How many marks is the KEA VAO written examination?

The competitive written examination carries 200 marks, with 100 marks assigned to each paper.

Is there negative marking in the KEA VAO exam?

Yes, 0.25 marks are deducted for each incorrect answer in the competitive examination.

What is the Compulsory Kannada Language Test in KEA VAO?

The Compulsory Kannada Language Test is a separate qualifying examination carrying 150 marks. Candidates required to appear for the test must meet the prescribed qualifying marks.

KEA VAO Syllabus 2026: Check Exam Pattern, Subjects & Syllabus

The KEA VAO Syllabus 2026 includes General Knowledge, General Kannada, General English and Computer Knowledge. Aspirants preparing for the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) Village Administrative Officer (VAO) examination should be familiar with the paper structure, subjects and marking scheme to organise their preparation effectively. The competitive examination comprises two objective papers carrying 200 marks, while the Compulsory Kannada Language Test is qualifying in nature. The complete KEA VAO exam pattern and subject-wise syllabus are provided below for candidates to refer to during their preparation.

KEA VAO Syllabus 2026 Overview

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	KEA Village Administrative Officer Exam 2026
Conducting Authority	Karnataka Examinations Authority
Post	Village Administrative Officer (VAO)
Exam Mode	Offline (OMR-based)
Question Type	Objective Type
Written Papers	Paper 1 and Paper 2
Total Marks	200 Marks
Duration	4 Hours
Paper 1	General Knowledge
Paper 2	General Kannada, General English and Computer Knowledge
Negative Marking	0.25 marks for each wrong answer
Kannada Language Test	150 Marks, qualifying in nature

Must Check: KEA VAO Hall Ticket 2026

KEA VAO Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates should be familiar with the paper structure before moving to the detailed syllabus. The competitive examination contains two papers, with 100 questions and 100 marks in each paper.

Paper	Subjects	Questions	Marks	Duration
Paper 1	General Knowledge	100	100	2 Hours
Paper 2	General Kannada, General English & Computer Knowledge	100	100	2 Hours
Total	–	200	200	4 Hours

Paper 2 Marks Distribution

Paper 2 contains three areas. The prescribed scheme distributes the 100 marks as follows:

Subject	Marks
General Kannada	35
General English	35
Computer Knowledge	30
Total	100

KEA VAO Marking Scheme 2026

The marking scheme should be kept in mind while attempting mock tests and previous question papers.

Each written paper carries 100 marks.
The competitive examination carries 200 marks in total.
0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.
The Compulsory Kannada Language Test carries 150 marks but is qualifying in nature.
The Kannada Language Test marks are not included in the final merit score

KEA VAO Syllabus 2026

The KEA VAO Syllabus 2026 is divided into two papers. Paper 1 covers General Knowledge, while Paper 2 includes General Kannada, General English and Computer Knowledge. Candidates can check the detailed subject-wise topics below.

Paper	Subject	Detailed Syllabus / Topics
Paper 1	General Knowledge	Current Affairs: National and international events, Karnataka current affairs, government schemes and programmes, awards and honours, sports, important appointments, reports and important developments. General Science: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, human body, health and nutrition, everyday science, scientific developments and technology. Indian Constitution: Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, Directive Principles, Union and State Government, President, Governor, Parliament, State Legislature, Supreme Court, High Courts, constitutional bodies and local self-government. Indian History with Special Reference to Karnataka: Ancient, Medieval and Modern Indian History, freedom movement, important dynasties, Karnataka kingdoms, important rulers, historical events, personalities and Karnataka’s role in the freedom struggle. Geography of India with Reference to Karnataka: Physical features, rivers, climate, soil, agriculture, forests, minerals, natural resources, irrigation, dams, Karnataka’s geographical divisions and major geographical features. State and Territorial Administration: State administration, district administration, administrative divisions, local administration, Panchayat Raj system, rural administration and functions of local authorities. Karnataka Economy and Rural Development: Karnataka economy, agriculture, industries, rural economy, Panchayat Raj Institutions, rural development programmes, employment schemes, cooperatives and government development initiatives. Environmental Issues and Development of Karnataka: Pollution, forests, wildlife, biodiversity, water conservation, climate change, natural resources, environmental protection and sustainable development.
Paper 2	General Kannada	Kannada grammar, vocabulary, synonyms, antonyms, spelling, sentence formation, parts of speech, Sandhi, Samasa, idioms, proverbs, correct usage of words, sentence correction, comprehension, language usage and basic Kannada literature-related questions.
Paper 2	General English	Parts of speech, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, tenses, subject-verb agreement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, sentence correction, error detection, fill in the blanks, synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution, vocabulary, sentence rearrangement and reading comprehension.
Paper 2	Computer Knowledge	Computer fundamentals, characteristics of computers, generations of computers, hardware and software, input and output devices, CPU, memory, storage devices, operating systems, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, basic computer operations, internet, email, web browsers, networking fundamentals, computer security, cyber threats, data protection and common computer terminology.
Compulsory Kannada Test	Kannada Language	Kannada language comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, sentence construction, correct usage, reading and understanding of Kannada passages and other language-based questions as prescribed for the qualifying test.

KEA VAO Syllabus 2026 Preparation Strategy

Candidates can divide their preparation into four simple stages:

Understand the syllabus: Make separate topic lists for Paper 1 and Paper 2.
Build the basics: Cover Karnataka GK, Constitution, history, geography, language fundamentals and computer basics.
Practise: Solve topic-wise questions and previous papers regularly.
Revise and test: Use full-length mock tests to improve accuracy and manage the two-hour paper effectively.