OSSC Staff Nurse (General) Eligibility Criteria 2026

The educational criteria for the OSSC Staff Nurse position are strictly defined to ensure high standards of clinical expertise. Candidates must possess the following qualifications:

• Academic Background: Must have passed the 10+2 Science examination.
• Professional Qualification: Must hold a GNM or B.Sc. Nursing degree from an institute recognized by the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
• Professional Registration: Must be actively registered under the Nursing Board of Odisha.
• Language Requirement: Candidates must have passed the Middle School Examination with Odia as a language, OR they must have passed the High School Certificate/equivalent examination with Odia as a subject/medium. Additionally, candidates must be proficient in speaking, reading, and writing Odia.

Only candidates who fulfill all of the above criteria are eligible for the merit list. These qualifications ensure that the recruited staff are capable of handling the clinical and administrative duties effectively within the local context of Odisha healthcare facilities.

The age limit for the OSSC Staff Nurse recruitment is calculated as of 01/01/2019. Candidates who do not qualify for any specific age relaxation must be within the age bracket of 21 to 38 years. Specifically, this means candidates must not have been born earlier than 2nd January 1987 and not later than 1st January 1998. Meeting these age criteria is mandatory for all applicants seeking appointment to the Staff Nurse post.

The selection process for the OSSC Staff Nurse position is categorized into two distinct stages designed to verify both technical competency and documentation authenticity.

1. Written Examination

The written exam serves as the primary screening tool. It is an objective-type, MCQ-based test comprising 100 questions. The total marks allotted are 200, with a negative marking of 1/4 per incorrect answer. This stage is conducted to evaluate the candidate's core nursing knowledge, general science, and language proficiency.

2. Document/Certificate Verification

Following the written examination, successful candidates are invited for the certificate verification process. During this phase, the commission verifies all the academic, personal, and professional documents submitted by the candidates during their online registration. This is a critical stage; failure to appear or the submission of invalid documentation leads to immediate disqualification from the recruitment process. The final merit list is prepared strictly based on the performance in the written exam, provided the candidate successfully clears the document verification process.

The OSSC provides specific relaxations to the maximum age limit for reserved categories, ensuring a wider window for eligible candidates to apply. The age is calculated based on the reference date of 01/01/2019. Candidates belonging to SEBC, SC, and ST categories are granted an upper age relaxation of 5 years (up to 43 years). PwD candidates are granted an upper age relaxation of 10 years (up to 48 years).