The Office of the Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar has released the Final Answer Keys for the examination held on 12 July 2026 (Sunday), covering both promotion and recruitment streams.
The key covers Paper-I, Paper-II and Paper-III in all four series (A, B, C and D).
Two things make this key more useful than most:
- Not a single question has been deleted. All 105 questions carry a valid answer in every set.
- The order names each paper, which tells you exactly how the syllabus is structured — something a lot of candidates preparing for the next cycle have been guessing at.
Order at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Circle | Odisha Circle, Bhubaneswar – 751 001 |
| Letter No. | RE/30-22/2026 |
| Dated | 21-08-2026 |
| Subject | Final Answer Keys |
| Exam held on | 12-07-2026 (Sunday) |
| Vacancy year | 2026 (01-01-2026 to 31-12-2026) |
| Papers | Paper-I, Paper-II, Paper-III |
| Series | A, B, C, D |
| Total questions | 105 |
| Questions deleted | None |
| Uploaded at | https://app.indiapost.gov.in/circleportal/odisha |
| Issued by | Shri G. P. Kar, Assistant Director (RE), O/o the CPMG, Odisha Circle |
One Exam, Two Different Streams
Read the subject line of the order carefully, because it covers two separate things:
(i) LDCE — for promotion to Postman and Mail Guard from eligible Multi-Tasking Staff officials.
(ii) Competitive Examination — for recruitment to Postman, Mail Guard and MTS from eligible Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS), against vacancies earmarked for GDS and unfilled vacancies of the LDCE for Postman / Mail Guard.
So one paper, one Sunday, two groups of candidates:
- MTS officials going for Postman / Mail Guard
- GDS going for Postman, Mail Guard or MTS
That second stream is the GDS to MTS route. If you are a GDS in Odisha Circle who sat this exam hoping for MTS, this key is yours.
There is also a detail in stream (ii) worth noticing: GDS candidates compete not only for vacancies earmarked for GDS, but also for unfilled LDCE vacancies for Postman / Mail Guard. In plain terms, posts that MTS officials do not fill flow across to the GDS stream. It is a small clause with real consequences in circles where the LDCE stream is thin.
The Paper Structure — Useful Even If You Did Not Sit This Exam
Unlike most answer key circulars, this one names each paper. That gives you the actual structure of the examination:
| Paper | Subject | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | Basic Postal Knowledge & General Awareness | 50 (Part-A: 30, Part-B: 20) |
| Paper-II | Knowledge of Postal Operations | 25 |
| Paper-III | Knowledge of Local Language | 30 |
| Total | 105 |
A few things follow from this:
Paper-I is split into two parts. Part-A runs Q1–30, Part-B runs Q31–50. The key publishes them as separate tables. If you are working from your question booklet, keep the split in mind so you do not misalign your numbering.
Paper-III is the local language paper. For Odisha that means Odia. This is why answer keys differ between circles even for the same examination on the same date — Telangana’s Paper-III tests Telugu, Odisha’s tests Odia. Never check your answers against another circle’s key.
Paper-II is the shortest and the most technical. Twenty-five questions on postal operations. For candidates preparing for the next cycle, this is the paper where studying actual departmental material pays off most directly, because there is nothing general about it.
No Deletions — And Why That Matters
Every one of the 105 questions in every one of the four sets has a valid answer in this key. Nothing has been dropped.
That is worth pausing on, because Telangana Circle’s key for the same examination date deleted five questions from Paper-I. Different circles, different papers, different outcomes.
The practical effect for Odisha candidates is simple and good: your paper is intact. There is no ambiguity about how many marks were actually on offer, no question about how dropped questions get treated, and no recalculation to wonder about. What you scored is what you scored.
Final Answer Key — Paper-I, Part-A (Q1–30)
Basic Postal Knowledge & General Awareness
| Q. No. | Set A | Set B | Set C | Set D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | A | B | D |
| 2 | C | D | A | C |
| 3 | B | C | C | A |
| 4 | A | D | B | C |
| 5 | A | D | A | B |
| 6 | B | C | A | B |
| 7 | C | D | D | A |
| 8 | B | C | C | C |
| 9 | D | B | D | B |
| 10 | B | A | D | A |
| 11 | C | A | C | A |
| 12 | C | B | D | D |
| 13 | A | C | C | C |
| 14 | B | B | B | D |
| 15 | D | D | A | D |
| 16 | C | B | A | C |
| 17 | A | C | B | D |
| 18 | C | C | C | C |
| 19 | B | A | B | B |
| 20 | B | B | D | A |
| 21 | A | D | B | A |
| 22 | C | C | C | B |
| 23 | B | A | C | C |
| 24 | A | C | A | B |
| 25 | A | B | B | D |
| 26 | D | B | D | B |
| 27 | C | A | C | C |
| 28 | D | C | A | C |
| 29 | D | B | C | A |
| 30 | C | A | B | B |
Final Answer Key — Paper-I, Part-B (Q31–50)
| Q. No. | Set A | Set B | Set C | Set D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | D | B | B | A |
| 32 | D | A | D | A |
| 33 | B | C | D | C |
| 34 | A | B | D | A |
| 35 | D | C | B | D |
| 36 | B | B | A | D |
| 37 | A | D | A | D |
| 38 | C | D | C | B |
| 39 | B | D | A | A |
| 40 | C | B | D | D |
| 41 | B | A | D | B |
| 42 | D | A | D | A |
| 43 | D | C | B | C |
| 44 | D | A | A | B |
| 45 | B | D | D | C |
| 46 | A | D | B | B |
| 47 | A | D | A | D |
| 48 | C | B | C | D |
| 49 | A | A | B | D |
| 50 | D | D | C | B |
Final Answer Key — Paper-II (Q1–25)
Knowledge of Postal Operations
| Q. No. | Set A | Set B | Set C | Set D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | B | D | D |
| 2 | A | D | B | A |
| 3 | D | C | A | A |
| 4 | C | B | A | B |
| 5 | A | D | C | C |
| 6 | A | B | B | D |
| 7 | C | A | D | B |
| 8 | C | D | C | A |
| 9 | C | C | B | A |
| 10 | B | A | D | C |
| 11 | D | A | B | B |
| 12 | A | C | A | D |
| 13 | A | C | D | C |
| 14 | B | C | C | B |
| 15 | C | B | A | D |
| 16 | D | D | A | B |
| 17 | B | A | C | A |
| 18 | A | A | C | D |
| 19 | A | B | C | C |
| 20 | C | C | B | A |
| 21 | B | D | D | A |
| 22 | D | B | A | C |
| 23 | C | A | A | C |
| 24 | B | A | B | C |
| 25 | D | C | C | B |
Final Answer Key — Paper-III (Q1–30)
Knowledge of Local Language (Odia)
| Q. No. | Set A | Set B | Set C | Set D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | C | D | A |
| 2 | C | D | A | D |
| 3 | D | A | D | C |
| 4 | A | D | C | D |
| 5 | C | B | A | D |
| 6 | B | A | D | C |
| 7 | A | D | C | B |
| 8 | D | C | B | A |
| 9 | A | C | D | A |
| 10 | C | D | A | A |
| 11 | D | A | A | C |
| 12 | A | A | C | D |
| 13 | B | C | D | C |
| 14 | C | D | C | B |
| 15 | D | B | B | D |
| 16 | C | B | A | B |
| 17 | B | A | C | C |
| 18 | A | C | B | A |
| 19 | D | B | C | A |
| 20 | B | C | A | D |
| 21 | C | A | D | B |
| 22 | A | D | B | C |
| 23 | B | D | C | B |
| 24 | D | C | B | B |
| 25 | C | B | B | D |
| 26 | B | B | D | C |
| 27 | A | D | D | C |
| 28 | D | D | C | A |
| 29 | D | C | A | D |
| 30 | C | A | D | D |
How to Check Your Score Properly
Find your set letter first. It is printed on your question booklet. Checking a Set C booklet against the Set A column gives you a meaningless number and a bad evening for no reason.
Mind the Paper-I split. Part-A is Q1–30, Part-B is Q31–50. They are separate tables above but one continuous paper in your booklet.
Total is 105 questions across the three papers.
Do not calculate a “pass or fail”. You do not know the qualifying threshold for each paper or the cut-off, which depends on vacancies and on how everyone else performed. A tally gives you a rough position, nothing more.
Do not act on a home calculation. Every year people convince themselves one way or the other and turn out to be wrong. Wait for the official result.
If You Are on the Odisha DEST List
Odisha Circle published its provisional DEST shortlist on the same day — 221 candidates from the LDCE stream, with the skill test scheduled for 30 August 2026.
That is now eight days away.
If your roll number is on that list, this answer key is interesting but it is not your priority. Your priority is typing practice. CEPT hosts a free dummy DEST practice application with a user manual at:
It mirrors the actual test interface, and Odisha Circle’s own DEST order specifically directed Divisions to circulate it among candidates. Eight days of twenty minutes twice a day will change your outcome. Reading this answer key again will not.
A note on the two streams: the 221-candidate shortlist published on 21 August covers the LDCE stream — Postman / Mail Guard from MTS officials. If you sat the exam in the GDS stream, watch the Circle portal and your Divisional Office for your own list rather than assuming you are covered by that one.
For GDS Candidates Preparing for the Next Cycle
If you sat this exam and the tally is not going your way, the structure above is the most useful thing on this page.
Paper-III is the easy win. Thirty questions on your own local language. For a native Odia speaker this should be close to full marks, and candidates who lose marks here are usually losing them to careless reading rather than to language ability.
Paper-II is where preparation shows. Twenty-five questions on postal operations — no general knowledge will save you, but departmental material will.
Paper-I is the biggest paper and the widest. Fifty questions spanning basic postal knowledge and general awareness, split across two parts.
One thing worth stating clearly, because it causes constant confusion: this GDS to MTS route is completely different from GDS Online Engagement. The engagement route is recruitment from outside on 10th class merit with no examination at all. This is a departmental examination for people already serving as GDS. Two different things that get mixed up in every WhatsApp group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When was the Odisha Circle Postman / Mail Guard and MTS exam held? 12 July 2026 (Sunday).
Q. How many questions were deleted in the Odisha final answer key? None. All 105 questions across the three papers carry a valid answer in every set.
Q. What are the three papers? Paper-I is Basic Postal Knowledge and General Awareness (50 questions). Paper-II is Knowledge of Postal Operations (25 questions). Paper-III is Knowledge of Local Language (30 questions).
Q. Who was eligible for this examination? Two streams. MTS officials for promotion to Postman and Mail Guard under the LDCE, and eligible GDS for recruitment to Postman, Mail Guard and MTS.
Q. Can I check my answers against the Telangana Circle key? No. Each circle sets its own paper, and Paper-III tests the local language of that circle. Use only the Odisha key.
Q. Where is the official key uploaded? On the Odisha Circle web portal at https://app.indiapost.gov.in/circleportal/odisha.
Q. When is the Odisha DEST? The DEST for the LDCE stream is scheduled for 30 August 2026, as per the provisional shortlist of 221 candidates issued on the same date.
Q. Where can I practise for the DEST? CEPT provides a free dummy test software with a user manual at https://cept.gov.in/dest/Training.html.
Q. What comes after the answer key? The result and merit list. For candidates already shortlisted, the DEST on 30 August is the next step.
Final Word
One hundred and five questions, four sets, three papers, and nothing deleted. Whatever you scored is clean.
If you are on the DEST list, close this page and open the CEPT practice software — you have eight days and that is where they should go.
If you are not, the paper structure above is the best study plan you will get for the next cycle. Paper-III is yours to win. Paper-II rewards actual departmental reading. Start there.
All the best to every candidate from Odisha Circle.