Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Higher Secondary Education (DHSE), Odisha, has announced the Phase-III e-Admission process for filling vacant seats in Higher Secondary Schools for the 2026-27 academic session. The online Common Application Form (CAF) will be available from October 12 at 11 am, according to the admission schedule issued by the Directorate.

Students can submit their CAF online through the SAMS Odisha portal until November 1 at 11:45 pm. The Phase-III admission process will cover students who could not secure admission in the earlier phases as well as eligible applicants who could not apply during Phase-I and Phase-II.

The first selection merit list will be published on November 4 at 3 pm. Selected students will have to report to their respective Higher Secondary Schools and complete the admission update process between November 5 at 2 pm and November 10 at 3 pm.

A waiting list will subsequently be published through the HSS e-Space login on November 12 at 2 pm. The waiting list will be prepared at a 1:10 ratio against the vacant seats available after November 10. Physical registration of waiting-listed applicants at the HSS level will be conducted on November 13 from 10 am to 3 pm. The final merit list of waiting-listed applicants will be published at 4:30 pm on November 13, followed by admission updates from November 13 at 5 pm to November 16 at 9 pm.

Who can apply

According to the guidelines, applicants must have passed the High School Certificate (HSC) examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha, or an equivalent examination from a recognised board.

Students who were unable to apply during Phase-I or Phase-II, those who were selected earlier but did not enrol, and those who were not allotted a seat in the first two phases can participate in Phase-III. Students who applied in Phase-I or Phase-II but were not allotted any HSS can use their existing login credentials to apply without paying the CAF fee again.

However, students who have already taken admission through Phase-I or Phase-II will not be eligible to participate in Phase-III.

Students who obtained their Transfer Certificate (TC) on or before October 31, 2026 will also be eligible to participate. However, once the TC is issued, it cannot be surrendered during the Phase-III admission process.

No reservation or weightage for vacant seats

The Directorate has clarified that no reservation or weightage claims will be considered for admission against vacant seats.

Applicants will have to personally apply and select their preferred Higher Secondary School. They can edit their CAF up to four times before the last date of submission. They have also been advised to enter all information correctly, as incorrect or incomplete details may result in rejection of the application.

The CAF fee will have to be paid online. Relevant documents will have to be submitted and verified at the selected HSS during admission.

Students can choose schools even if there are no vacancies

An important provision in the Phase-III process is that students can select their preferred Higher Secondary Schools and streams irrespective of the vacancies currently shown. The allotment, however, will depend on seat availability as of October 31, 2026.

If a school has zero vacancies when the student applies, the applicant can still opt for it. In such cases, the system will display an alert stating that there is currently no vacancy and that the preferred choice will be considered if a vacancy arises during the selection process.

The Directorate has also stated that applicants and their parents or guardians should read the Common Prospectus available on the SAMS portal before filling up the CAF.

For fresh applicants, registration on the SAMS portal will require a mobile number and email ID, while previously registered applicants can use their existing login credentials. Selection and reporting information will be communicated through SMS/WhatsApp, SAMS login, the HSS online merit list and notice boards. For the Phase-III first selection, the intimation letter will also be generated in the applicant's login and shared through WhatsApp.