KPSC Gazetted Probationers Recruitment 2026 — 319 Vacancies

KPSC is hiring 319 Group A and Group B Gazetted Probationers across departments like Revenue, Commercial Taxes, Cooperation, Urban Development, and Social Welfare in Karnataka. If you have a Bachelor's or Master's Degree from a recognized university, you can apply online. The last date to apply is 31 August 2026. You should be between 21 and 40 years old (higher limits apply for reserved categories), and selection goes through a Preliminary Exam, Main Exam, and Interview.

Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) Gazetted Probationers Recruitment 2026-27 - 319 Posts

The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) has released its notification to fill 319 Group 'A' and Group 'B' Gazetted Probationer posts for the 2026-27 cycle, spread across 18 different services including Revenue, Commercial Taxes, Cooperation, Urban Development, Excise, and Social Welfare departments. This is Karnataka's flagship state civil services exam, conducted under the Karnataka Gazetted Probationers (Appointment by Competitive Examinations) Rules, 1997. Both fresh graduates and working professionals with a Bachelor's degree can apply — SC/ST candidates have no limit on the number of attempts.

Vacancy Breakdown by Department

• Commercial Tax Officer: 74 posts
• Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes: 50 posts
• Assistant Commissioner (Junior), Revenue & Disaster Management: 39 posts
• Tahsildar (Grade-2), Revenue Department: 25 posts
• Assistant Registrar, Cooperative Societies: 21 posts
• Chief Officer (Grade-1), Urban Development: 20 posts
• Executive Officer/Assistant Secretary, RD&PR: 15 posts
• Assistant Director, Agriculture Marketing (Cooperative Dept): 12 posts
• Assistant Treasury Officer, Finance Department: 12 posts
• Assistant Director Grade-1, Social Welfare: 11 posts
• Assistant Director Grade-2, Social Welfare: 11 posts
• Assistant Superintendent, Prisons: 6 posts
• Deputy Excise Officer, Finance (Excise): 5 posts
• Law Officer, Karnataka Government Secretariat: 5 posts
• Other Departments (Food & Civil Supplies, Law Officer-KPSC, Employment, Treasury): 13 posts

Of the total 319 posts, 117 are Group 'A' and 202 are Group 'B'.

Who Can Apply?

• Qualification: You need a Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree from a university established by law in India, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the government.
• Citizenship: You must be an Indian citizen.
• Fitness: You should be physically and mentally fit to carry out the duties of the post.
• Attempts: General Merit candidates get 5 attempts, Category-1/2A/2B/3A/3B candidates get 7 attempts, and SC/ST candidates have no attempt limit.

A few posts — Deputy Superintendent of Police (Civil), Karnataka Prisons Service, and Excise Sub-Inspector — also require you to meet minimum height, chest, and fitness standards given in the notification (see below).

Age Limit

• You should be at least 21 years old as on the last date of application, 31 August 2026.
• General Merit candidates: up to 40 years.
• Category 2A/2B/3A/3B candidates: up to 43 years.
• SC/ST/Category-1 candidates: up to 45 years.
• A one-time additional relaxation of 5 years has been granted to all categories as per a Government Order dated 29 January 2026.
• Ex-servicemen: relaxation equal to years of service plus 3 years.
• Persons with disabilities and widows: additional 10 years relaxation.

Physical Standards (For Select Posts)

If you're applying for Karnataka Police Service DySP (Civil), Karnataka Prisons Service, or Assistant Excise Sub-Inspector, you also need to meet these physical standards:

• DySP (Civil) — Male: Height 165 cm, Chest 84 cm (with 5 cm expansion). Female: Height 157 cm.
• Prisons Service — Male: Height 168 cm, Chest 86 cm (with 5 cm expansion). Female: Height 157 cm.
• Excise Sub-Inspector — Male: Height 163 cm, Chest 81 cm (with 5 cm expansion). Female: Height 157 cm, Weight 49 kg.

Application Fee

• General Merit candidates: Rs. 600
• Category 2A / 2B / 3A / 3B candidates: Rs. 300
• Ex-Servicemen: Rs. 50
• SC / ST / Category-1 / Persons with Disabilities: No fee
• Payment mode: Online only, through Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI.

Selection Process

KPSC selects candidates through three stages:

1. Preliminary Examination: Two objective-type papers of 200 marks each (400 marks total), 100 questions per paper, 2 hours per paper. Covers General Studies, Humanities, State affairs, Science & Technology, and General Mental Ability. Negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer. Papers are set in both Kannada and English.
2. Main Examination: A written exam with 7 papers — 2 qualifying papers (Kannada and English, 150 marks each, minimum 35% required) and 5 compulsory papers (Essay + 4 General Studies papers, 250 marks each), totaling 1250 marks. Only candidates ranked in the top 15 times the number of vacancies from the Prelims are called for the Main Exam.
3. Personality Test (Interview): Worth 25 marks. You're shortlisted for interview in a 1:3 ratio based on your Main Exam score.

The final merit list is prepared out of 1275 total marks (1250 written + 25 interview).

How to Apply

1. Go to the KPSC application portal at kpsconline.karnataka.gov.in.
2. Click "New Registration" and complete your One Time Registration (OTR) with a valid email ID and mobile number.
3. Log in using your enrollment number, mobile number, or email with OTP.
4. Complete your profile with personal, educational, and category details.
5. Click "Apply to Post", select this notification, and fill in the application form.
6. Upload your photo (under 200 KB) and signature (under 70 KB) in JPEG/JPG format.
7. Pay the fee online using Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI.
8. Check the QR code confirmation for "Application Submitted", "Payment Done", and "Application Accepted" status, and save a copy.

Important Dates

• Notification Date: 31 July 2026
• Application Start Date: 1 August 2026
• Last Date to Apply Online: 31 August 2026
• Preliminary Exam Date (Tentative): 15 November 2026

• Implement government policies, schemes, and orders in your assigned department or jurisdiction
• Handle day-to-day administrative, revenue, or regulatory work depending on your posting
• Supervise junior staff and monitor office operations for timely service delivery
• Resolve public grievances and coordinate with other government departments
• Prepare reports, maintain official records, and ensure compliance with rules
• Conduct field visits, inspections, and verifications as required by your post
• Manage budgets, funds, or tax collection and assessment work where applicable
• Represent the government at the taluk, district, or department level as assigned