The OPSC ASO recruitment has two stages: a written examination of 400 marks and a computer skill test of 50 marks that is only qualifying. The merit list is prepared on the written marks alone.
Written examination scheme
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Awareness | 100 | 100 | 1½ hours |
| II | (A) Test of Reasoning & Mental Ability | 50 | 50 | 1½ hours |
| (B) Mathematics (Class 10 level) | 50 | 50 | ||
| III | (a) English | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| (b) Odia | 100 | 100 | ||
| Total (written) | 400 | |||
| IV | Skill Test in Computer Application (practical) | 5 tasks | 50 | 1 hour |
Marking scheme
- All written questions are multiple choice and carry 1 mark each.
- 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer. Marking more than one option counts as wrong.
- Answers are in English, except the Odia paper.
Qualifying marks in each paper
You must reach the minimum in each of Paper I, Paper II and Paper III individually to be shortlisted:
| Category | Minimum in each paper |
|---|---|
| UR / SEBC | 35% |
| SC / ST | 30% |
| PwD | 28% |
Ex-Servicemen and Sports Persons follow the qualifying marks of their own caste category.
Computer skill test
- Candidates who qualify are shortlisted by merit on the aggregate of 400 marks.
- About 1.5 times the vacancies in each category are called (about 2 times where a category has 5 or fewer vacancies; more may be called for PwD backlog posts).
- The test is practical, 50 marks, and you need at least 40% to qualify.
- Recent papers had four or five tasks of 10 marks each: a formatted Word document, an Excel sheet with formulas and a chart, a PowerPoint presentation, and an Access database with table, query, form and report.
Final merit list
- Ranking of candidates who qualify the skill test is on the written aggregate (400 marks).
- On equal marks, the candidate with higher marks in Paper I (General Awareness) ranks higher.
- If still equal, the older candidate ranks higher.
A provisional answer key is uploaded on the OPSC website right after the exam, and objections must be raised online within the given dates.
How the pattern has changed
The 2012-13 and 2015-16 recruitments had separate papers for General Awareness, Reasoning, Mathematics, English, Computer Application (theory) and an English-Odia essay. From 2018-19 the exam moved to the present three objective papers plus a practical skill test, which is why the 2021-22 and 2025-26 question papers are the best guide for 2026.