PSC Mastery

Who can apply for KAS — the three streams

The Kerala Administrative Service recruits through three parallel streams, and the Special Rules fix the proportion between them at 1:1:1. Stream 1 is open to any graduate aged 21 to 32. Stream 2 is for full members or approved probationers in a government department, aged 21 to 40. Stream 3 is for officers already holding a first gazetted post or above, with an age ceiling of 50. Each stream produces its own ranked list.

Steps

  1. Stream 1 — the open route

    Any bachelor’s degree, in any subject including professional degrees, from a recognised university. Age 21 to 32 as on 1 January of the year the notification is published. No government service required.

  2. Stream 2 — serving employees

    Open to full members or approved probationers in any government department, aged 21 to 40, who are not already holding a first gazetted post or above in a Schedule I department, and who meet the regularisation or two-year service condition.

  3. Stream 3 — serving gazetted officers

    Restricted to candidates already holding a first gazetted post or above in a Schedule I department, or an equivalent common-category post, with probation completed and an age ceiling of 50. General Education Department teaching staff are excluded from this stream.

  4. The 1:1:1 rule is a rule, not a convention

    The Special Rules state that recruitment to the Junior Time Scale from the three streams shall be in the proportion of 1:1:1. One third of every batch belongs to each stream, so candidates in different streams are not competing for the same seat.

  5. Separate lists, and a defined order

    Each stream gets its own ranked list. Where a stream falls short of candidates, the Special Rules assign the shortfall to the other streams in order — Stream 1, then Stream 2, then Stream 3.

  6. Applying to more than one stream

    Possible only if you separately qualify for each, and it requires separate applications. Streams 2 and 3 also need a controlling-officer certificate confirming service status and probation, in the format prescribed in the notification.

Frequently asked questions

Which KAS stream do I fall under?#

Stream 1 if you are not in government service. Stream 2 if you are a full member or approved probationer below the first gazetted level. Stream 3 if you already hold a first gazetted post or above in a Schedule I department. The stream follows your service status, not your preference.

Can I apply under more than one stream?#

Only if you separately qualify for each, and you must submit separate applications. The notification states this explicitly.

What if a stream does not fill?#

The Special Rules assign any shortfall in one stream’s list to candidates available in the other streams, in the order Stream 1, Stream 2, Stream 3.

Does my degree subject matter for KAS?#

No. A bachelor’s degree in any subject, including professional degrees, from a recognised university, satisfies the qualification for all three streams.

Official sources

Steps last verified against official Kerala PSC sources on 25 August 2026.

Where the Commission has not published a rule, this guide says so rather than guessing. Anything marked “not officially published” is exactly that.

This is an independent guide for aspirants, written from the Commission’s own published instructions. Portal screens and rules change — always confirm on keralapsc.gov.in and in your own Thulasi profile before acting. PSC Mastery is not affiliated with the Kerala Public Service Commission.