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Kerala PSC exams (LDC, KAS and others)

Evidence status: ⚪ unverified. The official commission website (keralapsc.gov.in) returns 403 Forbidden errors to automated evidence fetchers, so details from the latest notifications are kept unverified per evidence rules. The structure, study order, and official links below are harvested from verified commission rules and notifications.

Kerala PSC recruits for most Kerala government services and departments, ranging from Last Grade Servants (LGS) and Lower Division Clerks (LDC) to the Kerala Administrative Service (KAS), through rolling Extraordinary Gazette notifications.

At a glance
Conducted by Kerala Public Service Commission
Notification style Rolling Extraordinary Gazette notifications, each with its own category numbers, eligibility criteria, and last dates
How to apply Online only through One Time Registration (OTR) on the commission website; no application fee
Selection chain Written/OMR/Online test (mandatory profile confirmation required) → ranked list → advice against vacancies
Ranked-list validity Minimum one year; continues until a new list is published or three years, whichever is earlier
KAS structure Three streams in 1:1:1 ratio — Stream 1 (open, 21–32 years), Stream 2 (government servants, 21–40 years), Stream 3 (gazetted officers, up to 50 years); bachelor's degree required for all

Official sources

Exam pattern

General and Departmental Posts

For most posts (such as LDC, LGS, Secretariat Assistant, and technical/subordinate services), recruitment is direct via rolling gazette notifications. Candidates must register via OTR, apply for specific category numbers, and submit a mandatory confirmation to write the test through their profile. Only confirmed candidates can generate admission tickets. The test scheme (marks, duration, negative marking) is specified in each post's notification.

Kerala Administrative Service (KAS)

Per the KAS Special Rules (GO(P) No.12/2017/P&ARD), the examination pattern mirrors the rigour and standard of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It comprises: 1. Preliminary Examination: Objective screening test (two papers: General Studies I and General Studies II). 2. Main Examination: Written descriptive test. 3. Interview: Personality test. Recruitment to KAS (Junior Time Scale) is distributed equally across three streams in a 1:1:1 ratio. Successful candidates undergo 18 months of rigorous training followed by a 2-year probation.

Syllabus

General Posts

Posts follow the syllabus outlined in their respective notifications and the commission's syllabus index. Core topics typically include General Knowledge with special focus on Kerala (history, geography, economy, culture, and social reform movements), Simple Arithmetic and Mental Ability, and General English and Malayalam language proficiency.

Kerala Administrative Service (KAS)

  • Paper I (General Studies I): History of India and Kerala, World history from mid-18th century, Kerala cultural heritage, Indian Constitution, governance, social justice, international relations, reasoning, simple arithmetic, mental ability, and geography of India and Kerala.
  • Paper II (General Studies II): Indian economy and planning, Kerala economy and the Kerala model of development, science and technology (ICT, space, energy, environment), current events, English language proficiency, and Malayalam (or Kannada/Tamil) language proficiency.

How to prepare (free, in order)

  1. Master foundational GS modules: Study the shared UPSC GS modules (polity, history, geography, economy, environment) once to build a solid base.
  2. Focus on Kerala specifics: Supplement with Kerala state history, art, culture, literature, geography, and socio-economic schemes from official state documents and trusted resources.
  3. Practice quantitative aptitude & reasoning: Build speed in basic arithmetic and mental ability.
  4. Solve previous question papers: Practice the commission's official previous question papers to understand the recurring question style.

Free resources