The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) has released Notification No. KPSCKA/EXA2/PRSL/10/2026-EXAM2/251 dated 27.08.2026 inviting online applications for 68 Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts in the Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department — 15 Assistant Controller posts and 53 Audit Officer posts. Candidates holding an M.Com, an MBA (Finance) or a CA/ICWA membership can apply online at the KPSC portal from 28.08.2026 to 26.09.2026. The tentative preliminary examination date is 06.12.2026.
Recruitment Overview
| Post Name | Assistant Controller (Group A) and Audit Officer (Group B) |
| Organization | Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), for the Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department |
| Notification / Advertisement No. | KPSCKA/EXA2/PRSL/10/2026-EXAM2/251 dated 27.08.2026 |
| Location | Karnataka |
| Total Vacancies | 68 (Assistant Controller – 15, Audit Officer – 53) |
| Qualification | Master’s degree in Commerce (M.Com) or MBA (Finance / Financial Management / Financial Analysis) or any other UGC-notified Master’s degree with Finance as a subject, or ACA (ICAI) or Associate member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India |
| Age Limit | 21 to 40 years (GM) as on 26.09.2026, with the one-time 5-year relaxation already applied Check your age eligibility → |
| Selection Process | Preliminary Examination → Main Examination (written) → Document Verification (no interview) |
| Pay Scale | Rs. 83,700 – 1,55,200 for Assistant Controller; Rs. 69,250 – 1,34,200 for Audit Officer |
| How to Apply | Online only, through One Time Registration on the KPSC Udyoga portal |
| Official Notification | Download Notification PDF |
| Official Website / Apply Online | KPSC Online Application Portal |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification date | 27.08.2026 |
| Online application starts | 28.08.2026 |
| Last date to apply online and pay fee | 26.09.2026 |
| Preliminary examination (tentative) | 06.12.2026 |
| Main examination date | Not specified in notification |
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General Merit (GM) | Rs. 600/- |
| Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | Rs. 300/- |
| Ex-Servicemen | Rs. 50/- |
| SC, ST, Category-1 and Persons with Disabilities | Exempted (No fee) |
Note: Fee must be paid through Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card or UPI. Demand Drafts, Postal Orders and Money Orders are not accepted, and the fee once paid is non-refundable and cannot be carried over to any other examination.
Vacancy Details
Assistant Controller (Group A) – 15 Posts
| Category | Others | Women | Rural | Ex-Serviceman | PwD | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| Category-1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Category-2A | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 |
| Category-3A | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| General Merit | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 (LD) | 8 |
| Total | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
Audit Officer (Group B) – 53 Posts
| Category | Others | Women | Rural | Ex-Serviceman | PwD | Kannada Medium | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste – A | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Scheduled Caste – B | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Scheduled Caste – C | 1* | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Scheduled Tribe | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 2 |
| Category-1 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 (B, LV) | – | 3 |
| Category-2A | – | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | 1 | 8 |
| Category-2B | – | – | 1 | – | 1 (B, LV) | – | 2 |
| Category-3A | – | – | 1 | – | 1 (B, LV) | – | 2 |
| Category-3B | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 (B, LV) | – | 3 |
| General Merit | 6 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 (D, HH) | 1 | 26 |
| Total | 9 | 17 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 53 |
Notes: B, LV = Blind and Low Vision; D, HH = Deaf and Hard of Hearing; LD = Locomotor Disability. *20% of the posts available to Scheduled Caste Category-C are reserved for the 59 most-backward castes listed in Annexure-5 of the notification; if no eligible candidate from those castes is available, the post will be filled from other eligible Category-C candidates. The vacancy figures are tentative and the reservation classification is subject to change.
Please note: This post covers the Residual Parent Cadre (RPC) notification for Assistant Controller and Audit Officer. KPSC has issued a separate notification of the same date, 27.08.2026, for Audit Officer posts in the Hyderabad-Karnataka (HK) local cadre — if you are claiming HK local reservation under Article 371(J), check that notification on the KPSC website instead.
Eligibility Criteria
| Educational Qualification | Master’s degree in Commerce (M.Com), or MBA (Finance), MBA (Financial Management), MBA/M.Com (Financial Analysis), or any other Master’s degree notified by the UGC with Finance as one of the subjects, from a university established by law in India; or membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India; or Associate membership of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India |
| Final-year candidates | Candidates who have appeared for the qualifying examination but whose results are not yet declared are eligible for the preliminary examination; proof of passing must be produced along with the Main examination application |
| Age Limit | Minimum 21 years; maximum 40 years (GM), 43 years (Cat 2A/2B/3A/3B) and 45 years (SC/ST/Cat-1), as on the last date for applications — these upper limits already include the one-time 5-year relaxation granted by Government Order dated 29.01.2026 Check your age eligibility → |
| Nationality | Must be a citizen of India |
| Marital restriction | A male candidate with more than one living wife, and a female candidate married to a person who already has a living wife, are not eligible without prior Government permission |
| Other restrictions | Must be physically and mentally fit; candidates debarred by UPSC, KPSC or any other State PSC, and those dismissed for moral turpitude, are not eligible |
Age Relaxation
| Category | Maximum Age / Relaxation |
|---|---|
| General Merit | 40 years |
| Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | 43 years |
| Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Category-1 | 45 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | Length of service rendered in the Armed Forces plus 3 years, over and above the applicable upper limit |
| Persons with Disabilities | 10 years over and above the applicable upper limit |
| Widows (holding a competent-authority certificate of widowhood and of not having remarried) | 10 years over and above the applicable upper limit |
Selection Process
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 – Preliminary Examination | Objective multiple-choice, two compulsory papers of 2 hours each, held at centres decided by the Commission. Paper-1 General Studies carries 150 marks and Paper-2 Commerce and Management carries 300 marks, for a total of 450 marks. Question papers are set in both Kannada and English and are of degree standard. Marks scored here are only for shortlisting — candidates are called for the Main examination in the ratio of 1:20 against the notified vacancies, and preliminary marks do not count towards the final merit. |
| Stage 2 – Main Examination (Written) | Descriptive written examination of 8 compulsory papers of 3 hours each, totalling 2100 marks. Paper-1 Kannada (150) and Paper-2 English (150) are qualifying only — a candidate must score at least 30% in each and an average of 35 marks across the two; failing that, the remaining papers are not evaluated. Paper-3 and Paper-4 General Studies carry 300 marks each; 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. |
| Stage 3 – Final Merit and Document Verification | There is no interview or personality test for this recruitment — it was abolished by Government Notification No. FD 154 SAD 2022 dated 19.10.2023. The final selection is made purely on the marks obtained in the Main examination, applying the applicable reservation rules, followed by verification of original documents. |
Salary and Benefits
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Assistant Controller (Group A) | Pay scale Rs. 83,700 – 1,55,200 per month |
| Audit Officer (Group B) | Pay scale Rs. 69,250 – 1,34,200 per month |
| Allowances and other benefits | Not specified in notification — admissible as per Karnataka Government rules for the respective pay scale |
How to Apply
- Visit the KPSC online portal at kpsconline.karnataka.gov.in and click “New Registration” to complete the One Time Registration (OTR) if you have not registered before; keep your email ID and mobile number ready for OTP verification.
- Log in with your OTR credentials and click “Applicant Details Registration” to fill in your personal, educational, caste and reservation details, then save each step before moving on.
- Click the “Apply to Post” tab, select this notification, and complete the application form — the system checks your eligibility and shows an alert if you do not meet the requirements.
- Upload your recent passport-size photograph (maximum 200 KB) and signature (maximum 70 KB) in JPEG/JPG format only, along with all caste, reservation and qualification certificates.
- Pay the fee online through Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card or UPI, then download the acknowledgement showing “Application submitted”, “Payment done” and “Application is accepted”, and save a printed copy.
Note: Applications are accepted online through the KPSC portal only — applications submitted through any other mode will not be accepted. If you need to change details after submitting, you must delete the applied post from the “Applied Post” tab, correct your OTR details and apply afresh; the fee already paid will not be refunded or adjusted for a deleted application.
Documents Required
| Passport-size photograph | Recent photograph, JPEG/JPG only, maximum 200 KB Resize your photo and signature → |
| Signature | JPEG/JPG only, maximum 70 KB |
| Educational certificates | Marks cards of all years/semesters and the degree certificate, obtained on or before the last date for applications |
| Date of birth proof | SSLC marks card, SSLC transfer certificate (TC) or an extract of the cumulative record showing the date of birth — no other document is accepted |
| Caste / reservation certificate | Form-D for SC (including SC-A, SC-B, SC-C) and ST, Form-E for Category-1, Form-F for Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B; Category 2A/2B/3A/3B certificates are valid for 5 years and must be valid on the last date |
| Rural reservation certificate | Annexure-1 and Annexure-2 formats, countersigned by the concerned Block Education Officer, for candidates who studied in a rural area from Class 1 to Class 10 |
| Kannada medium certificate | Certificate in the prescribed format signed and sealed by the school head, for candidates who studied in Kannada medium from Class 1 to Class 10 |
| Ex-Servicemen certificate | Discharge certificate, pension payment order, discharge book and dependant certificate where applicable; the original must be produced at document verification |
| PwD certificate | Certificate for Persons with Disabilities in the format prescribed by Government Order dated 19.11.2005, issued by the competent medical authority; Annexure-3 and Annexure-4 are additionally required if a scribe is needed |
| Transgender certificate | Certificate issued by the District Magistrate under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2019, valid as on the last date for applications |
| Identity proof for the exam | Voter ID, Aadhaar card, driving licence, passport or a government-issued photo ID, to be carried with the admission ticket — entry is refused without it |
Important Links
| Download Official Notification (PDF) | Download Notification |
| Apply Online / Official Website | Apply Online at KPSC Portal |
| Telegram Channel | Join Telegram Channel |
| WhatsApp Channel | Join WhatsApp Channel |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not submit more than one application for the same post — if you must correct something, delete the applied post first and apply afresh, because the earlier fee will not be refunded or adjusted.
- Do not upload a caste, rural, Kannada medium or reservation certificate that has expired — every certificate must be valid as on 26.09.2026, and Category 2A/2B/3A/3B certificates are valid for only 5 years.
- Do not upload a photograph or signature in PNG or PDF form, or one larger than the 200 KB and 70 KB limits — only JPEG/JPG files within those sizes are accepted, and unclear uploads lead to rejection.
- Do not wait until 26.09.2026 to pay the fee — the Commission has stated it is not responsible for technical failures on the last day, and payment cannot be made after the deadline.
- Do not use any document other than the SSLC marks card, SSLC TC or cumulative record extract to prove your date of birth, as no other proof will be accepted.
- Do not close, refresh or press the back button while payment is processing — wait for it to complete, and use the “Re-Payment” link on the Applied Post page if it fails.
- Do not give false information in the application — furnishing incorrect details can lead to a minimum 3-year debarment from KPSC recruitments and examinations.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the last date to apply for KPSC Assistant Controller and Audit Officer Recruitment 2026?
The last date to submit the online application and pay the fee is 26.09.2026.
2. How many vacancies are there in this notification?
There are 68 vacancies in total — 15 Assistant Controller posts in Group ‘A’ and 53 Audit Officer posts in Group ‘B’.
3. What qualification is required to apply?
You need an M.Com, an MBA in Finance, Financial Management or Financial Analysis, any other UGC-notified Master’s degree with Finance as a subject, membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, or Associate membership of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
4. What is the age limit for these posts?
The minimum age is 21 years and the maximum is 40 years for General Merit, 43 years for Category 2A/2B/3A/3B and 45 years for SC, ST and Category-1, calculated as on the last date for applications.
5. What is the application fee?
The fee is Rs. 600 for General Merit, Rs. 300 for Category 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B, and Rs. 50 for Ex-Servicemen, while SC, ST, Category-1 and Persons with Disabilities candidates are fully exempted.
6. When will the preliminary examination be held?
The tentative date for the preliminary examination is 06.12.2026.
7. Is there an interview for this recruitment?
No — the interview and personality test were abolished by Government Notification No. FD 154 SAD 2022 dated 19.10.2023, so the final merit is based only on the Main examination marks.
8. What is the salary for these posts?
Assistant Controller carries a pay scale of Rs. 83,700 to Rs. 1,55,200 per month and Audit Officer carries a pay scale of Rs. 69,250 to Rs. 1,34,200 per month.
Disclaimer: The information above has been compiled from the official notification for the convenience of job seekers. Candidates are advised to verify all details from the official website before applying.
