KEA FDA SDA Recruitment 2026: 5,431 Posts, Apply by 25 Nov

KEA FDA SDA Recruitment 2026 opens 5,431 Group C posts across Karnataka government departments, boards and corporations. The Karnataka Examinations Authority issued four separate notifications on 29 October 2026, one for each combination of qualification level and cadre. Applications run from 30 October to 25 November 2026 on cetonline.karnataka.gov.in, the fee is Rs 750 for general merit candidates, and the written exam falls in January 2027. Graduates apply for First Division Assistant posts and candidates who have passed 2nd PUC apply for Second Division Assistant posts.

Read the 5,431 figure carefully, because it is not one recruitment. It is four.

Two notifications cover the Residual Parent Cadre and two cover the Kalyana Karnataka local cadre, and each of those pairs splits again into a degree level notification and a PUC level notification. That split decides which form you fill, what you pay and which exam date you get. Apply under the wrong cadre and the form is wasted, because the 1,198 Kalyana Karnataka posts are reserved for candidates who hold the local status certificate under Article 371-J.

KEA FDA SDA Recruitment 2026 at a glance

Four notifications, one total

KEA issued one notification for each combination of qualification level and cadre. The degree level notification for the Residual Parent Cadre carries 2,163 posts. The PUC level notification for the same cadre carries 2,070 posts. The Kalyana Karnataka notifications carry 563 degree level posts and 635 PUC level posts.

The four figures add to 5,431, and the two halves sit almost equal, which is unusual for a Group C drive and good news for 12th pass candidates, who often get far fewer seats.

The headline posts are First Division Assistant and Second Division Assistant. The notifications also list Accounts Assistant, Warden, Hostel Superintendent, Gram Panchayat Secretary, Rural Development Assistant Grade 1, Commercial Tax Inspector, Sub Registrar and other equivalent Group C posts. The single largest block in the degree level notification is Accounts Assistant with 490 posts in the State Audit and Accounts Department, followed by First Division Assistant posts in the Judiciary Department with 249 posts.

The Kalyana Karnataka point is worth repeating, because it is where applications go wrong. The 1,198 KK posts are a separate local cadre. Candidates from the Residual Parent Cadre cannot claim them, and KK candidates cannot claim RPC posts. Check the local cadre certificate requirement in the KK notification before you pay, because the fee is not refunded.

Who can apply

The minimum qualification depends on the post, and one qualification does not open every vacancy.

For SDA and other PUC level posts, the requirement is 2nd PUC, Class 12 or an equivalent qualification recognised under the applicable recruitment rules. For FDA and other degree level posts, the requirement is a Bachelor degree from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification prescribed for the post. If you are weighing the 12th pass route, the 12th pass government jobs post on this site lists other openings at the same qualification level.

Some posts ask for more than the base qualification. Accounts Assistant posts ask for a B.Com, B.B.M or B.B.A degree. Warden and Hostel Superintendent posts ask for a degree plus a B.Ed.

The First Division Assistant cum Computer Operator post asks for a degree plus a one year computer course certificate and working knowledge of computers, though candidates with a BE in Computer Science, Information Science or Information Technology, or a BCA, MCA, BSc or MSc in Computer Science, or a PG Diploma in Computer Application are exempt from the course certificate. Commercial Tax Inspector asks for a degree with Economics or Mathematics as a subject, or a degree in Commerce.

Every qualification must be held on the last date for applying. Candidates waiting for results cannot apply, and the notification says no higher qualification is counted in place of the prescribed one.

Age limit and fee

The minimum age is 18 years on the last date for applying. The upper age limit changes by category, and the 2026 limits already include a one time 5 year relaxation granted by a government order dated 29 January 2026.

Government servants get relaxation equal to their years of service or 10 years, whichever is less. Ex servicemen get 3 years over their service period. If you are close to the limit, run your exact age through the age calculator before you pay, because the limit is counted on the last date, not on the day you open the form.

The fee is paid online only, and it is not refunded once paid.

One exemption is easy to miss. Candidates who applied for the two KEA FDA posts under the notification dated 19 May 2026 and paid the fee then do not pay again for this notification. Everyone else pays by 26 November 2026, one day after the application closes.

The exam: two papers count and the Kannada test does not

Most coverage of this recruitment counts three papers worth 350 marks. The competitive exam is two objective papers of 100 marks each, and the Kannada language test sits outside the merit list. That distinction matters, because the Kannada test can still disqualify you even though its marks count for nothing.

Paper 1 covers General Knowledge, including current affairs, general science, geography, Indian and Karnataka history, the Constitution, economics and mental ability. Paper 2 covers General Kannada, General English and Computer Knowledge. Each paper has 100 questions for 100 marks and runs for 2 hours.

The Kannada language test carries 150 marks and a candidate must score at least 50 to stay in the race. Candidates who studied Kannada as a first or second language in SSLC or above, studied in Kannada medium, or already passed a Kannada language test run by KEA or another competent authority are exempt from it. The competitive papers need at least 35 percent to qualify, and the merit list is drawn on the total marks in the two papers. Ties are broken by age, with the older candidate ranked higher.

Two marking rules deserve attention. Each wrong answer loses 0.25 marks. And an unanswered question also loses 0.25 marks unless you shade the fifth option on the OMR sheet, which is the not attempted circle. The notification gives extra time after the closing bell to shade that circle, so use it rather than leaving blanks open.

The exam dates differ by notification group. KEA has scheduled the exams across 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17 January 2027. In the RPC degree level notification, the Kannada language test is on 8 January 2027 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and both papers are on 10 January 2027, Paper 1 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm and Paper 2 from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Check the notification for your own group before you book travel.

There is no interview. Selection runs through the written exam, document verification and online counselling, where candidates pick their post preference in order of merit. The probation period is 2 years, and the National Pension System applies to most of the posts.

How to apply

Open cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea and find the Group C FDA and SDA recruitment for RPC and KK. Read the notification that matches your qualification level and cadre before filling anything, because the four notifications carry different post lists and different eligibility conditions.

Register with a valid mobile number and email ID, fill the form, upload the photograph and signature in the prescribed format, pay the fee online and submit by 25 November 2026. Keep a scanned photograph and signature ready before you start, and if either file is the wrong size, the exam photo resizer on this site fixes the dimensions. Save the application printout and the fee receipt after submitting.

One warning from the notification itself: once submitted, no detail in the application can be changed at any stage. Check every entry before you pay, because there is no correction window after submission. The RRB Isolated Categories recruitment is also open right now and closes on 4 December, and the details sit in the RRB Isolated Categories Recruitment 2026 post on this site if that one fits you better.

Sources & verification: Karnataka Examinations Authority, Group C FDA and SDA Recruitment 2026 (RPC), Notification No. ED/KEA/14/2026, dated 29 October 2026, read 6 November 2026 from the official notification PDF. The 2,163 post total, the 30 October to 25 November 2026 application window, the 26 November 2026 fee date, the Rs 750, Rs 500 and Rs 250 fee, the 40, 43 and 45 year age limits, the pay scales, the two paper exam pattern, the Kannada language test, the 35 percent qualifying mark, the 0.25 negative marking and the 8 and 10 January 2027 exam dates are all stated in that notification. Karnataka Examinations Authority, Group C FDA and SDA Recruitment 2026 (KK) notification, dated 29 October 2026, read 6 November 2026 from the official notification PDF, confirming a separate Kalyana Karnataka notification with the same pay scales. Karnataka Examinations Authority, official portal, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea, opened 6 November 2026, live Group C FDA and SDA listing with Apply Now link. The PUC level split of 2,070 RPC and 635 KK posts, the 5,431 grand total and the PUC level pay scale of Rs 34,100 to Rs 67,600 are reported across FreeJobAlert, Testbook, CareerPower, Schools360, JagranJosh and GovernmentDailyJobs, all reporting the four official notifications dated 29 October 2026. Apply only through cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.