KPSC Recruitment 2026: 68 Assistant Controller and Audit Officer Posts in Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department
Karnataka Public Service Commission has opened online applications for 68 posts in the Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department. If you hold a Master’s degree in commerce or finance, or you are a Chartered Accountant or a Cost Accountant, this is one of the best government jobs in Karnataka announced this year. The senior of the two posts starts at Rs. 83,700 a month, and both are regular state government posts.
Applications are open from 28 August 2026 to 26 September 2026, and the Preliminary Examination is tentatively fixed for 6 December 2026. Do not leave the form to the last week, because you must finish One Time Registration on the Commission’s portal before you can even begin it. This guide on GovtJobsAlert.in takes you through the post-wise vacancy split, the exact qualification list, the age ceilings, the fee and the two-stage examination.
What are the Key Highlights of KPSC Recruitment 2026?
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Karnataka Public Service Commission |
| Department | Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department |
| Total Vacancies | 68 |
| Posts | Assistant Controller (Group A), Audit Officer (Group B) |
| Application Window | 28 August 2026 to 26 September 2026 |
| Job Location | Karnataka |
| Selection | Preliminary Examination, then Main Examination |
Both posts sit inside the same department but at different levels, and you apply through the same online form. Anyone with a post graduate degree in commerce or management should read the qualification list below closely, because it is wider than most candidates assume.
How Many Vacancies Are There in KPSC Recruitment 2026? Post-wise 15 + 53 Split
The reservation split is not the same for the two posts, so read the row for the post you actually want rather than the total. Karnataka uses its own category system — Category-1, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B — not the OBC label used in central recruitment.
| Post | Category-wise Vacancies | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Controller (Group A) | SC 2 / Category-1 1 / Cat-2A 3 / Cat-3A 1 / General Merit 8 | 15 |
| Audit Officer (Group B) | SC-A 3 / SC-B 2 / SC-C 2 / ST 2 / Category-1 3 / Cat-2A 8 / Cat-2B 2 / Cat-3A 2 / Cat-3B 3 / General Merit 26 | 53 |
The Assistant Controller classification table carries no Scheduled Tribe, Category-2B or Category-3B row. If you belong to one of those three categories, the reserved seats notified for you in this advertisement are the Audit Officer ones. The Commission also states that the number of vacancies is tentative and that the reservation classification itself may change, so treat this table as the position today.
What is the Eligibility Criteria for KPSC Recruitment 2026?
Educational Qualification
You qualify through any one of these routes, from a university established by law in India:
- Master’s degree in Commerce (M.Com.)
- M.B.A. with Finance
- M.B.A. in Financial Management
- M.B.A. or M.Com. in Financial Analysis
- Any other Master’s degree notified by the University Grants Commission with Finance as one of the subjects
- Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
- Associate member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI)
If you are still awaiting the result of your qualifying examination, the notification expressly allows you to sit the Preliminary Examination — the proof is required later, with the Main Examination application.
That last pair matters. A qualified CA or an associate ICMAI member does not need a Master’s degree at all, so plenty of commerce and finance professionals who assume this is a purely academic recruitment are in fact fully eligible. The UGC-notified route is equally easy to miss — if Finance was one of the subjects in your Master’s, you are in, even if the degree name says nothing about finance.
Age Limit
The minimum age is 21 years for both posts. The maximum ages below already include the one-time five-year relaxation the State Government granted for this recruitment, and they are counted as on the last date for submitting applications.
| Category | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| General Merit | 40 years |
| Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B | 43 years |
| SC, ST and Category-1 | 45 years |
🎂 Not sure if you meet the age criteria? Use our free Age Calculator for Government Exams to find your exact age on the cut-off date and instantly check your eligibility — including any age relaxation you qualify for. →
Three groups get further relaxation on top of the ceilings above.
| Group | Further Relaxation |
|---|---|
| Ex-servicemen | Years of service rendered, plus 3 years |
| Physically Handicapped candidates | 10 years |
| Widows | 10 years |
What is the Salary for KPSC Assistant Controller and Audit Officer 2026?
| Post | Group | Pay Scale (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Controller | Group A | Rs. 83,700 – 1,55,200 |
| Audit Officer | Group B | Rs. 69,250 – 1,34,200 |
These are Karnataka State pay scales, and the figures shown are the basic pay band before dearness allowance, house rent allowance and the other state allowances are added.
What is the Selection Process for KPSC Recruitment 2026? No Interview Stage
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Examination | Objective multiple choice, 450 marks, degree standard, screening only |
| Main Examination | Descriptive written papers, 2,100 marks, decides the final merit |
There is no personality test and no interview in this recruitment. The notification states plainly that the personality test has been removed, so your written performance in the Main Examination is the whole story. That is unusually good news for candidates who write well but interview poorly.
Preliminary Examination Pattern
Both papers run for two hours each and are set at degree standard, in Kannada and English.
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 | General Studies | 150 |
| Paper-2 | Commerce and Management | 300 |
Preliminary marks are only used to shortlist. Candidates are admitted to the Main Examination in the ratio of 1:20 of the notified vacancies.
Main Examination Pattern
Eight descriptive papers, three hours each, with question papers printed in both Kannada and English.
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-1 | Kannada (qualifying) | 150 |
| Paper-2 | English (qualifying) | 150 |
| Paper-3 | General Studies | 300 |
| Paper-4 | General Studies | 300 |
| Paper-5 | Financial Accounting, Management and Analysis | 300 |
| Paper-6 | Principles of Management, Organisation Behaviour, Training and Development | 300 |
| Paper-7 | Corporate Finance, Business Economics and Taxation | 300 |
| Paper-8 | Principles and Practice of Auditing, Computer Concepts and E-Commerce | 300 |
Here is the detail most candidates get wrong. The Kannada and English papers are qualifying only — you need 30 per cent in each and 35 per cent on average — and the marks you score in them are not counted while deciding merit. But if you fall short in them, you are out of selection however high your other scores are, and your marks in the other subjects are not even published. Treat them as a gate, not as a scoring chance, and build your preparation around the exam syllabus and pattern for the six merit papers.
How to Apply Online for KPSC Recruitment 2026?
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Complete One Time Registration (OTR) on the KPSC portal — this is mandatory and must be done first |
| 2 | Log in and open the application for this notification (link in Essential Links below) |
| 3 | Fill your personal, category and qualification details exactly as they appear on your certificates |
| 4 | Upload the photograph and signature in the format the portal asks for |
| 5 | Pay the fee online unless you are in an exempted category |
| 6 | Submit, then download the acknowledgement — the notification treats your application as complete only once it shows Application submitted, Payment done and Application is accepted |
Keep your degree certificate or ICAI/ICMAI membership proof and your caste or category certificate ready before you start. If you are called for the Main Examination, you must upload proof of passing the qualifying examination along with that application, and candidates who do not are not admitted to the Main Examination.
What are the Important Dates for KPSC Recruitment 2026?
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 27 August 2026 |
| Online application opens | 28 August 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 26 September 2026 |
| Preliminary Examination (tentative) | 6 December 2026 |
What is the Application Fee for KPSC Recruitment 2026?
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General Merit | Rs. 600 |
| Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B | Rs. 300 |
| Ex-servicemen | Rs. 50 |
| SC, ST, Category-1 and Physically Handicapped | Exempted |
Pay online within the prescribed date and time. Demand drafts, postal orders and money orders are not accepted, and payment is not taken after the last date and time.
What Conditions Can Cost You the KPSC 2026 Job?
Read these before you pay. Each one has ended somebody’s candidature.
| Condition | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Fee not paid | If you do not pay the application fee for this notification, your application will be rejected |
| Fee refund | Fee once paid is never refunded or adjusted against any other examination or recruitment of the Commission |
| Deleted post | Fee paid for a post you later delete from your application is not refunded under any circumstances |
| Late payment | Fee is not accepted after the prescribed last date and time |
| Mains proof | You must upload proof of passing the requisite qualifying examination with the Main Examination application, failing which you shall not be admitted to the Main Examination |
| Pending result | If your final year or semester result is unpublished, the result sheet certified by the Controller or Registrar must be furnished within the last date for the Mains application, failing which your qualification and candidature will be rejected |
| Kannada and English papers | Candidates who fail to secure the prescribed marks in the compulsory Kannada and English papers will not be eligible for selection however high their other marks, and those marks will not be published |
| More than one living wife | A male candidate with more than one living wife, and a female candidate married to a man who already has another wife, shall not be eligible for appointment without prior permission of the Government |
| Medical fitness | You must be mentally and physically sound and free from any physical defect likely to interfere with the efficient discharge of the duties of the post |
| Medical Board | The State Government reserves full discretion to reject a candidate as unfit on the report of a Medical Board |
| Permanent debarment | Persons permanently debarred from examinations or recruitments of the Central, Karnataka or any other State Public Service Commission shall not be eligible for appointment |
| Moral turpitude or temporary debarment | A person convicted of any moral turpitude, or temporarily debarred or disqualified from such examinations, is not eligible until the Government re-examines the circumstances and considers them eligible |
| Disability type | Only the disability types listed in the Persons with Disabilities schedule at the end of the notification are eligible; any other disability cannot be considered for these posts |
| Certificates not uploaded | Certificates for age, qualification and every reservation you claim must be uploaded with the application in the prescribed formats and must be valid as on the last date, failing which the reservation or the candidature is rejected |
| No edits after submission | Requests to amend, correct or add any detail after you submit the application are rejected outright, so check every field before you submit |
| Acknowledgement not obtained | Your application counts as complete only when the online acknowledgement shows Application submitted, Payment done and Application is accepted |
| Mains answer language | In the Main Examination you must answer a paper entirely in Kannada or entirely in English; mixing the two is not allowed, except in the qualifying papers |
| Admit card and photo ID | The admit card and a photo identity document are compulsory at the examination centre; without both you are not allowed to sit the examination |
Essential Links for KPSC Recruitment 2026
- Download Official Notification PDF
- Apply Online for KPSC Assistant Controller and Audit Officer 2026
- Visit KPSC Official Website
- Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs
- Join Karnataka Government Jobs Telegram Channel
Sixty-eight audit posts with no interview stage is a rare combination, and the qualification net here is wider than the post names suggest — a CA, an ICMAI associate member or anyone with Finance inside a Master’s degree can sit for it. Work out your exact age on 26 September 2026, finish your One Time Registration this week, and submit early rather than on the closing evening when the portal is at its slowest. For more Karnataka government job notifications, keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in.