Beginner’s Guide

What is Kerala Administrative Service

  • Kerala Administrative Service (KAS) is the civil service of Kerala state. The Kerala Public Service Commission conducts exams to recruit candidates for the service.
  • Candidates recruited to the KAS take up various administrative posts at the district and state level.
  • KAS will help to build a cadre of public servants as a second line of managerial talent for effective implementation of policies and programmes.
  • Other objectives of the KAS is to provide opportunities for growth for bright, talented and committed officers in Government Service and prepare them for senior level administrative and managerial positions in public service, and also to constitute the feeder category for the recruitment of Indian Administrative Service officers in Kerala Cadre through appointment by promotion from State Civil Service (SCS) category superseding the existing rules in this regard

Officers Appointed through KAS Exam

  • Kerala Administrative Service will have four categories of officers in the Junior Time Scale, Senior Time Scale, Selection grade and Super Time Scale groups.

Junior Time Scale

  • Junior Time Scale category is the entry level post. The posts are as given below
    • Revenue Divisional Officer
    • Under Secretary in the Administrative and Finance secretariat
    • Commercial tax Assistant Commissioner
    • Deputy Director

Senior Time Scale Category

  • Junior Time scale officers should complete 8 years of service to be considered for Senior Time scale. Posts included in the Senior Time scale are given below :
    • Additional district magistrate
    • Deputy Collector
    • Deputy Secretary in the Administrative and Financial Secretariat
    • Commercial tax Deputy Commissioner
    • Joint Director and Additional Director

Selection Grade

  • Once an officer in Senior time scale completes 6 years of service then he can be considered for Selection Grade. Following are the posts included in Selection Grade
    • Revenue Assistant secretary
    • Joint secretary in the administrative and financial secretariat
    • Additional secretary and additional director

Super Time Scale

  • Officers who served 8 years in selection grade are considered for Super Time Scale. Following are the posts included in the super time scale
    • Post of special secretaries in the Administrative and Financial secretariat

Types of Recruitment

  • Stream 1 -Direct recruitment from graduates, maximum age limit 32 years, exemption in age limit for backward classes and SC/ST, educational qualification degree from a recognised university. 
  • Stream 2 -Direct recruitment from permanent staff  in government departments who do not fall in the category of first gazetted posts or above  and should have competed two years in service, qualification is degree, maximum age limit 40 years.
  • Stream 3 -Posting by transfer from 29 government departments and equivalent common category posts, maximum age limit 50 years.

Structure of the Examination

The KAS exam is of three stages: 

  • Preliminary examination of objective questions
  • Main examination of descriptive written papers. 
  • The selected candidates of Main examination have to undergo an interview / personality test.

Preliminary Examination

  • There are two papers :
    • Paper 1 -100 Marks
    • Paper 2 -100 Marks

Note : Syllabus and Marking Scheme are yet to be notified

MAIN EXAMINATION

  • Main Examination consists of Three papers.
  • Three hours is the duration of each paper.
  • The  answers should be in descriptive form.
  • Each Paper is of 150 Marks
  • Total Marks of Mains Examination is 450

Syllabus

According to the latest report in the newspapers, the 3 subjects roughly are

  • Kerala Affairs
  • Science Subjects
  • Humanities Subjects

Note : Detailed Syllabus is yet to come

INTERVIEW

  • The candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the main examination shall be summoned for Interview
  • Interview as per latest reports is of 50 Marks