KPSC KAS 2026: Eligibility, Age Limit, Vacancy & Selection Process
Karnataka does not give a relaxation on top of a general ceiling — it publishes a separate maximum age for General, for the 2A/2B/3A/3B backward classes and for SC, ST and Category 1. A candidate who adds a remembered relaxation figure to the General number gets the wrong answer more often than the right one.
KPSC KAS 2026 at a glance
| Conducting body | Karnataka Public Service Commission |
|---|---|
| Examination | Gazetted Probationers (Karnataka Administrative Service) Examination |
| Total vacancies | Not announced |
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree in any discipline, plus Kannada study or a pass in the commission's Kannada language examination not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Age limit | 21–45 years as on 01 Jan 2027 (relaxation below) from the notification as published ↗ |
| Application dates | Not announced |
| Application fee | As set by the notification, with reduced fees for Category 1, SC, ST and the 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B backward classes |
| Exam date | Not announced |
| Salary | ₹56,100 – ₹1,77,100 per month (Karnataka Group A and Group B scales) not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Official website | kpsc.kar.nic.in ↗ |
Are you eligible for KPSC KAS 2026?
KPSC KAS counts your age on 01 Jan 2027, and its reservation and age relaxation belong to Karnataka domicile candidates only. Enter your details and we will check age, qualification and domicile together.
KPSC KAS age limit and relaxation 2026
The age limit for KPSC KAS 2026 is 21 to 45 years as on 01 Jan 2027. That ceiling is the reason to take this exam seriously. UPSC CSE closes at 32 for a General candidate, so someone out of attempts nationally still has years of KPSC KAS ahead. Very few exams stay open this long.
| Category | Relaxation | Effective maximum age |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | No relaxation | 45 years |
| Category 2A/2B/3A/3B | As printed in the notification | 48 years |
| Scheduled Caste | As printed in the notification | 50 years |
| Scheduled Tribe | As printed in the notification | 50 years |
| Category-1 | As printed in the notification | 50 years |
| PWD | +10 years (notification) | 55 years |
What the latest KPSC notification says
From KPSCKA/EXA1/EXMF/9/2026-EXAM-1/I/251710/2026 dated 31-07-2026 ↗. 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 from 01 Aug 2026 to 31 Aug 2026 — this window has closed; the next notification may change these figures.
Vacancies in this notification: 319 “ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆ ಹುದ್ದೆಗಳು 297 22 319” (p. 2)
How this compares with the other state commissions →
| Post | Age, as printed | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| All 319 Gazetted Probationer posts, Group A (117) and Group B (202) - Assistant Commissioner, Tahsildar, Commercial Tax Officer, etc. | 21–45 (printed 40, plus the 5-year relaxation for all categories) years (General), as on 31 Aug 2026 “1. ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಅರ್ಹತೆಯಅಧ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ 40 ವರ್ಷಗಳು” (p. 11) General Merit ceiling; section 10.1 says the maximum must not be exceeded on the last date for applications. Category 2A/2B/3A/3B: up to 48 years “2. ಪ್ರವರ್ಗ 2ಎ/2ಬಿ/3ಎ/3ಬಿ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ 43 ವರ್ಷಗಳು” (p. 11) Scheduled Caste: up to 50 years “3. ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಜಾತಿ/ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟಪ೦ಗಡ/ಪ್ರವರ್ಗ-1 45 ವರ್ಷಗಳು” (p. 11) Scheduled Tribe: up to 50 years “3. ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಜಾತಿ/ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟಪ೦ಗಡ/ಪ್ರವರ್ಗ-1 45 ವರ್ಷಗಳು” (p. 11) Category-1: up to 50 years “3. ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಜಾತಿ/ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟಪ೦ಗಡ/ಪ್ರವರ್ಗ-1 45 ವರ್ಷಗಳು” (p. 11) | Bachelor's or Master's degree from a university established by law in India, or an equivalent qualification “ಸ್ಥಾಪಿತವಾದ ಯಾವುದೇ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದ ಸ್ನಾತಕ | /she possesses a Bachelor's Degree or Master” (p. 10) Two-column page (Kannada | English); the English rule reads: unless he/she possesses a Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree awarded by a University established by Law in India or an equivalent qualification. Candidates awaiting final results may apply. |
For every post in this notification
- GEN: +5 years “29-01-2026ರನ್ವಯ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸುವ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪ್ರವರ್ಗಗಳ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಯಾಯ ನೇಮಕಾತಿ ನಿಯಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಗದಿಪಡಿಸಿರುವ ಗರಿಷ್ಠ ವಯೋಮಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒ೦ದು ಬಾರಿಯ ಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ (as a one time measure) 05 ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಸಡಿಲಿ ನೀಡಲಾಗಿದೆ.” (p. 11) One-time 5-year relaxation (Government Order dated 29-01-2026) for candidates of ALL categories, added to each category's own ceiling: General 45, 2A/2B/3A/3B 48, SC/ST/Category-1 50.
- PWD: +10 years “(ಆ) ಅ೦ಗವಿಕಲ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ 10 ವರ್ಷಗಳು” (p. 12)
- Other: +10 years “(ಇ)ವಿಧವೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ (ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಯು ಸಕ್ಷಮ | 10 ವರ್ಷಗಳು” (p. 12) Widows who have not remarried, with a certificate from the competent authority.
- One-time relaxation: candidates of every category get 5 extra years on their upper age limit (Government Order dated 29-01-2026), making the ceilings General 45, Category 2A/2B/3A/3B 48 and SC/ST/Category-1 50 years. “29-01-2026ರನ್ವಯ ಆಯ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸುವ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪ್ರವರ್ಗಗಳ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಆಯಾಯ ನೇಮಕಾತಿ ನಿಯಮಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಗದಿಪಡಿಸಿರುವ ಗರಿಷ್ಠ ವಯೋಮಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒ೦ದು ಬಾರಿಯ ಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ (as a one time measure) 05 ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಸಡಿಲಿ ನೀಡಲಾಗಿದೆ.” (p. 11)
- Must be a citizen of India. “ಅ) | ಭಾರತೀಯ ನಾಗರೀಕನಾಗಿರತಕ್ಕದ್ದು.” (p. 9)
- Limit on attempts at the preliminary exam: 5 for General Merit, 7 for Category 1/2A/2B/3A/3B, no limit for SC/ST. Each preliminary attempt counts. “ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಅರ್ಕತೆ (General Merit) ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ 05 ಬಾರಿ ಪ್ರವರ್ಗ (1), ಪ್ರವರ್ಗ (ed), 2ಬಿ), 3(ಎ), 3(2) | 07 ಬಾರಿ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಜಾತಿ/ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಪ೦ಗಡದ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಗಳ ಮಿತಿ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.” (p. 9)
- Physical standards (height, chest, weight) apply to DySP (Karnataka Police Service), Karnataka Prison Service and Deputy Superintendent of Excise posts; e.g. DySP men 165 cm, women 157 cm. “ಈ ಕೆಳಕ೦ಡ ಹುದ್ದೆಗಳಿಗೆ ನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟವಾದ ದೈಹಿಕ ದಾರ್ಡ್ಥ್ಯತೆಯನ್ನು ವಿಗದಿಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದು ಅ೦ತಹ ದೈಹಿಕ ದಾರ್ಡ್ಯತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೊ೦ದಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಅ೦ತಹ ಹುದ್ದೆಗಳಿಗೆ ನೇಮಕಗೊಳ್ಳಲು ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳು ಅರ್ಹತೆ ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾ” (p. 12)
- Ex-servicemen: upper age limit raised by the years of service plus three years. “(ಅ) ಮಾಜಿ ಸೈನಿಕನಾಗಿದ್ದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿರುವಷ್ಟು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಗೆ ಮೂರು” (p. 12)
- Must be a citizen of India. “ಭಾರತೀಯ ನಾಗರೀಕನಾಗಿರತಕ್ಕದ್ದು.” (p. 9)
KPSC KAS posts and salary
| Post | Department | Pay level | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Commissioner | Revenue | Group A | ₹56,100–1,77,100 |
| Deputy Superintendent of Police | Home | Group A | ₹56,100–1,77,100 |
| Commercial Tax Officer | Commercial Taxes | Group A | As per Group A scale |
| Tahsildar | Revenue | Group B | As per Group B scale |
KPSC KAS selection process
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Preliminary examination | Two objective papers; the second is qualifying. Used to select candidates for the mains and not counted in the final merit. |
| Main examination | Qualifying Kannada and English language papers alongside the general studies papers — a strong general studies candidate can still fail on a paper carrying no merit marks. |
| Personality test | Combined with the mains marks for the final list. |
Who should apply for KPSC KAS
For graduates targeting Assistant Commissioner, DySP or Tahsildar in Karnataka, and particularly for candidates of the Kalyana Karnataka districts, whose Article 371(J) certificate is worth obtaining long before it is needed.
- The mains language papers are qualifying and carry no merit marks, which is what makes failing them so costly.
- The 371(J) certificate is issued under state rules and takes time; obtain it before a notification appears.
- Horizontal reservation exists for Kannada-medium and rural candidates, applied inside each vertical category.
KPSC KAS 2026 — आयु सीमा और योग्यता
कर्नाटक प्रशासनिक सेवा (राजपत्रित प्रोबेशनर) परीक्षा (KPSC KAS) 2026 के लिए आयु सीमा 01 Jan 2027 को 21 से 45 वर्ष है। आरक्षित श्रेणियों की आयु छूट Karnataka 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, साथ ही कन्नड़ की पढ़ाई या आयोग की कन्नड़ भाषा परीक्षा। पदों की संख्या अभी घोषित नहीं · वेतन ₹56,100 से ₹1,77,100 प्रति माह · आवेदन की तिथियाँ अभी घोषित नहीं।
अपनी योग्यता मुफ़्त जाँचें →KPSC KAS 2026 — frequently asked questions
What is the Article 371(J) reservation and does it apply to KAS?
Do I need to pass a Kannada test for KAS?
How should I read the KPSC age limit?
What KPSC KAS is actually like
KAS notifications have historically been slow and litigated, and cycles have run long. Treat it as an examination to prepare for alongside another rather than one to plan a year around.
KPSC KAS 2026 — important links
| Official website | kpsc.kar.nic.in ↗ |
| Check your eligibility | Am I eligible for KPSC KAS? — free |
| Admit card, result, answer key | Admit cards · Results · Answer keys |
| Syllabus and exam pattern | Selection process for KPSC KAS |
| Where KPSC 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 KPSC KAS
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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 kpsc.kar.nic.in before applying.