CSIR-CRRI JSA exam-day guide
CSIR-CRRI JSA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Print or download the admit card / hall ticket
CSIR-CRRI releases the admit card online, usually a week or more before the exam. Download it from the official portal, print a clear copy, and check that your name, roll number, exam centre address, and reporting time are correct. If any detail is wrong, contact the recruitment cell immediately. The exact release window varies by cycle, so confirm with the provider.
Carry a valid photo ID in original
Bring the same ID document whose number you entered in the application (commonly Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence, or voter ID). Carry the original, not a photocopy. The list of accepted IDs and whether photocopies are allowed is set per notification, so confirm with the provider.
Bring recent passport-size photographs
Keep two or three copies matching the photo pasted on your application. Some centres ask for one for the attendance sheet; the exact requirement is announced in the exam instructions, so confirm with the provider.
Carry a black or blue ballpoint pen
If the paper is OMR-based, you will fill bubbles with a pen; some centres supply pens but do not rely on it. If the test is computer-based, a pen is still useful for rough work on the sheets provided. Confirm the mode of the exam (OMR vs CBT) from your admit card.
Check the allowed calculator and stationery policy
Many CSIR/CRRI technical posts restrict or ban calculators and log tables. Do not assume either way. Confirm with the provider what is permitted, and if calculators are allowed, bring only a simple non-programmable model.
Leave prohibited items at home
Mobile phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth earbuds, and any other electronic device are almost always banned inside the hall. There is usually no secure storage at the centre, so plan to travel without them or leave them with a companion.
Rehearse the route to the centre
Note the exact centre address and reporting time from the admit card, and do a dry run or map check a day earlier. Plan to arrive well before the reporting time; late entry is commonly refused. The cut-off time is stated in the instructions, so confirm with the provider.
Revise the technical core, not just aptitude
For JSA (Junior Secretariat Assistant) posts, expect sections on general English, general awareness, quantitative aptitude, and computer/keyboard skills depending on the post. Check the official syllabus in the advertisement and weight your last-week revision toward the heaviest section.
Practise typing or computer knowledge if the post requires it
Some JSA or assistant postings include a typing/skill test with a minimum speed requirement. Practise on a standard keyboard and confirm the required speed and test format with the provider, since these vary by notification.
Read the exam-day instructions on the admit card
The admit card carries centre-specific rules: reporting time, gate-closing time, permitted items, and whether rough sheets are provided. Read it fully the night before.
Plan food, water, and medication
Eat a normal breakfast, carry water if the centre allows it, and bring any prescribed medicine you may need. Whether water bottles are allowed inside the hall varies, so confirm with the provider.
Keep a backup of documents
Photograph your admit card and ID and keep them on your phone (kept outside the hall) or with a companion, so a lost original can be handled calmly. Replacement rules at the centre are not guaranteed, so treat the originals as irreplaceable.
Plan the day
Download and print the admit card if you have not already. Re-read the official notification for the syllabus, marking scheme, and negative-marking rule. Confirm the exam mode (OMR or computer-based) and whether calculators are allowed. Build a two-day revision plan weighted to your weakest high-scoring section, and take one full-length mock under timed conditions.
Do a focused revision of formulas, shortcuts, and current-affairs highlights. Practise typing or computer basics if your post has a skill test. Lay out your documents, ID, photographs, and pen in one bag so nothing is hunted for on the day.
Do a light revision only; avoid new topics. Check the route and travel time to the centre, and decide your departure time with a buffer. Set two alarms. Pack the bag with admit card, original ID, photographs, and pen. Sleep early; do not study past midnight.
Eat a normal breakfast, re-check the bag against the admit card instructions, and leave with enough margin to reach the centre before the reporting time. Leave phones and smart devices at home or with a companion. At the centre, follow staff instructions for verification and seating.
Read the instructions on the paper or screen before starting. Note the total questions, time, and negative-marking rule, and decide your attempt strategy: answer sure questions first, skip and mark doubtful ones, and return if time permits. Keep an eye on the clock, reserve the last few minutes to check that answers are marked correctly, and do not leave any mandatory field blank.
Note your roll number and keep the admit card safe, since it is often needed for later stages. Do not discuss question content with others in a way that could breach confidentiality rules. Watch the official portal for answer keys, result dates, and next-stage instructions.
Rules to check
Carry the original admit card and the original photo ID named in your application to the hall; entry is commonly refused without them. The exact accepted ID list and any exception process are set per notification, so confirm with the provider.
Electronic devices, including phones, smartwatches, and Bluetooth earbuds, are generally prohibited inside the exam hall. Do not rely on the centre storing them for you.
Follow the reporting and gate-closing times printed on the admit card. Late candidates are usually not admitted once the gate closes; the exact cut-off is centre-specific, so confirm with the provider.
Do not engage in any unfair means: copying, communicating with other candidates, or carrying unauthorised material. Invigilators can cancel your candidature, and penalties may extend to a debarment from future CSIR recruitment.
Marking scheme and negative marking vary by post and cycle. Read the instructions on the paper or screen and the official notification; do not assume a penalty or its absence, and confirm with the provider if the notification is unclear.
Breaks are generally not permitted during the test. Use the washroom before entering the hall; any medical exception must be raised with centre staff in advance where possible.
Keep the admit card after the exam. It is typically required for document verification and later stages, and losing it can complicate your candidature.
Any request for a change of centre, session, or ID document must go through the official recruitment channel before the exam; centre staff usually cannot alter your allotment on the day.