C-Dac Mumbai conducts Competence in Software Technology Examination (CST Exam) for students interested in software technology. The students passing this exam will be given admission in some of the leading colleges of our country. This exam was only started recently. The examination consists of 3 separate levels.

Structure of CST Exam

MCQs (multiple choice questions) will be asked in the exam. All the question carry three marks each. Four sections will be there for the exam. The total time for completing the exam is 5 hours. All wrong answers will lead to deduction of mark. The questions are from General Aptitude, Computer Organization, Operating Systems, Data Structures and Algorithms.

Syllabus for CST Exam

General Aptitude (GA)

• Arithmetic
• Ratios and Proportions
• Problems on Time – Work,
• Distance – Speed, Percentage
• Basic set Theory and Functions
• Set relations and mappings
• Algebra
• Fundamental Operations in Algebra
• Expansion
• Factorization
• Simultaneous Linear / Quadratic Equations
• Indices
• Logarithms
• Permutations and Combinations
• Geometry
• Angles at a point and parallel lines
• Triangles, polygons, circles
• Geometric transformations
• Areas
• Trigonometry
• Trigonometric Ratios
• Problems on heights and distances
• Coordinate Geometry
• Rectangular Cartesian coordinates
• Equations of a line
• Mid – point, intersections
• Equations of a circle
• Distance formulae
• Simple geometric transformations
• Mensuration
• Triangles and Quadrilaterals
• Area and Circumference of Circles
• Volumes and Surface areas

Computer Basics

• Organization of a computer
• Characteristics of a computer
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Types of instructions in CPU
• Input / output devices, computer memory
• Primary memory and secondary memory
• Memory organization, backup devices
• Data Representation
• Representation of characters
• Integers and fractions
• Binary and hexadecimal representations
• Binary Arithmetic
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Division
• Multiplication
• Signed arithmetic and two’s complement arithmetic
• Floating point representation of numbers
• Normalized floating point representations
• Foundations: Boolean algebra
• Truth tables and Venn diagrams
• Computer Architecture
• Block structure of computers
• Communication between processor and memory
• Communication between processor and I / O devices
• Interrupts, multiprogramming, and virtual memory
• Computer Languages
• Assembly language and characteristics of high – level languages
• Operating System Basics
• Multiprogramming and timesharing operating systems
• Programming using a subset of C
• Database Management
• Database Systems
• Relational Data Model
• Query languages
• Database Design
• DBMS Storage Structures and Access Methods
• Query Processing
• Transaction Processing
• Recovery Techniques
• WAL based recovery
• Check pointing
• Concurrency control
• Serializability
• Lock – based concurrency control
• Strict two – phase locking
• Multiple granularity locking, time – stamp based concurrency control.
• Other Issues: Security & Integrity
• Authorization and Views
• Security Specification in SQL
• Types of integrity constraints
• Triggers in SQL
• Declarative constraints in SQL.
• Java Technologies
• Language Fundamentals
• Operators and Expressions
• Control Flow and Looping Constructs
• Classes and Objects
• Interfaces
• Inheritance
• Polymorphism
• Exception handling
• Packages
• Core API Packages (as specified in Java 2 Standard Edition v 1.4.x)
• OO Concepts in C++
• Data Abstraction in C++
• Inheritance and C++:
• Software Engineering Principles
• Technical Development
• Software Project Management
• Software Quality Management
• Software Development Methods & CASE : Implementation
• Web Technology
• Client Side Technologies
• HTML
• XML
• Java Applets
• Client Side Java Script Event Handlers
• CGI Java Servlets
• Basic concepts in Computer Organization
• Computer Structure
• Von Neumann Architecture
• System Bus
• CPU instruction cycle
• Programmed I / O
• Interrupts and DMA
• Memory Organisation
• CPU Performance Enhancement
• Fundamentals of Operating System
• Process and Thread Management
• Concurrency Control
• Memory Management
• I / O devices
• File Systems.
• Distributed Systems
• Security Unix Operating System
• Data Structures and Algorithms (DS)
• Abstract Data Types
• Trees
• Graphs
• Algorithms

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates with a degree certificate can apply for this entrance exam. But they should have studied computer in their course time. More preference will be given to candidates with a bachelor’s degree in computer application or from any other IT areas. Candidates with diploma in any of the computer related subjects can also apply for the D,I and E level of the CST.

For G level of CST, Candidate should be a B.Tech graduate or post graduate in computer application or computer science.PG diploma holders in computer application or computer science can also apply.

How to Apply?

Online and offline mode of application can be submitted. C-DAC offices and some of the leading bookstores are the only places where a candidate can get the application form. Candidates can also get the application form via post by sending a DD amount in favour of the C-DAC, Mumbai. All information regarding the exam will be published in the employment dailies mostly in January.

How to fill the Form?

First off all read the prospectus. Fill the application form only after that. All the details entered in the application form should be correct. Keep only attested documents along with the form. Give only required information in the columns provided in the form. Make sure the application form is kept neatly.

Important Dates (Tentative)

• Entrance Examination will be on the fourth week of January, 2012
• 1st week of January 2012 is the Last Date for receipt of completed application forms
• Results will be out by fourth week of March 2012
• Interview will be from May 2012

List of CST Exam centers

The examination centers are listed below:

• Ahmedabad
• Chennai
• Bangalore
• Allahabad
• Coimbatore
• Goa
• Delhi
• Thiruvananthapuram
• Guwahati
• Kolkata
• Patna
• Hyderabad
• Mumbai
• Nagpur
• Pune
• Thane

Contact Address for the CST Exam

The contact address of the CST Exam is given below

• Address : Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Gulmohar Cross Road No. 9, Juhu, Mumbai-400049, India
• Telephone Number: 022-26703251, 26201606, 26201488, 22024641, 22836924, 27565303/04/05, 27560013
• Fax: 26232195
• Website URL: www.cdacmumbai.in

Colleges Accepting the CST Exam score

The list of colleges accepting the CST test score are given below:

• Alliance Business Academy, Bengaluru University:MCA
• Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s - BCIDS:Insurance, Retail, PPM
• Goa University:MCA
• International School of Technology Management:PGPM
• Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering NMIMS University:MCA
• Smt. Parvatibai Chowgule College, Goa University:M.Sc. (IT)

Reference Books for CST Exam

Following books can be referred for CST exam.

• A Practical English Grammar by Thomson and Martinet
• Practical English Usage by Michael Swan
• Objective English for Competitive Examinations by Hari Prasad and Uma Sinha
• The pearson general knowledge Manual 2011 by edgar Thorpe
• Upkars LIC/GIC/OIC (AAO) Assistant Administrative Officers Exam by Dr. Lal & Jain.
• The New India Assurance Company Ltd. Administrative Officers Examination (Generalists) by Dr Lal and Jain.
• The Pearson general knowledge manual 2011 by Edgar Thorpe
• The general knowledge manual by upsc editorial board
• General knowledge current affairs and who’s who?
• General knowledge manual by Barry O’Brien
• General knowledge digest by T M H
• Encyclopedia of general knowledge and general awareness by R P Verma
• General knowledge – khelkhude, khelkhude mein 2 by DR.TANWAR.
• Computer general awareness by Alok kumar.
• Ency of gk and general awareness by r p verma.

Coaching Centers for CST Exam

• Tara institute
• Miglani tutorials
• Institute of judicial study
• Goal – not so far
• The planet vidya
• Akash institute
• Gupta classes
• Brilliants tutorials
• Krishna coaching institute
• Excellent coaching center
• Sree narayana institute
• T I M E
• Test Bag Academy
• T R E Education institute.
• Career sharpers
• S N Das gupta college
• Paramount coaching center
• Sachdev new p t college
• Akshardham the competitive exams academy
• I M S
• Career plus

Study Plan

Candidate should spend lots of time in studying Computer Organization, Operating Systems, Data Structures and Algorithms. Most of the questions will be from these sections. There are certain topics where calculators are needed, but they are not allowed in exam halls so study those topics very hard. Do the problems by hand. Study without using calculators.

How and Where To Get the Results?

Candidates can view their results in the website: http://cst.cdacmumbai.in/

Score Validity

One year will be the score validity.