Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Exam Pattern
KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) releases the KPSC KAS exam pattern 2024 on its official website. The exam pattern is released along with the official notification. The KPSC KAS exam is conducted in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The preliminary stage of the KPSC KAS exam 2024 is qualifying in nature. In other words, marks obtained by candidates in the preliminary stage are not considered in the final merit list.
The KPSC KAS prelims exam includes two papers of 200 marks each. Each paper has 100 questions of 2 marks each. Students who clear the KPSC KAS prelims cutoff are eligible to appear for the mains examination. The KPSC KAS Mains exam has a total of seven papers. Out of seven papers, five papers are mandatory, while two papers are just qualifying in nature. These two papers are language papers: Kannada Language & English Language. As per the latest update, there is no optional paper now in the KPSC KAS Mains exam. The KPSC KAS Mains qualifying papers carry 150 marks each. However, the other five papers carry 250 marks each.
The last stage of the KPSC KAS exam 2024 is the interview round. The marks allotted to the KPSC KAS personality test round have been reduced to 25 marks from 200 marks. The KPSC KAS exam is of now 1275 marks (1250 marks for Mains + 25 marks for Interview).
Table of Contents
- KPSC Exam Pattern 2024: Highlights
- KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: Prelims
- KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: Mains
- KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: Interview
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
KPSC Exam Pattern 2024: Highlights
The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) conducts the KAS exam to recruit candidates for posts like Deputy Superintendent of Police, Assistant Commissioner, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Assistant Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent of Excise, Assistant Director, Tahsildar Grade II, Commercial Tax Officer, and Labour Officer. Interested candidates can check the key highlights of the KPSC exam pattern in the table below:
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Name | Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) |
| Conducting Body | Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) |
| Exam Level | State Level |
| Exam Frequency | Annual (Also Depends upon the Vacancy) |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Exam Mode | Pen & Paper |
| Exam Medium | English & Kannada |
| Selection Process | Three Stages: Prelims, Mains & Interview |
KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: Prelims
The first stage of the KPSC KAS exam is the preliminary examination. The preliminary examination consists of two papers: Paper I & Paper II. Interested candidates can check the key preliminary exam pattern highlights of the KPSC KAS exam 2024.
- Both papers of KPSC KAS prelims exams have multiple choice questions
- In both Paper I and Paper II, 100 questions will be asked in the paper.
- Each question will carry 2 marks.
- There is also a negative marking. For each incorrect answer, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
- Marks scored by candidates in the preliminary exam will not be considered while making the final merit. In other words, the preliminary exam is qualifying in nature.
| Paper | Topics | Number of Questions | Total Marks | Duration |
| Paper I | General Studies | 40 | 80 | 2 hours |
| Humanities | 60 | 120 | ||
| Paper II | General Studies | 40 | 80 | 2 hours |
| Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology | 30 | 60 | ||
| General Mental Ability | 30 | 60 |
KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: Mains
The KPSC KAS Mains examination is a descriptive examination consisting of seven papers. Out of seven papers, 2 papers are language papers, English & Kannada, which are just qualifying in nature. The key highlights of the KPSC KAS Mains exam pattern are as follows:
- The KPSC Mains exam has seven papers (2 Qualifying Papers, 4 General Studies Papers, 1 Essay Paper).
- All papers in the main exam are descriptive in nature.
- The qualifying papers are of 2 hours duration each, while the other five papers are of 3 hours duration.
- Candidates will be selected for the mains round on the basis of marks obtained by them in 7 papers.
- Candidates must achieve at least 35% marks in qualifying papers to clear the pass. However, the marks obtained by them will not be counted while making the final merit.
- The qualifying papers are of 150 marks each, while other papers are of 250 marks each.
| Paper | Marks | Duration | Paper Type |
| English | 150 | 2 hours | Qualifying |
| Kannada | 150 | 2 hours | Qualifying |
| Essay (Paper I) | 250 | 3 hours | Merit |
| General Studies 1 (Paper II) | 250 | 3 hours | Merit |
| General Studies 2 (Paper III) | 250 | 3 hours | Merit |
| General Studies 3 (Paper IV) | 250 | 3 hours | Merit |
| General Studies 4 (Paper V) | 250 | 3 hours | Merit |
KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: List of Optional Subjects
Interested candidates can check the list of optional subjects for the KPSC KAS exam 2024:
| AGRICULTURE AGRIL MKTG, & SERICULTURE | ANIMAL HUSBANDRY VETY SCIENCE & FISHERIES. | BOTANY | CHEMISTRY |
| CIVIL ENGG | COMMERCE | MANAGEMENT | ECONOMICS |
| ELECTRICAL ENGG | GEOGRAPHY | LAW | MATHEMATICS |
| HISTORY | MECHANICAL ENGG. | PHILOSOPHY | GEOLOGY |
| PHYSICS¸ | ZOOLOGY | PSYCHOLOGY | PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. |
| SOCIOLOGY | STATISTICS | POLITICAL SCIENCE AND I.R. | RURAL DEVPT & COOPERATION |
| ANTHROPOLOGY |
Note: Apart from the optional subjects mentioned above candidates can also choose a literature subject of any one of the following languages: English, Hindi, Kannada, and Urdu
KPSC KAS Exam Pattern 2024: Interview
The last stage of the KPSC KAS exam selection process is the Interview/Personality Test. Candidates who clear the mains round will be allowed to sit for the interview round. Candidates will be asked questions from their educational background, general awareness, and current affairs. The interview panel also tests the candidate’s personality and confidence. Interested students can check the key points of the interview pattern & marking scheme:
- The KPSC KAS Interview round carries 25 marks.
- The marks scored by candidates in the interview round will be taken into account in the final merit list.
- The names of the applicants to whom service has been allotted will be included in the final merit list that is created following the interview round.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is exam pattern of KPSC KAS exam?
The exam pattern of KPSC KAS exam 2023 includes three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Personality Test/Interview. The KPSC KAS prelims is qualifying in nature.
What is the duration of the KPSC KAS Preliminary Examination?
The KPSC KAS Prelims consist of two papers of two hours duration each.
What is KPSC KAS Prelims total marks?
The KPSC KAS Prelims are for a maximum of 200 marks for each paper.
What is the minimum qualifying marks for the KPSC KAS Preliminary Examination?
The minimum qualifying marks for the KPSC KAS Preliminary Examination is 33%. However, students are required to clear the cutoff marks released by the conducting body.
What type of questions asked in the KPSC KAS Prelims?
The KPSC KAS Prelims Examination consists of two papers – Paper I and Paper II, both of which are objective type with multiple-choice questions (MCQs)
What is KPSC KAS Mains total marks?
The KPSC KAS Main Exam is for a maximum of 1250 marks (250 Marks for each merit paper)
What is the minimum qualifying marks for the KPSC KAS Main Examination?
Candidates must score a minimum of 35% marks to clear the KPSC KAS Mains qualifying papers.
What is the weightage of the interview in the KPSC KAS Exam?
The KPSC KAS Interview carries 25 marks. The marks scored by candidates in the KPSC KAS Personality Test/Interview are considered in the final merit list.
