status |
| ISRO ICRB Revised Exam Date 2026 | Check Official CBT Schedule |
| ISRO Official Website | Visit Official Website |
FAQs
Is the ISRO ICRB admit card out?
Reports conflict, and I could not confirm it. Per the pattern document, call letters go to your registered email, so check your inbox and spam and the ICRB page on isro.gov.in.
Is there negative marking?
Yes in Part A, one-third of a mark for each wrong answer. There is none in Part B.
Do I need 50 per cent in both parts?
Unreserved candidates do, as per the pattern document. It is 40 per cent in each for PwBD candidates where posts are reserved.
How are candidates called for the interview?
In a ratio of 1:5 against vacancies, with a minimum of 10 candidates, on written-test performance.
Is this the same as the Industrial Engineering exam held on 27 September?
No. That was URSC:01:2026, a separate recruitment. This article is about ISRO:ICRB:03(EMC):2026.