OPSC Assistant Section Officer (ASO) Recruitment 2026 (340 Posts) | Advt. 15 of 2026-27 — 400-Mark Exam Pattern, Odia Rule & 17 Jan Exam Date Explained

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has officially released Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27 to recruit 340 Assistant Section Officers (Group-B) in the prestigious Odisha Secretariat Service. Offering a permanent desk posting at the State Secretariat (Lok Seva Bhawan) in Bhubaneswar with an initial basic pay of ₹35,400 (Level-9), this is one of the most sought-after graduate-level state recruitment drives of the year. The online registration portal at opsc.gov.in opens on 09 November 2026 and will close strictly on 30 November 2026 (5:00 PM). More importantly, OPSC has already locked in the written examination date for 17 January 2027. Before creating your PPSAN profile, you must understand the strict Odia language mandate, the 400-mark written merit system, and the qualifying computer skill test.

Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown & Women’s Reservation (340 Posts)

Out of the 340 Group-B vacancies in the Odisha Secretariat Service, nearly one-third (114 posts) are horizontally reserved exclusively for women candidates across categories:

Strict Eligibility Criteria: Graduation + The Odia Language Mandate

While any graduate can technically eye the ASO post, OPSC enforces a strict regional language filter that eliminates out-of-state applicants who do not have formal schooling in Odia:

• Educational Qualification: You must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline (B.A., B.Sc., B.Com, B.Tech, etc.) from a recognized university along with adequate practical knowledge of Computer Applications.
• Mandatory Odia Proficiency: You must be able to read, write, and speak Odia fluently, and must have fulfilled at least one of the following academic conditions:
  1. Passed the Middle School examination with Odia as a language subject; OR
  2. Passed Matriculation (Class 10) or an equivalent exam with Odia as the medium of examination in non-language subjects; OR
  3. Passed Odia as a language subject in the final examination of Class VII or above; OR
  4. Passed a language test in Odia equivalent to the Middle English (M.E.) School standard conducted by the School & Mass Education Department, Odisha.

Age Limit & Relaxations (As on 01 January 2026)

Odisha offers one of the widest baseline age windows in the country for Group-B secretariat roles. Your age is calculated strictly as of 01 January 2026 (you must be born between 02 January 1984 and 01 January 2005):

Selection Process: 400-Mark Written Exam & Practical Skill Test

There is no personal interview for the OPSC ASO post. Selection relies entirely on your objective Written Examination score, subject to clearing a qualifying Computer Skill Test:

Stage 1: Objective Written Examination (400 Marks — Confirming Merit)

Scheduled for Sunday, 17 January 2027, the OMR/objective written examination carries 400 marks across multiple papers (starting with Paper-I: General Awareness for 100 Marks / 100 Questions in 1.5 hours, alongside Reasoning, Mathematics, English, and Odia language testing).

• Negative Marking: A strict penalty of 0.25 marks (1/4th) is deducted for every wrong answer.
• Minimum Qualifying Cutoff: To be eligible for shortlisting, candidates must score at least 35% (UR/SEBC), 30% (SC/ST), and 28% (PwD) in the written test.

Stage 2: Computer Application Skill Test (50 Marks — Qualifying Only)

Candidates equal to approximately 1.5 times the total vacancies (around 510 candidates) will be shortlisted from the written exam for the practical Computer Skill Test covering Windows, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), MS Access, and Internet Services. You must score at least 40% marks (20 out of 50) to pass; failing this practical test leads to immediate disqualification regardless of your written rank.

Important Dates & Application Fee

Application Fee Structure:

• Unreserved (UR) / SEBC Candidates: ₹700 (Payable online)
• SC / ST of Odisha & PwD Candidates (40%+ Disability): Nil (100% Exempted from fee payment)

How to Apply Online Without Errors (PPSAN Rule)

1. Visit the official Odisha Public Service Commission portal at opsc.gov.in starting 09 November 2026.
2. Click on “Apply Online” and complete your One-Time Registration to generate your PPSAN (Permanent Public Service Account Number). Warning: Submitting multiple applications using more than one PPSAN account will result in summary rejection.
3. Locate Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27 (Assistant Section Officer) and fill in your personal, educational, and Odia language qualification details.
4. Select two preferred examination zones carefully (such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Balasore, Berhampur, Sambalpur, or Rourkela)—requests to change your exam zone will not be accepted after submission.
5. Upload clear scanned copies of your recent passport-size photograph, full signature, and Left-hand Thumb Impression (LTI).
6. Pay the ₹700 examination fee online (if applicable) and submit the form before 5:00 PM on 30 November 2026. Print the final submitted application form for Document Verification.

Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the confirmed exam date for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?
As announced in the official notification, the OPSC ASO written examination will be conducted on Sunday, 17 January 2027.

Q2. Do I need a separate computer diploma (like PGDCA or O-Level) at the time of applying?
While you must have adequate practical knowledge of Computer Applications to pass the 50-mark practical Skill Test (which requires a 40% qualifying score), any recognized Bachelor’s Degree makes you eligible to apply.

Q3. Are marks from the 50-mark Computer Skill Test added to the final merit list?
No. The practical Computer Skill Test is strictly qualifying in nature (minimum 20 marks required out of 50). Final merit is determined solely by your score out of 400 in the written examination.

Q4. What is the closing time on the last date of application?
Unlike portals that close at midnight, the OPSC online application and fee payment window closes strictly at 5:00 PM on 30 November 2026.