The Office of the Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar has released the provisional list of candidates shortlisted to appear in the Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) for the LDCE for promotion to the cadre of Postman and Mail Guard from eligible Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) officials, vacancy year 2026.
The written examination was held on 12 July 2026 (Sunday). A total of 221 candidates now appear in Annexure-I.
The DEST is scheduled for 30 August 2026.
That is barely a week away. If your roll number is on the list, your typing practice needs to start today — not on the 29th.
Order at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Circle | Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar – 751001 |
| Letter No. | RE/30-13/2026 |
| Dated | 21-08-2026 |
| Reference notification | Circle Office No. RE/30-22/2026 dated 01-06-2026 |
| Examination | LDCE for promotion to Postman / Mail Guard |
| Feeder cadre | Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) |
| Vacancy year | 2026 (01-01-2026 to 31-12-2026) |
| Written exam held on | 12-07-2026 |
| Purpose of this order | Declaration of provisional DEST shortlist |
| DEST date | 30-08-2026 |
| Total candidates in Annexure-I | 221 |
| Candidates exempted from DEST | 1 (VH candidate) |
| Issued by | Shri G. P. Kar, Assistant Director (RE), O/o the CPMG, Odisha Circle |
The Word “Provisional” Is Doing Real Work Here
Read the heading of the order carefully. It says provisionally shortlisted.
That is not a formality. The order itself states that the particulars of candidates in Annexure-I have been taken as furnished by the respective Divisions and Units. And it goes on to say that if any mistake or ambiguity is noticed in Annexure-I, it must be intimated to the Circle Office immediately so further action can be taken.
In plain words:
- The Circle Office has printed what your Division sent them
- If your Division sent something wrong, the wrong thing is now on the list
- Fixing it is your responsibility to report, and the clock is short
So before anything else, check these four fields against your own service records:
- Roll number
- Name spelling
- Date of birth
- Category (UR / SC / ST) and PwBD status
If any one of them is off, raise it with your Divisional Head today and ask them to write to the Circle Office. A date of birth error on a promotion list is not something you want to discover after the result.
Where the 221 Candidates Come From
The shortlist covers Post Office divisions, RMS divisions, and administrative units across the whole circle. Here is the division-wise spread:
| Division / Unit | Candidates shortlisted |
|---|---|
| RMS ‘N’ | 51 |
| RMS K | 27 |
| RMS BG | 27 |
| Bhubaneswar | 18 |
| Mayurbhanj | 10 |
| Rourkela | 9 |
| Rayagada | 8 |
| Cuttack South | 7 |
| Berhampur | 7 |
| DA(P), Cuttack | 6 |
| Dhenkanal | 6 |
| CO & RTC, Bhubaneswar | 4 |
| Rairangpur | 4 |
| Nayagarh | 4 |
| Balangir | 4 |
| Cuttack City | 3 |
| Jajpur | 3 |
| Sundargarh | 3 |
| Phulbani | 3 |
| Kalahandi | 3 |
| Aska | 3 |
| RO, Berhampur | 2 |
| Puri | 2 |
| Sambalpur | 2 |
| Keonjhar | 2 |
| Koraput | 2 |
| Bhadrak | 1 |
| Total | 221 |
One thing jumps out immediately. RMS divisions account for 105 of the 221 candidates — nearly half the entire list. RMS ‘N’ alone has 51.
That makes sense once you think about it. Mail Guard is an RMS-side post, and RMS units carry a large MTS strength. If you are an MTS official sitting in an RMS division anywhere in India, this is the pattern to note: the Postman / Mail Guard LDCE is one of the most realistic promotion routes available to you.
Roll numbers run in division-wise blocks — 2501xx for CO & RTC Bhubaneswar, 2502xx for DA(P) Cuttack, 2528xx for RMS ‘N’, 2530xx for RMS BG, and so on. If your roll number does not fall in your division’s block, that is a red flag worth raising.
On the full name list: Annexure-I carries every candidate’s name, date of birth and category. Because it contains personal details of 221 serving officials, we are not reproducing the full table here. Download the official Annexure-I PDF from the Odisha Circle web portal and check your entry directly at source. The order specifically directs the Assistant Director (TO), Circle Office, to upload it there.
The Free Practice Software Most Candidates Will Ignore
This is the most useful line in the entire order, and it will be the least read.
CEPT has developed a functional prototype application for candidates to practise the DEST. A dummy test software along with a User Manual is available at:
The order says the dummy test is open for all, and directs Divisions and Units to circulate it among candidates so they can familiarise themselves before the actual test.
Why this matters more than it sounds:
- The dummy software mirrors the actual test interface, not a generic typing website
- Candidates lose marks not because they type slowly, but because they waste the first two minutes figuring out where things are on screen
- You get to find out today whether the keyboard layout, the passage window and the timer behave the way you expect
If you do one thing after reading this post, open that link and take the dummy test once. Then take it again tomorrow.
The order also asks that this be brought to the notice of all concerned, including those on leave, specifically so they can get comfortable with computer operation and with typing all the keys of the keyboard — not just letters. Numbers, symbols and punctuation are where speed collapses.
PwBD Candidates: The Exemption Rule
The order carries a specific and strict instruction on this.
It states that the instruction contained in Directorate letter no. 17-08/2018-SPN-I (Pt.) dated 21-11-2022 must be followed scrupulously regarding exemption of PH (VH) candidates from appearing in DEST.
In effect:
- VH (Visually Handicapped) candidates are exempted from DEST under that Directorate instruction
- Annexure-I already reflects this — one candidate from RMS ‘N’ is marked in the Remarks column as exempted from appearing DEST, and that candidate’s PwBD type is shown as VH
- Other disability types on the list — OH (Orthopaedically Handicapped) and HH (Hearing Handicapped) — are not covered by this particular exemption and those candidates are expected to appear
Across the 221 entries, eight candidates are flagged as PwBD: five OH, two HH, and one VH.
If you are a PwBD candidate and your category or disability type is shown incorrectly in Annexure-I, this is exactly the kind of mistake the order is asking you to report immediately. Do not assume it will sort itself out.
Hall Permit and Admit Card
The order is clear on this point: separate instructions are being issued regarding the issue of Hall Permit / Admit Card for the DEST.
So:
- Do not treat this shortlist as your entry pass
- Wait for the Hall Permit / Admit Card circular
- Watch the Odisha Circle web portal, which the Circle Office has directed the AD (TO) to update
- Also stay in touch with your Divisional Office, since Hall Permits usually flow down that channel
Venue and reporting time details will come with those separate instructions. Confirm both with your Division before you book any travel.
What This Means If You Are an MTS Official
Whether or not your name is on this particular list, there are lessons here worth carrying.
The DEST is the part you can fully control. The written paper tested general knowledge, mathematics, English, reasoning and postal awareness — subjects where luck plays some role on the day. Typing does not work like that. Speed and accuracy respond directly to hours practised. Nobody has ever failed a skill test they had practised properly for.
Eight days of focused practice is enough. Not comfortable, but enough. Twenty to thirty minutes twice a day on the CEPT dummy software will move most people from panic to steady.
Practise on a desktop keyboard. Phone typing speed means nothing here. If your office has a computer, use it during free hours.
Accuracy beats raw speed. In data entry tests, errors are penalised. A steady, clean run scores better than a fast run full of corrections.
Learn the numbers row and symbols. Postal data entry passages are full of PIN codes, article numbers, amounts and dates. That is where untrained typists lose their whole margin.
For MTS officials in other circles: your circle will issue its own notification, its own written exam and its own DEST list. The Postman / Mail Guard LDCE is a circle-level examination. Odisha’s schedule does not apply to Punjab, Bihar or Tamil Nadu. But the structure — written paper first, DEST second, merit from the written paper — is common across circles, and preparing for it works the same way everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When is the Odisha Circle Postman / Mail Guard DEST? 30 August 2026.
Q. How many candidates have been shortlisted? 221 candidates appear in Annexure-I, of whom one VH candidate is exempted from appearing in the DEST.
Q. When was the written exam held? 12 July 2026 (Sunday).
Q. Which exam is this for? The LDCE for promotion to the cadre of Postman and Mail Guard from eligible Multi-Tasking Staff officials, for the vacancy year 2026 (01-01-2026 to 31-12-2026).
Q. Is this the final list? No. It is a provisional list. Particulars were furnished by the Divisions and Units, and any mistake or ambiguity must be reported to the Circle Office immediately.
Q. Where can I practise for the DEST? CEPT has provided a dummy test software with a User Manual at https://cept.gov.in/dest/Training.html. It is open for all candidates.
Q. Are PwBD candidates exempted from DEST? VH candidates are exempted as per Directorate letter no. 17-08/2018-SPN-I (Pt.) dated 21-11-2022. OH and HH candidates are not covered by this exemption.
Q. Where do I get my Hall Permit or Admit Card? Separate instructions are being issued for the Hall Permit / Admit Card. Watch the Odisha Circle web portal and your Divisional Office.
Q. What if my name, date of birth or category is printed wrongly? Report it to your Divisional Head and the Circle Office immediately, well before the test date.
Q. Does this order apply to other circles? No. This is for Odisha Circle only. Every circle conducts its own Postman / Mail Guard LDCE and issues its own DEST list.
Q. Where is the official list uploaded? The Assistant Director (TO), Circle Office, Bhubaneswar has been asked to upload it on the Odisha Circle web portal.
Final Word
Two hundred and twenty-one MTS officials have already cleared the difficult part. The written exam is behind them.
What is left is a skill test with a free practice tool, a published date, and eight days of runway. That is a better position than most exams ever give you.
Check your entry in Annexure-I today. Report any error today. Open the CEPT dummy test today.
All the best to every shortlisted candidate from Odisha Circle.