OPSC Scientific Officer 2026–27 — Complete Written Exam, Viva and Division-wise Syllabus

Advertisement 14/2026–27 • Original 28 October 2026 • First Corrigendum 6 November 2026 • Revised exam: Sunday 7 February 2027

The written examination is now fixed for 7 February 2027, not 17 January 2027. OPSC changed the date in its First Corrigendum because the ASO examination under Advertisement 15/2026–27 was scheduled on the original Scientific Officer examination day. The exact session timings and centre allotments remain subject to a separate OPSC notice. The advertised written cities are Cuttack/Bhubaneswar.

✍️ Correct examination pattern

📊 Marks by assessment component

Negative marking is not identical in raw marks across papers: OPSC deducts one-quarter of the marks awarded to a question. Thus each incorrect Paper I answer costs 0.25, whereas each incorrect Paper II answer costs 0.50. Paper I carries 100 marks from General English and General Aptitude/Awareness; Paper II carries 300 marks and tests the Master's-level syllabus of the one Division chosen in the application.

🧠 Paper I topics — common to all ten divisions

Part A: General English (50 marks). Synonyms, antonyms, phrases and idioms; parts of speech, sentence ordering and correction, comprehension, appropriate word use and precise scientific/professional English understanding.

Part B: General Awareness, General Aptitude and Reasoning (50 marks). General science; geography and history of India and Odisha; national and international current events; Indian Constitution and governance; socio-economic and developmental issues; number and logical reasoning questions. These are 50 objective questions together, not a separately weighted new examination.

🔬 Paper II — subject of the Division selected in the application

Every Division Paper II: 150 questions × 2 marks = 300 marks, 150 minutes, Master's-standard questions. Do not study a different division's subject list as though all ten are combined in one 300-mark paper.

Physics Division

Core demand: Analytical physics and trace-evidence interpretation, not a generic engineering syllabus.

• I–II Mechanics, oscillations and optics: inertial/non-inertial frames, collision and conservation laws, rigid-body rotation, relativity; SHM, damped/forced oscillation, wave propagation, Doppler effect, interference, diffraction and resolving power.
• III–IV Electromagnetism and quantum mechanics: Gauss/Poisson/Laplace equations, dielectrics, induction, RLC resonance, Maxwell equations, Fresnel relations and lasers; de Broglie relation, Schrödinger equation, photoelectric and Compton effects, hydrogen spectrum and X-rays.
• V–VI Condensed matter and circuits: band theory, Hall effect, superconductivity, semiconductor transport, Kirchhoff/Thevenin/Norton circuits, transistor biasing and Boolean logic.
• VII–VIII Forensic physical evidence: road-traffic/skid-mark analysis, statistics, glass and paint, fracture matching, fibre comparisons, tool marks, wire and counterfeit coin examinations.
• IX–X Material and audio-video examinations: cement, mortar, concrete and soil comparison; voice-production theory, sound spectrographs, speech/speaker identification and tape authentication.

Ballistics Division

Core demand: Physics foundations plus examination and comparison of firearms, ammunition and firing effects.

• I–VI Physics foundations: reference frames, rigid-body mechanics, oscillations, optics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, solids and electrical/electronic circuits.
• VII Firearms and mechanics: types of firearms, components and calibres, rifling, firing mechanisms, projectile velocity, origins and constructional features of firearms.
• VIII Ammunition science: cartridges, primers and propellants, ammunition components, chemical properties, headstamp identification and safe examination.
• IX Comparative ballistics: firing-pin, breech-face, ejector/extractor, chamber, striation and rifling marks; bullet and cartridge case comparisons, photomicrography, source correspondence and expert reports.
• X Range and gunshot effects: range-of-fire estimation, soot/blackening/tattooing, metallic fouling, GSR, wound/clothing examination and instrumental examination of gunshot residues.

Chemistry Division

Core demand: Analytical, organic, inorganic and forensic chemistry, from trace separation to toxic industrial materials.

• I Core analytical and physical chemistry: analytical-method selection, instrumental/gravimetric/titrimetric techniques, mean/variance/statistics, group theory and electrochemistry.
• II Organic/inorganic analysis: unknown-sample identification, functional-group tests, mechanisms and photochemistry, transition elements, coordination chemistry and poisonous gases.
• III–IV Instrumental techniques: UV–Visible, FTIR, NMR, XRD, AAS, mass spectrometry, fluorescence, pH methods, TLC, GC, HPLC, HPTLC, GC–MS, electrophoresis.
• V–VIII Applied forensic analysis: organic compounds, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, pollutants, pigments, dyes, illicit alcohol and industrial solvents.
• IX–X Metals and drug chemistry: metal/alloy identification, BIS hallmarks and trace analysis; alkaloids, narcotics, designer drugs and drug screening.
• XI–XVII Forensic toxicants and explosive science: medicinal drug chemistry, psychoactive substances, petroleum/hydrocarbon analysis, arson investigation, explosives, and analytical interpretation of accident-related substances.

Toxicology Division

Core demand: Chemical identification of poisons, metabolites, pesticides, drugs and toxicological material.

• I Analytical/statistical foundations: classification of analytical techniques, accuracy, precision, mean, variance, hypothesis testing and statistical error.
• II Unknown substances and reaction chemistry: functional groups, chemical reactions, systematic inorganic analysis and toxic gases.
• III–IV Instrumental separation: UV–Vis, FTIR, AAS, mass spectrometry, chromatography (TLC/GC/HPLC/HPTLC/GC–MS) and electrophoresis.
• V–VI Organic and biochemical chemistry: organic functional groups, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and alkaloids.
• VII–VIII Toxicological examination: poison classification, symptoms, mode of entry, sample preservation, post-mortem changes; extraction from viscera and biological specimens, solvent/steam distillation, dialysis and pharmacological metabolism.
• IX–X Forensic poisons and drugs: volatile poisons, toxic metals, pesticides and fumigants; analysis of acidic/basic drugs, opiates, alkaloids and plant/fungal toxicants.

Biology Division

Core demand: Broad biological and forensic evidence analysis, with far more than taxonomy alone.

• I–II Cellular biology and human anatomy: cell organelles, nucleic-acid structure, DNA/RNA, protein synthesis, body tissues and major physiological systems.
• III–V Ecology, genetics and laboratory methods: environmental evidence, diatoms and drowning tests, microorganisms, biosystematics, Mendelian genetics, TLC/GLC/HPLC, electrophoresis, microscopy and statistics.
• VI–VII Forensic anthropology and chain of custody: human skeletal identification, age/sex/stature estimation, craniofacial comparison, physical evidence preservation, packaging and expert evidence.
• VIII–IX Biological stains and forensic DNA: blood, semen, saliva, immunological testing and species identification; DNA extraction, STR, mtDNA, PCR, electrophoresis, SNP and next-generation sequencing.
• X–XIII Wildlife, insects and biochemistry: wildlife-crime materials, forensic entomology/PMI, basic biomolecules, enzyme kinetics and molecular genetics.
• XIV Human development and physiology: reproductive biology, organ systems, immunity, endocrinology and musculoskeletal physiology.

Serology Division

Core demand: Human/body-fluid evidence, immunoassay and blood-group interpretation within a broad biology syllabus.

• I–II Cell structure and anatomy: cell membranes, organelles, DNA/RNA, protein synthesis; tissue classification and the physiology of major organs.
• III–VI Ecology, genetics, lab techniques and anthropology: ecology, diatom tests, genetics, TLC/GC/HPLC, electrophoresis, skeletal evidence and comparative identification.
• VII–VIII Microscopy and body fluids: chain-of-custody/physical-evidence packaging, microscopy, blood/saliva/semen stains, presumptive and confirmatory fluid tests.
• VIII Immunology and blood grouping: ABO, Rh and MN grouping, antigens and antibodies, secretor/non-secretor status, immunoprecipitation and gel-electrophoresis.
• IX–X DNA and wildlife forensics: DNA profiling, PCR/STR, mtDNA, SNPs, evidence collection; wildlife evidence and identification.
• XI–XVI Biochemistry and applied biology: carbohydrate/lipid/protein chemistry, enzymes and kinetics, molecular genetics, reproductive biology, blood physiology and immunological techniques.

DNA Division

Core demand: Molecular biology, DNA-based identity and biological-evidence interpretation.

• I–II Biochemistry and molecular cell biology: proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes, DNA/RNA structure and transcription/translation, cell cycle and organelles.
• III–IV Genetics and microbial science: linkage, mutations, crossing-over, chromosome abnormalities; microbes and antimicrobial/forensic applications.
• V Recombinant DNA technology: restriction enzymes, cloning, plasmids, sequencing and recombinant methods.
• VI Immunology and physiology: adaptive/innate immunity, blood constituents, human organ systems and biochemical processes.
• VII Laboratory tools: nucleic acid isolation/purification, electrophoresis, PCR-based methods, UV/visible spectrophotometry, microscopy, centrifugation and analytical statistics.
• VIII Forensic science: scene examination, evidence recognition and preservation, biological fluid analysis, DNA profiling and serology in criminal investigation.

Forensic Psychology Division

Core demand: Behavioural science, psychological assessment and evidentiary practice rather than general forensic chemistry.

• 1–3 Psychology foundations: central/peripheral nervous systems, learning, perception, memory, thinking, intelligence and cognition.
• 4–7 Personality, emotions and human behaviour: motivation, emotion, personality theory, psychological disorders, development, social psychology and behaviour.
• 8–10 Research and testing: qualitative/quantitative research, experimental design, questionnaires, psychometrics, neuropsychological tests, interest and aptitude inventories.
• 11–12 Forensic assessment: forensic psychology in India, legal concepts, interviewing, deception detection, statement analysis, psychological autopsy, victim impact and investigative technique.
• 13–14 Crime and courtroom: criminal behaviour, violence, criminal profiling, juvenile and family courts, expert evidence and courtroom psychology.
• 15 Polygraph: physiological basis, sensors, testing procedure and limitations, false-positive/false-negative outcomes.

Cyber Forensic Division

Core demand: Computer systems, digital incident investigation, network security and mobile/multimedia evidence.

• 1–2 Computers and networks: OS/file systems, storage, registers and memory; LAN/WAN, TCP/IP, DNS, routing and network architectures.
• 3–4 Cyber security and application security: threats and vulnerabilities, password attacks, SQL injection, malware, software-security testing and incident prevention.
• 5–7 Data systems, crypto and malware: DBMS and SQL, database security, cipher structures, encryption, hash, digital signatures, malware types, dynamic/static analysis and reverse engineering.
• 8–10 Advanced cyber topics: machine learning and large-data analysis, ethical hacking, wireless security, digital multimedia forensics and image/video authentication.
• 11–12 Mobile, computer and DVR investigations: Android/iOS acquisition, mobile evidence, forensic imaging, FAT/NTFS, acquisition formats, deleted files, CCTV/DVR evidence.
• 13–15 Network/cloud/IoT and legal evidence: cloud and social-media evidence, network artefacts, IoT/embedded systems, electronic evidence, cybercrimes, IT-law and Indian evidence provisions.

Document Division

Core demand: Questioned-document examination with a substantial physics foundation and applied ink/paper analysis.

• I–VI Physics and electronics foundations: mechanics, waves/optics, electromagnetism, quantum physics, solids, semiconductor circuits and Boolean logic.
• VII Questioned-document practice: handling preserved/document samples, handwriting and natural variation, forged signatures, holographic materials, expert evidence.
• VIII Erasures and inks: chemical/physical erasures, stroke sequence, spectral comparison, electrostatic detection, ink chemistry and writing instruments.
• IX Paper and physical documents: paper chemistry, fibres, edge comparisons, impressed marks, facsimiles, photocopy/scanner artefacts and charred document handling.
• X Printing and secure documents: printers, typewriting, security documents, passports, visas, identity cards, currency, credit/debit cards and digital-signature examination.

📋 Post-written shortlisting and Viva

OPSC will set minimum qualifying marks separately for Paper I and Paper II for the relevant categories. Applicants meeting those marks will be listed by written aggregate; candidates approximately twice the available category-wise vacancies are shortlisted for the 50-mark Personality Test/Viva. A fixed minimum mark or projected final cutoff cannot be deduced from this notification. OPSC can also test the candidate's Odia abilities at the Viva.

The merit list is division-wise, based on written + Viva. Where candidates have the same combined total, higher Paper II marks take precedence. If still tied, the older applicant ranks ahead. Final recommendation is conditional on category and original-document checks, any required medical examination, and the rules of the Odisha Home Department.

🗓️ Recruitment and examination lifecycle

🧾 Essential exam-day and application reminders

OPSC's admission certificate will be made available on the Commission's website before examination. Use the registered online identity to retrieve the latest instructions and confirm centre and timing; carry the required identity and admission certificate. No separate exam-day reporting time is fixed by these two notices, so do not assume a specific morning session.

The notice provides for a provisional answer key and online objections after the written exam. It does not state that the answer key is already published, does not fix a present objection deadline and does not provide a final cutoff. Attend both written papers if seeking the advertised fee refund, wherever eligible.

Official Commission source: https://www.opsc.gov.in/Public/OPSC/Default.aspx. Read Advertisement 14/2026–27 and the First Corrigendum before choosing a study timetable.