If you have an engineering or technical degree and you keep hearing GPSC names like Assistant Director, Deputy Director, or Class-2 Technical posts floating around, you're not alone in feeling confused. GPSC does not run one single "Assistant Director" exam. It runs a series of recruitments under different departments — IT, cottage industries, employment and training, boilers, fisheries, mining — and all of them sit under the same broad Class-2 technical service structure with a similar exam pattern and pay band.
This guide pulls all of that together in one place. You'll get the real picture on notification status, the exam pattern GPSC uses for these technical posts, the syllabus, the pay scale, and how to actually prepare without wasting six months on the wrong books.
Quick Answer
GPSC recruits Assistant Director (Class-2 Technical) posts through separate department-wise advertisements, not one common exam. The last confirmed cycle was the Assistant Director (IT/Computer Science) recruitment for 29 posts, with applications closing on February 17, 2025. As of August 2026, no fresh Assistant Director notification has been released this year, but GPSC's ongoing 2025-26 batch of 279 Class-1/2 technical vacancies (advertisements 111 to 132) shows the commission is actively hiring engineers and technical officers, so a new Assistant Director cycle for your discipline could open any time — keep checking pareeksha.in/exams and gpsc.gujarat.gov.in.
Latest Notification and Important Dates
There is no single fixed calendar for Assistant Director posts because each department applies to GPSC separately when a vacancy arises. Here's what we know for certain, with the last confirmed cycle used as the reference point.
| Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Last confirmed Assistant Director cycle | IT/Computer Science, 29 posts (Advt. published Feb 2025) |
| Application closed | February 17, 2025 |
| 2026 fresh Assistant Director notification | Not released yet (as of August 2026) — tentative |
| Related ongoing GPSC technical batch | 279 posts across Assistant Engineer, Deputy Executive Engineer, Medical Officer and other technical cadres (Advt. 111/2025-26 to 132/2025-26) |
| Application mode | Online only, through gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in |
| Exam conducted by | Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) |
If you are targeting a specific department's Assistant Director post, check that department's page on gpsc.gujarat.gov.in directly, because vacancy notices don't always share one advertisement number.
What the Job Actually Is
An Assistant Director in GPSC's Class-2 technical cadre is a mid-level supervisory and technical role inside a Gujarat government department. You're not sitting behind a desk pushing files all day — you're the technical authority for your subject area within a district or a directorate.
Depending on the department, day-to-day work can mean inspecting boilers and issuing safety certificates, reviewing IT infrastructure and cyber-security compliance for government offices, overseeing cottage industry schemes and loan disbursals, supervising training centres under employment and skill development programs, or managing technical audits in mining and fisheries. You report to a Deputy Director or Joint Director, and over time you're expected to move into policy and planning work, not just field inspection.
It's a gazetted post, so you get authority, a government identity, and reasonable postings within Gujarat — usually at the district or divisional headquarters level.
Vacancy Details
Vacancy numbers change with every advertisement, so don't treat any single figure as permanent. The 2025 Assistant Director (IT/CS) cycle had 29 posts. The broader 2025-26 technical batch that GPSC is currently processing carries 279 posts spread across Assistant Engineer (108 posts, largest chunk), Deputy Executive Engineer (29 posts), Medical Officer (17 posts), Assistant Engineer Electrical (20 posts), and other technical and para-technical roles.
Reservation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PwD candidates follows standard Gujarat government norms, usually 10% EWS, 27% OBC, 22% SC+ST combined (exact split varies by post), and 4% PwD, applied to each advertisement separately.
Eligibility
Age Limit
You need to be within GPSC's age bracket on the cut-off date mentioned in the specific advertisement. For Assistant Director (IT/CS) 2025, the upper limit was 42 years. For most other Class-2 technical Assistant Director posts, the standard GPSC upper age limit is 30 to 35 years for direct recruits, with relaxation for reserved categories.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| General (Unreserved) | No relaxation |
| SC / ST / OBC (Gujarat domicile) | Up to 5 years |
| PwD | Up to 10 years |
| Ex-servicemen | As per Gujarat govt rules |
| Government employees (in-service) | As per applicable service rules |
Always check the exact age window in the advertisement you're applying to — it changes by post and department.
Education Qualification
You need a relevant engineering degree or equivalent qualification for the specific discipline advertised. For IT/Computer Science Assistant Director posts, GPSC asked for a B.E./B.Tech in Information Technology or Computer Science, or an MCA/M.Sc(IT) from a recognized university. For other technical streams like boiler engineering, mechanical, civil, or electrical, you need the corresponding engineering degree, sometimes with a minimum number of years of relevant work experience.
Domicile
Most GPSC Class-2 posts require you to either be a domicile of Gujarat or meet the eligibility conditions defined in the specific recruitment rules for that cadre. Reserved category relaxations apply only to candidates domiciled in Gujarat.
Application Process and Fee
You apply only online, through the OJAS portal (gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in). You'll need a one-time profile registration before you can apply to any specific advertisement.
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹100 + online service charges |
| SC / ST / PwD / Ex-servicemen (Gujarat domicile) | No fee |
Steps to apply:
- Go to gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in and complete your one-time registration if you haven't already.
- Find the relevant Assistant Director advertisement under the "Advertisement" tab.
- Fill in your personal, educational, and category details carefully.
- Upload photo, signature, and required certificates in the specified format.
- Pay the fee (if applicable) through the online payment gateway.
- Download and save the confirmation page for your records.
Don't rush the form. A wrong category entry or a missing certificate upload gets applications rejected at the document verification stage, and there's no fixing it after submission closes.
Exam Pattern
GPSC's technical Class-2 posts (Assistant Director, Assistant Engineer, and similar cadres) mostly follow a two-stage objective-plus-interview format, sometimes with an additional descriptive mains for senior gazetted posts. Here's the pattern used for the objective preliminary/primary test.
| Part | Subject | Marks | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | General Studies (history, polity, geography, economy, current affairs, reasoning) | 100 | Gujarati |
| Part 2 | Concerned Subject (your engineering/technical discipline) | 200 | English |
| Total | 300 | — |
There's negative marking of 1/3 mark for every wrong answer, so guessing blindly can hurt you more than help. Candidates who clear this objective stage move to the interview round, which for most Assistant Director posts carries around 30 to 50 marks depending on the post. Some senior technical cadres also include a descriptive mains paper before the interview — check your specific advertisement for this.
If you want to build speed on the general studies section, pareeksha.in's topic-wise practice sets and free mock tests are a good place to get exam-condition practice in.
Detailed Syllabus
Part 1: General Studies
- History and culture: Gujarat's freedom movement, cultural heritage, important personalities, ancient and medieval India basics.
- Indian polity and constitution: fundamental rights and duties, Panchayati Raj, constitutional bodies, governance structure.
- Geography: physical and economic geography of India and Gujarat, resources, climate.
- Economics: Indian economy basics, Gujarat's economic development, government schemes.
- Science and technology: general science, recent developments, environment.
- Current affairs: national and Gujarat-specific events from the past 12 months.
- Reasoning and mental ability: logical reasoning, basic quantitative aptitude.
For this section, our General Awareness guide and Reasoning guide cover the core topics you'll need, and pareeksha.in/current-affairs keeps the monthly updates current.
Part 2: Concerned Subject (varies by discipline)
This is where the real differentiation happens, and it depends entirely on which Assistant Director post you're applying for:
- IT/Computer Science: data structures, DBMS, computer networks, operating systems, software engineering, cyber security basics, cloud computing, IT Act provisions.
- Boiler/Mechanical Engineering: thermodynamics, heat transfer, steam generation and properties, boiler types, mountings and accessories, steam turbines, feed-water treatment, safety codes and the Boilers Act, instrumentation.
- Civil/Electrical/other engineering streams: core subject papers matching your degree syllabus, plus applied knowledge of Gujarat-specific rules and acts relevant to that department.
Whatever discipline you're targeting, go through last 5 years' GPSC papers for that exact post if available — the question style repeats more than people expect.
Salary, Pay Scale and Career Growth
Assistant Director (Class-2 gazetted) posts in Gujarat typically carry a pay scale under the 7th Pay Commission structure, roughly Level 10 (₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500 in the pay matrix), though the exact level depends on the specific department and cadre rules. On top of basic pay, you get Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, and Travel Allowance as per Gujarat government norms. In-hand salary for a fresh Assistant Director generally comes out somewhere around ₹65,000 to ₹80,000 a month once allowances are added, though this varies by posting location and category.
Career growth typically moves from Assistant Director to Deputy Director to Joint Director and eventually Director, based on years of service, departmental exams, and vacancies opening up above you. It's a slower ladder than private sector jumps, but the job security and pension benefits under the state government make it worth the wait for most people.
Previous Cut-off Trends
GPSC doesn't publish a single common cut-off for "Assistant Director" because each department's post has its own competition level based on vacancy count and applicant pool. As a rough reference from the technical cadre exams GPSC has run in recent years:
| Category | Approx. Cut-off (out of 300, Primary Test) |
|---|---|
| General | 190-210 |
| OBC | 175-195 |
| SC/ST | 155-180 |
Treat these as indicative only — the actual cut-off for your specific post and cycle will depend on vacancy count, number of applicants, and paper difficulty that year.
Best Books and Preparation Strategy
Don't try to prepare for "GPSC Assistant Director" as one generic exam — split your prep by section and be honest about which one needs more time.
Months 1-2: Build your general studies base. Cover Gujarat history, polity, and geography from standard GPSC-level books, and start daily current affairs reading. Use our study plan to structure this so you're not jumping randomly between topics.
Months 2-4: Go deep on your concerned subject. This carries double the marks of general studies, so it deserves double the hours. Pull your engineering degree textbooks back out and revise systematically, subject by subject.
Month 4-5: Start solving previous GPSC papers for your exact post if you can find them, plus full-length mock tests to build speed and accuracy under time pressure. Pareeksha.in's mock test series and Quantitative Aptitude guide help here if your paper includes an aptitude component.
Last month: Revision only. No new topics. Focus on weak areas identified from your mock test scores.
If your Reading Room needs free reference material, pareeksha.in/books has a decent collection to start with instead of buying five different guides upfront.
Common Mistakes and Honest Advice
People preparing for GPSC technical posts make a few repeated mistakes. They spend all their time on general studies because it feels more "exam-like" and end up weak on their concerned subject, which is worth double the marks. They skip previous year papers because they assume the syllabus changes every time — it doesn't change much, and old papers tell you exactly how questions are framed. And they apply to every Assistant Director post that opens without checking eligibility carefully, wasting fee money and application slots on posts they don't actually qualify for.
Be selective. Pick the departments where your degree fits cleanly, and prepare deeply for those rather than spreading thin across everything GPSC advertises.
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FAQ
Is the GPSC Assistant Director 2026 notification out? No, as of August 2026 there is no fresh Assistant Director notification. The last confirmed cycle was for IT/Computer Science posts in early 2025, with 29 vacancies.
How many vacancies were there in the last GPSC Assistant Director recruitment? The 2025 Assistant Director (IT/CS) cycle had 29 posts. Vacancy numbers change with every new advertisement and department.
What is the age limit for GPSC Assistant Director posts? It varies by department, but the 2025 IT/CS cycle set the upper age limit at 42 years. Other Class-2 technical Assistant Director posts often use a 30 to 35 year upper limit, with relaxation for reserved categories.
What qualification is needed for GPSC Assistant Director? You need a relevant engineering degree or equivalent postgraduate qualification matching the specific discipline advertised, such as B.E./B.Tech in Computer Science or IT, or a corresponding degree for mechanical, civil, or electrical streams.
What is the exam pattern for GPSC Assistant Director? A 300-mark objective primary test with Part 1 General Studies (100 marks, Gujarati medium) and Part 2 Concerned Subject (200 marks, English medium), followed by an interview.
Is there negative marking in the GPSC Assistant Director exam? Yes, GPSC deducts 1/3 mark for every wrong answer in the objective primary test.
What is the salary of a GPSC Assistant Director? Pay is generally around Level 10 of the Gujarat state pay matrix (roughly ₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500 basic), with in-hand salary typically in the ₹65,000 to ₹80,000 range after allowances.
How do I apply for GPSC Assistant Director recruitment? Apply online through gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in after completing one-time OJAS registration, then fill the specific advertisement form and pay the fee if applicable.
Is there an application fee for GPSC Assistant Director? General, OBC and EWS candidates pay ₹100 plus service charges. SC, ST, PwD and Gujarat-domiciled ex-servicemen candidates don't pay any fee.
Where can I find free mock tests for GPSC technical posts? You can practice with free GPSC-level mock tests and topic-wise practice sets on Pareeksha.in.
Final word
GPSC's Assistant Director and Class-2 technical posts don't follow one predictable calendar, and that's exactly why most candidates lose track of them. Your best move is to pick the department that matches your degree, keep an eye on gpsc.gujarat.gov.in and gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in every few weeks, and use the waiting period to actually get your general studies and concerned subject prep solid. When the notification does land, you won't be starting from zero — you'll be ready to apply on day one and walk into the exam with real prep behind you, not last-minute panic.
For the latest updates on this and other Gujarat government exams, keep checking pareeksha.in/news and pareeksha.in/exams.
Official sources: GPSC official website | GPSC OJAS application portal
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