NSSB · Exam prep

NSSB Combined Educational & Technical Services Examination (CETSE)

Group C technical, laboratory, instructor and teaching posts - field assistants, lab assistants, SO Gr II, surveyors, instructors and more. Everything is multiple-choice.

Paper I (all posts): 100 MCQs · 100 marks · 2 hours
Paper II (technical): 200 marks · 3 hours
Negative marking: One-third of a question's marks
Paper II cut-off: At least 30% to qualify

From the official NSSB documents, checked 12 Nov 2026. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Overview

The Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) fills Group C educational and technical posts through the CETSE. Everyone writes a general Paper I; candidates for technical posts also write Paper II in their own subject. All questions are objective, multiple-choice.

The 2026 exam (advertisement released 3 February 2026) is described below. Posts and eligibility change every year, so read the advertisement for the year you apply.

Posts: Group C posts such as SO Gr-II, Agriculture/Horticulture/Veterinary/Sericulture field assistants, lab assistants, surveyors, draughtsmen, instructors, technicians, library assistants, Physical Education Teacher and Under Graduate Hindi Teacher (posts vary each year)

1. Written examination (Tier I)
Paper I: 100 questions, 100 marks, 2 hours - compulsory for all posts. Paper II: the technical paper for your post, 200 marks, 3 hours (left out for posts that need no technical paper). You must score at least 30% in Paper II to qualify.
2. Interview
Shortlisted candidates are called for interview. Before the interview, candidates get a chance to state their preference of posts and departments.

Exam pattern

CETSE 2026 - written examination

Paper	Questions	Marks	Time
Paper I (compulsory for all posts)	100	100	2 hours
Paper II (technical - not for every post)	200	200	3 hours

Paper I (compulsory for all posts)
Questions
100
Marks
100
Time
2 hours
Paper II (technical - not for every post)
Questions
200
Marks
200
Time
3 hours

As printed in the CETSE 2026 advertisement. NSSB's common syllabus document (2025) gives the technical paper as 100 questions for 200 marks - go by the advertisement for your year.

Paper I - components

Component	Questions	Marks
General Knowledge	50	50
General English	10	10
English Comprehension	10	10
Basic Computer Knowledge	15	15
Basic Arithmetic, General Intelligence & Reasoning	15	15
Total	100	100

General Knowledge
Questions
50
Marks
50
General English
Questions
10
Marks
10
English Comprehension
Questions
10
Marks
10
Basic Computer Knowledge
Questions
15
Marks
15
Basic Arithmetic, General Intelligence & Reasoning
Questions
15
Marks
15
Total100 · 100

From NSSB's common syllabus for direct recruitment examinations (the CETSE general syllabus, March 2025).

Every wrong answer loses one-third of the marks of that question.
Persons with benchmark disabilities get 20 minutes of compensatory time per hour.
Paper II questions are set at the level of the educational qualification the post requires, following the technical syllabus for that post.
CETSE 2026 age limit: 21 to 32 years as on 1 January 2026 - 5 years relaxation for SC/ST; serving government employees get relaxation equal to their years of service, up to 5 years. Examination fee ₹300. Written exam centres: Kohima and Chümoukedima/Dimapur. All vacancies are reserved for Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland.

Syllabus

Tap a paper to open its full syllabus.

Paper I - General paper100 MCQs · 100 marks · 2 hours

General Knowledge: current events and matters of everyday observation and experience as may be expected of an educated person; Indian history and culture; Indian polity including the Constitution of India; geography; economy; general science. Questions on Naga history and culture are also part of the syllabus.
General English: error recognition, fill in the blanks (verbs, prepositions, articles etc.), vocabulary, spellings, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms, sentence completion, phrases and idiomatic use of words.
English Comprehension: passages testing vocabulary, grammar, logical thought and overall grasp of English.
Basic Computer Knowledge: introduction to computers; GUI-based operating systems; elements of word processing, spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations; computer communication and the internet, world wide web and web browsers; communication and collaboration.
Simple Arithmetic: number system, simplification, roots, averages, discounts, percentages, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts and tabulation - concepts, not complicated calculation (10+2 standard).
General Intelligence & Reasoning (verbal and non-verbal): analogies, similarities and differences, spatial visualization and orientation, problem solving, analysis, judgement, decision making, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, figural classification, number series, non-verbal series, coding and decoding, statement–conclusion and syllogistic reasoning.

Paper II - Technical paper200 marks · 3 hours

Questions on the technical subject of your post, at the level of the qualification the post requires. NSSB's detailed syllabus for each post is in "Technical syllabi" below.

Previous papers & official PDFs

Each file opens straight from where the recruiter keeps it - no searching on government websites. Sizes help you decide before downloading on mobile data.

Official documents

Technical syllabi (25 posts)

NSSB's detailed Paper II syllabus for each post (March 2025). Search for your post.

CETSE 2025 question papers

NSSB's own set of the 2025 papers. These open on NSSB's website, which is sometimes slow or offline - try again later if one doesn't load.

How to prepare

Our own advice, based on the official pattern and past papers above.

Paper II decides most of your result

Paper II is worth twice as much as Paper I (200 vs 100), and you need at least 30% in it just to qualify. Start with your post's technical syllabus (below) and your degree or diploma notes, and work through it unit by unit.

Negative marking: when to guess

Each wrong answer loses a third of that question's marks. A blind guess among four options gains nothing on average and only adds risk.
If you can rule out one option, guessing pays off on average (about +0.11 of the question's marks); if you can rule out two, it's clearly worth it (about +0.33).
So: answer when you can eliminate at least one option; leave pure guesses blank.

Paper I in 2 hours

General Knowledge is half of Paper I (50 marks). Read a newspaper daily, revise Indian polity, history, geography and economy from NCERT Class 6–10 books, and make notes on Naga history and culture - it is named in the syllabus.
Computer knowledge (15 marks) is easy marks: learn the basics of Windows, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, the internet and email.
Arithmetic and reasoning (15 marks): percentages, averages, ratios, profit and loss, number series and coding–decoding. Practise 15–20 questions a day.
English (20 marks for grammar and comprehension): practise error-spotting, fill in the blanks and reading passages.

Use past papers well

Solve the CETSE 2025 paper for your post under a 3-hour timer, then check every answer against your notes.
Mark each wrong answer with the syllabus unit it came from - the units that keep appearing are the ones to revise first.
If your post isn't in the 2025 list, use the papers of related posts (for example Lab Assistant papers for the sciences).

Latest notices for this exam

Official sources

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