Checked 30 September 2026. Pass rule from DDA Circular No. 73/2026 dated 21.08.2026 (official). The 2025 statistics are our counts over EO 644 (marks) and EO 677 (result), both official; categories of candidates are not published, so relaxation cases are inferred, not confirmed.
The DDA ASO LDCE has a pass rule with two layers, and candidates fail it in a way many do not expect. You need 40% in each of the three papers and at least 180 of 400 overall. Clearing the total is not enough: in the 2025 sitting, 37 candidates reached 180 or more and were still below the Paper I minimum. This guide gives the rule in DDA's own words, a calculator, and the 2025 numbers as counts only.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site. We are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Delhi Development Authority or its Personnel Branch. Every rule below is quoted or summarised from DDA's published circulars and orders, and DDA decides every individual case. We publish no names, roll numbers or individual marks from DDA's result orders.
Circular No. 73/2026 prints 40% per paper and 180 marks; the per-paper marks are our arithmetic.
The rule, as the circular words it
Paragraph 5 of Circular No. 73/2026, "Scheme of the Examination": the candidate "is required to secure 40 % marks in each of the three papers. However, the aggregate marks should not be less than 45% i.e. 180 marks." Then: "SC/ST candidate will be eligible for relaxation of 20 marks. This relaxation will cover not only the passing marks to be given in aggregate but will be inclusive of the passing marks given in each individual paper so that the total number of marks covered by such relaxation shall not exceed 20 marks. The PwBD candidate will be eligible for the same relaxation as applicable for SC/ST candidate."
| Paper | Maximum | 40% minimum | With the most relaxation spent here (SC/ST/PwBD, our reading) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | 150 | 60 | 40 |
| Paper II | 200 | 80 | 60 |
| Paper III | 50 | 20 | 0 |
| Aggregate | 400 | 180 (45%) | 160 |
The right-hand column is the floor if the whole 20 marks were used on one line; the 20 marks are a single total, not 20 per paper. The circular prints no relaxation for OBC or EWS candidates, so for them the rule is the plain one.
Our reading of the 20 marks
The circular says the relaxation covers both the per-paper minimums and the aggregate, and that the total covered must not exceed 20 marks. We read that as: add up how far you are below 60, 80 and 20 in the three papers; separately work out how far you are below 180 overall; the relaxation you need is the larger of the two, because marks that lift a paper to its minimum lift your aggregate by the same amount. You pass if that figure is 20 or less.
A stricter reading adds the two shortfalls together. The two readings give the same verdict in most cases and differ only near the edge. On the 2025 marks they made no difference: every one of the 11 declared-successful candidates who needed relaxation fitted within 20 marks on both readings (our check). DDA has not published a worked example either way.
| Case (made-up marks) | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| P1 65, P2 90, P3 30 = 185 | Pass, every category | All three minimums and 180 met |
| P1 58, P2 130, P3 40 = 228 | UR fails; SC/ST/PwBD pass | Paper I is 2 short. The high total does not help without relaxation |
| P1 70, P2 85, P3 22 = 177 | UR fails; SC/ST/PwBD pass | Every paper met, but 3 short of 180 |
| P1 50, P2 100, P3 20 = 170 | UR fails; SC/ST/PwBD pass | 10 short in Paper I and 10 short overall: 10 needed on our reading, 20 on the stricter one |
| P1 45, P2 110, P3 20 = 175 | SC/ST/PwBD pass on our reading only | 15 short in Paper I, 5 overall: 15 on our reading, 20 on the stricter, both within 20 |
| P1 44, P2 110, P3 20 = 174 | SC/ST/PwBD: readings disagree | 16 needed on our reading, 22 on the stricter |
| P1 38, P2 120, P3 30 = 188 | Fails, every category | 22 short in Paper I, more than 20 |
Pass or fail: the three papers and the 180 line
Enter your marks in each paper and your category. The calculator applies the rule of Circular No. 73/2026: 40% in each paper and at least 180 of 400 in aggregate, with a relaxation of up to 20 marks in total for SC, ST and PwBD candidates.
The circular's words: "SC/ST candidate will be eligible for relaxation of 20 marks. This relaxation will cover not only the passing marks to be given in aggregate but will be inclusive of the passing marks given in each individual paper so that the total number of marks covered by such relaxation shall not exceed 20 marks. The PwBD candidate will be eligible for the same relaxation." Our reading: the relaxation needed is the larger of (a) the sum of your shortfalls below 60, 80 and 20 in the three papers and (b) your shortfall below 180, because marks that lift a paper to its minimum also lift the aggregate; you pass if that is 20 or less. A stricter reading adds the two shortfalls together; where the two readings disagree, the calculator says so. DDA does not publish a worked example, so treat a verdict inside the relaxation band as a reading, not a result. Passing is not promotion: the exam is competitive, and vacancies are filled in order of marks.
Where other pages get this wrong
Passing is necessary but not sufficient: the LDCE is competitive, and posts go in order of marks.
Commonly published instead: Many candidates treat the 40%/180 rule as a qualifying line that leads to promotion.
Circular 49/2024 says in terms that "this is a competitive and not a qualifying examination" and that candidates have no claim to promotion as a matter of right; seniority among the successful follows their marks within each year's merit list. In 2025 the number who passed was far below the vacancies, so passing meant promotion, but the rule itself does not promise that.
Is the rule new? Two circulars, one standard
The 2017 circular printed the same standard with the relaxation described as "20 marks (i.e. 5% of 400 marks)". The combined 2022-25 circular (No. 49/2024) did not print a pass rule at all; the 2026 circular prints 40% and 180 again. The 2018-cycle result shows the rule being applied: two candidates with totals of 180 or more were marked unsuccessful there, and both were below 60 in Paper I (our reading of the result sheet). So we treat the rule as standing, and cite the 2026 circular for it.
What the 2025 marks show (counts only)
DDA published every candidate's marks in EO No. 644 dated 14.10.2025 and the result in EO No. 677 dated 11.11.2025. We counted the marks sheet and matched it to the result; the numbers below are ours, and they describe the combined LDCE-2022/23/24/25 held on 11-12.10.2025.
Our counts over EO 644 and EO 677. The 41 + 3 split is printed in EO 677.
Our counts over EO 644, candidates who sat all three papers.
| Measure | Paper I /150 | Paper II /200 | Paper III /50 | Total /400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | 44 | 110 | 36 | 194 |
| Mean | 47.2 | 108.6 | 33.0 | 188.8 |
| Highest | 108 | 179 | 50 | 311 |
| At or above 40% (or 180) | 37 | 98 | 101 | 69 |
The median candidate scored 44 in Paper I, 16 below the minimum, while the median in Paper II was 110, 30 above it. That is the whole story of this exam: Paper I is the wall. Of the 115 who sat everything, 57 cleared Paper II and Paper III but not Paper I, and 37 reached 180 overall while still below 60 in Paper I.
| Papers cleared at 40% | Candidates (of 115) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| All three | 32 | 31 of them also reached 180 |
| Two | 61 | 57 of them missed only Paper I |
| One | 18 | |
| None | 4 |
Our counts over EO 644. The 180 line falls inside the 150-199 band.
How the 44 passed, and the part that does not add up
| Group | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Met every minimum and 180 without relaxation | 31 | Our count over EO 644 matched to EO 677 |
| Declared successful, short of the plain rule by 20 marks or less | 11 | Our count; consistent with the SC/ST/PwBD relaxation, but categories are not printed |
| Sealed cover, meeting the plain rule | 1 | Our count |
| Sealed cover, more than 20 marks short on either reading | 2 | Our count; no published rule explains them |
| Total passed | 44 | EO 677: 41 declared + 3 in sealed cover |
No candidate who met the plain rule was left out of the result (our check). Two of the three sealed-cover results fit neither the plain rule nor the 20-mark relaxation. Sealed cover usually means the result is withheld pending something else, such as a vigilance or disciplinary matter, but EO 677 does not say why these were sealed, and we do not know their categories or any order behind them. We print the discrepancy rather than guess at it. One more change came later: EO No. 428 dated 16.06.2026 raised one candidate's Paper II mark by 2 after re-evaluation and changed nothing else.
What this means for LDCE-2026
Plan backwards from Paper I. A candidate at the 2025 median in Paper II (110) and Paper III (36) needs only 34 more marks for 180, yet still needs 60 in Paper I. Paper I is also the paper built entirely on DDA's own land, housing and service rules, which the syllabus guide lists head by head. The results history shows how few candidates have passed in earlier cycles too.
What are the pass marks in the DDA ASO LDCE?
40% in each of the three papers (60 of 150, 80 of 200 and 20 of 50) and at least 45% in aggregate, which is 180 of 400.
What relaxation do SC, ST and PwBD candidates get?
Up to 20 marks in total, covering both the per-paper minimums and the aggregate. It is one 20-mark allowance, not 20 per paper.
Is there relaxation for OBC or EWS candidates?
Circular No. 73/2026 prints none.
If I score 180 overall, have I passed?
Only if you also have 40% in every paper. In 2025, 37 candidates reached 180 and were below 60 in Paper I.
How many passed the 2025 DDA ASO LDCE?
44: EO 677 declared 41 successful and kept 3 results in sealed cover. There were 175 vacancies and 152 roll numbers.
Which paper do most candidates fail?
Paper I. Only 37 of the 115 who sat all three papers reached 60 of 150; the median was 44.
Does passing guarantee promotion?
No. DDA calls it a competitive, not a qualifying, examination; posts go in order of marks and candidates have no claim as of right.
Is there re-evaluation?
DDA did re-evaluate Paper II for the 2025 exam: EO 428 dated 16.06.2026 raised one candidate's mark by 2. No general re-evaluation procedure is published.
What was the 2025 cut-off?
There is no published cut-off beyond the pass rule. Because fewer passed than there were vacancies, everyone who passed was declared successful.
Sources
- official — DDA Personnel Branch-III — Circular No. 73/2026 dated 21.08.2026 (No. PERS/PIII/0004/2024/F8/-AD(PB)-III/3655), LDCE-2026 for 137 posts of Assistant Section Officer, with the application form (Annexure-I) and syllabus (Annexure-II)
- official — DDA — Circular No. 08 dated 07.06.2017, Limited Departmental Examination from UDC to ASO, with syllabus
- official — DDA — Circular No. 49/2024 dated 29.11.2024 (No. PERS/PIII/0004/2024/F8/-AD(PB-III)/1458), combined LDCE-2022/23/24/25 for ASO
- official — DDA — EO No. 644 dated 14.10.2025, marks of LDCE-2022/23/24/25 (name-wise list; we publish counts only)
- official — DDA — EO No. 677 dated 11.11.2025, result of LDCE-2022/23/24/25 for ASO
- official — DDA — EO No. 678 dated 11.11.2025, promotion order to ASO
- official — DDA — EO No. 428 dated 16.06.2026, Paper II re-evaluation
- official — DDA — result of the LDCE for ASO (2018 cycle), exam of 04 and 14.09.2019 (name-wise; counts only)
- official — DDA — result of the LDCE for ASO, exam of 07 and 11.11.2017 (scanned image; counts only)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
