Kerala Administrative Service 2026: Eligibility, Age Limit, Vacancy & Selection Process
Kerala's own senior administrative cadre, filled through three parallel competitions inside one examination — open candidates, serving state employees, and employees past a defined seniority, each ranked in its own pool. Almost no other state splits its administrative exam this way, and the split is worth more to a serving employee than any amount of preparation.
Kerala Administrative Service 2026 at a glance
| Conducting body | Kerala Public Service Commission |
|---|---|
| Examination | Kerala Administrative Service Examination |
| Total vacancies | Not announced |
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree in any discipline not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Age limit | 21–32 years as on 01 Jan 2027 (relaxation below) from the notification as published ↗ |
| Application dates | Not announced |
| Application fee | No fee — Kerala PSC does not charge for this examination |
| Exam date | Not announced |
| Salary | ₹55,200 – ₹1,15,300 per month (Kerala state pay revision scales) not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Official website | keralapsc.gov.in ↗ |
Are you eligible for Kerala Administrative Service 2026?
Kerala Administrative Service counts your age on 01 Jan 2027, and its reservation and age relaxation belong to Kerala domicile candidates only. Enter your details and we will check age, qualification and domicile together.
Kerala Administrative Service age limit and relaxation 2026
The age limit for Kerala Administrative Service 2026 is 21 to 32 years as on 01 Jan 2027. The Kerala domicile certificate is what unlocks any relaxation, and it is checked at document verification — apply for it before the form opens, not after you clear the written stage.
| Category | Relaxation | Effective maximum age |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | No relaxation | 32 years |
| SC | +5 years (notification) | 37 years |
| ST | +5 years (notification) | 37 years |
| OBC | +3 years (notification) | 35 years |
What the latest KERALA PSC notification says
From CATEGORY NO: 01/2025 – 03/2025 ↗. Read twice, independently, from the commission's own PDF; only what both readings agree on is shown, each line with the sentence and page it comes from, so you can check it.
Applications ran until 09 Apr 2025 — this window has closed; the next notification may change these figures.
Vacancies in this notification: 31 “Number of vacancy 31 (Stream 1 – 11, Stream 2 – 10, Stream 3 – 10)” (p. 1)
How this compares with the other state commissions →
| Post | Age, as printed | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| KAS Officer (Junior Time Scale) Trainee - Stream 1 (Cat. No. 01/2025, direct recruitment, 11 vacancies) | Born between 02 Jan 1993 and 01 Jan 2004 “STREAM 1 21-32. Candidates who have born between 02.01.1993 and 01.01.2004 (both dates included) are eligible to apply for this post.” (p. 2) 21–32 years (General) “STREAM 1 21-32. Candidates who have born between” (p. 2) SC: +5 years “Five years of age relaxation is available to the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes” (p. 2) ST: +5 years “Five years of age relaxation is available to the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes” (p. 2) OBC: +3 years “Three years of age relaxation is available to the candidates belonging to Other Backward Communities of State of Kerala.” (p. 2) | Bachelor Degree (including professional course) in any subject from a recognised University “STREAM 1 Must have obtained a Bachelor Degree including professional course in any subject from a University,” (p. 3) Also: Relaxed upper age can in no case exceed 50 years “maximum age limit shall in no case exceed 50 (Fifty) years.” (p. 2) Also: Candidates serving under the Central Government or another State Government must produce an NOC/consent from that Government “The candidates who apply under STREAM 1 and are serving under the Central Government or under the Government of any other states should produce NOC/ Consent from the Government authority concerned.” (p. 8) Also: Medical Fitness Certificate from a Government Medical Officer (not below Assistant Surgeon) required “should obtain a Medical Fitness Certificate from a Medical Officer not below the rank of an Assistant Surgeon” (p. 5) Also: The 3-year OBC relaxation is for Other Backward Communities of the State of Kerala. “candidates belonging to Other Backward Communities of State of Kerala.” (p. 2) Also: Stream 1 candidates serving under the Central Government or another State Government must produce an NOC/consent from that Government. “Government or under the Government of any other states should produce NOC/” (p. 8) |
| KAS Officer (Junior Time Scale) Trainee - Stream 2 (Cat. No. 02/2025, Kerala Government employees who are not 1st Gazetted officers, 10 vacancies) | Born between 02 Jan 1985 and 01 Jan 2004 “STREAM 2 21-40. Candidates who have born between 02.01.1985 and 01.01.2004 (both dates included) are eligible to apply for this post.” (p. 2) 21–40 years (General) “STREAM 2 21-40. Candidates who have born between” (p. 2) SC: +5 years “Five years of age relaxation is available to the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes” (p. 2) ST: +5 years “Five years of age relaxation is available to the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes” (p. 2) OBC: +3 years “Three years of age relaxation is available to the candidates belonging to Other Backward Communities of State of Kerala.” (p. 2) | Bachelor Degree (including professional course) in any subject from a recognised University, plus service conditions (see conditions) “STREAM 2 i. Must have obtained a Bachelor Degree including professional course in any subject from a University,” (p. 3) Also: Relaxed upper age can in no case exceed 50 years “maximum age limit shall in no case exceed 50 (Fifty) years.” (p. 2) Also: Must be a Full Member or Approved Probationer in a Kerala Government Department, and not a 1st Gazetted Officer or above in the Schedule 1 departments of the KAS Special Rules, 2018 “ii. Must be a Full Member or an Approved Probationer in any Government Department and must not be a 1st Gazetted Officer or above in the Departments in Schedule 1 (Annexure I) of KAS Special Rules, 2018.” (p. 4) Also: Must have been regularised in service under Rule 10(b) of the KS & SSR 1958, or served at least two years in a supernumerary post, with no major penalty or criminal proceedings pending “iii. Must have been regularized in service in any cadre as per Rule 10(b) in the Kerala State & Subordinate Service Rules, 1958 or must have served for a period of not less than two years in a supernumerary post” (p. 4) Also: Medical Fitness Certificate from a Government Medical Officer (not below Assistant Surgeon) required “should obtain a Medical Fitness Certificate from a Medical Officer not below the rank of an Assistant Surgeon” (p. 5) Also: Must hold a 1st Gazetted post or above in a Schedule 1 department of the KAS Special Rules, 2018, or an equivalent post in the Common Categories listed in Schedule 1. “ii. Candidates holding 1st Gazetted post or above in” (p. 5) Also: Must have satisfactorily completed probation in a Government cadre (or probation undeclared only through administrative delay); no major penalty imposed and no major-penalty or criminal proceedings in progress. “iii. Must have satisfactorily completed probation in any” (p. 5) Also: The 3-year OBC relaxation is for Other Backward Communities of the State of Kerala. “candidates belonging to Other Backward Communities of State of Kerala.” (p. 2) |
| KAS Officer (Junior Time Scale) Trainee - Stream 3 (Cat. No. 03/2025, holders of 1st Gazetted posts in Schedule 1 departments, 10 vacancies) | up to 49 (must not have reached 50) years (General), as on 01 Jan 2025 “STREAM 3 Must not have completed 50 years of age as on” (p. 2) | Bachelor Degree in any subject (including professional course) from a recognised University, plus holding a 1st Gazetted post (see conditions) “STREAM 3 i. Must have obtained a Bachelor Degree in any subject including professional course from a University,” (p. 4) Also: Must not have completed 50 years of age on 01.01.2025 “STREAM 3 Must not have completed 50 years of age as on 01.01.2025.” (p. 2) Also: Must hold a 1st Gazetted post or above in a Schedule 1 department of the KAS Special Rules, 2018 (or an equivalent post in the Common Categories listed in Schedule 1) “ii. Candidates holding 1st Gazetted post or above in Departments in the Schedule 1 (Annexure I & II) of KAS Special Rules, 2018 and equivalent posts in Common Categories listed in Schedule 1 (Annexure I & II) are eligible to apply under stream 3.” (p. 5) Also: Must have satisfactorily completed probation in any Government cadre, with no major penalty or criminal proceedings pending “iii. Must have satisfactorily completed probation in any Cadre in Government” (p. 5) Also: The concessions in the upper age limit are subject to an overall ceiling of 50 years, which is already Stream 3's limit, so relaxation cannot take a Stream 3 candidate past it. “maximum age limit shall in no case exceed 50 (Fifty) years.” (p. 2) |
Kerala Administrative Service posts and salary
| Post | Department | Pay level | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deputy Collector | Revenue | Junior Time Scale | ₹55,200–1,15,300 |
| Assistant Secretary | Secretariat | Junior Time Scale | ₹55,200–1,15,300 |
| District Officer | Various | Junior Time Scale | As per state scale |
Kerala Administrative Service selection process
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Preliminary examination | An objective paper common to all three streams. |
| Main examination | Descriptive papers, with the stream you applied under determining the pool you are ranked in. |
| Interview | Followed by placement on a rank list rather than immediate appointment. |
Who should apply for Kerala Administrative Service
For Kerala graduates aiming at the state's senior administrative cadre, and for serving state government employees, for whom the dedicated stream is a materially better route than the open one.
- The stream is chosen at application and cannot be changed afterwards.
- Serving employees are ranked separately from open candidates.
- A one-time profile registration is required before any Kerala PSC application.
Kerala Administrative Service 2026 — आयु सीमा और योग्यता
केरल प्रशासनिक सेवा परीक्षा (Kerala Administrative Service) 2026 के लिए आयु सीमा 01 Jan 2027 को 21 से 32 वर्ष है। आरक्षित श्रेणियों की आयु छूट Kerala सरकार के नियमों से तय होती है और केवल राज्य के मूल निवासियों को मिलती है — अपनी श्रेणी की ऊपरी आयु अधिसूचना में देखें।
शैक्षणिक योग्यता: किसी भी विषय में स्नातक। पदों की संख्या अभी घोषित नहीं · वेतन ₹55,200 से ₹1,15,300 प्रति माह · आवेदन की तिथियाँ अभी घोषित नहीं।
अपनी योग्यता मुफ़्त जाँचें →Kerala Administrative Service 2026 — frequently asked questions
What are the three KAS streams?
Can I change my KAS stream after applying?
How senior are the posts KAS fills?
What Kerala Administrative Service is actually like
A serving state employee who applies in the open stream is competing against the whole graduate population of Kerala for no reason. Read the stream definitions before you touch the form.
Kerala Administrative Service 2026 — important links
| Official website | keralapsc.gov.in ↗ |
| Check your eligibility | Am I eligible for Kerala Administrative Service? — free |
| Admit card, result, answer key | Admit cards · Results · Answer keys |
| Syllabus and exam pattern | Selection process for Kerala Administrative Service |
| Where KERALA PSC publishes them | Admit cards, results and syllabus appear on the official site linked above. |
| How we track this exam | |
| Not yet on an automated watch. This exam is maintained by hand, so confirm the dates on the official website before you apply. | |
Questions about Kerala Administrative Service
Ask anything about eligibility, dates or documents for this exam. We answer here so the next person with the same question finds it. Nothing appears until we have read it.
No questions yet. Ask the first one.
Vacancy figures, dates and salaries are compiled from official notifications and change between cycles. Age limits vary between posts within the same exam. Always confirm against the official notification on keralapsc.gov.in before applying.