- The Odisha government removed the limit on OCS exam attempts for candidates
- The decision was approved in a State Cabinet meeting on November 9, 2026
- Candidates must still meet the age and other eligibility criteria to appear for OCS
The Odisha government has decided to remove the limit on the number of attempts candidates can make to appear for the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) examination.
The decision was approved during a State Cabinet meeting held on November 9, 2026. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. As per the official press release, the Cabinet has approved amendments to the Odisha Civil Services (Combined Competitive Recruitment Examination) Rules, 1991.
Under the new rules, candidates will be able to appear for the OCS examination as many times as they wish. However, they must meet the prescribed age limit and fulfil all other eligibility requirements.
Previously, candidates had a fixed number of attempts depending on their category. General category candidates could appear for the examination only six times, while candidates belonging to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category were allowed a maximum of nine attempts.
With the latest decision, these restrictions will be removed. This means eligible candidates will no longer have to worry about exhausting their attempts while preparing for the examination.
The decision is likely to make things easier for many OCS aspirants, especially those who need additional time to prepare or have been unable to clear the examination in their earlier attempts.
However, candidates should remember that the removal of the attempt limit does not mean the removal of the age limit. They must still fall within the prescribed age range to be eligible for the examination.
The amendment gives OCS aspirants more flexibility and allows them to continue their preparation without the pressure of a fixed number of attempts.