Skip to content

OPSC Odisha Civil Services

Evidence status: 🟢 official. Examination stages, cycle dates (Notice No. 5520/PSC Dt. 24.09.2026 for Main Written Examination 29.10.2026–07.11.2026), and portal links confirmed from opsc.gov.in fetched 2026-09-30. Examination pattern, marks distribution, and syllabus structure reflect the Odisha Civil Services (CCRE) Rules as amended.

OPSC's Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Examination recruits candidates to Group A and Group B posts of the Odisha state civil services, including the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS), Odisha Police Service (OPS), Odisha Finance Service (OFS), and allied revenue, accounts, and welfare services.

At a glance
Conducted by Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC)
Current cycle OCS 2025 (Advt. No. 05 of 2025-26); Preliminary Written Examination concluded, Main Written Examination scheduled from 29.10.2026 to 07.11.2026 (Notice No. 5520/PSC)
Stages Preliminary Examination (Objective screening, 2 papers) → Main Written Examination (Descriptive, 9 papers) → Personality Test / Interview
Eligibility Bachelor's degree from a recognized university; ability to read, write and speak Odia (with prescribed Matriculation or Middle School standard proof)
Age limit 21 to 38 years (relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST/SEBC/Women/Ex-Servicemen, 10 years for PwD)
Attempt limits 6 attempts for General, 9 attempts for SEBC, unlimited for SC/ST
Final merit Main Written Examination Part-II (1750 marks) + Personality Test (250 marks) = 2000 marks grand total (Prelims and Part-I language marks are qualifying only)

Official sources

Exam pattern

1. Preliminary Examination (Objective Screening)

Two compulsory objective papers on one day, 2 hours each. Negative marking is one-third (−0.33) of the question's marks for each wrong answer with 4 alternatives. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.

Paper Subject Questions Marks Duration Negative Qualifying / Role
Paper I General Studies 100 200 2 hours −0.33 Marks decide the shortlist for the Main Examination (up to 12× vacancies)
Paper II General Studies (CSAT) 80 200 2 hours −0.33 Qualifying only (≥ 33%); marks do not count for shortlisting

Both papers are set bilingually in Odia and English. Candidates must appear in both papers; omitting either paper results in disqualification.

2. Main Written Examination (Descriptive)

Nine descriptive papers, 3 hours each. Part-I consists of two qualifying language papers, and Part-II consists of seven merit papers.

Part-I: Qualifying Papers (Marks not counted for ranking)

Paper Subject Standard Marks Qualifying mark
Paper I Odia Language Matriculation 250 25%
Paper II English Language Matriculation 250 25%

Both papers test comprehension, précis writing, vocabulary and usage, and short essays. Odia also includes translation between English and Odia.

Part-II: Merit Papers (Counted for ranking)

Paper Subject Content Marks
Paper I Essay Essays on multiple topics testing orderly, concise expression 250
Paper II General Studies I Indian Heritage & Culture, Odisha Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World and Society 250
Paper III General Studies II Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, Inter-State Relations 250
Paper IV General Studies III Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, Disaster Management 250
Paper V General Studies IV Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude 250
Paper VI Optional Subject – Paper I One chosen optional subject from the 30 notified subjects 250
Paper VII Optional Subject – Paper II Same optional subject 250
Written Total 1750

Notified Optional Subjects (30 choices)

Agriculture · Agricultural Engineering · Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science · Anthropology · Botany · Chemistry · Civil Engineering · Commerce & Accountancy · Economics · Education · Electrical Engineering · Fisheries Science · Forestry · Geography · Geology · History · Home Science · Law · Management · Mathematics · Mechanical Engineering · Medical Science · Philosophy · Physics · Political Science & International Relations · Psychology · Public Administration · Sociology · Statistics · Zoology · Literature of any one language (English, Hindi, Odia, Persian, Sanskrit, Urdu).

3. Personality Test / Interview

  • Marks: 250 marks, with no minimum qualifying mark.
  • Shortlist: Approximately 2 times the number of vacancies are called for the interview based on Part-II written merit.
  • Board assessment: Intellectual calibre, social traits, mental alertness, balance of judgment, and awareness of current affairs.
  • Final merit: Part-II Written (1750) + Interview (250) = 2000 marks.

Syllabus

Preliminary Examination

  • General Studies (Paper I): Current events of national and international importance; History of India and Indian National Movement; History of Odisha and Odia Nationalism; Physical, social, and economic geography of India, Odisha, and the world; Indian Polity and Governance (Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues); Economic and Social Development (poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives); General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity, and climate change; General Science.
  • General Studies / CSAT (Paper II): Reading comprehension; Interpersonal skills including communication skills; Logical reasoning and analytical ability; Decision-making and problem-solving; General mental ability; Basic numeracy (Class X level: numbers, relations, orders of magnitude); Data interpretation (Class X level: charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency).

Main Written Examination

  • Essay (Paper I): Multi-topic essay writing requiring coherent arguments, logical structuring, and balanced analysis.
  • General Studies I (Paper II): Indian and Odisha culture, art, architecture (notably Kalinga temple architecture), literature; Indian national movement and Odia nationalism; modern world history; physical and human geography of India and Odisha; social issues and diversity.
  • General Studies II (Paper III): Indian Constitution, federal structure, Parliament and state legislatures, judiciary, executive, statutory and regulatory bodies; public policy, governance, transparency, and accountability; welfare schemes and social justice; international relations and regional groups.
  • General Studies III (Paper IV): Indian economy, planning, agriculture, budgeting, inclusive growth; science and technology developments; bio-diversity, environmental conservation, and climate change; disaster management (with focus on Odisha's coastal and cyclone management framework); internal security, cyber security, and border challenges.
  • General Studies IV (Paper V): Ethics, integrity, and aptitude: ethical theories, human values, attitude, emotional intelligence, moral philosophers; probity in governance and anti-corruption mechanisms; case studies on administrative dilemmas.
  • Optional Subject (Papers VI & VII): In-depth, graduate-level syllabus for the chosen discipline.

How to prepare (free, in order)

  1. Master the UPSC GS Foundation: General Studies topics across Polity, History, Geography, Economy, and Environment closely match UPSC CSE. Prepare the shared core modules first; they cover the majority of the prelims and mains content.
  2. Prioritize the High-ROI Odisha Section: Odisha-specific questions carry significant weight in Prelims (history, dynasties including Eastern Ganga and Suryavamsi, Kalingan architecture, mineral belts, rivers, and welfare initiatives). Study official state portals, Odisha budget highlights, and state survey reports.
  3. Prelims Screening Focus (GS-I): GS Paper I alone determines whether you reach the Mains. CSAT Paper II requires only 33% (66 marks out of 200). Dedicate primary prelims effort to GS-I and practice timed tests.
  4. Respect the −0.33 Penalty: The negative marking deduction is one-third mark per error. Guess only when you can reliably eliminate options down to two; leave completely unfamiliar questions unattempted.
  5. Select and Prepare One Optional Deeply: The optional subject accounts for 500 out of the 1750 marks in Part-II merit. Choose a subject with clear syllabus boundaries and accessible past question papers.
  6. Clear the Qualifying Languages Early: Part-I Odia and English require 25% (62.5 marks each). Non-Odia medium candidates must practice Odia translation, vocabulary, and précis writing well in advance to prevent disqualification.
  7. Solve OPSC Previous Year Papers: Practice authentic past preliminary and mains papers from the commission's portal to understand OPSC's question format and statement-based patterns.

Free resources