KPSC / KEA FDA SDA Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern (General Knowledge, Kannada, English, Computer)

KPSC / KEA FDA SDA Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern - First Division Assistant and Second Division Assistant

Overview

• Recruiting authority: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), on behalf of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and related departments.
• Posts covered: First Division Assistant (FDA) and Second Division Assistant (SDA).
• Streams: Residual Parent Cadre (RPC) and Kalyana Karnataka (KK).
• Selection is by written examination followed by document verification.
• This page presents the official syllabus and exam pattern in a subject-wise bullet format.
• Final authority: the official notification and the KEA website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. Also see kpsc.kar.nic.in for KPSC updates.

Vacancy Snapshot 2026

• Degree-level Residual Parent Cadre: 2,163 vacancies.
• PUC-level Residual Parent Cadre: 2,070 vacancies.
• FDA Kalyana Karnataka: 563 vacancies.
• SDA Kalyana Karnataka: 635 vacancies.
• Total notified across FDA, SDA and other posts: 5,431 vacancies.
• Check post-wise reservation, eligibility and cadre details in the relevant notification.

Eligibility

• FDA: degree-level qualification from a recognised institution.
• SDA: PUC-level qualification from a recognised institution.
• Age limits, reservations and category relaxations follow Government of Karnataka recruitment rules.
• Disability and ex-serviceman concessions apply as per the notification.
• Kannada proficiency is assessed through a qualifying Kannada Language Test of 150 marks where applicable.
• Valid reservation and residence certificates are required wherever such benefits are claimed.

Exam Pattern

• Paper 1 - General Knowledge: 100 marks, 2 hours.
• Paper 2 - General Kannada, General English and Computer Knowledge: 100 marks, 2 hours.
• Competitive total: 200 marks across Paper 1 and Paper 2.
• Separate qualifying Kannada Language Test: 150 marks (not added to the 200-mark competitive score).
• Selection is by written examination followed by document verification; no viva-voce is indicated for these posts.
• Published aggregate exam dates: 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17 January 2027 for the respective cadres and levels.
• Verify your specific notification for date, shift, centre and permitted items.

Marking Scheme

• Objective papers answered on OMR sheets.
• Reported penalty: 0.25 mark deducted for each incorrect answer.
• Confirm the exact marking rule in your specific notification.

Paper 1 - General Knowledge Syllabus (Subjects)

• Indian History
• Karnataka History
• Indian Constitution
• Karnataka Polity and Administration
• Indian Geography
• Karnataka Geography
• Indian Economy
• Karnataka Economy
• General Science
• Environment and Ecology
• Current Affairs
• Mental Ability and Reasoning

Paper 1 - Topic Detail

Indian History

• Pre-historic and Indus Valley civilisation.
• Vedic culture and early empires including Mauryas and Guptas.
• Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire and regional kingdoms.
• Bhakti and Sufi movements.
• Advent of Europeans and British administration.
• Socio-religious reform movements.
• Indian National Congress and the freedom struggle.
• Contribution of national leaders and the making of the Constitution.

Karnataka History

• Kadambas, Chalukyas of Badami and Rashtrakutas.
• Vijayanagara empire and the Bahmani kingdom.
• Deccan Sultanates and the Wodeyars of Mysore.
• Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
• Freedom movement in Karnataka.
• Social reformers and cultural heritage of Karnataka.
• Unification (integration) of Karnataka.

Indian Constitution

• Preamble, fundamental rights, fundamental duties and directive principles.
• Parliamentary system and federal structure.
• President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
• Judiciary and the structure of courts.
• Constitutional amendments and their significance.
• Constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission, UPSC, Finance Commission and CAG.

Karnataka Polity and Administration

• Governor: appointment, powers and tenure.
• Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.
• Vidhana Sabha and Vidhana Parishad.
• Karnataka High Court.
• Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies in Karnataka.
• Important State-level boards and commissions.

Indian Geography

• Physiography: mountains, plateaus, plains and coastal regions.
• Climate and the monsoon system.
• Soils, natural vegetation and forests.
• Rivers, drainage and water resources.
• Minerals, energy and natural resources.
• Agriculture and major crops.

Karnataka Geography

• Location, boundaries and climatic zones.
• Rivers such as Kaveri, Tungabhadra, Krishna and Sharavathi.
• Dams, irrigation and power projects.
• Western Ghats, forests and biodiversity.
• Minerals and industries.
• National parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Indian Economy

• Basic economic concepts and national income.
• Banking, RBI and financial inclusion.
• Fiscal and monetary policy.
• Taxation including GST.
• Employment, poverty and inclusive growth.
• Government schemes and development programmes.

Karnataka Economy

• Agriculture and allied activities.
• Industry and services in Karnataka.
• Information technology and biotechnology clusters.
• State budget basics and welfare schemes.
• Irrigation, power and infrastructure.

General Science

• Physics: motion, force, energy, light, sound, electricity and magnetism.
• Chemistry: matter, atoms, acids and bases, and everyday chemistry.
• Biology: cell, human body systems, nutrition, health and diseases.
• Standard secondary-level textbooks provide a sufficient baseline.

Environment and Ecology

• Ecosystems, food chains and biodiversity.
• Pollution of air, water and soil.
• Natural resources and conservation.
• Climate change and sustainable development.
• Environmental protection programmes.

Current Affairs

• National and international developments of the last 12 to 18 months.
• Karnataka-specific developments.
• Government schemes and welfare programmes.
• Awards, appointments, science and technology, sports and major summits.
• Verify all dates, names and figures from reliable daily sources.

Mental Ability and Reasoning

• Number series and alphanumeric series.
• Analogy and classification.
• Coding and decoding.
• Direction sense and blood relations.
• Arithmetic aptitude.
• Logical, analytical and spatial reasoning.

Paper 2 - General Kannada Syllabus

• Grammar: sandhi, samasa, conjugation and usage rules.
• Vocabulary and word meanings.
• Synonyms and antonyms.
• Spelling and sentence construction.
• Reading comprehension.
• Appropriate usage and word substitution.

Paper 2 - General English Syllabus

• Grammar: parts of speech, articles, tenses, prepositions, conjunctions and subject-verb agreement.
• Vocabulary: synonyms, antonyms, word meanings and one-word substitutions.
• Sentence correction and error detection.
• Active and passive voice and direct and indirect speech.
• Reading comprehension.
• Idioms and phrases, sentence arrangement and spelling.
• Fill in the blanks and word usage.

Paper 2 - Computer Knowledge Syllabus

• Fundamentals of computers, characteristics, generations and applications.
• Hardware and software, input and output devices.
• Memory: RAM, ROM, BIOS, cache and registers.
• Storage types and operating systems with file management.
• MS Office: Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Internet, web browsers, search engines and email.
• Basic networking and cybersecurity: passwords, viruses, malware and firewalls.
• E-governance and government digital services.

Qualifying Kannada Language Test

• Reading comprehension of Kannada passages.
• Kannada grammar.
• Vocabulary and appropriate expressions.
• Sentence construction and spelling accuracy.
• Written Kannada understanding and expression.
• Test is qualifying in nature for non-exempt candidates.

Difference Between FDA and SDA

• FDA is a degree-level First Division Assistant designation.
• SDA is a PUC-level Second Division Assistant designation.
• Both share General Kannada, General English and Computer Knowledge in Paper 2.
• General Knowledge difficulty scales to the level of the post.
• Read the specific notification to confirm educational qualification and post-level expectations.

Preparation Plan

• History: Indian and Karnataka history, dynasties, freedom movement and reformers.
• Geography: Indian and Karnataka geography, rivers, natural resources and topography.
• Polity: Indian Constitution, Karnataka polity and administration.
• Economy: Indian and Karnataka economy, budget basics and welfare schemes.
• Science and environment: physical, chemical, biological and environmental sciences.
• Current affairs and mental ability: weekly digest plus timed practice.
• Paper 2: daily grammar and comprehension practice for Kannada, English and Computer Knowledge.
• Revision: mock tests with an accuracy and error log.

Recommended Resources

• KEA and KPSC official websites for notifications, syllabus, admit cards and results.
• Secondary and higher secondary textbooks for science, history and geography.
• Kannada and English grammar reference texts and practice books.
• Computer basics material covering MS Office, networking and security.
• Current affairs digests for Karnataka and national developments.
• Previous-year FDA SDA question papers and timed practice tests.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q1. What is the KPSC FDA SDA Syllabus 2026? - Answer: General Knowledge, General Kannada, General English and Computer Knowledge, together with a qualifying Kannada Language Test where applicable.
• Q2. What is the exam pattern? - Answer: Two objective papers of 100 marks each and a separate qualifying Kannada Language Test of 150 marks where applicable.
• Q3. How many marks are in the competitive examination? - Answer: 200 marks across Paper 1 and Paper 2.
• Q4. How many competitive papers are there? - Answer: Two objective papers, plus the separate qualifying test where applicable.
• Q5. What does Paper 1 cover? - Answer: Indian and Karnataka history, geography, polity, economy, science, environment, current affairs and mental ability.
• Q6. What is the marking rule? - Answer: 0.25 mark is deducted for each incorrect answer in the objective papers per the referenced pattern; confirm the rule for your specific notification.
• Q7. Is the Kannada Language Test compulsory? - Answer: Yes for candidates who are not otherwise exempt under the rules.
• Q8. Where can I find the official syllabus? - Answer: The official syllabus and notification PDFs are on the KEA website and kpsc.kar.nic.in.
• Q9. Where can I find exam dates? - Answer: 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17 January 2027 per the published aggregate schedule for the respective notifications.
• Q10. How should candidates proceed? - Answer: Verify all eligibility, reservation, age relaxation criteria and other provisions in the official notification of your post and cadre before applying.

Disclaimer

• This page is an independent study aid based on the official notification referenced by KEA for the 2026 FDA SDA recruitment.
• The official notification on the KEA and KPSC websites is the sole binding source for all provisions.
• All dates, schemes, criteria and subjects should be validated against the latest official release.
• This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by KEA or KPSC.

Official Links

• KEA: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea
• KPSC Karnataka: kpsc.kar.nic.in
• Official FDA SDA notification PDF: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/keawebentry456/gpcfdasdarpc2026/RPC_FDAenglish.pdf