| Conducting body | Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Junior Scale of J&K Administrative Service, J&K Police (Gazetted) Service, J&K Accounts (Gazetted) Service |
| Qualification | A bachelor's degree from a recognised university. Under the 2018 rules, candidates who have appeared in their final degree exam can apply for the prelim but must prove they passed before the main exam. |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam: two objective papers of 200 marks each; Paper II is qualifying at 33% → Main exam: a qualifying English paper and seven descriptive papers counted for merit → Personality test of 250 marks, for not more than three times the number of vacancies → Final merit from main exam written marks plus the personality test |
| Latest notification | JKPSC date sheet for J&K Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2025 |
Last checked . Sources
We could not confirm every detail on this page against a current official notice. Check the JKPSC website before you apply.
About JKAS
The Combined Competitive Examination, widely called the JKAS exam, is JKPSC's direct recruitment route to the J&K Administrative, Police (Gazetted) and Accounts (Gazetted) services. It has three stages: an objective prelim, a descriptive main exam and a personality test. The JKPSC date sheet for the 2025 cycle scheduled the main exam papers from 2 May 2026.
Eligibility
Qualification
A bachelor's degree from a recognised university. Under the 2018 rules, candidates who have appeared in their final degree exam can apply for the prelim but must prove they passed before the main exam.
Other conditions
- The age limits and domicile wording for the current cycle are set in each JKPSC notification. Read them there before applying.
- The 2018 rules allow six attempts for general candidates, nine for RBA, Social Caste and ALC candidates, and no limit for SC and ST candidates. Physically challenged general candidates get nine attempts.
- Sitting any one prelim paper counts as an attempt.
Selection process
- Preliminary exam: two objective papers of 200 marks each; Paper II is qualifying at 33%
- Main exam: a qualifying English paper and seven descriptive papers counted for merit
- Personality test of 250 marks, for not more than three times the number of vacancies
- Final merit from main exam written marks plus the personality test
Exam pattern
Preliminary exam (as per the 2018 rules)
Mode: Objective MCQ, question papers in English · Duration: 2 hours per paper · Negative marking: One-third of the marks of the question for each wrong answer
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Paper I: General Studies | 200 |
| Paper II: aptitude (qualifying, 33% needed) | 200 |
Main exam (as per the 2018 rules)
Mode: Written, descriptive · Duration: 3 hours per paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| English (qualifying, matriculation standard, 25% needed) | 300 |
| Paper I: Essay | 250 |
| Paper II: General Studies I (heritage, culture, history, geography, society) | 250 |
| Paper III: General Studies II (governance, constitution, polity, social justice, international relations) | 250 |
| Paper IV: General Studies III (technology, economy, environment, security, disaster management) | 250 |
| Paper V: General Studies IV (ethics, integrity and aptitude) | 250 |
| Paper VI: Optional subject paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper VII: Optional subject paper 2 | 250 |
Personality test
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Interview | 250 |
JKAS syllabus
Prelims Paper I: General Studies
- National and international current events
- History of India and the national movement
- Indian and world geography
- Indian polity, governance, Panchayati Raj and public policy
- Economic and social development
- Environment, biodiversity and climate change
- General science
- Questions on Jammu and Kashmir can also be asked
Prelims Paper II: aptitude
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision making and problem solving
- General mental ability
- Class 10 level numeracy and data interpretation
Mains qualifying English
- Comprehension of passages
- Precis writing
- Usage and vocabulary
- Short essays
Mains General Studies I
- Indian art, literature and architecture
- Modern Indian history and the freedom struggle
- Post-independence consolidation
- World history from the 18th century
- Indian society, women, population, urbanisation and globalisation
Mains optional subjects
- Two papers in one subject chosen from the notified list
- Includes agriculture, commerce and accountancy, economics, geography, history, law, public administration, sociology, sciences, engineering branches and literature in Dogri, English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Punjabi and Urdu
What they ask
The JKAS prelim has two 200-mark objective papers of two hours each, and a third of a question's marks is cut for a wrong answer. Paper I on general studies decides who goes to the main exam, and it can include questions on Jammu and Kashmir. Paper II only needs 33%. The main exam is descriptive, with an English paper that you must pass at 25% before your essay, general studies and optional papers are counted.
How to prepare
- Prepare J&K history, geography, economy and current affairs alongside the national syllabus, since the rules allow J&K questions in Prelims Paper I.
- Do not neglect Paper II. It is only qualifying, but falling below 33% cancels a good Paper I score.
- Write practice answers from the start for the four general studies papers and the essay, since the main exam is fully descriptive.
- Choose your optional early and check the syllabus depth: the rules pitch it between bachelor's and master's level.
- Download past JKPSC prelim papers from the commission's website to see how many J&K questions appear.
Practise JKAS syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Previous papers and answer keys
JKAS FAQs
The 2018 rules allow six attempts for general candidates, nine for RBA, Social Caste and ALC candidates, and unlimited attempts for SC and ST candidates. Check the current notification for any change.
Sources
- J&K Combined Competitive Examination Rules, 2018 (SRO 103), on the JKPSC website ↗ (official, checked )
- JKPSC date sheet for Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2025, dated 1 April 2026 ↗ (official, checked )
- JKPSC home page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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