The Odisha OAS Apply 2026 process is the first step for any student who wants a Group-A or Group-B post under the Odisha state government. The Odisha Public Service Commission invites online applications for the Odisha Civil Service examination, and the form is filled on the commission portal. This page keeps every important point about Odisha OAS Apply in one place, in plain words, sparing you a trip round ten different websites.
Below you will find the full details table, the eligibility rules, the three-stage exam pattern, the complete prelims and mains syllabus, the list of 30 optional subjects, and free previous year question paper PDFs. Read the Odisha OAS Apply details carefully before you fill the form, because a small mistake in the application can cost you a whole year.
Start here. This single table holds the short answers that students search for the most, so you can check the Odisha OAS Apply basics in under a minute and then read the longer sections below. Keep the Odisha OAS Apply fee row and the document row open in a second tab while you fill the form.
Odisha Civil Service Application Overview
| Important Terms | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the Commission | Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) |
| Name of the Exam | Odisha Civil Service (OCS / OAS) Examination |
| Apply Start Date | As per the official notification |
| Apply End Date | As per the official notification |
| Payment Last Date | As per the official notification |
| No. Of Post | 153 (In 2019) |
| Basic Salary | 56,100/- |
| Exam Fee | UR & OBC/SEBC – 500/- , SC & ST – No Fee |
| Mode Of Exam | Offline |
| No. Of Exam | 3 – (Preliminary, Mains, Interview) |
| Qualification | Any Graduation |
| Age | 21 To 32 (Check the eligibility section below) |
| No. Of Attempts | UR & SEBC/OBC – 4 Times , SC & ST – No limit |
| Exam Centers | Balasore, Behrampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur |
| Apply Documents | Photo, Full Signature, Left Hand Thumb Impression |
| Documents Needed During Verification | HSC Certificate, +2 Certificate, Graduation Certificate, Caste Certificates For SC, ST & SEBC/OBC Candidates, Exam Fee Challan, NOC For Govt Servant Candidates |
| Apply Link | Click Here |
| Official Notification | Click Here |
| Previous Paper | Click Here |
| Previous Cut Off | Click Here |
| Admit Card | Click Here |
| Eligibility Criteria | Click Here |
| Syllabus | Click Here |
The dates change with every cycle, so treat the date rows as a reminder to check the commission portal rather than as fixed figures. Everything else in the table has stayed steady across recent Odisha OAS Apply cycles.
The Odisha Civil Service examination fills posts that sit under the Orissa Civil Services (Group-A and Group-B) rules. One written test opens the door to several different services, which is why so many graduates in the state watch the Odisha OAS Apply window every year. The Odisha OAS Apply notice names each of those services.
Online applications are invited for the exam of Odisha Civil Service and the application form is made available on the commission portal opeconline.gov.in. Candidates create a one-time registration, fill the Odisha OAS Apply form, upload the scanned documents and pay the fee before the closing date printed in the advertisement.
For the advertisement text, the reservation break-up and any corrigendum, always read the notice published on the official OPSC website (opsc.gov.in). A copy of the notification used for this page is linked in the table above, and the Odisha OAS Apply notice is the only document that can settle a dispute about dates or fees.
Different Posts Of Odisha Civil Service
| Group | Post Name |
|---|---|
| Group A | Odisha Administrative Service, Group-A (Junior Branch) |
| Group A | Odisha Police Service, Group-A (Junior Branch) |
| Group A | Odisha Finance Service, Group-A (Junior Branch) |
| Group B | Odisha Co-operative Service (ARCS/AGCS), Group-B |
| Group B | Odisha Revenue Service, Group-B |
| Group B | Odisha Taxation & Accounts Service, Group-B |
The vacancy notice below is the break-up published for the 2016 cycle. It is kept here as an illustration of the way the commission spreads posts across the services, but the numbers for a fresh Odisha OAS Apply cycle will be different.
Check these Odisha OAS Apply rules before you pay the fee. If one condition does not match, the form is rejected at the document verification stage and the fee is not returned. The Odisha OAS Apply eligibility list below is short and easy to follow.
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Any graduation from a recognised university |
| Age Limit | 21 to 32 years, counted from the cut-off date given in the notification |
| Age Relaxation | Given to reserved categories as per Odisha government rules stated in the advertisement |
| Attempts – UR & SEBC/OBC | Maximum four times |
| Attempts – SC & ST | No limit |
| Nationality | As specified in the OPSC advertisement |
| Odia Language | A compulsory Odia language paper is part of the mains exam |
| Exam Fee | UR and OBC/SEBC pay 500/-, SC and ST candidates pay no fee |
Attempt counting is the point students get wrong most often during Odisha OAS Apply. An attempt is counted once you appear in the preliminary paper, not when you simply fill the form. A deeper break-up of every condition is available in our Odisha OAS eligibility criteria guide.
The Odisha OAS Apply notice describes three stages of exam, and each stage removes a large part of the field. Understanding the marks of every stage helps you plan a timetable the day your Odisha OAS Apply form is submitted.
Three Stages at a Glance
| Stage | Name Of Exams | Type | Language | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preliminary Examination | MCQ (Offline & Objective) | English, Hindi | 400 |
| 2 | Main Examination | Long Question (Offline & Subjective) | English | 2600 |
| 3 | Interview | Viva | English, Hindi | 250 |
↔ On a phone, swipe this table sideways to see the Type, Language and Marks columns.
Stage 1 – Preliminary Examination
The preliminary examination shall consist of two papers of objective type (multiple choice questions) and each paper shall be of two hours duration carrying 200 marks each, so the stage carries 400 marks in total. These marks are only for screening and are not added to the final merit list, so treat prelims as a gate in the Odisha OAS Apply journey.
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 | General Studies | 200 | 2 hours |
| Paper-2 | General Studies | 200 | 2 hours |
↔ On a phone, swipe this table sideways to see the Marks and Time columns.
Stage 2 – Mains Examination
The mains stage has nine papers spread over seven subjects, 2600 marks and about 36 hours of writing. Five papers are compulsory and four papers come from the two optional subjects you choose in the Odisha OAS Apply form.
| Type | Paper | Subject | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory | Paper-1 | Odia language | 300 | 3 hours |
| Compulsory | Paper-2 | English | 300 | 3 hours |
| Compulsory | Paper-3 | English essay | 200 | 3 hours |
| Compulsory | Paper-4 | General Studies-1 | 300 | 3 hours |
| Compulsory | Paper-5 | General Studies-2 | 300 | 3 hours |
| Optional | Paper-6 | Optional subject 1 – first paper | 300 | 3 hours |
| Optional | Paper-7 | Optional subject 1 – second paper | 300 | 3 hours |
| Optional | Paper-8 | Optional subject 2 – first paper | 300 | 3 hours |
| Optional | Paper-9 | Optional subject 2 – second paper | 300 | 3 hours |
| Total | 9 papers | 7 Subjects | 2600 | 36 hours |
↔ On a phone, swipe this table sideways to see the Subject, Marks and Time columns.
Stage 3 – Interview
| Subject | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Various Field (Check Below) | 250 | 45-60 minutes |
The mains marks and the interview marks are added together for the final list, so the interview alone will not decide your Odisha OAS Apply rank. Past cut off trends are collected in our OAS exam cut off marks page and in the OPSC OAS cut off marks record.
The prelims syllabus is broad but shallow. You need a working knowledge of many areas rather than deep knowledge of one, and that is the first lesson of Odisha OAS Apply planning. Read the topic list once at the start of your Odisha OAS Apply preparation and again before every mock test.
Preliminary Paper 1 – General Studies
| Topics in Paper 1 |
|---|
| Current events of National and International importance |
| History of India and Indian National Movement |
| Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World |
| Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. |
| Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. |
| General Issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change that do not require subject specialization |
| General Science |
Preliminary Paper 2 – Aptitude and Reasoning
| Topics in Paper 2 |
|---|
| Comprehension |
| Interpersonal Skills including Communication Skills |
| Logical Reasoning and Analytic Ability |
| Decision making and problem solving |
| General Mental Ability |
| Basic Numeracy (numbers and their relations, order of magnitude) – Class X level |
| Data Interpretation (Charts, Graphs, Tables, Data Sufficiency etc.) – Class X level |
| English Language Comprehension Skills – Class X level |
A printable copy of the whole Odisha OAS Apply topic list, including the mains part, is kept on our OAS syllabus 2026 PDF page.
The mains stage is where the real Odisha OAS Apply ranking happens. Answers are written by hand, so content and presentation both matter. The chapter table below shows the mark split inside each compulsory paper.
Compulsory Papers – Chapter Wise Marks
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Chapters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 | Odia language | 30 | Comprehension of a given passage |
| Paper-1 | Odia language | 40 | Precis writing with a passage of around 1000 words |
| Paper-1 | Odia language | 30 | Translation from English to Oriya |
| Paper-1 | Odia language | 80 | Grammar, usage and vocabulary |
| Paper-1 | Odia language | 100 | Short Essay of around 1000 words |
| Paper-1 | Odia language | 20 | Expansion of an idea |
| Paper-2 | English | 30 | Comprehension of a given passage |
| Paper-2 | English | 40 | Precis writing with a passage of around 1000 words |
| Paper-2 | English | 40 | Translation from Oriya to English |
| Paper-2 | English | 30 | Grammar, usage and vocabulary |
| Paper-2 | English | 80 | Short Essay of around 1000 words |
| Paper-2 | English | 100 | Expansion of an idea |
| Paper-3 | English Essay | 200 | Candidates will be required to write an Essay on a specific topic. The choice of subjects will be given. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay, to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression. |
↔ On a phone, swipe this table sideways to see the Marks and Chapters columns.
General Studies Paper 1 – Topic List
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| History of Modern India | History of India since 1857; Important personalities who shaped the Freedom Movements in Orissa and India; Social Reform Movements |
| Indian Culture | Indian culture from ancient times to modern times; Temple architecture of Orissa; Socio-cultural developments in Orissa |
| Geography of India | Physical, economic and social geography of India; Orissa’s Physiography and Drainage system; Orissa’s Natural Resources – Water, forest and minerals |
| Indian Polity | Constitution of India; Political system of India; Government and politics in Orissa; Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Orissa |
| Current Issues | Current National issues and topics of social relevance; Demography & Human Resource Development; Behavioural & Social issues and Social Welfare problems |
| Legal and Environmental Issues | Human Rights; Corruption in public life; Communal harmony; Protection of minorities; Internal security and related issues; Environment and ecological issues; Role of national institutions, their relevance and need for change |
General Studies Paper 2 – Topic List
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| India and the World | Foreign Affairs; External security and related matters; Nuclear policy; Indians abroad |
| Indian Economy | Planning, economic development, economic reforms and development of the Corporate Sector in India; Economic and Trade issues; Foreign trade |
| Institutions | Role and functions of IMF, World Bank and WTO; Reserve Bank of India – its role and functions |
| Orissan Economy | Development during the post Reform Period; Regional disparity |
| International Affairs | Important events in world affairs; International institutions like UN, ILO, EU, SAARC, WHO, ICJ |
| Science and Statistics | Developments in the field of science & technology, communications and space; Statistical Analysis, Graphs & Diagrams |
30 Optional Subjects You Can Choose
Two subjects are selected from the list below and each subject carries two papers, which makes four optional papers in all. Pick subjects you studied in college, because the level of questions in the Odisha OAS Apply mains is close to a degree course.
| Optional Subject | Optional Subject | Optional Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Chemistry | Anthropology |
| Agricultural Engineering | Botany | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science |
| Physics | Commerce & Accountancy | Economics |
| Electrical Engineering | Education | Fisheries Science |
| Forestry | Geography | Geology |
| Home Science | History | Indian Language & Literature (any one) – Odia, Hindi, Sanskrit, English, Persian, Urdu |
| Law | Management | Mathematics |
| Mechanical Engineering | Philosophy | Civil Engineering |
| Zoology | Public Administration | Psychology |
| Sociology | Statistics | Political Science & International Relations |
Old papers show you the real standard of the Odisha OAS Apply questions. Solve them under a clock and you will know where your weak chapters are. All the files below are free and open in a new download page.
Preliminary Examination Question Papers
| Year | Paper-1 | Paper-2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Coming Soon | Coming Soon |
| 2019 | Coming Soon | Coming Soon |
| 2018 | Download | Download |
| 2017 | Download | Download |
| 2016 | Download | Download |
| 2015 | Download | Download |
Mains Examination Question Papers
| Year | Paper-1 | Paper-2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Download | Download |
| 2017 | Download | Download |
| 2016 | Download | Download |
| 2015 | Download | Download |
Bonus – All Odisha Combo Question Banks
These are not OAS papers of a particular year. What you get instead is a mixed revision pack sitting on ground the state examinations also walk over, offered without any charge.
| Question Bank | Download |
|---|---|
| All Odisha 63,000 Previous Year Question & Answer Combo PDF | Download |
If you want year-wise Odisha OAS Apply files sorted in one more place, open our OPSC OAS previous question collection. Students who also sit for the assistant section officer test can use the OPSC OMAS previous year question PDF for extra practice.
Filling the Odisha OAS Apply form is the easy part. The months after that decide the result. Use a simple routine and stay with it, because this exam rewards steady work more than long bursts of study.
Our free app carries mock test series for the Odisha state exams and works offline once the tests are loaded, which suits Odisha OAS Apply candidates who travel. Pair it with the OAS syllabus 2026 page so every test you take matches a topic you have already revised.
Students often ask why Odisha OAS Apply is worth two or three years of hard work. The reasons below explain what the post actually gives you once the training period is over.
Even if a candidate does not clear the final list, the study done for Odisha OAS Apply covers the syllabus of many other state tests, so the effort is never wasted.
Odisha OAS Apply is the online application process run by the Odisha Public Service Commission for the Odisha Civil Service examination. Candidates register on the commission portal, fill the form, upload the photograph, the running signature and the left thumb print, and pay the fee before the last date.
The Odisha OAS Apply form is made available on opeconline.gov.in. The apply link also sits in the details table near the start of this page, so no hunting is needed.
For Odisha OAS Apply, any graduation from a recognised university is accepted. There is no fixed percentage of marks mentioned for the general graduation requirement in the notification used for this page.
The age band is 21 to 32 years, reckoned from the date the advertisement fixes for the purpose. Relaxation for reserved categories follows the Odisha government rules given in the same advertisement.
Under the Odisha OAS Apply rules, unreserved and SEBC/OBC candidates get a maximum of four attempts. SC and ST candidates have no limit on the number of attempts.
Unreserved and OBC/SEBC candidates pay 500 rupees. SC and ST candidates of Odisha pay no fee at all.
Odisha OAS Apply leads to three stages. The preliminary examination of 400 marks, the mains examination of 2600 marks and the interview of 250 marks. Only the mains and interview marks count for the final merit list.
Yes. Paper-1 of the mains stage is an Odia language paper of 300 marks, with comprehension, precis, translation, grammar, a short essay and expansion of an idea.
In the Odisha OAS Apply form, two subjects are chosen from the list of 30 optional subjects. Each subject carries two papers of 300 marks, so the optional part adds up to 1200 marks.
Yes. The preliminary papers from 2015 to 2018 and the mains papers from 2015 to 2018 are linked in the PDF section of this page, and every file is free.
The Odisha OAS Apply 2026 route is simple once you know the rules. Check the age and graduation condition, keep the scanned documents ready, fill the form on the commission portal and pay the fee inside the window. After that, the syllabus tables and the free question paper PDFs on this page will carry you through the preparation.
We update this page whenever the commission publishes a fresh notice, so save it and come back before you fill the form. Bookmark this Odisha OAS Apply guide, share it with a friend who is also preparing, and start with one old paper today.