By virupaikra-93 Job Summary
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 (Lekha Parishodhanadhikari): Apply Online by 26 Sept
The Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) has released a fresh recruitment notification (No. KPSCKA/EXA2/PRSL/11/2026-EXAM2/252, dated 27-08-2026) inviting online applications from eligible candidates for 15 Group-B posts of Audit Officer (Lekha Parishodhanadhikari) in the Karnataka State Audit & Accounts Department. These posts are reserved for candidates belonging to the Hyderabad-Karnataka (Kalyana Karnataka) local cadre, as per Article 371(J) of the Constitution. Interested and eligible candidates can register through the One Time Registration (OTR) process on the official KPSC website and submit their applications between 28 August 2026 and 26 September 2026. Selection will be made through a Preliminary Examination followed by a Main (Written) Examination.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Organization | Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) |
| Notification No. | KPSCKA/EXA2/PRSL/11/2026-EXAM2/252 |
| Notification Date | 27 August 2026 |
| Post Name | Audit Officer (Lekha Parishodhanadhikari) |
| Department | Karnataka State Audit & Accounts Department |
| Cadre | Hyderabad-Karnataka (Kalyana Karnataka) — Group B |
| Total Vacancies | 15 |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Application Start Date | 28 August 2026 |
| Application Last Date | 26 September 2026 |
| Prelims Exam Date (Tentative) | 29 November 2026 |
| Selection Process | Preliminary Exam + Main Exam |
| Pay Scale | Rs. 69,250 – Rs. 1,34,200 |
| Official Website | kpsconline.karnataka.gov.in |
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Important Date
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online Application Start Date | 28-08-2026 |
| Online Application Last Date | 26-09-2026 |
| Preliminary Exam Date (Tentative) | 29-11-2026 |
Note: The exact examination date, admit card release date, and result declaration schedule will be published separately on the official KPSC website. Candidates are advised to keep checking the website regularly for updates.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved Category | Rs. 600/- |
| Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B | Rs. 300/- |
| Ex-Servicemen | Rs. 50/- |
| SC / ST / Category-1 / Persons with Disabilities (PH) | Fee Exempted |
Payment Mode: Fee can be paid online through Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI. Once paid, the fee is non-refundable and cannot be adjusted against any other examination or recruitment.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Age Limit
Age will be reckoned as per the Karnataka Gazetted Probationers (Recruitment through Competitive Examinations) Rules, 1997, along with a one-time 5-year age relaxation granted vide Government Order No. Cised 262 Seneni 2025 dated 29-01-2026.
| Category | Minimum Age | Maximum Age (with relaxation) |
|---|---|---|
| All Candidates (Minimum) | 21 years | — |
| General / Unreserved Category | 21 years | 40 years |
| Category 2A / 2B / 3A / 3B | 21 years | 43 years |
| SC / ST / Category-1 | 21 years | 45 years |
Additional Age Relaxation:
- Ex-Servicemen: 3 years relaxation for every completed year of service (subject to the maximum limits prescribed).
- Persons with Disabilities (PH): 10 years relaxation.
- Widows: 10 years relaxation.
(Age is calculated as on the last date of application submission.)
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Vacancy Details (Category-Wise)
Post: Audit Officer / Lekha Parishodhanadhikari — 13 Posts (Regular)
| Category | Others | Women | Rural | PH | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 |
| ST | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Category-1 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Category-2A | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Category-2B | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Category-3B | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| General Merit | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 6 |
| Total | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 |
*PH vacancy under General Merit is for Blind/Low Vision (B, LV) candidates.
Post: Audit Officer / Lekha Parishodhanadhikari (Backlog) — 2 Posts
| Category | PH | Total |
|---|---|---|
| SC | 1# | 1 |
| Category-2A | 1# | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 2 |
*# indicates disability related to hearing/locomotor impairment or blindness due to old age.
Note: The reserved vacancy positions shown above are provisional and subject to change as per KPSC rules.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Educational Qualification
Candidates applying for the post of Audit Officer must hold any one of the following qualifications from a university established by law in India, or its equivalent, recognized by the UGC:
- Master’s Degree in Commerce (M.Com), OR
- M.B.A. (Finance), OR
- M.B.A. (Financial Management), OR
- M.B.A. / M.Com (Financial Analysis), OR
- Any other Master’s Degree with “Finance” as one of the subjects, notified by the University Grants Commission (UGC), OR
- Membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), OR
- Associate Membership of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI)
Special Provision: Candidates who have appeared for a qualifying examination but whose results have not been declared are also eligible to sit for the Preliminary Examination. However, before appearing for the Main Examination, they must produce proof of having passed the required qualifying examination along with their application; failing which, they will not be permitted to appear for the Main Examination.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Selection Process
As per the Karnataka State Audit & Accounts Services (Recruitment) Rules, 2011 (Schedule-2, Section-1), the selection process consists of two stages:
- Preliminary Examination — Objective type (Multiple Choice Questions), used only for screening candidates for the Main Examination. Marks scored in the Preliminary Exam are not counted for final merit.
- Main Examination — Descriptive/Written type examination, used for preparing the final merit list for the Group-B post of Audit Officer.
Candidates will be shortlisted for the Main Examination in the ratio of 1:20 against the number of notified vacancies, based on marks secured in the Preliminary Examination.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Salary / Pay Scale
| Post | Pay Scale |
|---|---|
| Audit Officer (Lekha Parishodhanadhikari) | Rs. 69,250 – Rs. 1,34,200/- |
In addition to the basic pay, selected candidates will be entitled to other allowances (DA, HRA, etc.) as applicable under Karnataka Government service rules.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Exam Pattern
Section A — Preliminary Examination (Objective / Multiple Choice)
| Paper | Subject | Max. Marks | Duration | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General Studies | 150 | 2 Hours | Kannada & English |
| Paper 2 | Commerce & Management | 300 | 2 Hours | Kannada & English |
| Total | 450 |
Section B — Main Examination (Written / Descriptive)
| Paper | Subject | Max. Marks | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Kannada | 150 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Paper 2 | English | 150 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Paper 3 | General Studies | 300 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Paper 4 | General Studies | 300 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Paper 5 | Financial Accounting, Management and Analysis | 300 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Paper 6 | Principles of Management, Organisational Behaviour, Training and Development | 300 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Paper 7 | Corporate Finance, Business Economics and Taxation | 300 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Paper 8 | Principles and Practice of Auditing, Computer Concepts and E-Commerce | 300 | 3 Hours | Descriptive |
| Total | 2100 |
Important Notes:
- Qualifying marks in the Kannada and English papers of the Preliminary Exam are 30% for General Merit and 35% average across both papers — marks scored in these two papers are not added to the total for merit ranking.
- Main Exam question papers will be printed in both Kannada and English; candidates must answer entirely in either Kannada or English (except for the language papers themselves).
- Question papers for the Preliminary Exam will be strictly bilingual (Kannada & English) only.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | Documents Required
Candidates should keep the following documents ready (scanned/original as applicable) before filling the application and for verification:
- SSLC / equivalent marks card or extract of cumulative record showing Date of Birth
- Educational qualification certificates (Master’s Degree / MBA / ICAI / ICMAI membership proof) along with all mark cards/semester records and provisional/degree certificate
- Caste Certificate (for SC/ST/Category-1/2A/2B/3A/3B candidates, as applicable, in prescribed formats D/E/F)
- Rural Certificate (Form-1 or Form-2, wherever rural reservation is claimed)
- Kannada Medium Study Certificate (wherever Kannada medium reservation is claimed)
- Hyderabad-Karnataka (Kalyana Karnataka) Local Candidate Certificate
- Persons with Disability (PH) Certificate, wherever applicable
- Ex-Servicemen discharge certificate / pension order / dependent certificate, wherever applicable
- Transgender candidate certificate, wherever applicable
- Recent passport-size photograph and signature (photo max 200 KB, signature max 70 KB, JPEG/JPG format only)
- Aadhaar Card / Kutumba ID / Ration Card (for auto-fetching permanent address details)
- Valid Email ID and Mobile Number for OTP-based registration and login
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | How to Apply
- Visit the Official Website: Go to the KPSC official website — kpsconline.karnataka.gov.in
- One Time Registration (OTR): First-time applicants must complete One Time Registration by clicking on the “New Registration” link. This registration is valid for all future KPSC notifications, so fill in details carefully.
- Login: After registration, log in using your Enrollment Number/Mobile Number or Email ID via OTP.
- Complete Profile: Fill in “Applicant Details Registration” completely, including educational qualification, category, age, and other personal details.
- Apply to Post: After logging in, click on the “Apply to Post” tab, select this notification, and check your eligibility as per the post-wise criteria.
- Fill Application Form: Carefully fill all required fields and upload the necessary documents/photo/signature in the correct format and size.
- Pay Application Fee: Click on “Pay Now” and complete the fee payment through Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI.
- Submit Application: Verify all entered details thoroughly before final submission, as no correction request will be entertained after submission.
- Download/Print: After successful payment and application submission, download and keep a printout of the application form and payment receipt for future reference.
KPSC Audit Officer Recruitment 2026 | New Post
A. The online application process closes on 26 September 2026. Applications can be submitted from 28 August 2026 onwards.
A. There are a total of 15 vacancies — 13 regular posts and 2 backlog posts — for the position of Audit Officer (Lekha Parishodhanadhikari) under the Hyderabad-Karnataka (Kalyana Karnataka) cadre.
A. Candidates must hold a Master’s Degree in Commerce (M.Com), MBA (Finance/Financial Management/Financial Analysis), or an equivalent UGC-recognized Master’s degree with Finance as a subject, or membership of ICAI/ICMAI.
A. The minimum age is 21 years. The maximum age is 40 years for General category, 43 years for Category 2A/2B/3A/3B, and 45 years for SC/ST/Category-1 candidates (inclusive of the one-time 5-year relaxation).
