KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 — 890 Posts Agriculture Officer (AO) & Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) • RPC & Kalyana Karnataka Regions • Apply Online 19 April–10 May 2026 • B.Sc Agriculture • Written Exam June 2026 • cetonline.karnataka.gov.in
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) |
| Advertisement No. (RPC) | EDI/KEA/08/RPC/2026 |
| Advertisement No. (KK) | EDI/KEA/09/KK/2026 |
| Notification Date | 18 April 2026 |
| Posts | Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) |
| Post Group | Group B — Karnataka State Agriculture Department |
| Total Vacancies | 890 posts (872 regular + 18 HK reserved) |
| RPC Region Vacancies | 632 posts (630 + 02 HK) |
| Kalyana Karnataka Vacancies | 258 posts (242 + 16 HK) |
| Stream-wise Split | 85% posts for B.Sc (Agriculture) graduates (Sre.85) | 15% posts for allied B.Tech/B.Sc disciplines (Sre.15) |
| Application Opens | 19 April 2026 |
| Application Closes | 10 May 2026 |
| Fee Payment Last Date | 12 May 2026 |
| Kannada Language Test | 6 June 2026 (qualifying — all eligible candidates) |
| Written Exam — RPC Region | 7 June 2026 (Paper 1 + Paper 2) |
| Written Exam — KK Region | 14 June 2026 (Paper 1 + Paper 2) |
| Application Mode | Online only via OTR (One Time Registration) at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/ |
| Pay Scale — AO (2024 Revised) | ₹69,250–₹1,34,200 per month |
| Pay Scale — AAO (2024 Revised) | ₹65,950–₹1,24,900 per month |
| Probation | 2 years |
| Pension | NPS (National Pension System) applicable |
| Official Website | cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/ |
Apply well before deadline — no extension expected — portal closes at 11:59 PM10 May 2026
Fee payment portal closes — unpaid applications rejected — pay early12 May 2026
| Post | Stream | RPC Vacancies | KK Vacancies | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture Officer (AO) | Sre.85 (B.Sc Agri) | 67 + 02 (HK) | 27 + 08 (HK) | 104 |
| Agriculture Officer (AO) | Sre.15 (Allied) | 12 | 05 | 17 |
| Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) | Sre.85 (B.Sc Agri) | 468 | 178 + 08 (HK) | 654 |
| Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) | Sre.15 (Allied) | 83 | 32 | 115 |
| Total | 632 (630 + 02 HK) | 258 (242 + 16 HK) | 890 | |
| HK = Hyderabad-Karnataka reserved posts under Article 371(J). Vacancies are further distributed across SC, ST, OBC (Cat-1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B), Ex-Servicemen, PwD, Women, Rural, Kannada Medium, and Transgender categories as per Karnataka government reservation policy. Download official notification for complete category-wise breakdown. | ||||
Age Limit (as on last date of application — 10 May 2026):
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|
| General Merit (UR) | 18 years | 40 years |
| Category 2A / 2B / 3A / 3B (OBC) | 18 years | 43 years |
| SC / ST / Category-1 | 18 years | 45 years |
| Age relaxation for Ex-Servicemen, PwD, and other special categories as per Karnataka Government rules. Age is calculated as on the closing date of online application (10 May 2026). | ||
- OTR Registration mandatory: Candidates must first register on the KEA One Time Registration (OTR) portal before applying. OTR creates a unified profile used for all KEA recruitments.
- Kannada Language Proficiency: All candidates must either have Kannada language credentials as per Karnataka Civil Service Rules or must appear in and pass the Kannada Language Test on 6 June 2026. Those who fail the Kannada Language Test are not eligible for final selection.
- Indian Citizenship: Only Indian citizens and other eligible categories as per Karnataka government rules are eligible to apply.
- Qualifications as on last date: Educational qualification must be completed and degree obtained as on 10 May 2026 (the closing date of application).
- HK posts (Hyderabad-Karnataka): Reserved posts within KK notification are exclusively for candidates domiciled in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region — Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Bellary, and Vijayanagara districts.
| Category | Application Fee | Processing Fee | Total Payable |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / Category 2A / 2B / 3A / 3B | ₹500/- | ₹250/- | ₹750/- |
| SC / ST / Category-1 / Ex-Servicemen / Transgender | ₹250/- | ₹250/- | ₹500/- |
| PwD (Specially Differently Abled) | Nil | ₹250/- | ₹250/- (Processing fee only) |
| Payment mode: Online only (Debit Card / Credit Card / Net Banking / UPI) through KEA portal. Fee once paid is non-refundable under any circumstances. Last date for fee payment: 12 May 2026. No offline fee payment option. | |||
| Post | Pay Scale (2024 Revised) | Nature | Probation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture Officer (AO) | ₹69,250–₹1,34,200 per month | Permanent — Group B | 2 years |
| Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) | ₹65,950–₹1,24,900 per month | Permanent — Group B | 2 years |
| Plus Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and other admissible allowances as per Karnataka Government rules. National Pension System (NPS) applicable. Pay is governed by the 2024 Revised State Pay Structure of Karnataka. | |||
Stage 1 — Kannada Language Test (Qualifying) — 6 June 2026
The Kannada Language Test is qualifying in nature — marks scored here are not added to the final merit. The test is set at the SSLC (Class 10) standard with Kannada as the medium. Maximum marks: 150. Minimum qualifying marks: 50 out of 150. Candidates who have studied Kannada as a medium or subject in their qualifying examination (as per Karnataka Civil Services Rules 2021) are exempted. Candidates who fail to secure 50 marks in the Kannada Language Test are not eligible for final selection regardless of their written exam score.
Stage 2 — Competitive Written Examination — 7 June (RPC) / 14 June (KK) 2026
The written examination is the merit-determining stage. Format: Offline OMR (Objective Type) — 2 papers of 300 marks each = 600 marks total. Negative marking: 0.75 marks per wrong answer. Minimum qualifying marks: 35% in the written exam. Papers are available in Kannada and English — in case of translation discrepancy, the English version prevails. The exam may be conducted through Offline OMR or Computer Based Test (CBT) as decided by KEA. Final merit list and selection are based on written exam scores of candidates who have cleared the Kannada Language Test.
Stage 3 — Document Verification & Final Appointment
Candidates shortlisted based on written exam merit are called for document verification where original certificates of educational qualification, age proof, caste/category certificates, Kannada medium/language certificates, domicile, and other applicable documents are verified. Final appointment is made to the Karnataka Agriculture Department based on category-wise merit, region (RPC or KK), and stream (Sre.85 or Sre.15) preference. Selected candidates serve a 2-year probation period before confirmation in service.
| Exam Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Kannada Language Test | Qualifying only | 150 marks | Min 50 marks required | SSLC standard | 6 June 2026 | Exemptions for Kannada medium candidates |
| Written Exam — Paper 1 | 300 marks | Objective MCQ | Offline OMR | 7 June (RPC) / 14 June (KK) |
| Written Exam — Paper 2 | 300 marks | Objective MCQ | Offline OMR | Same date as Paper 1 |
| Total Written Exam Marks | 600 marks (2 papers combined) |
| Negative Marking | 0.75 marks deducted per wrong answer |
| Minimum Qualifying | 35% in written exam (to be included in merit list) |
| Language of Paper | Kannada and English — English version prevails in case of discrepancy |
| Final selection is based solely on written exam merit (among Kannada Language Test qualifiers). There is no interview. The merit list is drawn category-wise and region-wise separately for RPC and KK notifications. | |
- Paper 1 — General Studies & Agriculture Basics: General Knowledge, Current Affairs (National, International & Karnataka), Mental Ability, English & Kannada Language, Basic Agriculture concepts, Karnataka Agriculture Department schemes and policies
- Paper 2 — Core Agriculture/Allied Subject: For Sre.85 (B.Sc Agri stream) — Agronomy, Soil Science, Horticulture, Plant Protection, Crop Physiology, Agricultural Extension, Farm Management, Agricultural Biotechnology, Post-Harvest Technology, Agricultural Economics. For Sre.15 (allied stream) — subject-specific technical paper relevant to the degree held
- Preparation tip: With 0.75 negative marking, attempting ~70–80% of questions with high accuracy is typically safer than attempting all 100%. Focus on core agronomy, soil science, and Karnataka agriculture-specific topics as they carry the highest weightage in state agriculture service exams
- Kannada Language Test preparation: The test is at SSLC level — revise basic Kannada grammar, comprehension, and composition. 50 out of 150 marks is the qualifying threshold — straightforward for Kannada speakers
Register on OTR Portal at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/
Visit cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/. If not already registered, complete the OTR (One Time Registration) process first. OTR creates a permanent KEA profile used for all future KEA recruitments. During OTR registration, provide a valid mobile number and email ID that will be used throughout the recruitment process.
Select the Correct Notification — RPC or KK
Navigate to the Direct Recruitment section. Find the KEA AO/AAO 2026 notification links. Select the appropriate notification: EDI/KEA/08/RPC/2026 if you are applying for the RPC (General Karnataka) region OR EDI/KEA/09/KK/2026 if applying for the Kalyana Karnataka region. Read the notification PDF carefully before proceeding — eligibility conditions, HK reservation rules, and other requirements differ between the two notifications.
Fill Online Application Form
Log in using your OTR credentials and complete the application form: personal details, educational qualification (degree name, university, year of passing, marks/percentage), category (General/SC/ST/OBC/Ex-SM/PwD/Transgender), stream preference (Sre.85 or Sre.15), Kannada language status (medium/subject studied or test appearing), and other required information. Verify all entries carefully — no changes permitted after final submission.
Upload Photo, Signature & Certificates
Upload: Recent passport-size photograph in JPEG format, size 50 KB to 200 KB; Signature in JPEG format, size 50 KB to 70 KB; Educational certificates; Caste/category certificates (SC/ST/OBC/EWS as applicable); Income certificate (if applicable); Kannada medium certificate (if exemption claimed); Domicile/Local resident certificate; PwD/Ex-SM certificate (if applicable). Ensure all files meet the prescribed format and size requirements.
Pay Fee Online & Submit by 10 May 2026
Pay the prescribed application fee online — ₹750 (General/OBC), ₹500 (SC/ST/Cat-1/Ex-SM/Transgender), or ₹250 (PwD) — through Debit Card/Credit Card/Net Banking/UPI via the KEA payment gateway. After successful payment, verify all details and click Submit. Download and print the final submitted application form and fee receipt for future reference. Note: fee payment can be completed until 12 May 2026 even if the application was submitted before 10 May.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is a statutory body under the Government of Karnataka that conducts entrance examinations and competitive recruitment examinations for various departments. The Agriculture Officer and Assistant Agriculture Officer posts are in the Karnataka State Agriculture Department — one of the largest agricultural departments in southern India. Officers appointed through this recruitment are responsible for implementing agricultural schemes, providing technical assistance to farmers, monitoring crop production, and facilitating the delivery of government support programmes across Karnataka's agricultural districts. With Karnataka's agriculture sector covering lakhs of farming families, these positions offer a meaningful career in public service alongside an attractive pay package.
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