State Civil Services · Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC)
KPSC KAS — Karnataka Administrative Service — Gazetted Probationers (Group A and B)
The complete KPSC KAS blueprint: tier-wise pattern, topic weightage from previous-year analyses, and free chapter-by-chapter study material.
3 stages — Prelims, Mains (seven descriptive papers), Interview1,250 Mains merit marks — the Essay and four General Studies papers; Kannada and English are qualifying319 vacancies in the 2026 notification (117 Group A, 202 Group B), notified 31 July 2026 Free · tutor-verified
KPSC KAS at a glance
Conducted byKarnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC)
CycleThe 2026 notification was released on 31 July 2026 for 319 posts, with applications extended to 7 September and the Prelims scheduled for 15 November 2026. Confirm the live calendar on the Commission's site.
ModePrelims: objective, two papers of 2 hours each. Mains: pen-and-paper descriptive papers of 3 hours each, in Kannada or English. Interview: in-person personality test.
EligibilityA bachelor's degree from a recognised university. As reported for the 2026 notification, the age limit is 21 to 38 years for general-category candidates, with relaxations for reserved categories. Confirm on the current notification.
LanguagesKannada and English. Question papers are bilingual; every candidate must know Kannada and clear the Kannada qualifying paper.
Selection intoKAS fills Karnataka's Group A and Group B gazetted probationer posts. Pay levels differ by post and change with the state's pay orders, so confirm the level from the notification.
Where KPSC KAS leads
Assistant Commissioner of a sub-division (Group A)Deputy Superintendent of Police and Commercial Tax Officer postsTahsildar and other Group B gazetted postsThe 2026 notification reported 319 posts: 117 in Group A and 202 in Group B
⚡ What changed recently
- The 2026 notification (31 July 2026) covers 319 vacancies, with the Prelims scheduled for 15 November 2026.
- Reported amendments reduced the interview to a small mark component; older material shows 50 or more, so confirm the current figure.
- Karnataka's five guarantee schemes and Sakala are current governance topics covered in the economy and governance chapters.
- Office-holders change, so this hub teaches Karnataka's institutions, laws and dated programmes and names no sitting Governor or Chief Minister. Confirm current names independently before the exam.
How KPSC KAS selection works
Know what each stage is for before you spend a single hour preparing.
SCREENING GATE
Prelims — two objective papers, 400 marks
Paper 1 and Paper 2 of 200 marks each, bilingual. Both papers are used for the Mains shortlist as reported; confirm how the cut-off is applied on the notification. Prelims marks do not count towards final merit.
THE SCORING STAGE
Mains — seven descriptive papers
Kannada and English (150 each, qualifying), then the Essay and General Studies I to IV (250 each, 1,250 merit marks).
FINAL STAGE, FEW MARKS
Personality Test (Interview)
A board interview on administrative aptitude, knowledge of Karnataka and general personality. Final merit is Mains merit plus the interview; confirm the interview marks on the notification.
The exam pattern, tier by tier
Marks, timing and negative marking exactly as per the official notification.
Prelims — Paper 1 and Paper 2
Screening — marks not counted towards final merit400 marks · 200 Q
2 hours per paper · One-fourth of a question's marks is reported to be deducted for each wrong answer. Confirm on the notification.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| History & Culture | — | — | Paper 1 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Geography | — | — | Paper 1 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Polity & Governance | — | — | Paper 1 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Economy | — | — | Paper 1 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| History and Culture of Karnataka | — | — | Paper 1 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Geography of Karnataka | — | — | Paper 1 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Science & Technology | — | — | Paper 2 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Environment & Ecology | — | — | Paper 2 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Basic Numeracy & Data Interpretation | — | — | Paper 2 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability | — | — | Paper 2 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
| Reading Comprehension | — | — | Paper 2 (100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 h) |
💡 Paper 1: current affairs, Indian history with emphasis on Karnataka and the national movement, Indian and world geography with emphasis on Karnataka, polity and economy. Paper 2: current affairs and schemes of Karnataka, general science and technology, environment, ecology and climate, and general mental ability (numeracy, data interpretation, reasoning and comprehension).
Mains — Paper: Essay
Merit — 250 marks250 marks
3 hours
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section A — national and international issue | 1 essay | 125 | 3 hours |
| Section B — state and local issue | 1 essay | 125 | 3 hours |
💡 Two essays of 125 marks each: one on a national or international issue and one on a state or local issue.
Mains — General Studies I to IV
Merit — 1,000 of the 1,250 Mains merit marks1000 marks
3 hours per paper
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| History and Culture of Karnataka | Descriptive | — | GS Paper I (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Society and Social Justice | Descriptive | — | GS Papers I and II (250 marks each · 3 h) |
| Geography of Karnataka | Descriptive | — | GS Paper II (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Economy of Karnataka | Descriptive | — | GS Paper III (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Science and Technology of Karnataka | Descriptive | — | GS Paper III (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Environment of Karnataka | Descriptive | — | GS Paper III (250 marks · 3 h) |
| Ethical Traditions of Karnataka | Descriptive | — | GS Paper IV (250 marks · 3 h) |
💡 GS I: cultural heritage with reference to Karnataka, modern history and the unification of Karnataka, society and social movements. GS II: geography of India and Karnataka, the Constitution and political system, public administration and governance in Karnataka. GS III: economy, planning and agriculture, science and technology, environment and ecology. GS IV: ethics, integrity and human values, aptitude and emotional intelligence, case studies. The Commission publishes no section-wise marks.
Mains — Kannada and English
Qualifying — 150 marks each; a 35 per cent minimum is reported for Kannada300 marks
3 hours per paper
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kannada (qualifying) | Descriptive | 150 | 3 hours |
| English (qualifying) | Descriptive | 150 | 3 hours |
💡 Comprehension, precis, letter and essay writing, translation, and grammar. Marks do not count for rank, but failing the minimum means the other papers are not ranked.
Where your KPSC KAS score comes from
Prelims has two objective papers of 200 marks each (100 questions of 2 marks, 2 hours each), set in Kannada and English. Paper 1 covers current affairs, Indian history with emphasis on Karnataka and the national movement, Indian and world geography with emphasis on Karnataka, and polity and economy. Paper 2 covers state current affairs and schemes, general science, environment and ecology, and general mental ability. A deduction of one-fourth of a question's marks is reported for each wrong answer; confirm on the notification. The Mains has seven papers of 3 hours: Kannada and English (150 each, qualifying, with a 35 per cent minimum reported for Kannada), and five merit papers of 250 marks, the Essay and General Studies I to IV, for 1,250. The interview carries few marks: sources report 25 under amended rules, against 50 in older material, so confirm the figure on the notification. The Commission publishes no section-wise marks, so the marks shown are indicative. Click any block to open its chapters:
General Studies I-IV1000 marks · 80%
Four-fifths of Mains merit. Each paper pairs a national frame, aliased from UPSC CSE chapters, with Karnataka chapters written for this hub.
Essay250 marks · 20%
One-fifth of Mains merit. Half of it is a Karnataka issue essay with a structure and examples taught in this hub.
Subjects in KPSC KAS
Chapter-by-chapter study material built to the exam's own blueprint.
Topic-wise weightage — what to study first
Question counts per topic, distilled from previous-year paper analyses. Click any topic with a link to open its full chapter.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|
🎯 This subject aliases UPSC CSE content directly, since the underlying syllabus matches closely enough to share chapters rather than duplicate them.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Early Karnataka: From the Kadambas to Vijayanagara | ~35 | Very high |
| Mysore, Colonial Karnataka and the Unification | ~35 | Very high |
| Vachana Movement, Kannada Literature and the Arts | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Learn each dynasty as capital, ruler, date and monument, and keep the 1956 unification and 1973 renaming apart.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Geography of Karnataka | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Sort rivers by direction and basin, and give the Cauvery dispute as a two-stage timeline.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Karnataka's Economy, Budget and Industrial Policy | ~35 | Very high |
| Agriculture, Drought and Plantation Crops of Karnataka | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Label every figure with a year, separate deficit from debt, and pair crops with regions.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Social Justice, Land Reforms and Backward Class Movements | ~35 | Very high |
| Panchayati Raj, Sakala and Administration in Karnataka | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Pair every reform or law with its year, its idea and one limit.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| IT, Biotechnology and Space in Karnataka | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Separate where ISRO plans from where it launches, and close with skills, rules and spread.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Western Ghats, Wildlife and Water in Karnataka | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Present both sides of conservation against livelihood, then a middle path.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Thinkers and Public Service in Karnataka | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Use one idea per thinker and pair it with an institution.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Writing the State and Local Issues Essay | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Outline first, include a scheme with a limit, and quote only dated figures.
| Topic | Marks | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| The Kannada Qualifying Paper: Grammar, Comprehension and Writing | ~35 | Very high |
🎯 Practise a little every week; failing the minimum blocks your ranking.
KPSC KAS resources
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FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Yes, one-fourth of a question's marks is reported to be deducted for each wrong answer. Confirm on the live notification, since it is occasionally revised.
No, both are qualifying papers of 150 marks. A minimum must be reached, with 35 per cent reported for Kannada, or the other papers are not ranked.
319, of which 117 are Group A and 202 are Group B, per the notification of 31 July 2026.
Sources differ: reported amendments reduced it to 25, while older material shows 50. Confirm the figure on the notification.
Office-holders change, and this content is written to stay accurate across those changes. Confirm current names from a live source close to your exam date.
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