OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 340 Assistant Section Officer Posts, Check Eligibility and Exam Date

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has released Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27 dated 5 November 2026 for 340 Assistant Section Officer (ASO) posts in Group-B of the Odisha Secretariat Service Cadre, Home Department, Government of Odisha. Of the 340 posts, 114 are reserved for women. Online applications open on 9 November 2026 and the last date to apply and pay the fee is 30 November 2026 till 5:00 PM. The written examination is tentatively scheduled for 17 January 2027 (Sunday). The post carries a basic pay of Rs 35,400 per month in Level 9, Cell 1 of the Pay Matrix. All details below are from the official advertisement. Candidates tracking other Odisha government recruitments can also read our Odisha Police Constable Recruitment 2026 guide.

OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026 – Overview

The one-line answer most candidates need. This is a single-post, graduate-level recruitment with 340 seats and a short 22-day application window. The fee is Rs 700 for most candidates, but it is refunded to everyone who actually appears in the written examination — so the real cost of applying is only the effort of preparing. The computer skill test cannot raise your rank; it can only remove you from the race if you fail it.

OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026 – Important Dates

Registration, submission and fee payment all close at the same time — 5:00 PM on 30 November 2026. There is no separate later fee deadline, so a form without the fee paid by that time is incomplete and will be rejected.

OPSC ASO Vacancy 2026 – Category-Wise Details

The 340 posts are split across four categories, and 114 of them are reserved for women. The full break-up from the official advertisement is below.

Special-category reservation. Within the 340 posts, reservation is also made for Sports Persons (3 posts), Ex-Servicemen (19 posts) and Persons with Disabilities (25 posts). Candidates claiming reservation benefits must possess valid certificates issued by the competent authorities.

OPSC ASO Eligibility Criteria 2026

Age limit. Candidates must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have exceeded 42 years as on 1 January 2026. That means candidates must have been born not earlier than 2 January 1984 and not later than 1 January 2005.

Candidates belonging to eligible SC/ST/SEBC categories who also qualify under the PwD category may receive cumulative age relaxation of up to 15 years, within the conditions specified in the advertisement.

Educational qualification. A candidate must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognised University, along with adequate knowledge of Computer Applications as specified in the recruitment notification. The advertisement does not name any single computer certificate as compulsory, so no certificate requirement is claimed here — check the advertisement itself for the exact computer-knowledge condition before applying.

Knowledge of Odia language. Candidates must be able to speak, read and write Odia, and must fulfil at least one of the following conditions: (1) passed the Middle School Examination with Odia as a language subject; (2) passed Matriculation or an equivalent examination with Odia as the medium of examination in a non-language subject; (3) passed Odia as a language subject in the final examination of Class VII or above; (4) passed a test in Odia in Middle English School Standard conducted by the School and Mass Education Department. Candidates who do not possess the required Odia qualification through these conditions may submit the alternative documents specified in the official advertisement.

Who can apply. Candidates must fulfil all the prescribed eligibility conditions. Only online applications submitted through the official OPSC website will be accepted, and applications received through other modes will be rejected. Candidates should not submit more than one online application. Admission to the examination is provisional and subject to verification of eligibility.

OPSC ASO Application Fee 2026

How the fee is paid. The fee is paid online while filling the application form, by 30 November 2026 till 5:00 PM. The examination fee paid by candidates other than SC, ST and PwD categories will be refunded only to those candidates who actually appear in the Written Examination, normally through the original payment method. Applications submitted without payment of the applicable examination fee will be treated as incomplete and rejected. Candidates tracking another large recruitment can also read our DSSSB MTS JE Recruitment 2026 guide.

How to Apply for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026

1. Visit the official OPSC website opsc.gov.in and open the recruitment or advertisement section for Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27 (Assistant Section Officer).
2. Read the official advertisement carefully and check your eligibility, including the Odia language condition.
3. Complete the online registration process using your correct details. Registration gives you a Permanent Public Service Account Number (PPSAN) on the OPSC portal.
4. Log in to the application portal and fill in your personal, educational and category-related information.
5. Select your two preferred examination zones in order of preference.
6. Upload your recent passport-size photograph, signature, left-hand thumb impression and other required documents.
7. Pay the applicable examination fee through the available online payment options.
8. Carefully verify all the information entered in the application form, then submit it and download or print a copy of the final submitted application.

Documents to keep ready. HSC or equivalent certificate (age proof), Intermediate/+2 certificate, Bachelor’s Degree certificate and marksheets of all qualifying examinations, caste certificate where applicable, Odia language qualification certificate, disability certificate where applicable, sports certificate where applicable, Ex-Servicemen release certificate where applicable, No Objection Certificate where applicable, and a valid photo identity proof. Do not wait until the last date — the portal closes at 5:00 PM on 30 November 2026.

OPSC ASO Exam Pattern 2026

The written examination carries 400 marks across three papers, followed by a practical Computer Skill Test of 50 marks. All written examination papers are objective-type multiple-choice questions, each question carries 1 mark, and 0.25 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer.

Minimum qualifying marks in each written paper. UR 35%, SEBC 35%, SC 30%, ST 30%, PwD 28%. Ex-Servicemen and Sports Persons must secure the qualifying marks of their own category. Candidates must clear each paper separately to be shortlisted for the Computer Skill Test.

Computer Skill Test. The test is practical and qualifying in nature — candidates must secure at least 40% marks (20 out of 50) to qualify. It covers Windows, MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), MS Access and usage of internet services. Candidates answer the written papers in English except for the Odia language paper or wherever otherwise specified.

Syllabus in brief. The detailed syllabus is in Appendix-I of the official notification. Paper I (General Awareness) covers current national and international events, the freedom struggle, the Indian Constitution, geography of India and Odisha, governance and e-governance, the Indian economy, defence, science, environment and climate change, and important national and international institutions. Paper II covers verbal and non-verbal reasoning and Class 10 mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, mensuration, statistics and probability). Paper III covers English grammar, vocabulary and comprehension, and Odia grammar and comprehension.

Examination zones. The written examination will be held at examination zones across Odisha. Candidates select two zones in order of preference while applying; zones include Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Angul, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Balangir, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Puri and Sundargarh. The Commission will try to allot the first preferred zone, subject to seat availability, and requests to change the zone or centre will not be entertained.

OPSC ASO Selection Process 2026

Stage 1 – Written Examination (400 marks). Three papers of objective-type questions, with negative marking of 0.25 marks per wrong answer. Candidates must secure the minimum qualifying marks in each paper.

Stage 2 – Skill Test in Computer, Practical (50 marks). Candidates who qualify in the written examination are shortlisted for the computer skill test, which is qualifying in nature — 40% marks are needed to pass.

Final merit list. The final merit list is prepared on the aggregate marks of the Written Examination (400 marks) only, for candidates who qualify in the Computer Skill Test. The skill test adds nothing to the merit score. Candidates tracking railway Junior Engineer posts can also read our RRB Junior Engineer 2026 guide.

OPSC ASO Salary 2026

Selected candidates will receive salary in Pay Level 9, Cell 1 of the Pay Matrix under the Odisha Revised Scales of Pay (ORSP) Rules, 2017, with a basic pay of Rs 35,400 per month (pay scale Rs 35,400 to Rs 1,12,400). Apart from the basic pay, Dearness Allowance and other admissible allowances and benefits are provided according to the applicable Government of Odisha rules. The advertisement fixes only the pay level and basic pay and publishes no exact in-hand salary figure, so in-hand amounts on unofficial websites are estimates that vary with current DA and HRA rates.

Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many vacancies are there in OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

There are 340 vacancies for Assistant Section Officer (Group-B) under Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27 dated 5 November 2026, in the Odisha Secretariat Service Cadre of the Home Department, Government of Odisha. Of these, 114 posts are reserved for women. Reservation is also made for Sports Persons (3 posts), Ex-Servicemen (19 posts) and Persons with Disabilities (25 posts).

What is the last date to apply for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

Online applications open on 9 November 2026 and the last date for registration, submission of the registered application and payment of the examination fee is 30 November 2026, up to 5:00 PM, on opsc.gov.in. All three deadlines close at the same time, so a form without the fee paid by 5:00 PM on 30 November 2026 is incomplete and will be rejected.

What is the age limit for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

Candidates must be between 21 and 42 years of age as on 1 January 2026 — born not earlier than 2 January 1984 and not later than 1 January 2005. The upper age limit is relaxable by 5 years for SEBC, SC, ST, Women and Ex-Servicemen, and by 10 years for Persons with Disabilities (40% or more). Candidates belonging to eligible SC/ST/SEBC categories who also qualify under the PwD category may receive cumulative relaxation of up to 15 years.

What is the qualification for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognised University, along with adequate knowledge of Computer Applications as specified in the recruitment notification. They must also be able to speak, read and write Odia, and must fulfil at least one of the Odia qualification conditions in the advertisement — for example, passing the Middle School Examination with Odia as a language subject.

What is the application fee for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

The examination fee is Rs 700 for General and SEBC candidates. Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Persons with Disabilities candidates are exempted from payment. The fee is paid online by 30 November 2026 till 5:00 PM, and it is refunded only to candidates who actually appear in the Written Examination, normally through the original payment method.

What is the exam pattern for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

The written examination carries 400 marks across three papers: Paper I General Awareness (100 questions, 100 marks, 1.5 hours), Paper II Reasoning and Mental Ability plus Mathematics at Class 10 standard (100 questions, 100 marks, 1.5 hours), and Paper III English plus Odia (200 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours). Each question carries 1 mark and 0.25 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer. Paper IV is a practical Computer Skill Test of 50 marks in 1 hour, which is qualifying in nature.

What is the salary of OPSC Assistant Section Officer in 2026?

The post carries Pay Level 9, Cell 1 of the Pay Matrix under the ORSP Rules, 2017, with a basic pay of Rs 35,400 per month (pay scale Rs 35,400 to Rs 1,12,400), plus Dearness Allowance and other admissible allowances as sanctioned by the Government of Odisha. The advertisement publishes no exact in-hand salary figure, so in-hand amounts on unofficial websites are estimates.

What is the selection process for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

Selection is through a Written Examination of 400 marks followed by a Skill Test in Computer (Practical) of 50 marks. Candidates must secure the minimum qualifying marks in each written paper — 35% for UR and SEBC, 30% for SC and ST, and 28% for PwD — to be shortlisted for the skill test. The skill test is qualifying in nature (40% marks needed), and the final merit list is prepared on the aggregate marks of the Written Examination only.

What is the tentative exam date for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

The Written Examination is tentatively scheduled for 17 January 2027 (Sunday), as per Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27. The detailed examination schedule and examination centre information will be notified separately by the Odisha Public Service Commission on opsc.gov.in.

What is the category-wise vacancy for OPSC ASO Recruitment 2026?

The 340 posts are split as Unreserved 144 (women 48), SEBC 38 (women 13), Scheduled Caste 81 (women 27) and Scheduled Tribe 77 (women 26). In total, 114 posts are reserved for women. Reservation is also made within the 340 posts for Sports Persons (3 posts), Ex-Servicemen (19 posts) and Persons with Disabilities (25 posts).

For more government jobs and daily updates, browse the Latest Jobs section of New Sarkari Results, and always verify the final details in the official Advertisement No. 15 of 2026-27 dated 5 November 2026 on opsc.gov.in before applying.

Written by Ravi Singh

Ravi Singh is the Editor (Government Jobs) at New Sarkari Results, an independent information portal for Sarkari Result, Sarkari Naukri, admit card, answer key, syllabus and admission updates. He has 10+ years of experience covering Government Jobs, Railway Jobs, SSC, Banking, Teaching, Police, Defence and state recruitment boards. Every update on this site is verified directly from the official notification PDF issued by the commission or board — never from third-party aggregators.