Management Service Officer Grade III Recruitment 2026 – Open & Limited Examination

Applications are invited for the Open and Limited Competitive Examinations for recruitment to Grade III of the Management Service Officers’ Service in 2026.

The examinations will be conducted by the Commissioner General of Examinations in December 2026. Applications must be submitted online through the official Department of Examinations website.

📌 Quick Information

🏛️ Institution: Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government
💼 Post: Management Service Officer – Grade III
📝 Recruitment: Open and Limited Competitive Examinations
📅 Applications Open: 31 August 2026 at 9.00 a.m.
🔴 Closing Date: 25 September 2026 at 9.00 p.m.
🗓️ Examination: December 2026
🌐 Application Method: Online Only
💳 Examination Fee: Rs. 600
💰 Salary Scale: Rs. 48,470–82,800
📊 Salary Code: MN 02-2025
📌 Appointment: Permanent and Pensionable

Sinhala Advertisement

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Open Competitive Examination

Age Requirement

Applicants must be between 18 and 30 years of age on the closing date.

Accordingly, eligible applicants should have been born:

On or before 25 September 2008
On or after 25 September 1996

Educational Qualifications

Applicants must have passed the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination in one sitting with:

Passes in six subjects
Credit passes in four subjects
The four Credit passes must include the relevant language and Mathematics

Applicants must also have passed all subjects at the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination in one sitting, excluding the General Test and General English.

The required language Credit pass at the Ordinary Level should correspond to the language medium selected for the competitive examination.

Other Requirements

Applicants must:

Be citizens of Sri Lanka
Possess an excellent character
Be physically and mentally fit to serve in any part of Sri Lanka
Satisfy all required qualifications on or before 25 September 2026

Selection under the Open Competitive Examination will generally be conducted according to merit and the applicable district population ratio.

Applicants should carefully select the district for which they wish to compete when completing the online application.

Limited Competitive Examination

The Limited Competitive Examination is available only to eligible permanent officers in the Public Service.

Eligible officers should be receiving salaries under:

Applicable Primary Level PL salary codes, or
Salary Code MN 1-2025

Officers of the Provincial Public Service are not eligible to apply for this Limited Competitive Examination.

Service Requirement

Applicants should have completed at least five years of active and satisfactory service in a permanent appointment by the closing date.

Applicants should not have received a disciplinary punishment under the relevant Public Service Commission provisions.

Educational Qualification

Applicants should have passed at least six subjects at the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination in not more than two sittings.

The qualifications must include:

At least two Credit passes
A pass in Language or Literature
A pass in Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, Elementary Mathematics or Commercial Mathematics

Officers applying for the Limited Competitive Examination should hand over a copy of their online application to the Head of their Institution for inclusion in their personal file.

When called for an interview, candidates must submit:

A copy of the application certified by the Head of the Institution
A letter confirming the applicant’s service

Salary and Appointment

The applicable salary code is MN 02-2025.

The monthly salary scale is:

Rs. 48,470 – 10×540 – 11×630 – 10×1,010 – 10×1,190 – Rs. 82,800

The revised salary under this scale will be applicable from 01 January 2027, subject to the provisions of Public Administration Circular No. 10/2025.

The appointment is permanent and pensionable. Other allowances approved for Public Officers will also be payable.

Open examination candidates will be appointed subject to a three-year probationary period. Limited examination candidates will be appointed subject to the applicable one-year probationary period.

Selected officers may be appointed to any part of Sri Lanka and will normally be required to serve at the first appointed station for at least three years.

Examination Structure

The examination will be conducted in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

Candidates must select one examination medium and answer all papers in the selected language. The selected medium cannot be changed later.

The examination consists of two papers:

Language Ability

Marks: 100
Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Aptitude

Marks: 100
Duration: 1 hour

The Aptitude paper will assess numerical ability, logical reasoning and general intelligence through multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

Candidates are generally required to obtain at least 40% in each paper and 50% of the total marks, subject to the complete selection provisions stated in the Gazette notification.

Examination Fee

The examination fee is Rs. 600.

Payment must be made using one of the methods provided through the online application system:

Any bank credit card
Any bank debit card
Bank of Ceylon online banking or Flex App
Bank of Ceylon teller-slip payment

The examination fee will not be refunded or transferred to another examination.

Applicants should retain a copy of the payment receipt and submitted application.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online through the Department of Examinations website.

Visit https://www.doenets.lk/
Select Our Services
Open Online Applications – Recruitment Exams/E.B. Exams
Select the relevant Management Service Officer Grade III examination
Complete the online application in English
Pay the Rs. 600 examination fee
Submit and retain a copy of the application and payment confirmation

The online application system will open at 9.00 a.m. on 31 August 2026 and close at 9.00 p.m. on 25 September 2026.

Incomplete applications and applications submitted without the correct examination fee may be rejected.

Important Notice

Applicants should carefully read the complete Gazette notification before applying, particularly the provisions relating to:

Open or Limited eligibility
Educational qualifications
District selection
Public Service eligibility
Examination medium
Payment instructions
Candidates with special requirements

All required qualifications must be completed on or before 25 September 2026.

Official Links

Department of Examinations:
https://www.doenets.lk/

Department of Government Printing:
https://documents.gov.lk/home

Official Gazette – 28 August 2026, Part I Section II(A):
https://documents.gov.lk/api/content-file-proxy?file=/gazette-content/2026.08.28%20Part%20I-II%20A%20(S)%20full%20tem._1787916334.pdf

Source Note: This information has been prepared using the official Sinhala Gazette notification. Applicants should read the complete official notification before submitting their applications.

SLInfoMag is an independent information portal and is not affiliated with the Ministry, Department of Examinations or any other government institution.

Source Note:
This information has been prepared with reference to the official advertisement and relevant institutional sources. Applicants are advised to verify all details from the official source before applying.