OPSC PGT Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility

All three papers are MCQ, with a quarter of a question's marks deducted for each wrong answer. The written qualifying mark is 33% of the 300 for every category. Three candidates per post are called to the interview, at least 10 where a subject has one or two posts, and 15 where it has three to five.

Paper I is common to everyone. Papers II and III follow a two-part syllabus for each subject, printed as Annexure A of the advertisement. Two subjects were changed by corrigendum:

• English: one paper on the history of English literature from Chaucer to the modern age, literary forms and terms, and five critical essays (Johnson, Wordsworth, Arnold, Eliot, Brooks); the other on grammar and two comprehension passages.
• Sanskrit: one paper on literature (Vedic texts, epics and Puranas, drama, prose, mahakavyas and Odisha's contribution); the other on philology, grammar, Indian philosophy, poetics, Indian culture and figures of speech.

Other subject syllabi are on OPSC's Examination Syllabus page.

• Degree: a two-year Master's in the subject with at least 50% aggregate, or the integrated six-year Master's from a Regional College of Education (NCERT), also with 50%. OPSC accepted many equivalent degrees by corrigendum, such as M.Sc. Life Science for Botany or Zoology, M.A. Public Administration for Political Science, and Acharya of the Central Sanskrit University for Sanskrit.
• B.Ed.: required for Botany, Chemistry, English, Economics, Geography, History, Hindi, Mathematics, Odia, Physics, Political Science, Sanskrit and Zoology. Not required for the other ten subjects.
• Age: 21 to 38 on 1 January 2023 for fresh candidates; up to 45 for in-service TGTs of government high schools. Add 5 years for SC, ST, SEBC, women and ex-servicemen, and 10 for persons with disabilities.
• Odia: Odia passed at Middle School level or equivalent.
• A computer degree or diploma is desirable, not essential.

No fee.

Written exam, then document verification, then interview. The final list ranks candidates on written plus interview marks (330), subject by subject. Posts in the 2023-24 round:

Of the 1,375: 692 UR, 155 SEBC, 220 SC, 308 ST; 461 for women, 53 for persons with disabilities, 41 for ex-servicemen and 14 for sports persons.

Level 10, Cell 1 of the ORSP Rules, 2017 (₹44,900 a month to start) with DA and other allowances. The posts are temporary and likely to be made permanent.

The 2024 papers were held in five zones: Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Sambalpur.

Marks out of 300 of the last UR male candidate called for document verification, from OPSC's notice of 13 March 2026:

In Mathematics, Physics and Statistics the call list ran close to the 99-mark floor. Economics figures were later revised. The full notice, with SEBC, SC and ST figures, is on the Results page.

• Two of the three papers are your subject, so the Master's syllabus carries 200 of the 330 marks.
• Negative marking applies to every paper. Leave a question blank rather than guess wildly.
• The interview is only 30 marks; the written score decides most results.
• OPSC's Previous Question Papers archive has earlier PGT papers.

• OPSC home page
• Advertisements (Advt. No. 25 of 2023-24 and three corrigenda)
• Notifications (exam programme, document verification, interviews)
• Results (written results, final results, cut-offs)
• Examination Syllabus
• Download Admission Certificate
• Previous Question Papers
• Recruitment Calendar

Is B.Ed. compulsory?

For 13 subjects, yes. For Anthropology, Commerce, Education, Geology, Home Science, Logic/Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics and Urdu, no.

What is the age limit?

38 for fresh candidates and 45 for in-service TGTs, as on 1 January 2023, with the usual relaxations.

Is there negative marking?

Yes, a quarter of the question's marks for each wrong answer.

Is a new PGT recruitment open?

Not as of mid-October 2026.