ADRE Exam 2026: Complete Guide to Assam Direct Recruitment for Grade III and Grade IV Posts

If you want a government job in Assam and you don't have a lucky contact or a perfect score in a specialised exam, ADRE is probably the most important exam on your calendar. One written test opens the door to thousands of posts across dozens of departments, from junior assistants in district offices to drivers, grade IV staff and field workers.

It's also an exam surrounded by rumours. Every few weeks a new video claims the notification is "out tomorrow", and every coaching page seems to quote a different vacancy figure. So let's stick to what the official notices and the last cycle actually tell us, and use that to plan your preparation sensibly.

What is ADRE?

ADRE stands for the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination. It's a common written test the Government of Assam uses to fill Grade III and Grade IV posts in many departments at once. Instead of every department advertising and examining separately, candidates sit one exam, and the score decides who gets which post.

The exam is run by two bodies set up for this purpose:

• The State Level Recruitment Commission for Class III posts (SLRC Grade III), which handles posts that need a degree, HS (Class 12) or HSLC (Class 10).
• The State Level Recruitment Commission for Class IV posts (SLRC Grade IV), which handles posts that need HSLC or Class VIII.

The application portals, admit cards and results are hosted by the Assam State School Education Board (formerly SEBA), which is why you'll see addresses ending in sebaonline.org. The links are listed near the end of this article.

ADRE was first held in 2022. The second cycle, usually called ADRE 2.0, ran its written tests in September and October 2024 for roughly 12,600 posts, and its results came out in 2025. The next one, which everyone is calling ADRE 3.0, is the one you're preparing for now.

ADRE 3.0: where things stand

That isn't a reason to wait. The pattern and syllabus have stayed broadly the same between cycles, and the written test is competitive enough that people who start early have a real edge. The sections below use the 2024 cycle as the reference point. When the new advertisement arrives, we'll update this guide, and you should read the official PDF yourself before applying.

If you'd rather not keep checking, a free JobWalle job alert for Assam government jobs will tell you when the notice is published.

Grade III and Grade IV: which one is for you?

The single most useful thing to understand about ADRE is that it isn't one paper. Your qualification decides which level you sit, and each level has its own question paper.

A few practical points follow from this:

• Apply at the highest level you qualify for, but think about competition. A graduate may also be able to apply for HSSLC-level posts. Read the advertisement carefully, because it says which levels a candidate may apply for and whether one person can sit more than one paper.
• The exact post list changes every cycle. Departments send their vacancies to the commission, and the advertisement lists them post by post with the qualification each needs.
• Some posts need more than the exam. Driver posts need a valid driving licence and a driving test. Typing or computer posts can include a skill test.

Eligibility

The final word is always the advertisement for your cycle. These are the conditions that applied to ADRE 2.0 and are expected to carry over.

Age limit

The age limit in the last cycle was 18 to 40 years, counted on a cut-off date given in the advertisement. Reserved categories get the usual Assam government relaxation:

If you're close to the limit, don't assume. Check the cut-off date in the notice against the date of birth on your HSLC admit card or certificate, which is the record the government uses.

Educational qualification

Your qualification needs to be complete by the date the advertisement names. That means the result should be out and in your hands. For degree-level posts, any recognised bachelor's degree is usually enough, but some posts ask for a particular subject, a computer certificate or a technical diploma. Those conditions are written next to each post in the vacancy list.

Domicile and other conditions

ADRE is for Assam government posts, so candidates have to be permanent residents of Assam. Assam government recruitment usually also requires the following, and the advertisement confirms which apply:

• A valid employment exchange registration number from Assam
• Ability to read and write Assamese or the official language of the area where the post is located (for example, Bodo in BTR districts or Bengali in the Barak Valley)
• A clean record. Anyone dismissed from government service or convicted of certain offences isn't eligible.

If you haven't registered with an employment exchange yet, do it now. It's free, and you don't want this to be the reason you miss the application window.

Application fee

ADRE 2.0 had no application fee. Candidates applied online for free. Whether ADRE 3.0 keeps this is up to the commission, but if a website, agent or "form-filling centre" asks you to pay an ADRE fee before the official notice says so, walk away.

ADRE exam pattern

All ADRE papers are objective, multiple-choice tests on an OMR sheet. You mark your answers by filling bubbles with a ballpoint pen. In the 2024 cycle, the Grade III papers had 150 questions and three hours, and there was negative marking: a quarter of the question's marks was deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions lose nothing.

Here's how the Grade III papers were laid out in the last cycle.

Graduate level (Grade III)

HSSLC level (Grade III)

HSLC level (Grade III, mainly drivers)

Grade IV papers

The Grade IV papers, at HSLC and Class VIII level, cover the same areas: social studies, general knowledge, basic mathematics, English and reasoning. They're pitched at a simpler level and carry negative marking too. Because the question count and timing for Grade IV have been reported differently from cycle to cycle, take those numbers from the ADRE 3.0 advertisement itself rather than from any coaching chart.

ADRE syllabus, section by section

The commission publishes broad subject headings rather than a detailed chapter list, and the questions follow the school curriculum of Assam. In practice, here's what each section covers and where the marks usually come from.

Social Studies

This is school-level history, geography, polity and economics, with a strong tilt towards Assam.

• History: ancient and medieval India, the Ahom kingdom and its rulers, the Battle of Saraighat, the Treaty of Yandabo, British rule in Assam, and Assam's role in the freedom movement
• Geography: physical features of India and Assam, the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems, soils, climate, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, tea, oil and other resources
• Polity: the Constitution, fundamental rights and duties, Parliament and the state legislature, panchayati raj, the Sixth Schedule and the autonomous councils
• Economy: basic concepts, agriculture and industry in Assam, government schemes

General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Expect national and international news from the past year, awards, sports, books and authors, important days, and science in everyday life. A good share of the questions are about Assam itself: the Chief Minister's schemes, new districts, festivals like Bihu, Me-Dam-Me-Phi and Ali-Aye-Ligang, Sattriya dance, and personalities such as Srimanta Sankardeva, Lachit Barphukan, Bhupen Hazarika and Jyoti Prasad Agarwala.

General Mathematics

Arithmetic up to Class 10: number system, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time, speed and distance, mensuration, and simple data interpretation. None of it is hard on its own. The difficulty is doing 30 to 35 questions quickly and accurately.

Logical Reasoning and Mental Ability

Number and letter series, coding and decoding, blood relations, directions, analogies, classification (odd one out), ranking and order, simple puzzles, and statement-and-conclusion questions. This is the section where practice pays off fastest, because the question types repeat.

General English

Grammar and vocabulary: tenses, voice, narration, articles and prepositions, subject-verb agreement, error spotting, sentence improvement, synonyms and antonyms, one-word substitution, idioms and phrases, and fill-in-the-blanks. At graduate level, add the reading comprehension passages described above.

Road Transport (HSLC driver paper only)

Traffic signs and signals, road safety rules, basic provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, licences and documents, and basic vehicle maintenance. If you hold a driving licence and have studied for the learner's test, you've already covered much of this.

The selection process

ADRE selection is built around the written test. The last cycle worked in these stages:

1. Online application on the SLRC portal, where you choose the level and fill in your post and department preferences.
2. Admit card download from the same portal, usually about a week before the exam.
3. Written test on OMR sheets, held across the state on a Sunday, with each level on a separate day or session.
4. Result and score: the commission publishes scores and category-wise cut-offs.
5. Skill or proficiency test for posts that need it, such as driving tests for drivers.
6. Document verification of shortlisted candidates.
7. Allotment and appointment, where departments issue appointment letters to selected candidates based on merit, category and the preferences filled in.

There's no interview for most ADRE posts, which is part of the reason the exam is seen as fair. Your score carries almost all the weight.

The last cycle's timeline (ADRE 2.0)

It helps to know how long a cycle actually takes, so you can plan around it.

On 29 September 2024, the graduate paper ran from 9 am to noon and the HSLC driver paper from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm, so the two levels didn't clash. On exam days, mobile internet was suspended across Assam during exam hours to stop malpractice. That's worth knowing so you print your admit card and check your route the day before.

The takeaway is that a full ADRE cycle runs well over a year from notification to joining. Once the advertisement comes out, the written test usually follows within a few months, so the bulk of your preparation has to happen before it.

A realistic preparation plan

You don't need expensive coaching to do well in ADRE, but you do need a routine. Here's a plan that works for most candidates with three to four months in hand.

Month 1: build the base

• Read the Class 6 to 10 SEBA social science textbooks, focusing on Assam history and geography. They're free on the ASSEB website.
• Do 30 minutes of arithmetic every day, one topic at a time.
• Start a small notebook for Assam GK: rivers, national parks, first-ever facts, famous people, festivals, and so on.

Month 2: practise by section

• Do one timed reasoning set and one maths set every day.
• Read an English newspaper daily. Graduates should do two reading comprehension passages a day, since that section is worth 50 marks.
• Revise current affairs month by month. A good monthly digest is enough. You don't need five different sources.

Month 3: full mock tests

• Take at least two full-length mock tests a week under exam conditions: three hours, OMR-style answering, no phone.
• After each mock, spend as long reviewing as you did writing it. Note why each mistake happened.
• Work out your negative-marking strategy. If you can eliminate two of the four options, guessing is usually worth it. If you have no idea, leave the question blank.

The last few weeks

• Revise your notes, not new books.
• Go through Assam current affairs for the last six to twelve months once more.
• Practise filling OMR bubbles neatly and quickly. It sounds trivial, but people lose minutes and marks doing it badly.

Documents to keep ready

Whatever the final advertisement says, these are the documents you'll almost certainly need for the application and the document check later. Get them in order now, because fixing a name mismatch takes weeks.

• HSLC admit card or certificate (proof of date of birth)
• Mark sheets and pass certificates for every qualification you claim
• Permanent residence certificate (PRC) of Assam
• Caste certificate (SC, ST, OBC/MOBC) from the competent authority, if applicable
• Non-creamy layer certificate for OBC/MOBC, if applicable
• EWS certificate, if applicable
• PwBD certificate, if applicable
• Employment exchange registration card
• Valid photo ID such as Aadhaar, voter ID, PAN or a driving licence
• Driving licence of the right class for driver posts
• Recent passport-size photographs and a scanned signature in the format the portal asks for

Exam-day rules

Based on the instructions issued for ADRE 2.0, expect the following:

• Reach the centre at least an hour early. Gates close before the exam starts and latecomers aren't let in.
• Carry a printed admit card on A4 paper and an original photo ID.
• Bring a blue or black ballpoint pen for the OMR sheet.
• Expect frisking, including with metal detectors. Shoes weren't allowed in the last cycle, so candidates were advised to wear slippers and simple clothes.
• A transparent water bottle without a label was allowed.
• No phones, smartwatches, calculators or paper of any kind.
• Before writing, check that the roll number on your OMR sheet matches your admit card.

Common mistakes that cost candidates

• Filling the form at a cyber café and never checking it. Spelling mistakes in your name, a wrong category, or a missed department preference can't always be fixed later. Check every field yourself before you submit.
• Ignoring negative marking. Attempting all 150 questions isn't a strategy. Accuracy matters more than volume.
• Under-preparing English at graduate level. Reading comprehension carries 50 marks and many candidates treat it as an afterthought.
• Studying only from short videos. They're fine for revision, but the questions come from textbook-level knowledge, especially in social studies.
• Waiting for the notification to start. By then you'll be competing with people who have already done months of mock tests.

A warning about fraud

Every ADRE cycle brings people who claim they can "set" a job for money, sell leaked papers, or get your name onto the merit list. They can't. The exam is OMR-based and scored by machine, and paper-leak and job-for-cash rackets are criminal offences.

Get dates, admit cards and results only from the official portals below or from the Government of Assam's own website. If you see a job listing on any site that asks for payment, report it.

Official websites for ADRE

Bookmark these and treat them as the final word:

• SLRC Grade III portal: [slrcg3.sebaonline.org](http://slrcg3.sebaonline.org/) for applications, admit cards and results for Grade III posts
• SLRC Grade IV portal: [slrcg4.sebaonline.org](http://slrcg4.sebaonline.org/) for Grade IV posts
• Assam State School Education Board: site.sebaonline.org, which links to both SLRC portals from its home page
• Government of Assam: assam.gov.in, where official notifications are also published

These portals sometimes go quiet or slow down between cycles and on result days. If one doesn't open, try again later rather than turning to an unofficial mirror.

More from JobWalle

• Browse current government jobs in Assam and government jobs in Guwahati, each linked to its official notice
• See every recruiting body and its exams in our Assam government exam directory
• Read the step-by-step guide on how to apply for Assam government jobs online
• Only passed Class 10 or Class 12? See 10th pass government jobs in Assam and government jobs after 12th in Assam
• Preparing for the police too? Our Assam Police Constable exam guide covers SLPRB's recruitment from start to finish
• All our exam guides are on the exam guides page

ADRE rewards steady preparation more than anything else. The paper isn't designed to trick you. It tests school-level knowledge, Assam awareness and the ability to work quickly and carefully for three hours. Start now, keep your documents in order, and watch the official portals. When the ADRE 3.0 advertisement is published, we'll update this guide with the confirmed dates, vacancies and any changes to the pattern.