PSC Mastery

After you clear KAS — training, probation and posting

A selected KAS officer does not go straight to a desk. The Special Rules provide for 18 months of training arranged by the Institute of Management in Government, Thiruvananthapuram, and a probation of two years on duty within a continuous three-year period which is inclusive of that training. The first posting comes from the roughly 30 departments listed in the rules’ own Schedule I.

Steps

  1. Eighteen months of training

    Arranged by the Institute of Management in Government in the manner decided by Government from time to time.

  2. Two mandatory external components

    Not less than 15 days at a premier national institute specialising in development and planning, and not less than 15 days at a premier national institute of management.

  3. Probation includes the training

    Two years on duty within a continuous three-year period, inclusive of the 18-month training. The training time counts towards probation rather than being added on top of it.

  4. Departmental tests before probation is declared

    Revenue tests, the Criminal Judicial Test covering the penal and procedure codes — waived for law-degree holders — the Manual of Office Procedure, the Kerala Secretariat Office Manual, and a Malayalam proficiency test for anyone who did not study Malayalam to tenth-standard level. See the departmental tests guide.

  5. Where you are posted

    Schedule I lists roughly 30 departments eligible for KAS cadre posts, including Civil Supplies, Commercial Taxes, Co-operation, Land Revenue, Registration, Panchayats and the Secretariat. Schedule II names the Junior Time Scale posts themselves, such as District Supply Officer, Assistant Commissioner in Commercial Taxes and Deputy Registrar in Co-operation.

  6. The longer career

    The Special Rules provide for progression through four scales — Junior Time Scale, Senior Time Scale, Selection Grade and Super Time Scale — and address promotion to the Indian Administrative Service subject to the separate central regulations. We found conflicting figures for the service required before that becomes possible, so we do not state a number.

Frequently asked questions

Where is KAS training conducted?#

By the Institute of Management in Government, Thiruvananthapuram, over 18 months, including at least 15 days each at a national development-planning institute and a national management institute.

How long is KAS probation?#

Two years on duty within a continuous three-year period, and that period is inclusive of the 18-month training rather than following it.

Can I choose my department?#

No rule guaranteeing a choice was found. Cadre allocation follows the vacancies across the Schedule I departments at the time.

Can a KAS officer become an IAS officer?#

The Special Rules address promotion to the Indian Administrative Service, subject to the separate central promotion regulations. Sources we checked disagree on the years of service required, so we do not quote a figure — read the current central regulations.

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.