PSC Mastery

The KAS Preliminary Examination

The KAS Preliminary Examination is a 200-mark objective screening test across two papers: General Studies worth 100 marks, and a second paper combining a further 50 marks of General Studies with 50 marks of language proficiency. The notification is explicit that the marks obtained in the preliminary examination will not be considered for ranking — it exists only to shortlist candidates for the main examination.

Steps

  1. Paper I — General Studies, 100 marks

    Objective multiple choice, in English, over 90 minutes.

  2. Paper II, Part I — General Studies, 50 marks

    A further 50 marks of objective General Studies within the same Paper II slot.

  3. Paper II, Part II — language proficiency, 50 marks

    Thirty marks in a regional language of your choice — Malayalam, Tamil or Kannada — and twenty marks in English, both objective. You declare the language on the application and the notification states a question paper other than the opted language will not be entertained.

  4. The marks are discarded

    The notification states that the marks obtained in the preliminary examination will not be considered for ranking. Clearing it is all it does.

  5. Negative marking is not stated for KAS

    Neither the notification nor the General Conditions we examined states a negative-marking rule for the KAS preliminary examination. Our negative marking guide covers the one-third rule the Commission publishes for objective OMR examinations; we do not assert it applies here, because the KAS notification does not say so. Read your own notification.

  6. What comes next

    Candidates in the provisional list verify their original documents, and only those who clear verification sit the main examination.

Frequently asked questions

Do KAS prelims marks count towards my final rank?#

No. The notification states that marks obtained in the preliminary examination will not be considered for ranking.

Is there negative marking in KAS prelims?#

Not stated. We could find no negative-marking clause for KAS in the notification or the General Conditions, so we do not quote a figure. Check your own notification rather than assuming the Commission’s general OMR rule applies.

Can I take the language paper in Tamil or Kannada?#

Yes — Malayalam, Tamil or Kannada, declared on the application. The notification states a question paper other than the opted language will not be entertained, so the choice is not reversible on the day.

Where is the KAS prelims syllabus published?#

Kerala PSC publishes it as a standalone PDF, separate from the main examination syllabus, linked from its Kerala Administrative Service page.

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.