OPSC ASO Exam Pattern Changed and Syllabus 2026
OPSC ASO Exam Pattern Changed and Syllabus 2026
Yes, the new pattern is now official. OPSC released Advt. No. 15 of 2026-27 on 5 November 2026 for 340 Assistant Section Officer (ASO) posts in the Odisha Secretariat Service, Home Department.
Written exam is tentatively on 17 January 2027.
What changed / what to note
This is not the old descriptive / essay-type pattern many aspirants remember. The 2026 cycle is fully objective MCQ for the written exam, plus a separate qualifying practical Computer Test.
- Written: 400 marks, 400 questions, 1 mark each
- Negative marking: -0.25 for every wrong answer
- Computer Skill Test: 50 marks, qualifying only – its marks are NOT added to merit
- You must qualify in each paper separately, not just in total
OPSC ASO Exam Pattern 2026
|
Paper
|
Subject
|
Questions
|
Marks
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Paper-I
|
General Awareness
|
100
|
100
|
1 hr 30 min
|
|
Paper-II
|
Reasoning & Mental Ability (50) + Mathematics – 10th level (50)
|
100
|
100
|
1 hr 30 min combined
|
|
Paper-III
|
English (100) + Odia (100)
|
200
|
200
|
2 hrs combined
|
|
Total Written |
400 |
400 |
5 hrs |
|
|
Paper-IV
|
Computer Skill Test (Practical)
|
5 tasks
|
50
|
1 hr
|
All written questions are objective-type MCQs. Candidates must answer in English except for the Odia paper.
Subject-wise Syllabus 2026
Paper-I: General Awareness (100 marks)
Current National Events, Current International Events, History of British Rule in India and Freedom Struggle, Indian Constitution, Salient Features of World Physical Geography, Physical Geography of India and Odisha, Governance, Transparency and Accountability, E-Governance, Role of Civil Services in Democracy, Indian Economy including Planning, Growth, Development, Employment, Poverty Alleviation, Resource Mobilisation and Inflation, Defence and Indian Armed Forces, Scientific Inventions and Use of Science in Everyday Life, Environmental Issues, Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Important National and International Institutions, Organisations and Forums including Structure and Mandate.
Paper-II: Reasoning & Mental Ability (50 marks)
- Verbal: Number Series, Alphabet Series, Test of Direction Sense, Coding-Decoding, Number Ranking, Arithmetic Reasoning, Problems of Age Calculation
- Non-Verbal: Non-Verbal Series, Mirror Images, Cubes and Dice, Grouping Identical Figures, Embedded Figures
Paper-II: Mathematics (50 marks) – 10th Standard level
Arithmetic, Algebra, Mensuration (2D and 3D), Statistics and Probability.
Paper-III: English (100 marks)
Verbs, Prepositions, Adverbs, Subject-Verb Agreement, Error Correction and Recognition, Tenses, Fill in the Blanks with Articles, Vocabulary, Synonyms, Antonyms, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Rearrangement.
Paper-III: Odia (100 marks)
Odia Grammar – Kriya, Bhul Sansodhan/Chinhata, Kaal (Atita, Bartaman, Bhabishyat), Language Knowledge – Pratishabda, Biparita Arthabodhaka Shabda, Kriya Biseshana, Karta-Kriya Sambandha, Passage Comprehension (Anuchheda), Sentence Rearrangement (Bakya Punarbinyaas).
Paper-IV: Computer Skill Test (50 marks, Practical)
Windows Operating System, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, Usage of Internet Services. 5 practical tasks in 1 hour. Need 40% (20/50) to qualify.
Qualifying Marks
|
Category
|
Minimum in each written paper
|
|---|---|
|
UR / SEBC
|
35%
|
|
SC / ST
|
30%
|
|
PwD
|
28%
|
Final merit is made only on Written Exam aggregate of those who qualify the Computer Test. Tie-breaker: higher marks in Paper-I (General Awareness) first, then older in age.
How to download official syllabus
Go to opsc.gov.in > Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27 > Detailed Notification > Appendix-I (pages 17-18) – Scheme and Syllabus of the Examination.