ODISHA CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS
The Odisha Commission conducts the Civil services exam every year for recruitment under Group A and Group B posts such as Odisha Administrative Service, Odisha Police Service, Odisha Revenue Service and others. To fetch recruitment in the Odisha civil services, candidates need to appear for three rounds. These three phases are Prelims exam; Mains exam and Personality Test or Interview. It is mandatory for the candidates to qualify each round separately.
Odisha PCS Exam: Main highlights
Name of the exam: OCS Combined Competitive Exam
Body who takes the exam: Odisha Public Service Commission
Method of examination: Online
Levels in Exam: OCS Prelims Exam, OCS Mains Exam, and OCS Personality Test
Exam conducted: once a year
Eligibility Criteria: Graduation degree required
Language used to write the exam: English & Odia
What is the Eligibility Criteria of the OCS?
He/she must be an Indian citizen.
The candidate appearing for OCS exams must be less than 32 years and above 21
years of age. ( as on 1st day of January of that year)
However, age is relaxed for various reserved categories. Have a look:
SC/ST/SEBC/Women/Ex-Servicemen: 5 Years
PwD: 10 Years
PwDs in SC/ST/SEBC category: 15 Years
Educational Qualification
Bachelor’s Degree
: candidates must have obtained an undergraduate degree from
any recognized University.
The aspirants should read, write and speak in the regional language that is Odia.
He/she must have passed in Odia as a Language subject in middle school
Or
Students should complete their Class-VII education from a School or Educational
Institution recognized by the Government of Odisha
Candidates must have cleared a test in Odia in Middle English School Standard
arranged by the School & Mass Education Department of the Government of Odisha,
Or
Cleared HSC or equivalent exam with Odia as the medium of examination.
OCS EXAM PATTERN
Candidates have to qualify all the three stages in the OCS exam to get shortlisted for a government job.
Stage I- Preliminary Exam
This stage includes 2 papers, objective type (MCQs) will be asked.
Paper I- General Studies (maximum marks 200)
The merit list of the test takers will be finalized based on their marks in the Paper I.
Paper-II: Paper 2 includes aptitude questions and weightage is 200 marks. Paper 2 will be qualifying in nature and it is mandatory for the candidates to get a minimum of 33% in the Paper-II else their Paper I will not be evaluated.
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Both paper 1 and paper 2 will have a duration
of 2 hours (each)
Stage II- Mains
Mains exam includes 5 compulsory papers along with 4 optional papers (2 Optional Subjects)
| Mandatory Papers | |||
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration (hours) |
| Paper I | Odia Language | 300 | 3 |
| Paper-II | English | 300 | 3 |
| Paper III | English Essay | 300 | 3 |
| Paper IV | GS I | 300 | 3 |
| Paper V | GS II | 300 | 3 |
Optional Papers
The aspirants need to select two optional subjects from the below mentioned optional subjects-
| Subject | Paper | Marks | Duration (hours) |
| Optional Subject I | Paper I | 300 | 3 |
| Paper II | 300 | 3 | |
| Optional Subject II | Paper I | 300 | 3 |
| Paper II | 300 | 3 |
Stage III- Personality Test
Only those who qualify the mains examination will be called for a personality test round interview. The personality test has a weightage of 250 marks. This round is included to test candidates’ mental alertness, logical skills, critical skills, variety, and depth of interest, and most importantly their ability to become leaders and give a balanced judgment. Candidates qualifying the Main exam will get a call for an interview from the Board constituted by the OCS. The Interview round holds 250 marks. The aim of including this section is to check candidates’ suitability for the job. Interview will be arranged to judge the below-mentioned traits of the candidates:
- Mental caliber
- Intellectual qualities
- Mental alertness
- Social traits
- Candidates’ Interest in current affairs
- Critical powers of assimilation
- Variety and depth of interest
- Intellectual and moral integrity
The final list of selected candidates will be prepared based on the overall marks achieved in the Mains examination and the personality test.
OCS SYLLABUS
SYLLABUS (PRELIMS)
Prelims Paper I
-
- Latest events that are nationally and internationally important.
- General Science
- Economic and Social Development, Poverty, Demography, Development, Initiatives
in the Social sector, etc.
-
- Country’s Social and Economic Geography. Indian and World Geography-Physical.
- Issues related to Biodiversity, Environmental Ecology, Changes in climate, and
- Indian Polity, Political System
- Governance, Constitution, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues
- History of India and Indian National Movement, etc.
Prelims Paper II
-
- English Language Comprehension Skills (studied till Class X)
- Communication skills
- Reasoning and Analytical skills
- Mental Ability
- Numeracy (including numbers, orders of magnitude, etc.) studied till class-X level.
- Interpretation of data (through Charts, Data Sufficiency, Graphs, Tables, etc.) of
class-X level; and
- Decision Making and Problem Solving
SYLLABUS (MAINS)
| Odia Language | English Language | General Studies I | General Studies II |
| Marks Expansion of an idea |
Comprehension of a given passage |
Legal and environmental issues |
Developments in the field of communications, science & technology and space |
| Comprehension of a given passage |
Precis writing | Indian Polity | India and the World |
| Grammar, usage, and vocabulary |
Translation from Odia to English |
History of Modern India and Indian Culture |
International Affairs & Institutions |
| Translation from English to Odia |
Grammar, usage, and vocabulary |
Geography of India | Indian Economy |
| Precis writing | Short Essay | Current National events and topics of social relevance |
Statistical Analysis, Graphs & Diagrams |
| Short Essay | Marks Expansion of an idea |
OPTIONAL SUBJECTS
| Agriculture | Philosophy | Chemistry | Mathematics | Civil Engineering |
| Zoology | Mechanical Engineering |
Geography | Political Science and International Relation |
Indian Language and Literature, (any from Odia, Hindi, Sanskrit, English, Persian, Urdu) |
| Eco | Psychology | Fisheries | Home Science | Anthropology |
| Law | Veterinary Science |
Physics | Statistics | Engineering (Electrical) |
| Botany | Commerce | Geology | Public Administration |
Engineering (Agricultural) |
| History | Education | Forestry | Management | Sociology |
The following combination of optional subjects will not be permitted:
-
- Odia, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Urdu, English
- Civil Engineering, Agriculture Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical
Engineering
- Maths and Stats
- Anthropology and Sociology
- Political Science, Public Administration, and International Relations
- Commerce and Accounts, and Management
- Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
- Public Administration and Management
- Psychology and Education