The Pre-doctoral Program in Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) aims to offer recent undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to advance their research skills and prepare for doctoral studies in the field of Computer Science and Engineering. This is a full-time, non-degree program of up to one year period.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
Note: Pre-doc fellowship is not admission to PhD. Separate application to the PhD program will be needed subsequently.
The fellowship will be comparable to the Ph.D. stipend (Rs. 38,000 - 40,000), with HRA support of Rs. 10,000 provided. The institute will also cover the cost of course registration.
In addition to research work, fellows will be required to formally register for at least one graduate-level course each semester in the CSE department. These courses may contribute toward meeting the requirements for the comprehensive exam if the fellow later joins the CSE Ph.D. program. The fellow's progress will be monitored by the Departmental Research Committee (DRC) once each semester, and unsatisfactory progress may result in termination from the program.
Interested students must submit the application form by November 28, 11pm.
Stage 1: Fill in the questionnaire form whose link has been shared above. You must fill this form by 28th November, otherwise you may not be allowed to appear for the next stage of the selection process. The shortlisted candidates will be notified by November 30.
Stage 2: Those shortlisted are invited to appear for an in-person written test at IIT Delhi on 3rd December. Please see the detailed instructions below.
Stage 3: If you pass the written test, you will be asked to appear for an in-person interview between 4th and 5th December. The candidates shortlisted for interview will be announced on 3rd December after the exam, along with their interview dates. If you are coming from outside Delhi/NCR and have indicated thus in the questionnaire form, we will do our best to complete your interview by 5 PM on 4th December.
The written test will be held on 3rd December in the IIT Delhi campus. The selected candidates should report at Block-6, Lecture Theatre 2 (LT2) (close to Scoops) by 11:30 AM. No entry will be allowed after 12:00 noon. The exam will be completed by 3:00 PM.
Applicants are required to carry the following items with them to take the test:
You are permitted to bring a water bottle with you. No electronic devices will be allowed during the test, such as mobile phones, calculators, smartwatches, earphones, etc.
The front page of the written test to be held on 3rd is shared below. It contains detailed instructions on the conduct of the test.
The written test will include two parts: an objective section, and an on-paper programming section. Applicants must pass both the objective and the programming sections in order to be considered for interviews. The questions in the objective section will be on basic computer science topics, including:
A sample paper is provided below to help you assess your preparedness for the written test. Please note that the exact format of the test may vary.
Interviews will be held in person on 4th and 5th December in the Bharti Building at IIT Delhi.
Please see the following link for more information about preparing for interviews.
In addition, there may be some faculty members who wish to speak with you online afterwards, between 6th and 7th December. These online meetings can be scheduled at a time of mutual convenience for you and the respective faculty member(s). Please be aware of this possibility, and keep some time available for such meetings.