OSSSC Forest Guard Vacancy 2026: 1518 Posts, Apply Online, Eligibility Criteria 

The Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission has officially released a notification on December 30, 2025, inviting applications from candidates for the recruitment of Forester & Forest Guard (Forest, Environment & Climate Change (FE & CC) Department) and Excise Constable (Excise Department).

Registration for this recruitment began on January 7, 2026, and will continue until January 31, 2026. Please note that submitting the application is a separate step after registration, and the deadline for the same is February 7, 2026. If you wish to participate in this recruitment drive, we request that you submit your application form as soon as possible.

In this article, we have discussed in detail the OSSSC Forest Guard, Forester, and Excise Constable Recruitment 2026. Here,  you will find information regarding the number of vacancies, eligibility criteria, selection process, pay scale, examination fee, application process and other details.

OSSSC Forest Guard Vacancy 2026

According to the notification released by the Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission, there are a total of 1518 vacancies across all three posts. You can see the post-wise number of vacancies in the table given below.

If you want to check the category-wise number of vacancies for each advertised position, you will need to download the notification, the direct link to which we have provided in the table below.

OSSSC Forest Guard Eligibility Criteria 2026

The eligibility criteria for Forest Guard, Forester, and Excise Constable, including educational qualifications and age limit, are given below. You can read the following points to find out which post you are eligible to apply for.

1). Forest Guard

• You must have passed the 10th Class examination from any recognized board.
• Your age should not be less than 18 years or more than 32 years.

2). Forester

• You must have passed 12th Class examination in the Science stream from any recognized board.
• Your age should be between 18 and 32 years.

3). Excise Constable

• You must have passed 12th class examination in any stream from a board recognized board.
• Your age should not be less than 21 years or more than 32 years.

The age calculation date is January 1, 2026, and there is a 5-year age relaxation for women belonging to UR, SEBC, SC, and ST, and men belonging to the SEBC, SC and ST category, and a 10-year age relaxation for all women and men belonging to the PWD category.

OSSSC Forest Guard Exam Fee 2026

To apply online for any of the positions of Forest Guard, Forester, and Excise Constable, a candidate belonging to the Unreserved or Socially and Economically Backward Class is required to pay an examination fee of 500 rupees using one of the provided payment gateway. 

There is no examination fee for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Persons with Benchmark Disability categories; to avail the benefit of exemption these candidates are required to provide the related document issued by concerned authority.

The examination fee paid by candidates belonging to the UR and SEBC categories will be refunded, but this is subject to the condition that the applicant must participate in the examination.

OSSSC Forest Guard Selection Process 2026

The selection process for Forest Guard, Forester, and Excise Constable consists of two stages: a written examination and a physical test. All applicants will first be called for the written examination, followed by the physical test, which includes two components: a physical measurement test and a physical efficiency test.

OSSSC Forest Guard Written Exam 2026

The dates for the Forest Guard, Forester, and Excise Constable exams have not been officially disclosed, but it is likely that they will be held in the second quarter of 2026. The exam is proposed to be conducted online across the state and will have a duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

A total of 100 multiple-choice questions will be asked from five different subjects, the details of which are given below.

Each question in this exam will carry one mark, and 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer. The medium of the examination will be English and Odia, except for the language section.

The OSSSC has also disclosed details regarding the minimum qualifying marks. Candidates belonging to the UR and SEBC categories must secure a minimum of 35% marks, while the qualifying marks for candidates belonging to the SC, ST, PWD, and Ex-servicemen categories are only 30%.

OSSSC Forest Guard Physical Test 2026

As we have already mentioned above, the physical test consists of two components: the Physical Measurement Test and the Physical Efficiency Test. We have shared the details of both in the tables provided below.

A. Physical Measurement Test (PMT)

1). Forester / Forest Guard – PMT

Men

Women

Note: Candidates having color blindness are disqualified for Forester/Forest Guard.

2). Excise Constable – PMT

Men

Women

Note: Minimum difference between un-expanded and expanded chest is 5 cm.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

1). Forester / Forest Guard – PET

Male Candidates (All Categories)

Female Candidates (All Categories)

2). Excise Constable – PET

Male Candidates (All Categories)

Female Candidates (All Categories)

OSSSC Forest Guard Pay Scale 2026

The OSSSC has released and published the detailed notification regarding the pay scale for the Forest Guard, Forester, and Excise Constable positions. You can view the basic pay range under the 7th CPC from the table given below.

Your gross salary will include basic pay along with dearness allowance, house rent allowance, medical allowance, and other benefits provided by the state government for the relevant position.

How to apply for the OSSSC Forest Guard Recruitment 2026?

In order to apply for the OSSSC Forest Guard, Forester, and Excise Constable Recruitment 2026, please follow the step-by-step instructions.

• First, go to the official website of the Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission.
• Click on the “Apply Online” button to proceed to the next page.
• Now you will see the “New User” option under the Combined Recruitment Examination-2025(II) for the posts of Forester, Forest Guard, and Excise Constable; click on it.
• You will first need to complete the registration process, after which you can log in and access the application form dashboard.
• Fill in all the details requested in the application form accurately and ensure that the documents you are uploading are of the correct size and format.
• Finally, you will need to review your application, after which you can make the payment and finalize it.

OSSSC Forest Guard Vacancy 2026 Important Links