OPSC ASO Exam Pattern 2026: Marks and Timing
The OPSC ASO exam pattern under Advertisement No. 15 of 2026–27 consists of a 400-mark objective written examination and a separate 50-mark practical. Your written papers determine the merit score if you clear the required stages. Review the scheme in Appendix I of the OPSC recruitment advertisement before using an older practice paper.
Table of Contents
OPSC ASO exam pattern by paper
Paper | Subjects | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
I | General Awareness | 100 | 100 | 90 minutes |
II | Reasoning and Mental Ability (50) and Mathematics (50) | 100 | 100 | 90 minutes |
III | English (100) and Odia (100) | 200 | 200 | 120 minutes |
Written total | Three objective papers | 400 | 400 | 300 minutes across papers |
IV | Computer Application practical | 5 tasks | 50 | 60 minutes |
The two subjects in Paper II share a 90-minute period. English and Odia together make up Paper III and share two hours. Avoid treating the two language components as separate timed papers in a full rehearsal.
Written marking scheme
A correct answer adds one mark and a wrong answer costs 0.25. For example, 62 correct and 16 wrong gives 58 marks. Record both the corrected score and the count of questions you could have answered accurately with more time.
Four wrong answers erase the credit from one correct answer. Build your approach around decisions you can explain. If you changed a correct choice after rereading, log what prompted that change so you can recognise the pattern on the next test.
Minimum marks in each paper
Category | Minimum in each paper | Paper I or II out of 100 | Paper III out of 200 |
|---|---|---|---|
UR and SEBC | 35% | 35 | 70 |
SC and ST | 30% | 30 | 60 |
PwD | 28% | 28 | 56 |
Ex-servicemen and sports persons follow the minimum for their social category. The ASO cut-off and qualifying marks guide explains why the shortlist score can exceed the qualifying floor. In particular, a strong total cannot compensate for falling below your minimum in one paper.
How the computer practical and merit work
OPSC shortlists eligible candidates in order of written aggregate within the applicable rules. The written papers carry 400 marks and the practical carries 50. Candidates need at least 20 marks in the practical. OPSC ranks qualified candidates by the written aggregate, with Paper I marks and then age used to resolve ties.
Set aside time to create and save a document, spreadsheet, presentation and simple database. Open the saved files and check that each requested change is present. The score that matters at this stage comes from completing practical tasks accurately.
Practise the papers at their own pace
Paper | Average time per question | Useful rehearsal |
|---|---|---|
I | 54 seconds | Answer reliable recall questions first. Set aside time to revisit statement pairs. |
II | 54 seconds | Alternate short reasoning tasks and calculations. Mark lengthy work and return with a time limit. |
III | 36 seconds | Set a checkpoint between languages and protect time for passages. |
These are averages for practice. A passage can take longer and a vocabulary question less. Use the paper-wise ASO syllabus to plan your Testkart practice. Compare results over several attempts so you can tell whether a timing change actually helped.
Return to the OPSC ASO recruitment overview for application dates and the advertisement reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to practice? Explore OPSC ASO mock tests from top educators.
Browse OPSC ASO Mock Tests