KPSC Exam Pattern 2022 | Syllabus, Marking scheme, and Subject Wise Pattern
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) is the governing body for recruiting public servants. The KPSC conducts these exams twice a year. The first session is between January and June, and the second one is between July and December.
This guide consists of details about KPSC exam patterns and syllabi of various exams conducted by the KPSC. Some of the main posts for which this exam serves as a basis are
- Karnataka Administrative Services,
- Group A, B, C, D postings,
- Assistant Controller of Forests (ACF),
- First Divisional Assistant (FDA),
- Second Divisional Assistant (SDA),
- Assistant Engineers (AE),
- Junior Engineers (JE), etc.
KPSC exam pattern is slightly different for different posts.
KPSC 2022 Highlights of the Exam
Here are some of the highlights of the KPSC exam:
- Governing Body: KPSC
- Age Limit:
- General Category – 21-35 years
- OBC – 21-38 years
- SC/ST – 21-40 years
- Physically disabled/ Widows – 21-45 years.
- Number of Attempts allowed: GC (5), OBC (7), SC/ST (no limit)
- Application Fees:
- Unreserved category – Rs 500
- SC/ST/OBC – Rs 250
- PwD – No fees applicable
KPSC 2022 Exam dates
The dates for all the KPSC Exams for 2022 are not out yet. The last date to apply for the ACF exam is 20th November 2022. However, aspiring candidates can check the KPSC official website for notifications.
KPSC Exam Pattern for 2022
The KPSC Exam pattern consists of a 3-stage evaluation process. This pattern is valid for most posts like Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), etc. The syllabus for the exam for different posts might differ.
The KPSC exam pattern for various posts is mentioned below:
- KPSC Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) exam pattern:
Stage 1– Preliminary Exam:
This is the first stage of the KPSC exam and is divided into two papers. Details about these papers are:
Each paper has 100 questions and carries 200 marks.
The duration of each prelim exam paper is two hours.
All questions are multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
According to the KPSC, negative marking for each wrong answer is applicable.
There will be a fixed deduction of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer.
The purpose of this exam is to filter non-eligible candidates. KPSC does not count the marks obtained in this exam for the merit list of candidates who appear for the interview.
Stage 2– Mains Exam:
This is the second stage of the KPSC exam and is a written and subjective test. The details are:
This exam has a total of 9 descriptive papers.
Candidates must pass a separate English and Kannada test before the Mains exams.
This is the first and second exam of this stage. The following paper includes essay writing. Then there are four general papers. The last two papers are from an optional subject.
The examination is conducted in English, except for the Kannada test.
The total of marks for this stage of examination is 1,250.
The English and Kannada language tests are of two hours. The maximum duration for the rest of the Mains papers is three hours.
KPSC considers only marks obtained in the general and optional exams for the final merit. All those who clear the cut-off of the KPSC Mains exam are selected for the final interview round.
Stage 3– Final Interview:
A panel of seasoned experts conducts this stage of the examination. This is a one-on-one personality test. The chairperson of KPMC leads the interviewing body.
- KPSC ACF exam pattern:
The prelims stage is the same as the KAS exam pattern.
The Mains stage consists of only four papers. The first two papers are descriptive papers based on English and Kannada language.
The other two papers are Forestry 1 and Forestry 2 for BSc Forestry graduates. People who graduated in other subjects can choose from a list of optional subjects.
All papers from the prelims as well the Mains stage carry 100 marks.
The interview stage is common for all categories of KPSC exams.
- KPSC FDA exam pattern:
The KPSC FDA/SDA exam pattern differs from the other posts. The KPSC FDA exam pattern is shown below:
The exam comprises only three papers.
The main paper is a Compulsory Kannada Paper. It is descriptive and carries 150 marks.
The remaining two papers are General English/ General Kannada and General Knowledge. They are of objective types and carry 100 marks each.
The duration of each FDA/SDA paper is 90 minutes.
Candidates can choose an option between General English and General Kannada.
TheKPSC FDA and SDA exam patterns are the same.
- For Group A, B, and C Exam:
KPSC Group A exam pattern:
The first stage is the same: two MCQ-type papers of 200 marks.
The second stage, or the Mains, comprises eight papers of descriptive type. Two of these are language tests for English and Kannada. The third and fourth papers are for General Studies.
KPSC Group B exam pattern:
Candidates have to clear a Kannada language exam.
A competitive exam of 400 marks follows this. This exam comprises two papers of 200 marks each and is of MCQ type.
After this, there is a document verification followed by a personal interview.
- KPSC Group C exam pattern:
The exam consists of only two papers, the first being General Knowledge.
The second paper is a general paper consisting of four subjects.
A personal interview follows these two papers.
KPSC 2022 Syllabus
The syllabi of KPSC exams for various posts are as follows:
1. Karnataka Administrative Services (KAS) Exam:
| Prelims Paper I Syllabus | Prelims Paper II Syllabus |
| National & international current affairs | Current affairs related to Karnataka |
| History of Karnataka, India, and the World | Various schemes of the Karnataka state government |
| Geography of Karnataka, India, and the World | Knowledge about general science and technology |
| Indian political system and economy | Environment, climate change |
| Mental Ability |
- The syllabus for KAS Mains Exam is as follows:
| Papers | Syllabus |
| Paper 1: English | Comprehension, vocabulary, precis, grammar communication, short essay writing |
| Paper 2: Kannada | Same as above |
| Paper 3: Essay writing | Two essays (written either in Kannada or English) |
| Paper 4: General studies 1 | Modern history, cultural heritage, etc. |
| Paper 5: General studies 2 | Physical and natural resources, the Constitution of India, etc. |
| Paper 6: General studies 3 | Basics of the general sciences |
| Paper 7: General studies 4 | Aptitude, ethics, etc. |
| Paper 8: Optional subject 1 | · Agriculture, marketing, sericulture, and agriculture cooperation· Animal husbandry, fisheries, and veterinary sciences· Anthropology· Geography· Geology· History· Law· Political science and international relations· Psychology· Public Administration· Sociology· Management· Mathematics· Mechanical engineering· Botany· Chemistry· Civil engineering· Commerce and accountancy· Economics· Electrical engineering· Physics· Statistics· Zoology· Rural development and cooperation· English, Hindi, Kannada, or Urdu. |
| Paper 9: Optional Subject 2 | Same as above |
2. ACF Exam syllabus:
- The syllabus is the same as the KAS exam for the prelims stage.
- Syllabus for Mains
| Paper 1 | English |
| Paper 2 | Kannada |
| Paper 3 | Forestry 1 |
| Paper 4 | Forestry 2 |
Non-Forestry graduates have to choose an optional subject from:
Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Civil engineering, Botany, Zoology, Agriculture, Animal husbandry & Veterinary science.
The syllabus for the KPSC FDA/SDA exam is as follows:
| SUBJECT | SYLLABUS |
| Paper 1: Compulsory Kannada | Kannada grammar, spelling, vocabulary, short essay, etc. |
| Paper 2: General English/General Kannada | English/Kannada grammar, vocabulary, idioms and phrases, etc. |
| Paper 3: General Knowledge | Social sciences, general sciences, current affairs, etc. |
- Syllabus for the KPSC Group A, B, and C Exam:
Group A Prelims Syllabus:
| Prelims Paper I (150 marks) | Prelims Paper II: Syllabus (300 marks) |
| General Studies | Commerce and management |
Group A Mains Syllabus:
| Paper 1 | Kannada |
| Paper 2 | English |
| Paper 3 | General Studies 1 |
| Paper 4 | General Studies 2 |
| Paper 5 | Financial Accounting |
| Paper 6 | Principles of management |
| Paper 7 | Corporate finance, taxation, etc. |
| Paper 8 | Auditing, eCommerce, etc. |
Group B Syllabus:
| Paper 1 | English, mental ability, general awareness |
| Paper 2 | Civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering |
Group C Syllabus
| Paper 1 | General knowledge |
| Paper 2 | General Kannada, English, Computer knowledge |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, optional subject. There are two papers on this subject in the Mains stage of the KAS and ACF exams. The optional subjects might vary from exam to exam. However, it is better to choose the subject in which the candidate did graduation.
KPSC exam is a 3-stage state-level exam. Because of the few available posts and many candidates, the exam is very competitive. However, diligent preparation can help candidates clear the exam.
The cut-off marks for various posts for which the exam is conducted are different. The passing marks for the Kannada and English language tests are at least 35%.
There are three main stages of the KPSC exam. The first stage is a qualifying stage called the Prelims. The second stage is the Mains which is descriptive and subject-based. The final stage is a personal interview. To find out more details about the most prestigious exams in the country, visit Chegg India. We also offer24/7 study support, tutoring help, and learning tools for all types of exams. If you are a subject expert, connect with Chegg and earn money and experience in teaching students from across the world.