KEA VAO RPC Cadre Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 505 Posts

📅 Posted: 10/07/2026 📝 Updated: 11/07/2026

Total Vacancy505

Salary₹34,100 - ₹67,600 [Approx. ₹42,000 - ₹46,000/Month]

LocationKarnataka

Last Date30/07/2026

Short Information: The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has opened online applications for 505 Village Administrative Officer (Grama Adalitha Adhikari) posts under the Revenue Department, spread across 21 districts of Karnataka. If you have completed your PUC (12th) or an equivalent qualification, this is a genuine entry point into Group-C state government service with long-term stability. The pay scale runs from ₹34,100 to ₹67,600, which works out to an approximate starting in-hand salary of ₹42,000 to ₹46,000 per month once DA and HRA are added, along with NPS coverage for retirement. Candidates can apply online from 11 July 2026 to 30 July 2026, with fee payment accepted until 31 July 2026. Selection runs through a single competitive written exam (offline OMR format) covering General Knowledge and Kannada/English/Computer Knowledge, scheduled for 04 October 2026. A minimum of 35% marks is required to qualify, and there is a 0.25 mark deduction for every wrong answer, so accuracy matters more than guesswork. One important rule to note: you can apply to only one district under this notification, so pick carefully based on where you actually want to be posted, since district allotment directly determines your working location for years to come.

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📅 Dates & Fees 📦 Vacancy 💰 Salary 🎯 Selection 📝 Pattern 📖 Syllabus ❓ FAQs 🔗 Important Links

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026 2026Important Dates

Notification Released	10/07/2026
Application Begin	11/07/2026
Last Date to Apply	30/07/2026
Pay Exam Fee Last Date	31/07/2026
Exam Date (Kannada Language Exam)	04/10/2026

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026 2026Application Fee

General & Cat 2A/2B/3A/3B	₹750
SC/ST/Cat-1/Ex-Servicemen/Third Gender	₹500
Special Chetana (PwD)	₹250

Payment: Online Only

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 505 PostsVacancy Details & Age Limit

Age Limit: 18-40 Years (General); up to 43 Years for Cat-2A/2B/3A/3B; up to 45 Years for SC/ST/Cat-1

(State Government/Local Body/PSU serving employees: relaxation equal to years of service or 10 years, whichever is less, Ex-Servicemen: age relaxed by (service years + 3 years), NCC full-time supervisors: relaxation equal to service years, Widows and destitute women: 10 Years, Freed bonded/jeetha labourers: 10 Years, Karnataka Rural Employment (Grama Samudaya) surveyors: relaxation equal to service years)

Post Name	Total Post	Eligibility
Village Administrative Officer (VAO)	505	PUC (12th) or Equivalent Pass
Total Vacancy	505

Recruitment Table: District Wise Vacancy Details

District	Vacancy
Bengaluru Nagara	20
Bengaluru Grameenantara	29
Chitradurga	15
Chikkaballapura	21
Tumakuru	50
Shivamogga	18
Kolar	22
Bengaluru Dakshina	30
Mysuru	45
Mandya	50
Hassan	35
Udupi	10
Dakshina Kannada	20
Chamarajanagar	31
Chikkamagaluru	10
Belagavi	48
Bagalkote	16
Gadag	14
Haveri	15
Bidar	04
Raichur	02
Total	505
Note:Category-wise (UR/OBC/SC/ST/EWS) break-up will be published separately by respective District Collectors; only district-wise totals are given in this notification.

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026Eligibility Criteria

Candidate must have passed PUC (Pre-University/12th) or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Karnataka Pre-University Education Board.
Diploma holders (3-year technical diploma) are also treated as equivalent to PUC as per specified Government Orders.
NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) Class 12 passed candidates are eligible as per applicable rules.
Candidate must be a citizen of India.
Candidate must be mentally and physically fit to discharge the duties of the post.

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026Pay Scale / Salary Structure

Post Name	Salary Level
Village Administrative Officer (VAO)	₹34,100-800-35,700-900-39,300-1,000-43,300-1,125-47,800-1,250-52,800-1,375-58,300-1,500-64,300-1,650-67,600

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026Selection Process Steps

Competitive Written Examination (Offline OMR Based)
Document Verification
Final Merit List Preparation

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026Detailed Exam Pattern

Recruitment Details: Exam Overview

Mode: Offline (OMR Based).
Negative Marking: 0.25 Marks deducted for every wrong answer.
Minimum Qualifying Marks: 35% required to be considered eligible.
Total Duration: 4 Hours (2 Papers of 2 Hours each).

Recruitment Table: Written Exam Details

Paper	Subject	Questions	Marks	Duration
Paper-1	General Knowledge (Current Affairs, Indian Constitution, Karnataka History & Geography, Panchayat Raj, State Development Issues)	100	100	2 Hours
Paper-2	General Kannada, General English & Computer Knowledge	100	100	2 Hours
Total		200	200

Recruitment Details: Kannada Language Qualifying Test (If Applicable)

Applicable only to candidates who have not studied Kannada as a subject up to SSLC/PUC level or were not educated in Kannada medium.
Test carries 150 marks; a minimum of 50 marks is required to qualify.
This is a qualifying test only — marks are not counted towards the final merit list.

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026Subject-wise Syllabus Topics

The exam standard is based on PUC (12th) level knowledge as per the official notification's subject breakdown.

📚 General Knowledge

Current Affairs
Daily Life General Knowledge
Indian Constitution (Schoolbook level)
Indian History with focus on Karnataka
Geography of India with focus on Karnataka
State & Regional Development
Panchayat Raj Institutions & Rural Cooperative Societies
Karnataka's Environment & Development Issues

📚 General Kannada

Grammar
Comprehension
Vocabulary

📚 General English

Grammar
Comprehension
Vocabulary

📚 Computer Knowledge

Basic Computer Operations
General IT Awareness

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026How to Apply

Visit the official KEA website: https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/
Click on the online application link for VAO Recruitment 2026.
Fill in personal, educational, and category details carefully.
Upload photograph (JPEG, 50KB-200KB) and signature (JPEG, 50KB-70KB).
Select only ONE district for application — multiple district applications are not allowed.
Pay the applicable fee online and download the confirmation/fee receipt.
Take a printout of the submitted application for future reference.

Recruitment Note: About Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA)

The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), known locally as Karnataka Pariksha Pradhikara, is the state government's designated agency for conducting large-scale competitive examinations and centralized admissions across Karnataka. Functioning under the Higher Education Department, KEA is best known for conducting the Common Entrance Test (CET) for engineering and medical admissions, but it also regularly conducts direct recruitment examinations on behalf of various state departments, including the Revenue Department for posts such as Village Administrative Officer. KEA's role ensures a transparent, centralized, and standardized selection process across all districts, rather than leaving recruitment to be handled separately by individual district offices. Given the scale of candidates involved in Karnataka's government recruitment drives, KEA's examination infrastructure — spanning OMR-based testing, digital application processing, and district-wise result coordination — plays a critical part in the state's civil service intake system.

Recruitment Note: Job Profile — Village Administrative Officer (VAO)

As a Village Administrative Officer, the selected candidate becomes the primary revenue functionary at the village level, working under the Revenue Department. Core responsibilities include maintaining land and revenue records for assigned villages, verifying and updating RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops) entries, assisting in land survey and boundary disputes, processing income and caste certificate verifications, coordinating during natural calamities and crop damage assessments, and supporting Tahsildar-level officers in day-to-day village administration. The role involves considerable fieldwork and direct interaction with villagers, requiring accuracy in documentation and familiarity with local land records. Over time, VAOs are eligible for promotion within the Revenue Department hierarchy based on seniority and departmental exams, making this a stable entry point into the state's revenue administration cadre.

Recruitment Note: Benefits & Perks Beyond Salary

Selected candidates receive the standard Karnataka state government benefits package alongside the pay scale. This includes coverage under the National Pension Scheme (NPS), Dearness Allowance (DA) revised periodically, House Rent Allowance (HRA) as per posting location, medical reimbursement facilities, earned and casual leave entitlements, and gratuity on completion of qualifying service. The post carries a 2-year probation period, after which the appointment is confirmed as a regular Group-C government employee, offering long-term job security along with periodic pay commission revisions applicable to Karnataka state government staff.

KEA VAO RPC Cadre Online Form 2026Important Official Links

Apply Online Application Window: 11/07/2026 to 30/07/2026	Click Here ↗
Download Notification Advt No. ED/KEA/26/NEV/2026(RPC)	Click Here ↗
Official Website	Click Here ↗

Disclaimer Information provided here is for quick reference. Verify all details on the official website before taking action.

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Quick Overview

🚀 Recruitment Overview

Quick Summary of the Notification

Organization	KEA
Post Name	Village Administrative Officer (VAO)
Total Vacancy	505
Salary	₹34,100 - ₹67,600 [Approx. ₹42,000 - ₹46,000/Month]
Job Location	Karnataka
Apply Mode	Online
Last Date	30/07/2026
Official Website	Visit Website ↗

💡 Expert Tip

Before you submit, double-check your district choice — KEA allows only one district per candidate under this notification, and there is no provision to switch or add districts after submission, even by mistake. If you did not study Kannada as a subject up to SSLC/12th or were not educated through Kannada medium, you must additionally clear a Kannada Language Test (150 marks, minimum 50 to pass); this is qualifying only and does not add to your merit score, but skipping it will disqualify you outright. Keep your caste/income and rural/Kannada-medium certificates valid as on the last date for submission, 30 July 2026 — certificates issued after this date will not be accepted even if you already hold provisional ones. Upload your photo (50KB-200KB, JPEG) and signature (50KB-70KB, JPEG) exactly per the specified size limits, as applications with non-compliant files are liable to be rejected.

Common Questions (FAQs)

Q.1 What is the in-hand salary for Village Administrative Officer (VAO)? ▼

Ans: The post carries a pay scale of ₹34,100-67,600. After adding Dearness Allowance and House Rent Allowance as applicable to Karnataka state government employees, the starting in-hand salary is approximately ₹42,000 to ₹46,000 per month, in addition to NPS retirement benefits.

Q.2 What is the last date to apply online for KEA VAO Recruitment 2026? ▼

Ans: The online application window opened on 11 July 2026 and closes on 30 July 2026. Candidates must also complete fee payment by 31 July 2026, as applications with pending fee payment are not considered complete.

Q.3 Is there any negative marking in the KEA VAO exam? ▼

Ans: Yes. 0.25 marks are deducted for every wrong answer in the competitive written examination. Since the exam uses a multiple-answer OMR format in some cases, marking more than one answer for a question or leaving the intended answer unclear also results in the same 0.25 mark deduction.

Q.4 What is the age limit for General Category candidates? ▼

Ans: General category candidates must be a minimum of 18 years old and a maximum of 40 years old. Candidates from Category 2A/2B/3A/3B get relaxation up to 43 years, while SC/ST and Category-1 candidates get relaxation up to 45 years, as per the applicable government order.

Q.5 How to download the KEA VAO Notification PDF? ▼

Ans: The official notification (Advt No. ED/KEA/26/NEV/2026(RPC)) can be downloaded from the KEA official website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. Candidates should read the full notification carefully before applying, as it contains district-wise vacancy, eligibility, and category-wise fee details.

Q.6 What is the educational qualification required for VAO? ▼

Ans: Candidates must have passed PUC (12th)/Pre-University or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Karnataka Pre-University Education Board. NIOS Class 12 pass and certain 3-year technical diplomas are also accepted as equivalent per specified government orders.

Q.7 What is the selection process for VAO? ▼

Ans: Selection is based purely on a competitive written examination conducted in offline OMR format, consisting of two papers of 100 marks each. A minimum of 35% marks is mandatory to qualify. There is no separate interview stage for this recruitment.

Q.8 Can a candidate apply to more than one district? ▼

Ans: No. Under this notification, each candidate can apply to only ONE district. Applying to multiple districts is not permitted, and details filled in the submitted application, including the chosen district, cannot be changed after submission.