| Conducting body | Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Assistant Commissioner (Junior Scale), DPAR, Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Assistant Director, Treasury, Executive Officer / Assistant Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Assistant Director Grade-1 and Grade-2, Social Welfare Department, Tahsildar Grade-2, Revenue Department, Commercial Tax Officer, Assistant Superintendent, Prisons Department, Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Assistant Director, Agricultural Marketing, Deputy Superintendent of Excise, Employment Officer, Skill Development Department, Chief Officer Grade-1, Urban Development Department, Assistant Treasury Officer, Assistant Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Section Officer, Karnataka Government Secretariat, Section Officer, Karnataka Public Service Commission |
| Qualification | A bachelor's or master's degree from a university established by law in India, or an equivalent qualification. Candidates who have appeared for their final degree exam may sit the prelims, but they must show proof of the degree when they apply for the mains. |
| Age limit | 21–40 years on Last date for online applications (31 August 2026 in the notification; a corrigendum extended applications to 7 September 2026) (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | Preliminary exam: two objective papers of 200 marks each, used to shortlist 15 candidates per vacancy for the mains → Main exam: qualifying Kannada and English papers, plus an essay and four general studies papers of 250 marks each → Personality test of 25 marks, for candidates called in a 1:3 ratio to vacancies from mains merit → Final 1:1 select list on mains written marks plus personality test marks (1,275 in total) |
| Latest notification | Gazetted Probationers (Group A and B) Recruitment 2026-27 · 319 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About KPSC KAS
KPSC holds the Gazetted Probationers exam, which most aspirants call KAS, to fill Group A and Group B posts in Karnataka government departments. The 2026-27 notification covers 319 posts, 117 in Group A and 202 in Group B, including Assistant Commissioner, Tahsildar, Commercial Tax Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Excise. There are three stages: an objective prelims, a descriptive mains and a personality test.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 21–40 years, counted on Last date for online applications (31 August 2026 in the notification; a corrigendum extended applications to 7 September 2026).
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- Upper age limit is 40 for General Merit, 43 for Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B, and 45 for SC, ST and Category-1 candidates.
- These limits already include a one-time 5-year relaxation under a government order dated 29 January 2026.
- Persons with disabilities and widows get 10 extra years. Ex-servicemen get their period of service plus 3 years.
Qualification
A bachelor's or master's degree from a university established by law in India, or an equivalent qualification. Candidates who have appeared for their final degree exam may sit the prelims, but they must show proof of the degree when they apply for the mains.
Other conditions
- The mains has two qualifying language papers, Kannada and English, set at SSLC first-language level. You need at least 35% (52.5 of 150) in each.
Selection process
- Preliminary exam: two objective papers of 200 marks each, used to shortlist 15 candidates per vacancy for the mains
- Main exam: qualifying Kannada and English papers, plus an essay and four general studies papers of 250 marks each
- Personality test of 25 marks, for candidates called in a 1:3 ratio to vacancies from mains merit
- Final 1:1 select list on mains written marks plus personality test marks (1,275 in total)
Exam pattern
Prelims Paper 1
Mode: Objective, multiple choice · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks for that question deducted per wrong answer; marking more than one option counts as wrong
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General studies of national and international importance | 40 | 80 |
| Humanities | 60 | 120 |
Prelims Paper 2
Mode: Objective, multiple choice · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: One-fourth of the marks for that question deducted per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General studies related to state importance | 40 | 80 |
| General science and technology, environment and ecology | 30 | 60 |
| General mental ability | 30 | 60 |
Main exam (written)
Mode: Descriptive · Duration: 2 hours for each language paper, 3 hours for each compulsory paper
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Kannada (qualifying) | 150 |
| English (qualifying) | 150 |
| Paper 1: Essay | 250 |
| Paper 2: General Studies 1 | 250 |
| Paper 3: General Studies 2 | 250 |
| Paper 4: General Studies 3 | 250 |
| Paper 5: General Studies 4 | 250 |
Personality test
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| Interview | 25 |
KPSC KAS syllabus
Prelims Paper 1
- General studies of national and international importance
- Humanities
Prelims Paper 2
- General studies related to Karnataka (state importance)
- General science and technology
- Environment and ecology
- General mental ability at SSLC level
Mains
- Essay
- General Studies 1 to 4, each in three sections, at degree level
- Qualifying Kannada and English at SSLC first-language level
- Detailed mains syllabus is on the KPSC website
What they ask
Each prelims paper has 100 questions worth two marks each, and both papers are printed in Kannada and English. The mental ability questions are set at SSLC level and the rest at degree level, and Paper 2 has 40 questions on topics of state importance. Every question has four options, and a wrong answer costs a quarter of that question's marks. The mains is fully descriptive: an essay and four general studies papers of 250 marks each, and you can answer each paper entirely in Kannada or entirely in English.
How to prepare
- Treat Paper 2 as the Karnataka paper. With 40 questions on state importance, keep separate notes on Karnataka's history, geography, economy, schemes and current affairs.
- The 30 mental ability questions in Paper 2 are worth 60 marks at SSLC level. Timed practice here pays back quickly.
- Because of the quarter-mark penalty, answer only when you can rule out at least two options, and never mark two answers.
- Do not neglect the qualifying Kannada and English papers. If you score below 35% in either, you are out before the personality test.
- Start timed answer writing early. Each GS paper is 250 marks in three hours, and you must use one language for the whole paper.
Practise KPSC KAS syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
KPSC KAS FAQs
Yes, for the prelims. The notification lets candidates who have appeared for their degree exam write the prelims, but they must have passed and show proof of the degree when they apply for the mains.
Sources
- KPSC Gazetted Probationers 2026-27 notification (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- KPSC corrigendum extending the Gazetted Probationers 2026-27 last date to 7 September 2026 (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- KPSC notifications 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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