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Kerala PSC Assistant Prison Officer: syllabus and eligibility

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Kerala Assistant Prison Officer key facts
Conducting bodyKerala Public Service Commission (KPSC). Official website ↗
PostsAssistant Prison Officer, Prisons and Correctional Services
QualificationPass in SSLC or an equivalent.
Age limit18–36 years on 1 January 2025 (general category)
DomicileSee the notification
GenderMale candidates only
Selection stagesWritten test (100 marks) → Physical measurement and physical efficiency test → Medical certificate and certificate verification → Ranked list
Latest notificationAssistant Prison Officer, Category No. 420/2025

Last checked . Sources

About Kerala Assistant Prison Officer

Assistant Prison Officer is the entry-level custodial post in Kerala's Prisons and Correctional Services. Category No. 420/2025 is open to men with SSLC; women apply for Female Assistant Prison Officer, a separate notification that uses the same syllabus. The pay scale is ₹27,900–63,700, and applications closed on 3 December 2025.

Eligibility

Age limit

General category: 18–36 years, counted on 1 January 2025.

Age relaxation

  • OBC: 3 years
  • SC: 5 years
  • ST: 5 years
  • Other concessions follow para 2 of the Kerala PSC General Conditions, with a ceiling of 50.

Qualification

Pass in SSLC or an equivalent.

Other conditions

  • Height at least 165 cm (160 cm for SC/ST) and chest 81.3 cm on full exhalation with 5 cm expansion.
  • Distant vision 6/6 and near vision 0.5 Snellen in each eye without glasses. Colour blindness, squint or any morbid eye condition disqualifies.
  • Pass any five of the eight National Physical Efficiency one-star events, for example 100 m in 14 seconds, long jump 457.2 cm, 8 pull-ups and 1500 m in 5 minutes 44 seconds.
  • Women and differently abled candidates cannot apply to this category.

Selection process

  1. Written test (100 marks)
  2. Physical measurement and physical efficiency test
  3. Medical certificate and certificate verification
  4. Ranked list

Exam pattern

Written test (100 marks)

SUBJECTMARKS
General knowledge40
Current affairs10
Simple arithmetic, mental ability and reasoning10
General English10
Regional language (Malayalam, Kannada or Tamil)10
Special topics: prisons, rights and psychology20

Kerala Assistant Prison Officer syllabus

General knowledge (40 marks)

  • History of Kerala, India and the world (5)
  • Geography (5)
  • Economics (5)
  • Indian Constitution (8)
  • Kerala: governance and system of administration (3)
  • Life science and public health (4)
  • Physics (3)
  • Chemistry (3)
  • Arts, sports, literature and culture (4)

Other sections (40 marks)

  • Current affairs (10 marks)
  • Simple arithmetic: numbers, fractions and decimals, percentage, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion, time and distance, time and work, average, exponents, mensuration, progressions (5 marks)
  • Mental ability: series, problems on mathematical signs, analogy, odd one out, coding and decoding, family relations, direction sense, clock time and angles (5 marks)
  • General English: grammar (5 marks) and vocabulary (5 marks)
  • Regional language: Malayalam, Kannada or Tamil (10 marks)

Special topics (20 marks)

  • Structure and working of the Kerala Prisons Department (5)
  • Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 (5)
  • Right to Information Act 2005 (5)
  • Basics of psychology (5): behaviour, psychoanalysis, aggression, frustration, stress, anxiety, adjustment, motivation, multiple intelligence

What they ask

The special section is worth 20 marks and covers the Kerala Prisons Department, the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, the RTI Act and basic psychology. The psychology unit lists everyday concepts such as stress, frustration, aggression and motivation. The remaining 80 marks follow the common frame: 40 for general knowledge and 10 each for current affairs, arithmetic and reasoning, English and the regional language.

How to prepare

  • Read the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 and the RTI Act 2005 together; each is worth 5 marks and both deal with commissions and their powers.
  • Cover the psychology topics as short definitions with one example each.
  • Pick your five PET events and train to the one-star marks, since the PET follows the written test.
  • Solve previous Assistant Prison Officer papers from the Kerala PSC website.
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How to apply

  1. Create a One Time Registration profile on keralapsc.gov.in, or log in to the one you already have.
  2. Open the notification and click 'Apply Now' against the category number. Kerala PSC charges no application fee.
  3. When the exam programme comes out, submit your confirmation to write the test from your profile within the window given. Applications without a confirmation are rejected.
  4. Download the admission ticket from your profile. It opens in the last 15 days before the test.

Photo and signature

  • Photo: JPG, 200 pixels high and 150 pixels wide, up to 30 KB, face and shoulders clearly visible on a white or light background. A new One Time Registration profile needs a photo taken within the last six months, with your name and the date printed at the bottom.
  • Signature: JPG, 150 pixels wide and 100 pixels high, up to 30 KB. A blank, unclear or incomplete signature image gets the application rejected.

Source: official instructions ↗

Resize your photo and signature for Kerala Assistant Prison Officer

Previous papers and answer keys

Kerala Assistant Prison Officer FAQs

An SSLC pass or equivalent, plus the physical standards in the notification.

Sources

Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.

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