KEA Recruitment 2026 Notification Out for 890 AO & AAO Vacancies, Apply Online Begins

Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has invited eligible candidates for the recruitment of Group-B posts of Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) in the Karnataka State Agriculture Department. The interested candidates can start applying for the released vacancies starting from 19th April 2026, with the last date to apply 10th May 2026. Candidates must carefully read the details from the article, filling out the application form, as eligibility conditions vary between the two notifications.

KEA AO AAO Notification 2026 Out

The notification has been issued under two separate advertisement numbers — Advt. No. EDI/KEA/08/RPC/2026 for the RPC (General) region and Advt. No. EDI/KEA/09/KK/2026 for the Kalyana Karnataka region to fill 890 vacancies in the Karnataka State. The official KEA AO AAO Notification 2026 contains complete details on vacancies, eligibility criteria, age limits, selection process, exam pattern, and important dates for both the RPC and Kalyana Karnataka regions.

KEA AO AAO Notification 2026 (RPC): Click Here to Download

KEA AO AAO Notification 2026 (Kalyana Karnataka): Click Here to Download

KEA Recruitment 2026 Overview

Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the notification for AO and AAO posts, and the selection will be done through a direct competitive examination conducted by KEA. Check the brief overview of the recruitment from the table below.

KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026- Important Dates

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has officially released the KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 Notification on 18th April 2026 and started the application process on 19th April 2026 at www.cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/. The complete schedule for the recruitment has been officially announced and the same is shared below.

KEA AO AAO Vacancy 2026

A total of 890 vacancies for Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) have been announced across the RPC (General) region and the Kalyana Karnataka region. The vacancies are further divided into two sub-categories — Sre. 85 posts, which require a BSc (Agriculture) or BSc Hons (Agriculture) degree, and Sre. 15 posts, which accept a wider range of agriculture-related qualifications.

KEA AO AAO Eligibility Criteria 2026

Karnataka Examinations Authority has specified the eligibility criteria for candidates applying for this recruitment in terms of educational qualification and age limit. Meeting these requirements is essential, as only eligible candidates will be considered for further selection stages.

Educational Qualification

• For Sre. 85 Posts (AO & AAO): Candidates must hold a BSc (Agriculture) or BSc Hons (Agriculture) degree from a university recognized by ICAR or AICTE.
• For Sre. 15 Posts (AO & AAO): Candidates holding any of the following degrees are eligible – BTech (Food Science & Technology), BTech (Food Technology), BSc (Sericulture & Cooperation), BSc (Agri Marketing & Cooperation), BSc (Agri Business Management), BSc (Agri Biotechnology), BTech (Biotechnology), BSc (Agricultural Engineering), or BTech (Agricultural Engineering).

Age Limit

• General/Merit- 40 years
• Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B- 43 years
• SC / ST / Category-1- 45 years

Steps to Apply Online for KEA Recruitment 2026

Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria of AO and AAO posts must apply through the official website of KEA. The application process will be held online, and candidates must keep the required documents ready as specified in the notification. Candidates must follow the step-by-step guide below to complete the application form:

1. Open the KEA official portal on your device, https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea
2. On the homepage, you will notice the “Recruitment” section at the top and select it.
3. Then, proceed to click on any option, “Agriculture Department AO/AAO Recruitment 2026- KK/RPC.”
4. In a new window, click on the Online Application Link and then proceed with the form filling.
5. First, register with DigiLocker using your Aadhaar Number to download your SSLC marksheet.
6. Then, complete the candidate registration process, which will generate your login credentials. Candidates must verify these credentials via SMS and email.
7. Fill out the application form with basic details, academic qualifications, and reservation details.
8. Upload the required documents, in which photograph, signature, category, computer literacy, region, qualification certificates, and identity proof, all in JPG format. The recent passport-sized photograph must be between 50 KB and 200 KB, and the signature must be between 50 KB and 70 KB.
9. Preview all the filled-out details carefully. Candidates can edit if required before the final step.
10. Then, pay the application fee as per your category in any online payment mode.
11. Then click on “Submit” and download the application form and take a print of it.

KEA AO AAO Selection Process 2026

KEA will conduct a two-stage selection process for Agricultural Officer and Assistant Agricultural Officer posts. The process will check the candidate’s knowledge in Agricultural subjects and proficiency in the Kannada language. The final selection of candidates in KEA 2026 will be based on merit-based ranking in the written exam. But candidates have to obtain qualifying marks in the Kannada language test. The selection process is given below:

Step 1: Competitive Written Examination
Step 2: Kannada Language Test

KEA Exam Pattern 2026

KEA exam pattern for Agricultural Officer and Assistant Agriculture Officer posts includes both the competitive written examinations and Kannada Language Test. Both these exams will be held in offline mode with objective-type questions.

KEA Competitive Written Examination 2026

The written exam will test both theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of agriculture. The exam has two papers, one is the General Agriculture Subject, and the other is subject-specific.

• Each of these papers carries 300 marks.
• The total duration for each paper is 2 hours.
• For each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of 0.75 marks.
• If candidates select more than 1 option, then there will be a negative marking of 0.75 marks
• Candidates must secure a minimum of 35 marks to qualify.
• The question papers for 85% and 15% categories will be different, but the syllabus and evaluation methods will be the same.

KEA Exam Pattern for Agriculture Officer and Assistant Agriculture Officer – 85% of the posts

KEA Exam Pattern for Agriculture Officer and Assistant Agriculture Officer – 15% of the posts

KEA Kannada Language Examination 2026

Candidates who have not studied Kannada language as a subject in SSLC or 10th standard or equivalent must appear for the Kannada Language examination. The examination will be held to assess candidates’ ability to read, write, and understand Kannada.

• The test will be in an OMR-based format.
• The question paper will carry 150 marks.
• The language test is qualifying in nature.
• Candidates must secure a minimum qualifying mark to pass, which is 50 marks.
• Those who fail to qualify for the test will be rejected from the recruitment process.

KEA AO AAO Salary 2026

Karnataka Examinations Authority offers an attractive salary package to the candidates selected for the AO and AAO posts. The salary is based on the Karnataka State Pay Matrix. Along with the salary, selected officers also receive DA, HRA, TA, medical benefits, and a pension scheme. The salary for AO and AAO remains the same for both 85% and 15% direct recruitment categories.