OPSC Assistant Industries Officer Cut-off: Qualifying Marks and Score Targets

The OPSC Assistant Industries Officer cut-off decides who moves from the written examination to the personality test. Here is the honest position first. In the sources we could verify, the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) published the minimum qualifying percentages, but we could not find category-wise cut-off marks for the last cycle, Advertisement No. 8 of 2024-25. This page therefore explains what is known, what is not, and how to set a safe score target.

Table of Contents

What cut-off means for this exam

Two different ideas get mixed up under the word cut-off. The first is the minimum qualifying mark, which is a fixed percentage that every candidate must cross. The second is the shortlisting cut-off, which is the score of the last candidate called for the personality test and which changes every year. Only the first has been reported for this post. The second depends on how a particular batch of candidates performs.

Qualifying marks reported for the last cycle

The written exam in that cycle was held on 29 June 2025 and the result was reported in early September 2025. Results and notices for this post are posted on the OPSC website. As on 19 October 2026 we could not see an official category-wise cut-off table for this post, so none is shown here. We have not estimated one, because an invented figure would mislead you.

Shortlisting ratio and what it tells you

Candidates were called for the personality test at roughly twice the number of vacancies, and around 290 candidates were reported as shortlisted against 151 posts. This is more useful than a guessed cut-off, because it shows how much room there is. Being in the top 300 or so of the written merit list was the real target, and that depends on rank rather than on a fixed mark.

What affects the cut-off

• Difficulty of Paper II: A harder Basic Engineering paper lowers the marks needed to rank well.

• Number of vacancies: More posts mean more candidates shortlisted and a lower last-rank score.

• Number of applicants: A larger pool raises competition at every rank.

• Category and women's posts: Each category has its own merit list, so a general-category score does not compare directly with a reserved-category one.

• Negative marking: The reported 25 percent deduction pulls scores down, so accuracy affects where you land.

How to set your target score

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Treat last year's information as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above the qualifying percentage rather than a bare pass.

1. Start from the floor: The qualifying mark is the minimum. Set your mock average well above 35 percent of the total.

2. Protect both papers: Do not let a weak Paper I or a weak Paper II drag you down. Check in the notification how the qualifying rule applies to each paper.

3. Track accuracy, not just attempts: After every mock, count the marks lost to wrong answers. Reducing those usually raises your score faster than attempting more questions.

4. Compare with a pool: Rank in mock tests is a better signal than raw score, because it shows how you stand against other serious candidates.