Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) Exam Notification & Preparation

Are you dreaming of a prestigious job in the Kerala State Government Service? If yes, I recommend you apply for the KAS examination conducted by the State Public Service Commission. The PSC will appoint the selected candidates to second-gazetted posts in 29 government departments.

This article explains the importance of KAS, the exam pattern, the number of vacancies, and the chances of promotion for those who join the Kerala Administrative Service.

The State PSC announces the KAS exam notification with prior approval from the Kerala Government. The selected applicants will be KAS Officer (Junior Time Scale) Trainees. You can check the KAS exam notification and category number from the table below.

Notification NO:	Name Of the Post	Method of Appointmenty
186/2019 – 188/2019	KAS Officer (Junior Time Scale) Trainee STREAM-1, STREAM-2, STREAM-3	Direct Recruitment

When I started the KAS batch at GJR Institute, students asked me about the background story of this cadre. I am sure many readers are interested in listening to the actual reason behind the KAS cadre creation.

Many IAS vacancies in the Kerala State Cadre are already vacant because of the absence of eligible candidates in state service. By law, the UPSC cannot fill these vacancies. The only way to fill these vacancies is by promoting qualified employees from the state government service.

The only source available to fill those vacancies was the deputy collector post. So, the Government of Kerala created KAS as the feeder category for state cadre IAS posts through PSC. Appointments from the Kerala Administrative Service will fill 10% of all available second-gazetted posts in state service.

The government of Kerala will appoint the KAS exam winners as second-gazetted officers in 29 government departments. Look at the chart below for the list of departments where the posting will be.

SL	Name Of the Department
1	Civil Supplies
2	Commercial Taxes
3	Commissionerate of Entrance Examinations
4	Co-operative department
5	Culture
6	Industries and Commerce
7	Labour
8	State Lotteries
9	National Employment Service
10	National Savings
11	Administrative Secretariat
12	Finance Secretariat
13	Kerala State Audit
14	Land Revenue
15	Panchayats
16	Sainik Welfare
17	Social Justice
18	State Insurance
19	Stationery
20	Kerala State land use board
21	Rural development
22	Scheduled Caste development
23	Scheduled Tribe development
24	Survey and land records
25	Treasuries
26	General Education
27	Tourism
28	Urban Affairs
29	Common Categories

PS: Common categories include Administrative Officer, Administrative Assistant, Account Officer, Financial Assistant, and posts earmarked for transfer appointment through KPSC in the cadre of Financial Assistant and listed in Schedule II of these rules.

Those who wish to appear for the KAS examination have to undergo three stages in the selection procedure. They are:

1. Preliminary Exam (Objective Type)

2. Main Examination

3. Interview

I always recommend my students in the KAS exam batch understand the pattern and the mark distribution. If you do not know the KAS exam pattern and mark distribution, you cannot pass. I will cover this section in detail later in this article.

There are three streams of selection. Those who pass the direct recruitment test will fill 1/3rd of the available vacancies. The government will fill 1/3rd vacancies from regular government employees.

PSC will fill the rest of the vacancies from 1st gazetted officers in government departments. This chart explains the KAS officers' selection procedure. It does not show the effect of reservation for SC/ST and OBC.

S/N	Stream	Number of Vacancies	Mode of Recruitment
1	Direct Recruitment	33.33% of Available vacancies	It is general recruitment
2	For Regular Government Employees	33.33% of Available vacancies	Only the regular government employees can apply. Gazetted officers cannot apply here
3	For Gazetted Officers	33.33% of Available vacancies	This stream is reserved for Gazetted Officers in Government service

The government has categorized them into four categories.

1. KAS Officer (Junior Time Scale)

2. KAS Officer(Senior Time Scale)

3. KAS Officer(Selection Grade Scale)

4. KAS Officer(Super Time Grade Scale)

The distribution ratio of posts of Kerala Administrative Service officers is 6:5:4:3. That means the strength of KAS officers in Government service will be:

For 6 Junior Time Scale officers, there will be 5 Senior Time Scale staff. For 5 of them, there will be 4 Selection Grade Scale staff. For 4 Selection Grade Scale staff, there will be 3 Super Time Grade Scale staff available.

I contacted the PSC helpline to enquire about the training and probation periods. They shared the following details.

The selected candidates for the post of KAS Officer Trainee (Junior Time Scale) will have training for 18 months. The probation period for the KAS Officer (Junior Time Scale) is two years on duty within a continuous period of 3 years( inclusive of the training period).

Training Period	18 Months
Probation Period	2 Years

The first thing I made sure of while creating the KAS training batch at GJR Institute was to check the students' profiles and filter the eligible candidates. I suggest you read this section carefully and ensure you are eligible to apply.

Let us check the minimum qualification required for a candidate to apply for the Kerala Administrative Service.

1. The Age Limit To Apply For Kerala Administrative Service

   Let us check the age limit set by the PSC for each KAS exam stream.

   1. The Age Limit to Apply for KAS (Stream 1)

      The Public Service Commission has mentioned the upper and lower age limit for different categories of candidates.

      The lower age limit to apply for Kerala Administrative Service is 21. You can read the upper age limit for various categories of candidates ( OBC, SC, and ST category) from the table below.

      Category	Lower Age Limit	Upper Age Limit
      General Category	21	32
      OBC Category	21	35
      SC/ST Category	21	37
      Differently abled candidates	21	42/47
      ExService men	21	32+ Depends on the period of service
      Widows	21	37

   2. Upper Age Limit Rules For Government Employees to Apply For KAS Stream 2

      Our KAS batch has Nongazetted government employees. They are curious to know the upper-age eligibility to apply for KAS. For those appearing for KAS Recruitment Stream 2, check the table below for the upper age limit.

      Category	Upper Age
      General Category	21-40
      OBC Category	21-43
      SC/ST Category	21-45
      Differently abled candidates	Upper age Relaxation: 10 years for Orthopaedically DAC and 15 years for Differently abled candidates (vision, hearing, speech)
      ExService men	Upper age Relaxation: The period of service put in by them in the Defence Forces and the period of unemployment on discharge up to a maximum of five years
      Widows	Upper age Relaxation: 5 Years

   3. The Age Limit For Gazetted Officers to Apply For KAS

      A Gazetted officer can apply for KAS through stream 3. Any gazetted officer who has not reached 50 can apply for Kerala Administrative Service.

   The State Public Service Commission will reject applications from government employees (Gazetted and Non-gazetted) who have reached 50 years. My friend Vinod, a gazetted officer who is 51 years old ( though eligible for the OBC upper age limit), PSC rejected his application.

2. Minimum Educational Qualification To Apply For KAS

   The applicant must have a Bachelor's Degree (from an institution recognized by UGC).

3. The Eligibility Required to Apply for KAS Stream 2

   In addition to the upper age and the educational qualifications, the candidate must have the following qualification required to apply for KAS Stream 2.

   • The candidate must be a full member or an approved probationer in any Government Department( and must not be a 1st Gazetted Officer or above).

   • 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 in Government and against whom no major penalty has been imposed or proceedings for a major penalty or criminal proceedings are in progress.

4. Which Government Staff is Eligible to Apply for KAS Stream 3?

   The Government employees who satisfy the following conditions can apply for Kerala Administrative Service through KAS stream 3.

   • 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-I of KAS Special Rule 2018.

   • 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 in Government.

Now you understand the eligibility to apply for the Kerala Administrative Service examination.

I have covered everything about the KAS so far. Now is the right time to teach you how to crack the KAS examination conducted by the Kerala PSC. I will cover the KAS exam pattern, mark distribution, and study guide.

The Kerala Administrative Service examination has three phases. They are:

1. Preliminary Test

2. Main Test

3. Interview

This section focuses on how to prepare for the KAS Preliminary examination and how to answer the model question papers.

Let us check the details of the study papers in the KAS Preliminary exam and the maximum marks for each section. KAS Prelim has two papers. Each paper has a maximum mark of 100, and the duration of each paper is 90 minutes.

The charts provided below will help you understand the structure of the Kerala Administrative Service Preliminary examination. Let us check the KAS Preliminary Paper 1.

Paper	Topic of Papers	Mode of Exam	Medium	Mark	Duration
Paper I	General Studies	Objective Multiple Choice	English	100	90 Minutes

The below chart explains the duration and mark distribution of the KAS Preliminary Exam Paper 2.

Paper	Topic of Papers	Mode of Exam	Medium	Mark
Paper 2-Part I	General Studies	Objective Multiple Choice	English	50
Paper 2-Part II	Language Proficiency Malayalam/Tamil/Kannada	Objective Multiple Choice	Malayalam/Tamil/Kannada	30
Paper 2- Language	Language Proficiency English	Objective Multiple Choice	English	20

The Kerala Administrative Service Preliminary examination mode is the Objective Type Multiple Choice. You need to fill the OMR sheets with the correct code.

Kerala PSC has uploaded the detailed syllabus for the next Kerala Administrative Service Preliminary Examination. You can download it from the Kerala PSC website by following the link below.

I guess I have covered enough about the exam details. So, I move to the next stage: KAS Prelims Exam Training. We will check the model questions and answers for KAS Prelim Paper 1 -GENERAL STUDIES and Prelim Paper -2.

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Team GJR Institute has prepared an analysis of the expected questions on KAS Preliminary Paper One and explains the answers. Paper one is General Studies. It includes the History of Kerala and India, the World history, the culture of Kerala, the Indian Constitution, Arithmetics and Mental Ability, and Geography.

Let us check the KAS Prelim Paper 1 Model questions and answers.

1. Expected Kerala History Questions in KAS Prelim Paper 1

   You should study the history of both Kerala and India to score good marks in this section. Important Kerala history questions for KAS Prelim are:

   • You can expect questions from 18th-century history. Expect questions from Pre-Independence socio-political movements and the formation of Kerala State.

   • Another important section in Kerala history for the next KAS Prelim Paper One is the Political parties and movements.

   • Another KAS Prelim Kerala history section is the Government's Landmark legislation and policies.

2. Indian History Questions For the KAS Prelim Paper 1

   It covers India's Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Periods. Model Indian history questions for the Kerala Administrative Service Prelim exam are:

   • You can expect questions from major Dynasties and their administrative systems. You may expect questions from social, religious and economic conditions in ancient and medieval India.

   • Struggle for Indian independence is an important section for KAS Prelim Paper one. You should study the important personalities during the period and the events associated with them.

   • Another important section for KAS Prelim paper one is the salient features and major landmarks of ancient and medieval India.

3. The World History Questions for KAS Prelim General Studies Paper 1

   It is important to practice World History model questions for scoring high marks in Kerala Administrative Service Prelim Paper one.

   • The industrial revolution and World wars is an important section.

   • You must study Globalisation and its impact on the world.

   • Colonialization and decolonization are other important sections in the KAS Prelim General Studies syllabus.

4. Important Questions From Cultural Heritage of Kerala

   KAS Prelim General Studies Paper one will have questions from Kerala Culture. Model Kerala Heritage questions for KAS Prelim exam are:

   • Questions from Kerala Art Forms and literature.

   • You can expect questions from the Kerala Tribal culture and Cinema.

   • History and revolution of Malayalam language and literature.

5. KAS Prelim Questions From Indian Constitution and Public Administration

   Indian Constitution and Public Administration is an important section in the KAS General Studies Paper one. Mock Indian Constitution questions for the KAS PReliminary examination are:

   • Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States

   • Questions from Parliament and State Legislatures

   • You can expect questions from Constitutional Authorities in KAS Prelim

   • You should study model questions from Human rights, Women's rights, SC/ST rights, Child rights, etc.

   • Questions from India's Foreign Policy and its relationship with International Organisations

   • Questions from Indian Judiciary

   • Fundamental rights and fundamental duties

6. KAS Prelim Questions From Simple Arithmetic and Reasoning

   One of the important sections in which you can score higher marks in KAS Preliminary Paper 1 is Mathematics and Mental Ability. You will see questions from the following sections.

   • Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability

   • Coding-Decoding, problems related to Relations

   • Find the age, find the direction and the relationship between two persons.

   • Questions based on Clock and Calendar

   • Questions based on the work done and basic interests

7. KAS Preliminary Exam Questions from Geography

   KAS Prelim Paper 1 General Studies will have Geography questions. The expected questions are from the following sections.

   • You can expect questions from Atmosphere and Climate in the KAS Prelim General Studies Paper one.

   • Another important section which includes in Geography section in KAS Prelim is Solar system

   • You must study the Physical Geography of Kerala and India.

   • The soil type in Kerala and India. Questions based on agriculture and seasons.

   • You can expect questions from Geophysical phenomena like Earthquake, Tsunami, Volcanoes, Cyclone, Flood, and Landslides.

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Let us analyze the expected questions in the KAS Prelim Paper 2. The important sections in the KAS Prelim Paper 2 General Study are Indian Economy, Science and Technology, and Current Events. The additional topics are Language Proficiency (English)and Local Language.

1. Indian Economics KAS Preliminary Exam Questions

   The expected economics questions in the KAS Preliminary examination are from the following topics.

   • NITI Aayog and Development under different five-year policies

   • Performance of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sectors In India

   • You can expect questions from the Agriculture Sector in Kerala Administrative Service Preliminary Paper.

   • Indian Industrial Policy and the important Public Sector enterprises

   • You can expect questions from the Economy of Kerala and major revenue sources

   • Kerala model development is a very important section in KAS examination

2. Important Science and Technology Questions For KAS Prelim

   You can expect questions from Science and Technology. For this section, you must be aware of the current events in the Science field.

   • Technology in Space and Defence

   • Nature and Scope of ICT

   • Energy requirement and efficiency

   • Environmental Science and Biodiversity

   • Green Technology and Nanotechnology

   
   

I believe you will find the model questions suggestions for the upcoming Kerala Administrative Service Prelims examination by the state PSC.

This is an important question because there is a reservation for government employees in Kerala Administrative Service recruitment.

Sadly those working in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) will not be treated as government staff. So they cannot avail of the 66% reservation (combining the general and gazetted post streams). For example, KSRTC employees cannot claim the reservation allotted to government staff.