| Conducting body | Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Sub Inspector of Police (Trainee), Kerala Civil Police, Armed Police Sub Inspector (Trainee) is notified separately (Category Nos. 446 and 447/2025) |
| Qualification | A degree (graduation). SC/ST candidates who have passed Pre-University or Intermediate are considered only if not enough graduates apply for the open-market reserved quota. |
| Age limit | 20–31 years on 1 January 2025 (general category) |
| Domicile | See the notification |
| Selection stages | OMR written exam (the syllabus on the Kerala PSC site is for the SI main exam; the exam programme says whether a preliminary round is held) → Physical measurement and physical efficiency test → Medical certificate and certificate verification → Ranked list |
| Latest notification | Sub Inspector of Police (Trainee), Category Nos. 448-450/2025 |
Last checked . Sources
We could not confirm every detail on this page against a current official notice. Check the KPSC website before you apply.
About Kerala SI
Sub Inspector (Trainee) is Kerala Police's graduate-level entry. Category Nos. 448-450/2025 fill it from three streams: open market, graduate ministerial staff of the police and vigilance departments, and graduate constables and head constables. Women can apply. The pay scale is ₹45,600–95,600, and applications closed on 31 December 2025.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 20–31 years, counted on 1 January 2025.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- Ministerial and constabulary stream candidates must not have completed 36 on 1 January 2025.
- Para 2 of the Kerala PSC General Conditions applies to all three streams, with a ceiling of 50.
Qualification
A degree (graduation). SC/ST candidates who have passed Pre-University or Intermediate are considered only if not enough graduates apply for the open-market reserved quota.
Other conditions
- Men: height 165.10 cm (160.02 cm for SC/ST), chest 81.28 cm with 5.08 cm expansion. There is no SC/ST relaxation on chest.
- Women: height 160 cm (155 cm for SC/ST).
- Distant vision 6/6 and near vision 0.5 Snellen in each eye without glasses. Colour blindness, squint or any morbid eye condition disqualifies.
- Men pass five of eight one-star events (for example 100 m in 14 seconds, 1500 m in 5 minutes 44 seconds). Women pass five of eight women's events (for example 100 m in 17 seconds, 200 m in 36 seconds).
- Differently abled candidates cannot apply. NCC and SPC certificates add weightage.
Selection process
- OMR written exam (the syllabus on the Kerala PSC site is for the SI main exam; the exam programme says whether a preliminary round is held)
- Physical measurement and physical efficiency test
- Medical certificate and certificate verification
- Ranked list
Exam pattern
Main exam (100 marks)
Mode: OMR
| SUBJECT | MARKS |
|---|---|
| General knowledge | 20 |
| Current affairs | 5 |
| Simple arithmetic, mental ability and reasoning | 10 |
| General English | 10 |
| Regional language (Malayalam, Kannada or Tamil) | 10 |
| Special topics, including the Indian Constitution | 45 |
Kerala SI syllabus
General knowledge (20 marks)
- History (3)
- Geography (3)
- Economics (3)
- Kerala: governance and system of administration (5)
- Life science and public health (6)
Other sections (35 marks)
- Current affairs (5 marks)
- Simple arithmetic (5 marks)
- Mental ability and reasoning (5 marks)
- General English: grammar (5 marks) and vocabulary (5 marks)
- Regional language: Malayalam, Kannada or Tamil (10 marks)
Special topics (45 marks)
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (5)
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 (5)
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 (5)
- Right to Information Act 2005 (3)
- Indian Constitution (7)
- Information Technology Act (3)
- Basics of IT and cyber crimes (7)
- Basics of human psychology: approaches to behaviour, cognitive processes, intelligence, emotions, aggression and frustration (10)
What they ask
Nearly half the SI main exam is special topics: 45 marks on the three new criminal laws, RTI, the Constitution, the IT Act, cyber crime and basic psychology. Psychology alone is 10 marks, more than any general knowledge unit. General knowledge is only 20 marks, and English, the regional language and arithmetic with reasoning are 10 each.
How to prepare
- Put most of your time into the 45-mark special topics block, starting with the BNS, BNSS and BSA sections listed in the syllabus.
- Do not skip psychology. The syllabus names the theories and concepts (psychoanalytic, behaviourist, humanistic and Gestalt approaches, memory, intelligence, aggression), so it is a fixed list to learn.
- Train for the PET alongside the written exam, since physical measurement and efficiency tests follow the OMR test.
- Check the Kerala PSC exam programme for this category number to confirm whether a preliminary test comes before the main exam.
Practise Kerala SI syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
How to apply
- Create a One Time Registration profile on keralapsc.gov.in, or log in to the one you already have.
- Open the notification and click 'Apply Now' against the category number. Kerala PSC charges no application fee.
- 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.
- 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 SI
Previous papers and answer keys
Kerala SI FAQs
For open-market candidates in Category No. 448/2025, 20 to 31 (born between 2 January 1994 and 1 January 2005). Ministerial and constabulary candidates must be under 36 on 1 January 2025.
Sources
- Kerala PSC notification, Sub Inspector of Police (Trainee), Category Nos. 448-450/2025 ↗ (official, checked )
- Kerala PSC detailed syllabus, main exam for Sub Inspector of Police (Trainee) and Armed Police Sub Inspector (Trainee) ↗ (official, checked )
- Kerala PSC General Conditions (Part II of every gazette notification) ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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