Kerala PSC Syllabus 2025: The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) releases the Kerala Administrative Services (KAS) syllabus on its official website for both the preliminary and main examinations. Candidates preparing for the KAS exam must carefully review the detailed syllabus provided in PDF format, which outlines the topics and subtopics from which questions are framed. Understanding the syllabus alongside the exam pattern is crucial for effective preparation. Additionally, practicing previous years' question papers can greatly enhance readiness for the exam.
The KAS syllabus is released along with the official notification and covers a broad range of subjects, including History (India and Kerala), Indian Constitution, Public Administration, Economy, Science and Technology, and Language Proficiency. The prelims exam consists of two papers focusing on General Studies and Language Proficiency, while the mains exam involves three descriptive papers.
Candidates are advised to download the official syllabus PDF from the KPSC website as soon as it is available to plan their study strategy accordingly. Staying updated with official notifications and exam patterns ensures a well-prepared and confident approach to the Kerala PSC KAS examination. For more details on the syllabus and exam pattern, candidates can refer to the Kerala PSC official website or the links given in this article.
Also Read: Kerala PSC Exam Pattern 2025
KAS Syllabus 2025: PDF Download
The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) has released the syllabus for the Kerala Administrative Services (KAS) Recruitment exam 2025 on its official website. Check the table below for the KAS 2025 Syllabus for Prelims and Mains.
Kerala PSC KAS Syllabus 2025
The Kerala PSC exam for recruitment to Kerala Administrative Services (KAS) is conducted in three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. While the syllabus and question formats vary across these stages, candidates are advised to adopt a comprehensive preparation strategy that covers the entire syllabus cohesively, rather than treating each stage in isolation. The Preliminary exam consists of two objective-type papers, whereas the Mains exam comprises three descriptive papers, requiring a deeper understanding and analytical approach. Effective preparation involves simultaneously building knowledge and skills relevant to all stages for better performance throughout the selection process.
Kerala PSC Syllabus 2025: Preliminary Exam
The KAS preliminary examination is divided into two papers. The KAS Paper I includes questions from General Studies I, while Paper II includes questions from General Studies II, Language Proficiency in Malayalam/Tamil/Kannada, and Language Proficiency in English.
The detailed syllabus for the preliminary examination is as follows:
Kerala PSC KAS Exam 2025: Paper 1 Syllabus
History (India & Kerala)
- Ancient & Medieval Period: (i) Salient features and major landmarks of ancient and medieval India (ii) Art, culture, literature and Architecture (iii) Major Dynasties, their administrative system, social, religious and economic conditions prominent movements
- Modern Period: (i) Modern Indian History (from the 18th century up to the present) significant events, personalities and issues (ii) India – Struggle for independence (iii) Social and religious reform movements in the 19th and 20th century (iv) India after Independence, Post independent consolidation and reorganisation (v) Independent India and her neighbours.
- Kerala History (from 18th century): (i) Pre-Independence socio-political movements. Formation of Kerala State, Political parties, movements, Governments, Landmark legislation and policies.
History of the World (From Mid 18th Century)
(i) Industrial Revolution (ii) World Wars (iii) Redrawal of National boundaries (iv) Colonialisation and decolonisation, (v) Globalisation (vi) Communism, Capitalism, Socialism – their forms and effects in society.
Cultural Heritage of Kerala
1) Cultural Heritage of Kerala Art Forms, literature, sculpture, architecture, salient features of society 2) Kerala Tribal culture, Pilgrimage, Tourist places, Folk Culture, Cinema, Theatre 3) History and revolution of Malayalam language and literature.
Indian Constitution, Public Administration, Political System, Governance, Social Justice and International Relations
1) Indian Constitution and its salient features 2) Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States, Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, function, power and privileges. Issues and challenges pertaining to Federal Structure – Devolution of Power and Finances up to local levels and challenges therein 3) Constitutional Authorities – Powers, Functions and Responsibilities 4) Panchayati Raj, Public Policy and Governance, Impact of L.P.G on Governance 5) Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial bodies 6) Rights Issues (Human rights, Women rights, SC/ST rights, Child rights, etc.), Important Acts 7) India's Foreign Policy, International Organisations, International Treaties and Forums, their structure and mandate 8) Judiciary in India – Structure and functions, important provisions relating to Emergency and Constitutional amendments, Judicial review, Public Interest Litigation, Land Revenue Laws 9) Fundamental rights, fundamental duties and Directive Principles 10) Principles of Administrative Law.
Reasoning, Mental Ability & Simple Arithmetic
(1) Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability, Number series, Coding–Decoding, problems related to Relations, Shapes and their sub-sections, Venn Diagram, problems based on Clock, Calendar and Age, Simple Arithmetic.
Geography
1) General Geography: Solar system, Motion of Earth, Concept of time, Seasons, Internal structure of the Earth, Major Landforms and their features. Atmosphere – Structure and Composition, elements and factors of Climate, Airmasses and
Fronts, atmospheric disturbances. Oceans: Physical, Chemical and Biological characteristics, Hydrological Disasters, Marine and Continental Resources 2) Physical, Social, and Economic Geography of the World, India and Kerala 3) Geophysical phenomena like Earthquake, Tsunami, Volcanoes, Cyclone, Flood, and Landslides.
Kerala PSC KAS Exam 2025: Paper 2 Syllabus
Candidates can check the Kerala PSC exam syllabus for Paper II in the table below:
|
Subjects
|
Topics
|
|
Economy & Planning
|
1) Indian economy on the eve of independence. Indian economy in post-reform period – new economic reforms, NITI Aayog, National Income and Per Capita Income, Sectoral Composition (Output and Employment) – Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Development under different policy regimes (including Five Year Plans) – Goals, Constraints, Institutions and Policy Framework.
2) Agriculture Sector, Land Reforms in India, Technological change in Agriculture – Major Crops and Cropping patterns in various parts of the Country, Irrigation, Pricing of agriculture inputs and outputs, Agricultural Finance Policy and Marketing, Issues in Food Security and Public Distribution System, Green Revolution, Policies for sustainable agriculture and organic farming.
3) Industrial Policy, Public Sector enterprises and their performance, Growth and pattern of industrialization, Small-scale sector, Productivity in the industrial sector, SEZ and industrialization, foreign investment and competition policy, e-Commerce, Effects of liberalisation on the economy.
|
|
Science & Technology
|
1) Science and Technology: Nature and scope of Science and Technology, Relevance of S&T, National policy on S&T and innovations, Basics of everyday science, Human body, Public Health and Community Medicine, Food and Nutrition, Health Care. Institutes and Organisations in India promoting the integration of S&T and Innovation, their activities and contributions, and the Contribution of Prominent Indian Scientists.
2) ICT: Nature and Scope of ICT, ICT in day today life, ICT and industry, ICT and Governance – various Government schemes promoting the use of ICT, e-Governance Programmes and Services, Netiquettes, Cyber Security concerns – National Cyber Crime Policy. MIS. Artificial Intelligence – benefits and impacts, Robotics.
3) Technology in Space and Defence: Evolution of Indian Space Programme, ISRO – it's activities and achievements, various Satellite Programmes – DRDO-vision, mission and activities.
|
|
Current Events
|
State, National & International
|
|
Language Proficiency (English)
|
1) Tenses 2) Synonyms 3) Phrasal Verbs 4) Antonyms 5) Error Correction 6) Adjectives 7) Adverbs 8) Reported Speech 9) Active Voice 10) Passive Voice 11) Auxiliary Verb 12) Question Tag 13) Degrees of Comparison 14) Punctuation 15) Idioms and Phrases 16) Simple Compound Complex Sentences 17) Connectives 18) Prepositional Verbs 19) Prepositions 20) Concord 21) Pronouns – 9 types 22) Word Order and Sentence Order.
|
|
Language Proficiency (Malayalam)
|
1) പദശുദ്ധി 2) വാക്യശുദ്ധി 3) പരിഭാഷ 4) ഒറ്റപദം 5) പരയായം 6)
വിപരീത പദം 7) ൈശൈലിക്ള് പഴഞ്ചൊല്ഞ്ചാല്ലുക്ള് 8) സമാനപദം 9) േചേര്ത്തൊല്ത്തെഴുതുക് 10) സ്ത്രീലിംഗം പുല്ലിംഗം 11) വചേനം 12) പിരിൊല്ച്ചെഴുതല് 13)
ഘടക് പദം (വാക്യം േചേര്ത്തൊല്ത്തെഴുതുക്) 14) ഭരണഭാഷയുമായി ബന്ധപ്പൊല്പ്പെട്ട് ഒരു ഖണ്ഡിക് നല്കി അതിൊല്ന ആധാരമാക്കി േചോദയങ്ങള് 15) ഔദ്യേദയാഗിക് ഭാഷാ പദാവലി, വിപുലനം, സംഗ്രഹം.
|
|
Language Proficiency (Kannada)
|
1) Word Purity / Correct Word 2) Correct Sentence 3) Translation 4) One Word / Single Word / One Word Substitution 5) Synonyms 6) Antonyms 7) Idioms and Proverbs 8) Equivalent Word 9) Join the Word 10) Feminine Gender, Masculine Gender 11) Number 12) Sort and Write 13) Add Phrases 14) Comprehension
|
|
Language Proficiency (Tamil)
|
1) Correct Word 2) Correct Structure of Sentence 3) Translation 4) Single Word 5) Synonyms 6) Antonyms / Opposite 7) Phrases and Proverbs 8) Equal Word 9) Join the Word 10) Gender Classification – Feminine, Masculine 11) Singular, Plural 12) Separate 13) Add Phrases 14) Comprehension
|
Kerala PSC Syllabus 2025: Mains Examination
The Kerala PSC Mains examination consists of three papers: Paper I, Paper II, and Paper III. Each of these papers covers topics from General Studies, following the same syllabus as the General Studies section of the Preliminary exam. The key difference lies in the question format. While the Preliminary exam features objective-type questions, the Mains exam requires descriptive answers, demanding a more in-depth understanding and analytical response from candidates.
Check below the paper-wise overview of the KAS Mains exam syllabus.
Paper I: General Studies
(A) History (India and Kerala)
- Ancient and medieval India: major landmarks, art, culture, literature, architecture, dynasties, social/religious/economic conditions, prominent movements
- Modern India: events from 18th century onwards, independence struggle, social and religious reform movements, Post-independence consolidation, India and neighbors
- Kerala History (from 18th century): socio-political movements, formation of Kerala state, political parties, landmark laws and policies
(B) History of the World (from mid 18th century)
- Industrial Revolution, World Wars, national boundaries, colonization and decolonization, globalization
- Ideologies: communism, capitalism, socialism
(C) Cultural Heritage of Kerala
- Art forms, literature, sculpture, architecture, society
- Tribal culture, pilgrimage sites, folk culture, cinema, theatre
- Evolution of Malayalam language and literature
Paper II: General Studies
(A) Indian Constitution, Public Administration, Governance
- Constitution features, Union and State functions, federal structure
- Panchayati Raj, public policy, impacts of LPG reforms, statutory bodies
- Rights issues: Human, women, SC/ST, child rights
- India's foreign policy, international organizations, judiciary, judicial review
- Fundamental rights, duties, directive principles, administrative law
(B) Science and Technology
- Nature and scope, national policies, health care, prominent Indian scientists
- ICT in daily life and governance, e-Governance schemes, cyber security, AI, Robotics
- Space and defense tech: ISRO, DRDO
- Energy resources, renewable/non-renewable energy, environmental concerns
- Biodiversity, climate change, forest and wildlife conservation
- Biotechnology, green and nano technology
(C) Current Issues
Paper III: General Studies
(A) Economy and Planning
- Indian economy pre/post independence, reforms, NITI Aayog, income, sectoral composition
- Agriculture sector: cropping patterns, land reforms, food security, organic farming
- Industrial policy, small-scale sector, e-commerce, foreign investment
- Infrastructure: water, energy, rural/urban development, transport
- Demographic trends: population growth, migration, literacy, poverty, unemployment
- Public finance: budgeting, taxes, deficit, banking, GST, stock market
- Foreign trade, balance of payments
- Kerala economy overview: agriculture, industry, development projects, cooperative sector, IT, remittances
- Kerala social policies: land reforms, decentralization, social welfare, health, education
(B) Geography
- Solar system, earth’s motion, seasons, internal earth structure, major landforms
- Atmosphere: composition, climate elements, disturbances
- Oceans: physical, chemical, biological features
- Physical, social, economic geography of the world, India, Kerala
- Geophysical phenomena: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, cyclones, floods
(C) Current Issues
- Related to economy, planning & geography
Candidates can also check the table below for a better understanding of the KAS Mains paper.
|
Paper
|
Subjects Covered
|
Topics Highlights
|
Marks
|
Duration
|
|
I
|
History (India & Kerala), World History, Cultural Heritage of Kerala
|
Ancient to modern India, independence struggle, Kerala’s socio-political history, world wars, globalization, Kerala arts and culture
|
100
|
2 Hours
|
|
II
|
Indian Constitution, Public Admin, Science & Tech
|
Constitution, governance, human rights, foreign policy, judiciary, ICT, e-governance, space, environment and energy policies
|
100
|
2 Hours
|
|
III
|
Economy & Planning, Geography
|
Indian economy, agriculture, industry, Kerala economy, infrastructure, population trends, public finance, foreign trade, geography, natural disasters
|
100
|
2 Hours
|
Candidates should prepare for descriptive answers following this detailed syllabus to succeed in the Kerala PSC KAS Main Examination.
Kerala PSC Syllabus 2025: Interview
The Interview round is the last stage of the Kerala PSC exam selection process. Candidates who clear the mains examination are called for the interview round. There is no defined syllabus for the interview round. Candidates can refer to the key points below to know what is expected from them during the interview/personality test.
- Candidates will be judged based on their knowledge of their graduation/postgraduation subject.
- Candidates will be asked questions from General Studies (Static)
- Candidates will be judged based on their knowledge of Current Events (State, National & International)
- The interview panel will also judge the candidate’s ability, confidence, and overall personality.