Every candidate chasing a state government desk job in Odisha should begin with the OSSC CGL Previous Year Question papers, because those papers show exactly how the Odisha Staff Selection Commission frames its Combined Graduate Level test. This page collects the free PDF sets for the 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022 cycles, covering both the Preliminary stage and the Mains stage. Each file opens in a new tab and can be saved to your phone in a few seconds.
Reading a syllabus list tells you the topic names. Sitting with a real paper tells you the weight, the wording and the trap options. That is the gap an OSSC CGL Previous Year Question set fills. Below you will find the shift-wise download tables first, then the exam overview, the confirmed pattern for Prelims and Mains, the full subject-wise syllabus, a practice routine and ten common doubts answered in plain words.
The tables below hold every free OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper we have on file, arranged newest first. Preliminary papers are grouped by exam date, while Mains papers are grouped by subject because the commission releases them that way. Tap Download and the PDF opens straight away, so you can start solving within a minute.
Preliminary Exam 2025-26
This is the newest OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper on the page and the closest match to the pattern you will face next. Solve it with a timer before you look at the answer key beside it.
Mains Exam 2024-25 (Subject Wise)
| Subject | Question Paper | Answer Key |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Download | Download |
| MATH | Download | Download |
| Odia & English | Download | Download |
The 2024-25 Mains set is split into GK, Math and the combined Odia and English paper. Each subject keeps its own answer key in the next column, so you can score one subject at a time instead of waiting until the whole set is finished. This is the most useful Mains OSSC CGL Previous Year Question group for anyone sitting the descriptive paper.
Preliminary Exam 2024-25
The October 2024 screening test was a single sitting. Its OSSC CGL Previous Year Question file and the matching key sit side by side, so scoring takes only a few minutes once you have finished writing.
Mains Exam 2023-24 (Subject Wise)
| Subject | Question Paper | Answer Key |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Download | All Download |
| MATH | Download | — |
| Odia | Download | — |
| English | Download | — |
For this cycle the commission uploaded a single combined key file, which sits in the GK row and is marked All Download. No separate key file exists for the Math, Odia and English papers, so those cells are left blank on purpose rather than pointing you at a wrong link. Every OSSC CGL Previous Year Question link in this table still leads to the paper named in its own row.
Preliminary Exam 2023-24
The June 2024 screening paper is a good second attempt after the newest one. Reading two recent papers back to back shows you how little the OSSC CGL Previous Year Question pattern moves from one cycle to the next.
Mains Exam 2022-23 (Subject Wise)
These three Mains files come from the 2023 examination and are hosted directly on this site, so they open as ordinary PDFs without any drive sign-in. An answer key was not published for this Mains set, so mark your work against a standard textbook after you finish the OSSC CGL Previous Year Question attempt.
Preliminary Exam 2022-23
The key linked here is the revised version released by the commission after objections were settled, so treat it as the final one for the 14 May 2023 paper. It is the only OSSC CGL Previous Year Question set on this page with a revised key attached.
Preliminary Exam 2021-22 – All Shifts
| Date | Shift-1 | Shift-2 |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 12-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 13-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 14-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 15-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 17-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 18-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 19-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
| 20-Oct-2022 | Download | Download |
October 2022 was the largest sitting in this list, with two shifts on each of nine exam days. Keep the shifts separate while you practise, because the two papers on a single date are different sets of questions and never repeat each other. Eighteen separate OSSC CGL Previous Year Question papers came out of that October window alone.
Once these are done, widen your practice with the full OSSC previous year question collection page, and compare the specialist cadre paper set on the OSSC CGL Specialist Previous Year Question page to see how the general and specialist streams differ.
Bonus – All Odisha Combo Question Banks
The files below are not OSSC CGL shift papers. They are large cross-exam question banks that gather questions from many Odisha recruitment tests into one PDF each. They were mixed into the OSSC CGL Previous Year Question tables earlier, which confused readers, so they now sit in their own table. Every link is free.
| Question Bank | Download |
|---|---|
| 63,000+ All Odisha Combo PYQ with Answers | Download |
| All Odisha GK PYQ (23,000 questions) | Download |
| All Odisha Math PYQ with explanation (9,673 questions) | Download |
| All Odisha English PYQ (8,200 questions) | Download |
| All Odisha Computer PYQ with explanation (6,718 questions) | Download |
| All Odisha Odia Grammar PYQ (6,233 questions) | Download |
| All Odisha Reasoning PYQ (5,757 questions) | Download |
| All Odisha Pedagogy PYQ (3,854 questions) | Download |
Use these banks after you have finished the dated papers. They are best for topic drilling, while an OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper is best for full-length timed practice.
Before you open the papers it helps to know the shape of the recruitment itself. The details below are taken from the commission notification for the current cycle, and you should always confirm them against the official notice on ossc.gov.in before you plan your calendar. Read them together with the OSSC CGL Previous Year Question papers above and the exam stops feeling like a black box.
| Important Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Conducted By | OSSC (Odisha Staff Selection Commission) |
| Type Of Job | Regular |
| Apply Start Date | Aug-2025 |
| Apply End Date | Sept-2025 |
| Exam Date | Feb-2026 |
| No. Of Vacancies | 1,500 |
| Basic Salary | 35,400/- |
| No. Of Exam | 2 (Preliminary & Mains) |
| Full Marks In Exam | 150 Marks In Preliminary & 200 Marks In Mains |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 |
Vacancy counts and dates shift from one notification to the next, so read these as the figures announced for this cycle rather than as permanent rules. Full application steps and eligibility conditions are covered on the OSSC CGL Recruitment page, and last year’s closing marks are listed on the OSSC CGL Cut Off page. Neither of those changes how you should use an OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper, but both help you set a realistic target.
The Preliminary paper is a screening test of 150 objective questions carried over six sections. It runs for two and a half hours in offline OMR mode. Each right answer earns one mark and 0.25 is cut for a wrong one, so blind guessing is expensive. Every Preliminary OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper on this page follows this same shape.
| Subject / Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic (Quantitative) | 30 | 30 | 2.5 hours |
| Data Interpretation | 30 | 30 | |
| Reasoning Ability | 30 | 30 | |
| Current Affairs (National) | 20 | 20 | |
| Computer Awareness | 20 | 20 | |
| Odisha GK (State specific) | 20 | 20 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 |
↔ On a phone, swipe this table sideways to see the Total Marks and Duration columns.
Questions sit at roughly the tenth standard level, and the Prelims score is qualifying only. It does not carry into the final merit list, but you still have to clear the cut-off to reach the Mains stage. Count the section-wise questions in any recent OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper and you will see this split hold up almost exactly.
Candidates who clear the Prelims move to a two-paper Mains examination. Paper I is the language paper and mixes objective questions with descriptive writing, while Paper II is fully objective General Studies. Both papers run 2.5 hours each and both carry 100 marks. The Mains OSSC CGL Previous Year Question files above are grouped by subject for exactly this reason.
| Paper Name | Subject(s) Covered | Marks | Duration | Mode | Question Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper- I | English and Odia | 100 | 2.5 Hours | Offline (OMR + Descriptive) | 80 MCQs (objective) + descriptive (Precis & translation) |
| Paper- II | Polity, History, Economy, Science, Current Affairs, Odisha GK, etc. | 100 | 2.5 Hours | Offline (OMR + Descriptive) | Objective (MCQ) |
↔ On a phone, swipe this table sideways to see the Mode and Question Type columns.
In Paper I about 80 questions are marked on an OMR sheet and the remaining marks come from descriptive work such as precis writing and translation, answered in a separate booklet. Negative marking of 0.25 applies to the objective questions in both papers. The descriptive part is where most candidates lose easy marks, so practise it by hand rather than in your head. Use the language papers in the OSSC CGL Previous Year Question tables for that writing practice.
The Prelims syllabus spreads over five broad areas. Reading it alongside a solved OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper is the quickest way to spot which topics actually appear year after year and which ones are rare.
| Subject | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Number System: divisibility rules, LCM & HCF, rational numbers. Percentages, Profit & Loss: increase and decrease, discounts, cost price vs. selling price. Simple & Compound Interest. Ratio & Proportion: ratios, mixtures, partnership problems. Time & Work; Speed & Distance: work efficiency, pipe and cistern problems, relative speed, train and boat problems. Mensuration: area & volume of 2D and 3D figures (circles, polygons, cylinders, cones) |
| Data Interpretation | Tabular and Graphical Data: pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, tables. Data Sufficiency: judging whether the given data is enough to answer the question |
| Logical Reasoning | Analogy & Classification: relationships and odd-one-out among words or numbers. Series (Number/Letter): completing sequences and patterns. Coding-Decoding: letter shifting and alphanumeric codes. Blood Relations & Direction Sense. Seating Arrangement & Puzzles: linear and circular arrangements with conditions. Syllogisms & Logical Deductions: Venn diagrams, statements and conclusions |
| Computer Awareness | Basics of Computers: generations, types, input and output devices, memory units. MS Office: Word editing and formatting, Excel formulas and charts, PowerPoint slides and transitions. Internet & Networking: IP address, LAN/WAN, router and modem, HTTP and FTP. Email & Cybersecurity: attachments, CC/BCC, malware, phishing, firewalls |
| Current Affairs | National & International Events: conferences, summits, awards and honours. Sports & Appointments: sports news and new appointments in government bodies. Government Schemes: newly launched central schemes in health, agriculture and welfare. Science & Technology Updates: recent discoveries, ISRO missions and defence news |
| Odisha-Specific GK | Odisha History & Culture: Kalinga history, Gajapati rulers, temple architecture and folk traditions. Freedom Fighters of Odisha: Buxi Jagabandhu, Madhusudan Das, Surendra Sai and others. Important Sites & Festivals: Jagannath Temple, Konark Sun Temple, Rath Yatra, Nuakhai. Tribes and Language: Kondh, Soura and Bonda customs, Odia dialects. State Schemes: KALIA, Mission Shakti, 5T Initiative, Mo Sarkar |
Odisha GK and Current Affairs together carry 40 marks and are the fastest sections to answer, which makes them the best place to protect your time. The OSSC OSSSC previous year GK question bank covers this ground in bulk if you want extra drilling.
The Mains syllabus goes deeper than the Prelims and adds writing skills to the mix. A full topic list is also maintained on the OSSC CGL Syllabus page if you want it as a standalone reference. Match each line here against a Mains OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper to see which topics carry real weight.
| Subject | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| English | Grammar – Nouns, Pronouns, Articles, Prepositions, Verbs, Tenses, Modal, Active and Passive Voice, Subject-verb Agreement, Direct & Indirect Speech, Conjunction, Question Tag Vocabulary – Synonyms, Antonyms, Idioms, One Word Substitution Comprehension Passage – Unseen Passage Precis Writing Translation From English To Odia |
| Odia | Grammar – Bachana, Karaka, Bivakti, Biseshan, Biseshya, Linga, Karma, Sabda, Barna, Abaya Vocabulary – Pratisabda, Biparita Sabda, Rudhi, Spelling Comprehension Passage – Unseen Passage Precis Writing Translation From Odia To English |
| General Studies | Indian Constitution – Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties & Others Indian Economy – Introduction, Budget, Money & Banking, National Income, Planning, Unemployment, Agriculture, Development, Taxes Indian & World Geography – Physiography, Political Geography, Drainage System, Natural Resources, Industries & Transport, Climate, Weather and Vegetation, Rivers & Lakes History Of India – Ancient, Medieval and Modern History History Of Odisha – Ancient, Medieval and Modern History General Issues of Environment & Climate |
Some posts in the Combined Graduate Level cadre also require a computer skill test. The topics are basic office computing rather than programming.
| Computer Skill Test Topic |
|---|
| Computer Fundamentals |
| MS Windows |
| Office Software |
| Word Processing (MS Word) |
| Spread Sheet (MS Excel) |
| Presentation / Slide ware (MS PowerPoint) |
| Data base (MS Access) |
| Usage of Internet, Services available on Internet |
| Basic Networking Concepts, Communication Technology |
The mathematics test stays at secondary school level. If you can clear the arithmetic section of an OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper comfortably, this stage will not trouble you.
| Mathematics Test Topic |
|---|
| Arithmetic |
| Algebra |
| Statistics & Probability |
| Mensuration |
| All Secondary School Level |
For focused number practice the All Odisha Math previous year question set is a useful companion, and language candidates can drill grammar with the OSSC OSSSC previous year English question bank.
Papers show you the target. Books give you the method. Keep the book list short so that most of your hours go into solving rather than reading, and treat every book as support for your OSSC CGL Previous Year Question practice rather than a replacement for it.
| Section | What to Use |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | A standard quantitative aptitude book worked chapter by chapter, with every solved example attempted before you read the solution |
| Reasoning | One reasoning book covering puzzles, seating arrangement and syllogism, plus daily timed sets of twenty questions |
| General Knowledge | A general knowledge compendium for static topics and a monthly current affairs digest for the last twelve months |
| Odisha GK | An Odisha-focused GK book covering state history, geography, festivals, tribes and current state schemes |
| Odia and English | A grammar book for each language and regular precis and translation practice done on paper |
| Computer | A basic computer awareness guide covering hardware, MS Office and internet terms |
One book per section is enough. Candidates who buy five books for the same subject usually finish none of them, and the marks come from repetition, not from shelf space. Read a chapter, then immediately hunt for that topic inside an OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper.
Downloading files is easy. Turning them into marks needs a routine. The steps below are a simple weekly cycle that works with the OSSC CGL Previous Year Question papers listed on this page.
Work backwards through the list, newest paper first, because the recent sets reflect the current pattern most closely. Two papers a week solved properly beat six papers skimmed, and the difference shows up in your accuracy within a month. Treat each OSSC CGL Previous Year Question attempt as a real exam and the real exam becomes ordinary.
Aspirants sometimes treat old papers as optional revision. An OSSC CGL Previous Year Question set is closer to a map of the exam. Here is what a serious round of practice actually gives you.
Combine this with a look at the previous closing marks so you know the score you are aiming for. Practice without a target score is just activity, and a solved OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper gives you both the practice and the measuring stick.
Every file is linked in the download tables near the top of this page. They are grouped by exam cycle, with Preliminary papers listed by date and Mains papers listed by subject. Tap Download and the PDF opens directly, with no sign-up and no payment, so a full OSSC CGL Previous Year Question set is yours in under a minute.
Yes. Preliminary papers are available for the 2026, 2024, 2023 and 2022 sittings, and Mains papers are available for the 2024-25, 2023-24 and 2022-23 cycles. The Mains files are split by subject because the commission publishes them that way, and every OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper is free.
Most tables carry a separate Answer Key column beside the question paper. A few sets have no key, such as the 2022-23 Mains subject papers, and those cells are left blank instead of being filled with an unrelated link.
Two shifts were conducted on each of nine exam days between 11 October and 20 October 2022. Both shifts are listed in separate columns in the shift table, so the Shift-1 and Shift-2 OSSC CGL Previous Year Question papers never get mixed up.
Treat them as memory-based reconstructions collected from candidates who sat the exam, unless the file is clearly an official upload. An OSSC CGL Previous Year Question file of this kind matches the real pattern closely and is excellent for practice, but always confirm anything critical against the commission website.
The notification sets negative marking at 0.25 marks per wrong answer for objective questions in both stages. Apply the same penalty when you score your own practice papers, otherwise your mock score will look better than it really is.
No. The Preliminary examination is qualifying in nature. Its marks decide who moves ahead to the Mains stage, but the final merit is prepared from the Mains performance and the later stages of selection.
Go through the entire list on this page at least once, then repeat the papers where your score was lowest. Analysing four papers deeply teaches you more than skimming through twelve without reviewing the mistakes.
To a large extent, yes. The General Knowledge, Odisha GK, arithmetic and reasoning portions overlap heavily with other commission exams, so an OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper stays useful even when the post is different.
It is an optional free PDF that gathers questions from many Odisha recruitment exams into one large collection. It is not an OSSC CGL Previous Year Question shift paper, which is why it now sits in its own bonus table lower down instead of inside the paper tables.
No. Every download on this page is free, including the bonus question banks. The mobile app linked above is an optional extra for candidates who prefer practising with timed quizzes on a phone.
You now have the exam overview, the confirmed pattern for both stages, the complete subject-wise syllabus, a short book list, a weekly practice routine and, most importantly, every free OSSC CGL Previous Year Question paper we have collected from 2022 through to 2026. That is enough material to build a full preparation plan without buying anything.
Start with the newest paper, solve it under real time pressure, and write down what went wrong before you move to the next one. Repeat that cycle and the actual exam will feel like one more OSSC CGL Previous Year Question practice session. Bookmark this page, because every new paper released by the commission will be added here as soon as it is available.