OSSTET 2026 Notification OUT, Apply Online Begins For Odisha Secondary School Teacher Eligibility Test

OSSTET 2026: The Board of Secondary Education, Odisha, Cuttack, has officially released its notification inviting applications from eligible candidates for the Odisha Secondary School Teacher Eligibility Test (OSSTET)-2026, vide Notification No. 2198/Conf-I/Dt. 01.08.2026. The notification has been issued by the Secretary, Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha. Online applications are open from 3rd August 2026, and the last date to apply online is 17th August 2026, midnight.

OSSTET is the mandatory eligibility test for candidates who wish to become teachers in Secondary Schools (Govt./Govt. Aided/Recognised Unaided) in the State of Odisha, as prescribed by the Government of Odisha under Resolution No. 18618/SME, Bhubaneswar, dated 17.09.2016, and subsequent addenda. The Board of Secondary Education, Odisha, has been designated as the professional body for conducting OSSTET. Candidates are advised to carefully check the eligibility criteria, qualification requirements and exam scheme before applying.

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OSSTET 2026 Overview

Here is a quick snapshot of the key details of OSSTET 2026 for candidates to review before applying.

Important Dates

Candidates must note the key dates carefully, since the last date for submission of application forms shall not be extended under any circumstances.

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Application Fee

Candidates must pay the prescribed application fee online, as per their category, before the last date for submission.

Note: The fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances, even if the application is not submitted successfully.

OSSTET Eligibility Criteria

Candidates need to satisfy the general eligibility, language ability and requisite academic/professional qualification detailed below to be eligible for OSSTET 2026.

A. General Eligibility: The candidate must be a citizen of India.

B. Ability to Read and Write Odia: The candidate must be able to read and write in Odia, established through any one of the following:

• Passed HSC Examination conducted by BSE Odisha, or an equivalent examination conducted by any other State/Central Board (CBSE, ICSE) with Odia as a First/Second/Third Language subject; OR
• Passed +2/Higher Secondary Examination conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Odisha, with Odia as an examinable subject; OR
• Passed the Odia Examination of HSC/10th Standard Single Subject Examination conducted by BSE Odisha.

(Candidates desiring to be language teachers such as Hindi/Classical Teachers — Sanskrit/Telugu/Urdu — may instead pass the Odia Examination of 7th/8th Standard conducted by BSE Odisha.)

C. Requisite Academic and Professional Qualification: The examination is conducted in two categories:

• Category I: Education Teachers (Trained Graduate Teachers in Science/Arts, Hindi/Classical Teacher — Sanskrit/Urdu/Telugu)
• Category II: Physical Education Teacher

Category-wise Qualification Requirements

The table below summarizes the requisite academic and professional qualification for each subject/stream under OSSTET 2026.

Provided that candidates in the final year of the training course, or those appearing/having appeared in the training examination with results not yet published (as on the date of publication of the OSSTET advertisement), are also eligible to appear, subject to satisfying all other eligibility conditions.

School Subjects for TGT Arts & TGT Science (Annexure-I):

• Trained Science Graduate (PCM): Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics
• Trained Science Graduate (CBZ): Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Biology, Life Science
• Arts Graduate: English, Odia, Hindi, Sanskrit, History, Geography, Economics, Political Science, Indian Economy, Landmarks in Indian History, Indian Geography, Indian Polity, Communicative English & Business Economics

OSSTET 2026 Examination Pattern

The examination structure, duration, and marking scheme are detailed below to help candidates prepare effectively.

There shall be two papers: Paper-I (for Category-I candidates) and Paper-II (for Category-II candidates).

Duration of each paper: 2 hours 30 minutes.

All questions are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), each carrying 1 mark, with 4 alternatives (1 correct).

Each paper has Four Sections:

• Section I – Language I (Odia) – compulsory for all categories
• Section II – Language II (English) – compulsory for all categories
• Section III – Stream-specific subjects (in English for TGT Arts/Science; in respective language/script for Classical Teacher and Hindi Teacher streams; in English for Physical Education Teacher)
• Section IV – Child Development, Pedagogy, School Management & Evaluation (in English, compulsory for both categories)

There is no negative marking.

Scheme of Examination (Annexure-II)

The table below gives the detailed marks distribution across sections and streams for both Paper-I and Paper-II.

Category-I (Education Teachers) – Paper-I

Category-II (Physical Education Teacher) – Paper-II

Each paper thus totals 150 marks.

Qualifying Marks and Certificate Validity

Candidates should be aware of the passing criteria and how long the OSSTET certificate remains valid.

• The minimum pass mark in each paper is 45% (68 marks out of 150).
• For SC/ST/PH/SEBC candidates, the minimum pass mark is 35% (53 marks out of 150).
• Successful candidates shall be awarded the OSSTET Pass Certificate by BSE, Odisha.
• The OSSTET Pass Certificate remains valid till the candidate reaches the upper age limit prescribed for recruitment of teachers, as per rules/executive instructions of the Government from time to time.
• There is no restriction on the number of attempts a candidate can take to acquire the OSSTET Pass Certificate.
• Qualifying OSSTET is only an eligibility criterion and does not confer any right to recruitment/employment in Govt. or Govt.-Aided schools; final eligibility for recruitment is determined by the concerned recruiting agency/appointing authority.

How to Apply for OSSTET 2026

Follow the step-by-step process below to complete your online application for OSSTET 2026:

1. Visit the official website www.bseodisha.ac.in and carefully read the Instructions, Eligibility & Applicability guidelines before proceeding; login only if you are eligible for OSSTET.
2. On the “Log in to your account” screen, click “Click Here for New Registration” if you are a new candidate.
3. On the Registration OSSTET-2026 page, enter your Name, create and re-type a Password, enter your Mobile Number, e-Mail ID and Caste Category, then click “Submit.” (Caste entered cannot be corrected later, and it determines the applicable fee — enter your own valid e-Mail ID and Mobile Number, failing which you cannot register online.)
4. You will be redirected to the “Login to your Account” screen — log in using your registered Mobile Number and Password.
5. Enter the verification code sent to your registered mobile number and click “Verify.”
6. Log in again to proceed to the fee payment stage. Read the Eligibility Criteria carefully before making payment — if not eligible, do not proceed with payment, as the fee once paid shall not be refunded.
7. Fill in the four sections of the application form in order: (a) Personal Information, (b) Eligibility Criteria, (c) Educational Qualification, (d) Declaration. You may go back to sections (a) or (b) to update information while filling section (c).
8. Upload the required certificates/documents/photographs in jpg/jpeg/png format within the specified size limits.
9. Review all filled information carefully at the Declaration stage. Use the “EDIT” button (after ticking the Declaration box) if any correction is needed.
10. Once satisfied, click “YES – FINAL SUBMIT.” No further editing is possible after final submission.
11. Download and print the “Acknowledgement Receipt” and preserve it for future reference — registration is complete only when this receipt is downloaded; without it, the admit card cannot be generated and the candidate will not be allowed to appear for the examination.

Important Links

For further information, syllabus details, and updates regarding OSSTET 2026, candidates can refer to the official links below.