KEA VAO Recruitment Notification 2026 Out, Apply Online Starts for 572 Village Accountant Posts

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has issued the KEA VAO Notification for 572 posts of Village Administrative Officer (Village Accountant/Grama Aadalitha Adhikari) in the Karnataka Revenue Department. The candidates who have passed PUC (Class 12) or its equivalent can apply for VAO Recruitment 2026 Karnataka. The online application process is available till 30th July 2026 on the official website www.cetonline.karnataka.gov.in; therefore, interested candidates must submit their applications without any delay.

Karnataka VAO Notification 2026 Out

The official notification pdfs for both the cadres are available on the KEA portal and the same is shared below. Before applying for the post candidates should go through the entire notification to check the eligibility, reservation rules and district preference options.

KEA VAO (General / RPC Cadre) Notification PDF- Click to Download

KEA VAO (Kalyana-Karnataka Cadre) Notification PDF- Click to Download

KEA VAO Recruitment 2026: Summary

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has invited online applications to fill 572 Village Administrative Officer vacancies in the Karnataka Revenue Department, split across two separate notifications by cadre.

VAO Recruitment 2026 Karnataka- Important Dates

As the KEA has released the online registration dates along with the Karnataka Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Notification PDF, candidates should be aware of the important dates to avoid missing any deadlines.

Note- Candidates should note that the two cadres have separate exam dates

VAO Vacancy 2026 Karnataka

Through the KEA VAO Recruitment 2026, the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) aims to fill 572 vacancies for Village Administrative Officer (VAO) posts for RPC Cadre and Kalyana Cadre in different districts under the Karnataka Revenue Department. The district-wise vacancy details have been tabulated below in the table. 

General / RPC Cadre – District-wise Vacancies

Kalyana-Karnataka Cadre – District-wise Vacancies

What is Karnataka VAO Eligibility Criteria?

Educational Qualification

Candidates must have passed PUC (10+2) or a qualification recognised as equivalent by the Government of Karnataka

For General/RPC 

• CBSE/ICSE Class 12
• Other State Board Class 12
• NIOS Senior Secondary/HSC
• 2-year ITI + 1 language + 1 subject (NIOS or PUC Board)
• GOC courses (competitive exams only)
• 3-year Diploma (direct recruitment/compassionate appointment only)

For Kalyana Karnataka

• CBSE/ICSE, State Boards, NIOS, ITI + NIOS, GOC, 3-year Diploma

Age Limit (As on 30/7/2026)

To apply online for the KEA Village Administrative Officer Recruitment 2026, candidates’ minimum age should be 18 years as on 30th July 2026.

KEA VAO Apply Online 2026

The online application process for KEA VAO Recruitment 2026 has started from 11th June 2026 onwards at the official website of the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) www.cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. The Candidates are suggested to submit their application forms before the closing date to avoid last-minute technical issues. Below, we have also provided a direct link to apply online for the ease of candidates.

KEA VAO Apply Online 2026 Link (Active)- Click to Apply

Note- Candidates can apply for only one district within their applicable cadre. Vacancy figures may be revised by district/revenue authorities before finalisation, so check for corrigenda before submitting.

Karnataka VAO Application Fee 2026

While submitting the application forms, candidates are required to pay the application fee as indicated in the notification PDF. Candidates from the general category have to pay an application fee of Rs. 750; candidates from SC/ST/Ex-Serviceman are required to pay Rs. 500, and the PwBD candidates only have to pay a processing fee of Rs. 250. The category-wise application fee is given in the table.

How to Apply for Karnataka Village Administrative Officer (VAO) Recruitment 2026?

Candidates can apply online for the KEA VAO Recruitment 2026 by following these simple steps:

1. Visit the official Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) website.
2. Click on the KEA VAO Recruitment 2026 Apply Online link.
3. Register using a valid email ID and mobile number.
4. Log in with the generated credentials.
5. Fill in the application form with the required personal and educational details.
6. Upload the necessary documents, passport-size photograph, and signature.
7. Pay the application fee through the available online payment modes.
8. Review the application form and submit it.
9. Download and print the submitted application form for future reference.

KEA VAO Selection Process 2026

To recruit eligible candidates for Village Administrative Officer (VAO) posts, a Compulsory Kannada Language Test will be conducted, and a Competitive Examination will be conducted through an offline OMR-based method. Candidates who clear the written examination will be called to appear for the certificate verification process.

• Stage 1: Written Competitive Examination (Offline, OMR-based) — two papers of 100 marks each, 100 objective-type questions per paper, 2 hours per paper, with 0.25 marks negative marking per incorrect answer.
• Stage 2: Kannada Language Test (compulsory, qualifying in nature; date to be notified)
• Stage 3: Certificate/Document Verification

Karnataka VAO Exam Pattern & Structure

Compulsory Kannada Language Test

The Compulsory Kannada Language Test will be conducted for a total of 150 marks. The test will be qualifying in the nature (not counted in merit) and the minimum Qualifying marks will be 50. (Marks obtained in the compulsory Kannada language test will not be considered for the selection of posts.)

OMR-Based Written Examination

The written examination consists of two papers, each carrying 100 marks, and the time duration for each paper is 2 hours. There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer.

• Paper – 1
  Marks 100 Duration 2 Hours
  (a) General knowledge topics related to current events.
  (b) Matters of day-to-day understanding
  (c) Matters of a broad view of the Constitution of India.
  (d) History of India with special reference to Karnataka.
  (e) Geography of India in relation to Karnataka.
  (f) Matters relating to State and Territorial Administration.
  (g) Matters relating to the development of the economy of Karnataka, including initiatives related to Rural Development, Panchayat Raj Institutions, and Rural Co-operative Societies.
  (h) Matters relating to environmental issues and the development of Karnataka.
• Paper – 2
  Marks 100 Duration 2 Hours
  (a) General Kannada
  (b) General English
  (c) Computer Knowledge

KEA VAO Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2026- Click to Check

KEA VAO Salary Structure

Selected candidates for Village Administrative Officer (VAO) posts will be provided a basic pay of Rs. Rs. 34,100 – Rs. 67,600 and other admissible allowances and perks as mentioned in the notification PDF.