The Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), Ministry of Defence, has announced Group C civilian recruitment for 2,615 tentative vacancies covering Tradesman Mate, Fireman, Junior Office Assistant, Multi-Tasking Staff and Material Assistant posts. The recruitment advertisement carries reference AOC/CRC/2026/AUG and has been circulated from the Employment News issue dated 15–21 August 2026. Independent recruitment reports are also carrying the same 2,615-post advertisement and schedule.
As per the recruitment notice, online applications are scheduled to begin on August 24, 2026, while the application window is expected to remain open until September 23, 2026, up to 11:59 PM. Candidates looking for 10th-pass defence civilian vacancies should particularly note that the largest share of vacancies is for Tradesman Mate and Fireman posts.
Table of Contents
Army AOC Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Army Ordnance Corps, Ministry of Defence |
| Recruitment | AOC Group C Recruitment 2026 |
| Advertisement No. | AOC/CRC/2026/AUG |
| Total Vacancies | 2,615, tentative |
| Posts | Tradesman Mate, Fireman, JOA, MTS, Material Assistant |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Start Date | August 24, 2026 |
| Last Date | September 23, 2026, 11:59 PM |
| Admit Card | October 2026, tentative |
| Written Examination | November 2026, tentative |
The vacancy and examination schedule should be treated as tentative where the advertisement itself uses that description. Candidates should also check the detailed recruitment notification on the AOC portal once it becomes available with the online application facility.
AOC Group C Vacancy Details
A total of 2,615 vacancies have been shown across five posts. Tradesman Mate accounts for nearly 1,800 positions, making it by far the largest component of this recruitment drive.
| Post | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Tradesman Mate | 1,799 |
| Fireman | 520 |
| Junior Office Assistant (JOA) | 104 |
| Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) | 142 |
| Material Assistant | 50 |
| Total | 2,615 |
The advertisement specifically states that these vacancies are tentative and subject to change.
A caution is necessary regarding category-wise figures. Some reproductions of the Employment News cutting and secondary websites contain inconsistent EWS/OBC/SC distributions despite agreeing on the post-wise total of 2,615. For publication, the post-wise totals above are the safer figures until AOC uploads the complete detailed notification on its recruitment portal.
Important Dates for Applicants
According to the circulated recruitment advertisement, online registration is scheduled to begin on August 24, 2026.
The closing date shown in the advertisement is September 23, 2026, up to 23:59 hours. The admit card is tentatively planned for October, followed by the written examination in November 2026.
Candidates should avoid relying on older reports mentioning September 22 as the closing date. The Employment News reproduction supplied for this recruitment shows September 23, 2026.
Educational Qualification Required
The minimum qualification varies according to the post.
Tradesman Mate: Matriculation or Class 10 pass from a recognised board.
Fireman: Matriculation or Class 10 pass from a recognised board.
Multi-Tasking Staff: Matriculation or Class 10 pass from a recognised board.
Junior Office Assistant: Class 12 pass from a recognised board or university along with the prescribed typing proficiency. Secondary reproductions list English typing at 35 words per minute or Hindi typing at 30 words per minute.
Material Assistant: The currently circulating recruitment reports specify a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Candidates applying for this post should reconfirm the complete qualification conditions from the detailed AOC notification when released online.
Age Limit for AOC Posts
The reported age limit is 18 to 25 years for Tradesman Mate, Fireman and MTS posts, while candidates applying for Junior Office Assistant and Material Assistant are reported to fall within the 18 to 27 years bracket.
Relaxation in the upper age limit will apply to eligible reserved categories according to government recruitment rules. Candidates should verify the applicable cut-off date and category-specific relaxation from the detailed notification before submitting the form.
AOC Selection Process 2026
The recruitment notice lists a multi-stage selection process. Depending upon the post applied for, candidates may have to clear:
- Written Examination
- Physical Efficiency Test, wherever applicable
- Typing Test for the applicable post
- Document Verification
- Medical Examination
The physical or skill-test requirement will therefore not necessarily be identical for all five posts.
Written Exam Pattern
The circulated Employment News advertisement provides a compact 100-question, 100-mark written examination.
| Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 25 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 25 |
| Numerical Aptitude | 25 | 25 |
| English Language | 25 | 25 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
Candidates will get 2 hours to complete the paper. Questions will be objective in nature and 0.25 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
This makes accuracy particularly important: four wrong answers can effectively cancel the marks earned from one correct response.
Salary Under AOC Recruitment
The commonly reported 7th CPC pay structure is:
- Tradesman Mate: Level 1 – ₹18,000 to ₹56,900
- Fireman: Level 2 – ₹19,900 to ₹63,200
- Junior Office Assistant: Level 2 – ₹19,900 to ₹63,200
- MTS: Level 1 – ₹18,000 to ₹56,900
- Material Assistant: Level 5 – ₹29,200 to ₹92,300
Applicable allowances and other benefits will depend on government rules and place of posting.
How to Apply Online
Applications are to be submitted online through the AOC recruitment portal. Once registration opens, candidates should first read the detailed notification and confirm eligibility for the post they intend to select.
Applicants will generally need to register with their basic details, complete the online application, provide educational and personal information, upload the required photograph, signature and documents, review the form carefully and submit it before the deadline.
Candidates should not assume that an application link is active before August 24, 2026 merely because recruitment articles are already available online.
What Candidates Should Do Now
The AOC Group C Recruitment 2026 is particularly significant for Class 10-qualified candidates because 2,461 of the 2,615 advertised positions are across Tradesman Mate, Fireman and MTS alone.
Applications are scheduled to start on August 24. Candidates can use the intervening period to arrange their certificates, photograph and signature and start preparation for reasoning, general awareness, numerical aptitude and English.
At the same time, applicants should verify the detailed online notification when AOC activates the recruitment portal. This is important because the circulated Employment News reproduction contains a few inconsistencies in some category-wise and pay-level details, while the post-wise vacancy total and major recruitment schedule are being consistently reported across multiple sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many vacancies are available in AOC Recruitment 2026?
The recruitment covers 2,615 tentative Group C vacancies, including 1,799 Tradesman Mate and 520 Fireman positions.
When will AOC Group C applications start?
Online applications are scheduled to begin on August 24, 2026.
What is the last date for AOC Recruitment 2026?
The circulated Employment News advertisement shows September 23, 2026, up to 11:59 PM as the closing date.
Can Class 10 pass candidates apply?
Yes. Tradesman Mate, Fireman and MTS are listed with Matriculation/Class 10 as the minimum educational qualification.
Is there negative marking?
Yes. The advertised examination pattern provides for a deduction of 0.25 mark for each incorrect answer.
When will the AOC Group C exam be held?
The written examination is tentatively scheduled for November 2026, with admit cards indicated for October 2026.
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