The Department of School & Mass Education, Government of Odisha has officially released Notification No. 21626/SME and Letter No. 21633/SME, prescribing a revised Scheme of Examination and Syllabus for direct recruitment to the Odisha Education Service (School Branch) Group-B cadre conducted by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).

This major update introduces a significant overhaul: the total selection evaluation has been restructured to 675 Marks (Written Examination: 600 Marks + Personality Test: 75 Marks). In addition, Paper-II (Education) will be conducted in a Subjective/Descriptive format at the Post-Graduate level, while Paper-I will be an Objective MCQ Test.

(Before diving into the detailed subject breakdown, download previous exam papers and question trends via our OES Previous Year Questions Download PDF & Topic-Wise Analysis and check the Recommended Book List for OES Exam Preparation).

Below is the complete analysis of the OPSC OES New Exam Pattern 2026, negative marking rules, subject-wise weightage, eligibility clarifications, and category-wise vacancy distribution for the 25 Group-B posts.

OPSC OES Exam Pattern 2026: High-Level Overview

The competitive examination will now be conducted in two stages: Written Examination and Personality Test/Interview.

Exam Component	Pattern / Mode	Number of Questions	Duration	Maximum Marks
Paper-I (General Awareness, Odia, General English)	Objective (MCQ) (OMR / CBT)	150 Questions	2 Hours 30 Minutes	300 Marks
Paper-II (Education)	Subjective (Descriptive)	Conventional / Descriptive	2 Hours 30 Minutes	300 Marks
Stage-I Written Total			5 Hours	600 Marks
Stage-II Personality Test / Interview	Oral Viva-Voce	—	—	75 Marks
GRAND TOTAL				675 Marks

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Key Rules of the New Examination Scheme

1. Marking Scheme for Paper-I (Objective)

• Total Questions: 150 MCQs carrying 2 marks each (Total: 300 Marks).
• Negative Marking: For each incorrect answer, 25% marks (0.50 marks) will be deducted from the candidate’s total score.
• Unattempted Questions: Zero marks awarded.

2. Nature of Paper-II (Subjective Education)

• Paper-II is entirely Subjective/Descriptive carrying 300 Marks with a duration of 2.5 hours.
• Questions will be framed strictly at the Post-Graduate (PG) standard covering Philosophy, Educational Psychology, and Educational Administration & Supervision.

3. Shortlisting Ratio for Interview

• Candidates securing minimum qualifying marks fixed by OPSC will be shortlisted for the Personality Test in the ratio of about 1:2 (subject to a minimum of 5 candidates per category quota).

4. Tie-Breaking Resolution

• If two or more candidates secure equal total marks (out of 675), merit will be decided based on higher aggregate marks secured in the Written Examination (600 Marks).
• If written marks are also tied, preference is given to the candidate with higher marks in their Master’s Degree Examination.

Detailed Syllabus Breakdown (Paper-I & Paper-II)

I. Paper-I: General Awareness, Odia & English (300 Marks – Objective)

Almost equal weightage is assigned across the three sections in Paper-I. General Awareness is set at the Graduate standard, while Odia and English are set at the +2 Higher Secondary standard.

A. General Awareness

• History of Modern India & Indian Culture: History of India since 1857, personalities of Freedom Movements in Odisha and India, social reform movements, temple architecture of Odisha, socio-cultural developments.
• Geography of India & Odisha: Physical, economic, and social geography; Odisha’s physiography, drainage system, natural resources (water, forest, minerals), climate, and disaster management (Floods, Cyclones, Tsunamis, Global Warming).
• Indian Polity & Odisha Governance: Constitution of India, political systems, government & politics in Odisha, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Odisha.
• India and the World: Foreign affairs, external security, international organizations (UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO).
• Indian & Odisha Economy: Planning, post-reform developments in India & Odisha corporate sector, trade issues, RBI functions.
• Science, Technology & AI: Inventions/discoveries, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its evolving applications.
• Current Affairs: Events of State (Odisha), National, and International importance.

B. Odia Language (+2 Standard)

• Grammar (ବ୍ୟାକରଣ): କ୍ରିୟା, ଭ୍ରମ ସଂଶୋଧନ / ଚିହ୍ନଟ, କାଳ (ଅତୀତ, ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନ, ଭବିଷ୍ୟତ).
• Language Skills (ଭାଷାଜ୍ଞାନ): ପ୍ରତିଶବ୍ଦ, ବିପରୀତାର୍ଥବୋଧକ ଶବ୍ଦ, କ୍ରିୟା ବିଶେଷଣ, କର୍ତ୍ତା-କ୍ରିୟା ସମ୍ବନ୍ଧ.
• Comprehension & Rearrangement: ଅନୁଚ୍ଛେଦ ଏବଂ ବାକ୍ୟ ପୁନର୍ବିନ୍ୟାସ.

C. General English (+2 Standard)

• Grammar & Vocabulary: Verbs, Prepositions, Adverbs, Subject-Verb Agreement, Tenses, Error Recognition, Articles, Synonyms, Antonyms.
• Comprehension & Syntax: Reading Comprehension and Sentence Rearrangement.

II. Paper-II: Education (300 Marks – Subjective / PG Standard)

Paper-II evaluates deep theoretical and administrative knowledge in the field of Education:

1. Philosophy of Education: Contemporary Western and Indian educational thinkers; sociology of education, social control, social change, modernization, and cultural determinants.
2. Educational Psychology:
   • Learning: Nature, laws, transfer of training, motivation, and functional autonomy of motives.
   • Individual Differences & Intelligence: Heredity vs environment, measuring special abilities, personality traits, and testing.
   • Adjustment: Mental health, conflict resolution, defense mechanisms, and teacher mental wellness.
3. Educational Administration & Supervision:
   • Principles of administration in a democratic setup.
   • Management structures: Central, State, and Local authorities; roles of UGC, NCERT, and AICTE.
   • Supervision techniques, Grant-in-aid system, educational finance/expenditure, and educational research.

(Looking for a structured roadmap? Read our in-depth strategy guide on OES Exam Complete Guide to Syllabus, Pattern & Preparation).

OES SYLLABUS 2026 PDF – DOWNLOAD

Critical Eligibility Clarifications Issued by Government

The School and Mass Education Department has issued specific clarifications resolving common applicant doubts:

• M.A. (Education) vs M.Ed: Candidates holding M.A. in Education or M.Ed are equally eligible under the prescribed rules.
• B.Tech Degrees Not Eligible: B.Tech degrees are strictly NOT recognized as Bachelor’s Degrees in Science for OES recruitment.
• OS-CIT Computer Validity: The Odisha State Certificate in Information & Technology (OS-CIT) conducted by OKCL is officially approved as valid proof of basic computer knowledge alongside DCA/PGDCA/NIELIT ‘O’ Level.
• Reference Age Date: The reference date for age calculation (21 to 42 years) is fixed as 01.01.2026.

Approved Category-Wise Vacancy Breakdown (25 Posts)

Under the Post-Based Reservation Principle of the ORV Act and the 50% reservation limit concurred by the ST & SC Development Department, the 25 vacancies are allocated as follows:

Category	Reservation Percentage	Sanctioned Cadre Strength	In Position	Vacancies to Fill
Scheduled Tribe (ST)	22.50%	38	28	10 Posts
Scheduled Caste (SC)	16.25%	27	23	04 Posts
SEBC	11.25%	19	15	04 Posts
Unreserved (UR)	50.00%	85	78	07 Posts
TOTAL	100%	169 Posts	144	25 Posts

(Need a focused environment to practice descriptive answer writing? Explore our guide to the Best Free Libraries and Reading Rooms in Bhubaneswar).

Related OES Resources on LearnOdisha

• OES Previous Year Questions Download PDF & Topic Analysis
• OES School Branch Official Syllabus Complete Details
• Best Recommended Books for OES Exam Preparation
• Odisha Shishu Vatika Teacher Recruitment Complete Guide
• SSB TGT Previous Year Question Papers & Answer Keys

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