The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released four recruitment notices dated 29 October 2026 for 5,431 vacancies in Karnataka government departments, boards and corporations. They cover First Division Assistant (FDA), Second Division Assistant (SDA), Accounts Assistant, Hostel Superintendent, Warden, GP Secretary and many more Group-C posts. Two notices are for degree holders and two are for II PUC pass candidates. Online applications run from 30 October to 25 November 2026 on cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. Read the sections below for your own notice — dates, exam days and posts differ. Read the notification for eligibility, selection process, pay scale and all other information.
Some Useful Important Links
| Apply Online | Click Here |
| Download Notification | Click Here |
| Official Website | Click Here |
The official notification / result document link is not independently confirmed for this post; the links above go to the official portal. If a link here is wrong, report it — corrections are published openly.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release Date | 29 October 2026 |
| Online Application Start Date | 30 October 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 25 November 2026 |
| Last Date for Fee Payment | 26 November 2026 |
| Kannada Language Test (all notices) | 08 January 2027, 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM |
| Competitive Exam — Notice 15 (KK, FDA-level) | 09 January 2027 |
| Competitive Exam — Notice 14 (RPC, FDA-level) | 10 January 2027 |
| Competitive Exam — Notice 17 (KK, SDA-level) | 16 January 2027 |
| Competitive Exam — Notice 16 (RPC, SDA-level) | 17 January 2027 |
Paper-1 runs 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM and Paper-2 runs 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM on each exam day. Admit card and exam centres will be announced on the KEA website. Fill the form slowly and check every entry, because the notices say that nothing can be corrected later.
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General Merit, Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | Rs. 750/- |
| SC, ST, Category-1, Ex-servicemen, Transgender | Rs. 500/- |
| Persons with disabilities | Rs. 250/- |
The fee is online only and not refundable, so confirm your eligibility, age and reservation claim before you pay. Notice 14 exempts candidates who applied and paid for KEA’s 2 FDA posts under notification ED/KEA/07/NeVi/2026(RPC) dated 19.05.2026.
Vacancy Details
Read the 5,431 figure carefully, because it is not one recruitment. It is four notices. Each notice covers one cadre: RPC (Residual Parent Cadre) or KK (Kalyana Karnataka, Article 371(J) local cadre). The RPC notices fill posts outside the Kalyana Karnataka local cadre, while the KK notices fill Kalyana Karnataka local-cadre posts. The notices do not print any category-wise (SC, ST, 2A, GM and so on) split. They say post-wise and category-wise details are published separately by the departments, are provisional and may be revised. The tables below show the largest posts in each notice; the full post-wise list is in the notification PDF.
| Notice | Cadre and Level | Total Posts |
|---|---|---|
| ED/KEA/14/2026 | RPC, FDA-level (Degree) | 2,163 |
| ED/KEA/15/2026 | KK, FDA-level (Degree) | 563 |
| ED/KEA/16/2026 | RPC, SDA-level (II PUC) | 2,070 |
| ED/KEA/17/2026 | KK, SDA-level (II PUC) | 635 |
| Total | 5,431 |
Notice 14 — RPC, FDA-level (2,163 posts), largest posts: Accounts Assistant (Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department) 490; Warden (Male, Social Welfare Department) 294; First Division Assistant (Judiciary Department, various courts) 249; Hostel Superintendent (Male, Backward Classes Welfare Department) 180; GP Secretary & RD Assistant Grade-1 (Gram Panchayat) 135; First Division Assistant (Zilla and Taluk Panchayat) 100; Hostel Superintendent (Female) 100; First Division Assistant cum Computer Operator (KREIS) 79; Hostel Warden (KREIS) 78; First Division Assistant (Commercial Taxes Department) 56; First Division Assistant (Agriculture Department) 50; Commercial Tax Inspector 48.
Notice 15 — KK, FDA-level (563 posts), largest posts: Hostel Superintendent (Male) 94; GP Secretary & RD Assistant Grade-1 49; First Division Assistant (Zilla & Taluk Panchayat) 48; First Division Assistant (Judicial Department) 33; Hostel Warden (KREIS) 28; Auditor of Co-operative Societies 27; First Division Assistant (Forest Department) 26; Warden (Male) 25; First Division Assistant cum Computer Operator (KREIS) 25.
Notice 16 — RPC, SDA-level (2,070 posts), largest posts: Second Division Assistant (Judicial Department) 522; Second Division Assistant (Commercial Taxes Department) 500; GP Secretary & RD Assistant Grade-2 (Gram Panchayat) 284; Second Division Assistant (Zilla & Taluk Panchayat) 200; Junior Accounts Assistant (Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department) 130; Second Division Accounts Assistant (Gram Panchayat) 68; Second Division Assistant (Employees’ State Insurance Scheme Medical Services Department) 48; Second Division Assistant (Forest Department) 45.
Notice 17 — KK, SDA-level (635 posts), largest posts: Second Division Assistant (Zilla and Taluk Panchayats) 109; Second Division Assistant (Judiciary Department) 104; Second Division Assistant (Commercial Taxes Department) 90; Marketing Assistant (Agricultural Marketing Department) 44; GP Secretary & RD Assistant Grade-2 38; Second Division Accounts Assistant (Gram Panchayat) 25; Second Division Assistant (Forest Department) 25.
Warden (Male) and Hostel Superintendent (Male) are open to men only. Warden (Female) and Hostel Superintendent (Female) are open to women only. In-service posts can be applied for only by the department’s own eligible lower-cadre staff. You can be selected for only one post across the notices, so use the option entry carefully and list only posts you truly meet the qualification for. If you enter an option for a post you are not qualified for, you alone bear the rejection at document verification.
Age Limit
- Minimum Age: 18 years on the last date (25 November 2026)
- Maximum Age — General Merit: 40 years
- Maximum Age — Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B: 43 years
- Maximum Age — SC, ST, Category-1: 45 years
- Persons with disabilities: extra 10 years
- Widows (not remarried) and freed bonded labourers: extra 10 years
- Karnataka government, local body and corporation employees: years of service, or 10, whichever is less
- Ex-servicemen: service period plus 3 years
These maximums already include a one-time 5-year relaxation; the relaxations above are extra. Census staff in Karnataka get years of service or 5, whichever is less. NCC cadet instructors and gram samuha trainers get years served.
Salary / Pay Scale
The notices print each pay scale as a time scale with yearly increments, so your pay rises step by step. Probation is 2 years. NPS applies to all listed departments except KIADB and KRIDL posts, which have no NPS facility.
| Pay Scale | Posts |
|---|---|
| Rs. 61,300 – Rs. 1,12,900 | Tourism Promotion Officer (RPC); Superintendent (Accounts), KRIDL (KK) |
| Rs. 54,175 – Rs. 99,400 | Commercial Tax Inspector; Sub-Registrar (RPC); KMAS Chief Officer Grade-2 and Information Assistant (KK) |
| Rs. 49,050 – Rs. 92,500 | Assistant (Secretariat, KIADB, KPSC); Accountant (KK) |
| Rs. 44,425 – Rs. 83,700 | All other FDA-level posts |
| Rs. 34,100 – Rs. 67,600 | All SDA-level posts (notices 16 and 17) |
Eligibility
Hold the qualification on or before 25 November 2026. A final-year student whose result is still pending cannot apply for these posts. Candidates awaiting results are not eligible, and no other qualification is considered. Pick the right graduate-level or II PUC-level route below.
| Post | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Most FDA, Assistant, Sub-Registrar, GP Secretary & RD Assistant Grade-1 posts | Degree from a university established by law in India |
| Accounts Assistant | B.Com, BBM or BBA, or an equivalent notified by UGC |
| Warden, Hostel Superintendent, Hostel Warden | Degree and B.Ed |
| FDA cum Computer Operator | Postgraduate degree and a one-year computer course certificate (BE CS / IS / IT, BCA / MCA, BSc / MSc CS and PGDCA holders are exempt) |
| Commercial Tax Inspector | Degree with Economics or Mathematics, or a Commerce degree, or equivalent |
| Co-operative Societies Auditor | Commerce degree with Accountancy and Auditing |
| Tourism Promotion Officer | Degree in Tourism Communication, History, Ideology, Archaeology or Journalism, or any degree and a Hotel Management diploma |
| Statistical Inspector (KK) | Degree with Economics, Statistics, Mathematics or Computer Science in all years; B.Com excluded |
| Accountant (KK) | B.Com with Accountancy |
| SDA, Junior Assistant, GP Secretary & RD Assistant Grade-2, Record Sorter, Tourist Guide, Marketing Assistant | II PUC or equivalent |
| Junior Accounts Assistant (RPC) | PUC (Commerce) with Accountancy |
| KIADB Junior Assistant | II PUC and a 6-month computer course |
| KRIDL SDA | II PUC and a computer knowledge certificate |
Distance-mode technical degrees, and distance degrees from universities running such courses without UGC approval, are not counted. Equivalent boards and diplomas for II PUC (CBSE / ICSE Class 12, NIOS, 3-year diploma, JTTC and others) are listed in the notices, so check your own certificate there.
Selection Process
- Kannada Language Test — qualifying only, 150 marks MCQ, minimum 50 to pass. Marks do not count for merit. Exempt if you studied Kannada as first or second language up to SSLC or higher, studied in Kannada medium, or already passed the compulsory Kannada test
- Competitive Exam — Paper-1 and Paper-2, offline OMR, minimum 35% mandatory
- Online Counselling — option entry, mock allotment and merit-based allotment
- Selection Lists — provisional list (1:1), final list and additional list
- Document Verification — done by the appointing authority, not KEA; PwD claimants face a medical board
Absent in the Kannada test, or below 50 marks, means you are not eligible. Below 35% in the competitive exam means you are not eligible. Carry the admit card with one original photo ID; otherwise no entry. The exam centre cannot be changed.
Exam Pattern
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kannada Language Test (qualifying only) | MCQ | 150 (minimum 50 to pass) | 2 hours |
| Paper-1: General Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| Paper-2: General Kannada, General English, Computer Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
Paper-1 covers current events, science, Indian and Karnataka history, geography, Constitution, Karnataka economy and rural development. Negative marking is there: 0.25 of the question’s marks is cut for each wrong answer. The OMR has a fifth circle for unanswered questions. If you shade nothing, 0.25 is still deducted. Ties go to the older candidate, then to higher marks in the qualifying exam for the post.
Documents Required
- Recent photograph as JPEG file (50 to 200 KB in notice 14) and signature as JPEG file (50 to 70 KB)
- SSLC or date-of-birth proof
- Degree or PUC marks cards
- Caste certificate with its RD number, in the prescribed form, where applicable
- 371(J) certificate (KK cadre) in Annexure-A format only
- Disability certificate (at least 40% disability; a medical board decides), where applicable
Keep your photo, signature, SSLC or date-of-birth proof, degree or PUC marks cards and caste certificate with its RD number ready. Wrong format means the reservation is cancelled. Persons permanently debarred by UPSC, KPSC, any state PSC or KEA are ineligible. A man with more than one living wife, or a woman married to such a man, is ineligible without government permission.
How to Apply
- Visit the KEA online portal at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.
- Register or sign in and open the notice for your cadre and level (RPC or KK, FDA-level or SDA-level).
- Fill the form and claim only the reservations you need.
- Upload a recent photo and your signature as JPEG files.
- Pay the fee online by 26 November 2026.
- Submit, then save the application copy and fee challan until recruitment ends.
No change is allowed after you submit, and only reservations claimed in the application count later. Many candidates will qualify for both a graduate-level and an II PUC-level notice, or for both cadres. The common counselling picks one post only for you, so use the option entry carefully and list only posts you truly meet the qualification for.
Interested candidates can read the full notification before applying.
You may also like: KEA VAO Final Score List 2026 Out: 572 Posts, District-Wise PDF and MPSC Group C Recruitment 2026 Apply Online for 16797 Post
FAQs
Q1. How many posts are there in KEA FDA SDA Recruitment 2026?
There are 5,431 posts across four notices: Notice 14 (RPC, FDA-level) 2,163, Notice 15 (KK, FDA-level) 563, Notice 16 (RPC, SDA-level) 2,070 and Notice 17 (KK, SDA-level) 635.
Q2. What is the last date to apply for KEA FDA SDA Recruitment 2026?
The last date to apply online is 25 November 2026, and the last date to pay the fee is 26 November 2026.
Q3. What is the qualification for KEA FDA and SDA posts?
FDA-level posts need a Bachelor’s degree (some posts need specific subjects or B.Ed); SDA-level posts need II PUC or equivalent. The qualification must be held on or before 25 November 2026.
Q4. What is the application fee for KEA FDA SDA Recruitment 2026?
Rs. 750 for General Merit and Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B; Rs. 500 for SC, ST, Category-1, Ex-servicemen and Transgender candidates; Rs. 250 for Persons with disabilities. The fee is online only and not refundable.
Q5. What is the age limit for KEA FDA SDA Recruitment 2026?
Minimum 18 years on the last date. Maximum 40 years for General Merit, 43 years for Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 45 years for SC, ST and Category-1 — these maximums already include a one-time 5-year relaxation.
Q6. When is the KEA FDA SDA exam 2026?
The Kannada Language Test is on 8 January 2027. Papers 1 and 2 are on 9 January 2027 (Notice 15), 10 January 2027 (Notice 14), 16 January 2027 (Notice 17) and 17 January 2027 (Notice 16).
Q7. Is there negative marking in the KEA FDA SDA exam?
Yes. 0.25 marks are cut for each wrong answer, and the same deduction applies if you leave a question unanswered. Minimum 35% is mandatory in the competitive exam.
Sources: Karnataka Examinations Authority, Group C FDA and SDA Recruitment 2026 (RPC), Notification Nos. ED/KEA/14/2026, 15/2026, 16/2026, 17/2026, dated 29 October 2026; cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea
JobsPlane wishes all applicants the very best.
Who is eligible?
Eligibility varies by post, so check the eligibility entry for the post you are applying for in this post, including its qualification, age limit and experience. Apply only for a post where you meet every condition in that entry, because a form that does not meet the conditions may be rejected.
Answers on this page are taken from this post. Where this post does not state a date or fee, that question is omitted rather than guessed.