What KAS (Karnataka) is
The Gazetted Probationers Examination, conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission, recruits into the Karnataka Administrative Service and allied Group A and Group B posts within the state government. It is Karnataka’s state-level counterpart to UPSC’s Civil Services Examination, using one combined process and merit list to allocate multiple services, with your rank and preference order deciding your allotment.
Every state runs its own version of this exam under its own Public Service Commission. KAS is Karnataka’s, and a candidate applying for a different state’s civil services should look up that state’s own commission rather than treating this pattern as identical everywhere, though the general shape (Preliminary, Main, Interview) is common across most state PCS exams.
Who can apply
A bachelor’s or master’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university is the academic requirement. The general age band is 21 to 35 years, reckoned as on the last date for application submission, with standard relaxations for reserved categories as per Karnataka government rules. Kannada proficiency is required to clear the selection process, which sets this exam apart from some other state PCS exams that do not carry an explicit language requirement. General merit candidates get a maximum of five attempts, as the notification specifies.
How the exam runs
The Preliminary Examination is an objective General Studies test worth 400 marks, which produces the ranking for advancing to the Main Examination and does not itself count towards the final merit.
The Main Examination is a descriptive written exam worth 1,250 marks, covering General Studies papers, a qualifying General Kannada and General English paper, and one optional subject paper the candidate chooses. This differs from UPSC CSE’s Main Examination in language emphasis and specific paper structure, so preparation for one is not a direct substitute for the other even though both share a similar overall shape.
Candidates who clear the Main Examination sit an Interview worth 25 marks, conducted by KPSC. The final rank combines Main Examination marks and Interview marks.
Preparing the application
KPSC specifies exact photograph and signature requirements in each notification rather than a fixed year to year standard, so check the current notification’s dimensions and file size before uploading. The tools on this site can resize your photograph to whatever specific target the notification states.
On exam day
Arrive at least an hour before the reporting time on your admit card, with the printed admit card, a government photo identification matching the name and photo on the admit card, one recent passport size photograph, and a black ballpoint pen for the OMR sheet. No electronic devices are permitted, and only material issued by the centre may be used during the exam.
The official KPSC website, linked above, carries the current notification, exact age requirements, syllabus and schedule for the cycle you are applying to.