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The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) conducts the University Assistant exam in two stages: a Preliminary OMR (Objective Multiple Choice) screening test followed by a Main Examination for shortlisted candidates. The syllabus is designed for degree-level candidates and emphasizes general knowledge, current affairs, aptitude, and language skills, with a focus on Kerala-specific topics. This breakdown is based on the official syllabus for Category No. 486/2022, which remains relevant for upcoming recruitments like 2026, as no major changes have been announced as of November 2025.
The Preliminary exam serves as a qualifier, while the Mains is descriptive and carries higher weightage. Below is a comprehensive breakdown, including exam patterns and topic-wise details.
The Preliminary exam is an objective-type screening test to shortlist candidates for Mains. It was held for Category 486/2022, and the pattern is expected to be similar for future notifications.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode | OMR-based or Online |
| Duration | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Total Marks | 100 |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) – 100 questions (1 mark each) |
| Negative Marking | 1/3 mark deducted for wrong answers |
| Qualifying Marks | Varies by category (e.g., General: ~50-60 marks in 2023) |
The Prelims syllabus focuses on broad topics without sub-divisions, covering:
General Knowledge (50-60 marks): History, Geography, Economics, Polity, Science, Kerala-specific facts, Renaissance in Kerala, and Current Events.
Current Affairs (20-25 marks): National and international events, awards, sports, and Kerala developments (last 6-12 months).
Simple Arithmetic & Mental Ability (15-20 marks): Basic math, series, analogies, coding-decoding.
General English & Regional Language (5-10 marks): Basic grammar, vocabulary, comprehension.
Preparation Tip: Refer to previous year OMR question papers for exact weightage. Topics overlap significantly with Mains but are tested objectively.
The Main exam is descriptive, testing in-depth understanding. It was held on August 25, 2023, for Category 486/2022. Total marks: 100 (though some sources note scaled to 400 for ranking). Duration: Typically 2-3 hours per paper/module.
| Module | Marks |
|---|---|
| I. General Knowledge | 52 |
| II. Current Affairs | 15 |
| III. Simple Arithmetic, Mental Ability & Reasoning | 10 |
| IV. General English | 10 |
| V. Regional Language (Malayalam/Kannada/Tamil) | 10 |
| VI. Descriptive Paper (Essay/Precis/Translation) | 3 (integrated or separate) |
| Total | 100 |
This module covers foundational and advanced topics across disciplines, with heavy emphasis on Indian/Kerala history and education policies.
(i) History (5 Marks)
Kerala: Arrival of Europeans and contributions; History of Travancore (Marthanda Varma to Sree Chithirathirunnal); Social/Religious Reform Movements; National Movement; Literary Sources; United Kerala Movement; Post-1956 Political/Social History.
India: Political History; British Establishment; First War of Independence; INC Formation; Swadeshi Movement; Social Reforms; Newspapers/Literature/Arts in Freedom Struggle; Gandhi's Role; Post-Independence; State Reorganization; Science/Education/Technology Developments; Foreign Policy.
World: English Revolution; American/French/Russian/Chinese Revolutions; Post-WWII Political History; UNO & International Organizations.
(ii) Geography (5 Marks)
Basics: Earth Structure; Atmosphere/Rocks/Landforms; Pressure Belts/Winds; Temperature/Seasons; Global Warming/Pollution; Maps/Topographic Signs; Remote Sensing/GIS; Oceans/Continents/Nations.
India: Physiography (Mountains, Plains, Plateau, Coast); Climate/Vegetation/Agriculture/Minerals/Industries/Energy/Transport.
Kerala: Physiography/Districts/Rivers; Climate/Vegetation/Wildlife/Agriculture/Research Centers; Minerals/Industries/Energy/Transport.
(iii) Economics (5 Marks)
India: Economy/Five-Year Plans/New Reforms; Planning Commission/NITI Aayog; Financial Institutions; Agriculture (Crops/Green Revolution/Minerals); Direct/Indirect Taxes; GST (Rationale/Structure/Benefits).
(iv) Indian Constitution (5 Marks)
Constituent Assembly/Preamble/Citizenship; Fundamental Rights/Writs (Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, etc.); Directive Principles/Fundamental Duties; Government Structure (Union/State Executive/Legislature/Judiciary); LSGIs; Key Amendments (42, 44, 52, etc.); Constitutional Authorities (CAG, AG, EC, UPSC, etc.); Finance Commissions; GST Council; Legislative Powers (Union/State/Concurrent Lists); Tribunals; National Commissions (SC/ST/BC); Official/Regional Languages.
(v) Kerala Governance & Administration (5 Marks)
Kerala State Civil Service; Quasi-Judicial Bodies/Commissions; Socio-Economic Development Facts; Planning Board/Commercial Policies; Disaster/Watershed Management; Employment/Labour (NREGA); Land Reforms; Social Welfare (Women/Children/Seniors); Population/Literacy/E-Governance; Delegated Legislation/Controls; Remedies Against Arbitrariness; Administrative Discretion/Adjudication; Natural Justice Principles.
(vi) Life Science (3 Marks)
Human Body Basics; Vitamins/Minerals/Deficiency Diseases; Communicable Diseases/Causative Organisms/Prevention; Lifestyle Diseases.
(vii) Physics (3 Marks)
Branches/Matter/Units/Measurements; Motion (Newton's Laws/Momentum/Projectiles); Light (Lenses/Mirrors/Phenomena/Rainbow/EM Spectrum); Sound (Waves/Velocity/Resonance); Force (Friction/Liquid Pressure/Archimedes/Pascal/Density/Capillarity/Viscosity); Gravitation (Centripetal/Centrifugal/Escape Velocity/Satellites); Heat/Temperature/Thermometers/Humidity; Work/Energy/Power/Levers.
(viii) Chemistry (3 Marks)
Atom/Molecule/States of Matter/Allotropy/Gas Laws/Aqua Regia; Elements/Periodic Table/Metals-Nonmetals; Changes/Reactions/Solutions/Mixtures/Compounds; Alloys/Acids/Bases/pH/Alkaloids.
(ix) Arts, Literature, Culture, Sports (5 Marks)
Arts: Kerala's Audio-Visual Forms; Places/Institutions/Personalities/Artistes/Writers.
Sports: Personalities/Achievements/Awards; Trophies/Events/Players/Terms; Olympics/Asian/Commonwealth/SAF/National Games.
Literature: Malayalam Movements/Icons/Works/Authors; Quotes/Books; Journalism Pioneers; Awards (Jnanpith); Cinema Milestones.
Culture: Kerala's Celebrations/Festivals/Cultural Centers/Worship Places/Leaders.
(x) Basics of Computer (3 Marks)
Hardware: Input/Output/Memory Devices.
Software: Classification/OS/Applications (Word/Spreadsheet/Database/Presentation/Image Editors); Programming Basics.
Networks: LAN/WAN/MAN; Devices (Modem/Switch/Router).
Internet: Services (WWW/Email/Search Engines); Social Media; Web Designing (Browser/HTML).
Cyber Wrongs: Types/IT Act 2000.
(xi) Important Acts (Education Policy, Acts, Commissions) (13 Marks)
Unit 1 (6 Marks): University Education Commission (1948-49); Secondary Education Commission (1952-53); UGC (1953/1956 Act); Kothari Commission (1964-66); National Knowledge Commission (2005-09).
Unit 2 (7 Marks): NPE 1968/1986/POA 1992/RPF 1992; Yashpal Committee 1993; NEP 2020.
National/International Events; Government Schemes; Awards/Honors; Sports/Books/Authors; Science/Technology; Kerala-Specific News (Economy/Politics/Culture). Focus on the last 1-2 years.
(i) Simple Arithmetic (5 Marks): Numbers/Operations; Fractions/Decimals; Percentage; Profit/Loss; Interest (Simple/Compound); Ratio/Proportion; Time/Distance/Work; Average; Exponents; Mensuration; Progressions.
(ii) Mental Ability & Reasoning (5 Marks): Series; Mathematical Signs; Position Verification; Analogy (Word/Alphabet/Number); Odd One Out; Numerical Ability; Coding/Decoding; Family Relations; Direction Sense; Time/Angles/Clocks; Dates/Calendars; Clerical Ability.
(i) Grammar (5 Marks): Sentence Types/Interchange; Parts of Speech; Subject-Verb Agreement; Articles; Auxiliaries; Question Tags; Infinitives/Gerunds; Tenses/Conditionals; Prepositions; Correlatives; Direct/Indirect Speech; Active/Passive; Sentence Correction; Comparisons.
(ii) Vocabulary (5 Marks): Singular/Plural/Gender/Collectives; Word Formation/Prefixes/Suffixes; Compounds; Synonyms/Antonyms; Phrasal Verbs; Foreign Phrases; One-Word Substitutes; Confused Words; Spelling; Idioms; Abbreviations.
Malayalam: പദശുദ്ധി (Word Purity); വാക്യശുദ്ധി (Sentence Purity); പരിഭാഷ (Translation); ഒറ്റപ്പദം (One-Word); പരയായം (Synonyms); വിപരീത പദം (Antonyms); ഐശ്വര്യകല്പിത പഴഞ്ചൊല്ലുകൾ (Archaic Words); സമാനപദം (Homonyms); ചേർത്തൊഴിഞ്ഞെഴുതുക (Joined/Separated Writing); സ്ത്രീലിംഗം/പുല്ലിംഗം (Gender); വചനം (Case); പിരിഒച്ചെഴുതൽ (Phonetic Writing).
Essay Writing (200-250 words on current/social topics); Precis Writing; Letter/Report Writing; Translation (English to Malayalam or vice versa).
Books: Lucent GK, Manorama Yearbook, Kerala PSC-specific guides (Talent/Q Bank).
Previous Papers: Download from keralapsc.gov.in (2023 OMR/Mains available).
Study Plan: Allocate 40% time to GK/Current Affairs, 20% to Arithmetic/Reasoning, 20% to Languages, 20% to Revision/Mocks.
Updates for 2026: Monitor keralapsc.gov.in for any tweaks; syllabus is stable.
This breakdown equips you for success. Focus on Kerala-centric topics for an edge!
| Sl No | Name | Description | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | syllabus | You can download University Assistant syllabus from here |