Soil Tester Grade III – Open Competitive Examination 2026

Applications are invited from suitably qualified permanent residents of the Eastern Province for recruitment to the post of Soil Tester Grade III in the Irrigation Department of the Eastern Provincial Public Service.

Recruitment will be made according to the Eastern Provincial merit order based on the results of the written competitive examination.

General Eligibility

• The applicant must be a citizen of Sri Lanka.
• The applicant must possess excellent character and sound physical and mental health.
• The applicant must have been continuously resident in the Eastern Province for at least one year immediately before the closing date.
• Alternatively, an applicant who moved from another province after marriage must satisfy the residence conditions stated in the official notice.
• All required qualifications must be completed on or before the closing date.

Age Limit

Applicants must be not less than 18 years and not more than 30 years of age as at the closing date of applications.

Educational Qualifications

G.C.E. Ordinary Level:

• Must have passed six subjects in one sitting, including Sinhala, Tamil or English Language, Science and Mathematics.
• Credit passes must have been obtained for the Language, Science, Mathematics and one other subject.

G.C.E. Advanced Level:

• Must have passed three subjects in one sitting in the Mathematics or Technology stream.
• The subjects must include at least two of the following: Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Combined Mathematics or Physics.
• General Test and General English are not counted.

Professional Qualification

The applicant must possess one of the following:

• National Diploma in Technology awarded by the University of Moratuwa or Hardy College of Technology, Ampara; or
• Another technical qualification recognized by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission as equivalent in all respects.

Salary Scale

Salary Code: MN 3-2025
Salary Scale: Rs. 52,250 – 10×800 – 11×1,190 – 10×1,320 – 10×1,350 – Rs. 100,040

Examination Fee

The examination fee is Rs. 1,000. It must be paid to the Secretary, Eastern Provincial Public Service Commission at any Divisional Secretariat situated within the Eastern Province.

The payment receipt must be uploaded when submitting the online application. The original receipt must also be attached to the printed application. Examination fees will not be refunded or transferred.

Written Examination

• Aptitude Test: 100 marks – 1 hour – Pass mark 40%
• Subject-related Technical Test: 100 marks – 2 hours – Pass mark 40%

Applicants must obtain at least 40% for each question paper. The examination will be conducted in Sinhala and Tamil. The selected examination medium cannot be changed later.

Proposed Examination Cities

• Trincomalee – 01
• Batticaloa – 02
• Ampara – 03
• Kalmunai – 04

Postal Address

Secretary,
Provincial Public Service Commission,
Eastern Province,
Kanniya Road,
Varothayanagar,
Trincomalee.

The top-left corner of the envelope must contain the examination code EX/REC/26/10 and the name of the examination.

Important Service Conditions

• The appointment is permanent and pensionable, subject to government policy.
• The appointment is subject to a probation period of three years.
• The service is transferable within the Eastern Province.
• Selected applicants must complete a compulsory service period of 10 years in the Eastern Province.
• The prescribed second official language proficiency must be acquired within three years.
• Applicants already employed in the Eastern Provincial Public Service must apply through their Head of Department.

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