Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Higher Education Department has announced that the admission process for Postgraduate courses for the 2026-27 academic session will begin earlier than usual. The move is aimed at completing admissions on time and starting classes across the State without delay.

Students seeking admission to various PG programmes in universities and colleges will have to appear for the Common PG Entrance Test. The test is conducted as part of the centralised admission process managed by the department.

Eligible candidates can apply by filling out the Common Application Form through the SAMS portal from February 27 to March 15, 2026. The entrance examinations for different PG subjects are scheduled to be held between April 27 and May 10, 2026.

Admissions into PG courses will be strictly based on the marks secured in the entrance test. There will be no other criteria for selection.

The department has set July 10, 2026, as the deadline to begin PG classes in all universities and colleges across Odisha. Officials said that starting the academic session on time will help in completing the syllabus as per schedule, conducting examinations without delay and declaring results in a timely manner.