KEA JE Recruitment 2026: 218 Posts, Apply Now

KEA JE Recruitment 2026 Overview

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has opened applications for 218 Group-C technical posts across Karnataka Government departments, boards and corporations. The recruitment covers three posts: Junior Engineer (Civil), Assistant City Planner and Draughtsman. KEA has issued two separate notifications for this drive — one for the Residual Parent Cadre (RPC) with 187 posts and one for the Kalyana Karnataka (KK) local cadre with 31 posts. Online applications opened on 31 October 2026 and will close on 26 November 2026 on the official KEA portal.

This is one of the larger diploma-level openings in Karnataka this year, and it is especially attractive because more than half of all seats belong to a single post, Assistant City Planner. Candidates holding a three-year diploma in Civil Engineering, or a prescribed equivalent diploma for specific posts, can apply. The reported pay scale is Rs. 54,175 to Rs. 99,400 per month, plus allowances under Karnataka Government rules. Selection is through a competitive written examination followed by merit-based counselling and document verification. There is no interview mentioned in the published summaries.

Read this article carefully before applying, because the two notifications — RPC and Kalyana Karnataka — have different vacancy lists, reservation rules and eligibility conditions. Applying under the wrong notification is the most common and most costly mistake in this recruitment.

KEA JE Vacancy Details 2026

KEA has advertised 218 vacancies in total: 187 under the Residual Parent Cadre notification and 31 under the Kalyana Karnataka notification. The post-wise and department-wise distribution is as follows:

Assistant City Planner alone accounts for 119 of the 218 posts, about 55 percent of the recruitment. Junior Engineer (Civil) posts across six bodies add up to 93, with the Greater Bengaluru Authority alone taking 50. Candidates should check the official notification PDFs for the post or department they are eligible for, because qualifications are post-specific and a Civil diploma is not automatically valid for every seat.

KEA JE Important Dates 2026

Do not leave the application for the final week. Government portals slow down near deadlines, and an unpaid application is treated as incomplete.

KEA JE Application Fee 2026

Other concessions for specific categories are listed in the official notification. Pay the fee online through the portal and save the receipt, because the fee payment is part of completing the application. A news report gives 27 November 2026 as the last date for fee payment, one day after the form deadline — confirm this date on the portal itself before relying on it.

KEA JE Age Limit 2026

The minimum age for all posts is 18 years. The maximum age limits reported in the published summaries are as follows:

The published summaries describe these maximum ages as already including the standard upper-age relaxation. Other relaxations may apply under Karnataka Government recruitment rules. Gap flagged: the age cut-off date could not be verified from the notification summaries checked — confirm the cut-off date in the official notification PDF before applying.

KEA JE Eligibility and Qualification 2026

Most posts ask for a diploma in Civil Engineering from a recognised institution. Some posts accept other prescribed diplomas, such as Landscape Architecture, Transportation Planning, Structural Engineering, Planning Engineering, Civil Engineering Draughtsmanship or Architectural Assistantship. These alternative diplomas apply to specific posts only.

Match your diploma to the post-wise table in the official notification. An alternative diploma is not valid for every JE seat, and a Civil diploma does not automatically qualify you for every post.

KEA JE Salary 2026

The reported pay scale for the advertised posts is Rs. 54,175 to Rs. 99,400 per month. Allowances are paid as per applicable Karnataka Government rules. The starting basic pay of Rs. 54,175 works out to about Rs. 6,50,100 a year before allowances. Dearness allowance and house rent allowance are added on top, but the in-hand figure depends on the posting city and the rates in force. The exact scale can differ by department, so check the scale against your chosen post in the notification.

RPC or Kalyana Karnataka: Which Notification Should You Apply Under?

This is where most applicants lose time. KEA has issued two separate notifications, and the vacancy list, reservation rules and eligibility conditions differ between them. The Kalyana Karnataka notification is a local-cadre recruitment for the Kalyana Karnataka region, so applicants must meet the local-cadre conditions and hold the certificate the notification asks for. The RPC notification covers the remaining posts for the rest of the state cadre.

In practical terms, the notification you open decides which seats you compete for. Read the eligibility clause of both PDFs before you start the form, and pick the category that matches the certificates you actually hold. Whether one candidate can apply under both notifications is not stated in the summaries reviewed — check the official notification before paying any fee.

KEA JE Selection Process 2026

Selection runs in the following stages, based on the published recruitment details:

1. Competitive examination: a written test conducted by KEA, reported to be in offline OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) mode.
2. Merit list: KEA ranks candidates by exam performance under the applicable recruitment rules.
3. Online counselling: qualified candidates choose post and department preferences, and allotment follows merit.
4. Document verification: candidates produce original educational, reservation and identity documents.
5. Final selection: the recruiting authority completes appointments from the approved merit list.

There is no interview mentioned in the summaries reviewed. Your rank in the written exam is what drives the allotment.

KEA JE Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2026

Gap flagged: the paper-wise scheme, number of questions, total marks, duration, negative marking and qualifying marks could not be verified from the notification summaries checked. One report mentions a Kannada language test, with 8 January 2027 reported as its date, and the written examination in January 2027. Treat the exam date as provisional until KEA publishes its schedule. Watch the official KEA portal for the detailed instructions and syllabus, and do not rely on any unofficial paper pattern circulating online.

Until the syllabus is published, a sensible preparation plan is to revise core diploma civil subjects such as surveying, building materials, structures and estimating, practise numerical problems daily, add general knowledge and Kannada language practice, and take timed OMR-style mock tests in the final weeks.

Documents Required for KEA JE Application

• SSLC (Class 10) certificate and Diploma certificate with all marksheets
• Aadhaar or another valid ID, recent passport-size photograph and signature
• Caste or category certificate, and income certificate where required
• Kalyana Karnataka eligibility certificate, if applying under the KK notification
• Kannada medium or rural reservation certificate, where applicable
• Disability certificate, where applicable

The exact list depends on your post and category, so confirm it in the official notification.

How to Apply for KEA JE Recruitment 2026

1. Open the official KEA website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.
2. Find the Group-C Technical Recruitment 2026 notification for RPC or Kalyana Karnataka.
3. Download the PDF and check qualification, age, reservation and post-wise conditions.
4. Open the online application link for your category.
5. Register with the details the portal asks for.
6. Fill in personal, educational and reservation details.
7. Upload your photograph, signature and supporting documents in the required format.
8. Select your post or department preferences as the system instructs.
9. Pay the application fee online.
10. Submit the form and download the confirmation and fee receipt.

Mistakes That Can Cost You Your KEA JE Application

• Applying under the wrong notification, RPC instead of Kalyana Karnataka or the reverse.
• Assuming your diploma works for every post when qualifications are post-specific.
• Paying the fee late. A news report gives 27 November 2026 as the fee deadline, one day after the form deadline.
• Entering a category that does not match your uploaded certificate.
• Skipping the confirmation download and losing the application number.

KEA JE Important Links

No verified deep link to the individual notification PDFs was available at the time of writing, so this post directs candidates to the official KEA portal, where both the RPC and Kalyana Karnataka notifications are published. Do not trust any PDF link forwarded on social media that does not come from the KEA portal.

Note for candidates applying for both KEA recruitments: KEA has also opened applications for 5,431 First and Second Division Assistant and similar posts, with exams scheduled on several January 2027 dates. If you qualify for both recruitments, compare the exam dates before you apply.

KEA JE Recruitment 2026 FAQs

How many vacancies are there in KEA JE Recruitment 2026?

KEA has announced 218 Group-C technical vacancies in total. Of these, 187 are under the Residual Parent Cadre notification and 31 are under the Kalyana Karnataka notification.

What is the last date to apply for KEA JE Recruitment 2026?

The last date to submit the online application is 26 November 2026. A news report gives 27 November 2026 as the last date for fee payment, so confirm this on the portal.

What is the qualification for KEA Junior Engineer Civil posts?

Most posts need a diploma in Civil Engineering from a recognised institution. Some posts accept other prescribed diplomas, so check the post-wise table in the official notification.

What is the age limit for KEA JE Recruitment 2026?

The minimum age is 18 years. The maximum age is reported as 40 years for General Merit, 43 years for applicable backward categories and 45 years for SC, ST and Category-I candidates. The age cut-off date should be confirmed from the official notification.

What is the salary of a KEA Junior Engineer?

The reported pay scale is Rs. 54,175 to Rs. 99,400 per month, plus allowances as per Karnataka Government rules. The exact scale can vary by department and post.

Which post has the most vacancies in this recruitment?

Assistant City Planner has the most vacancies, with 105 under RPC and 14 under Kalyana Karnataka, for a total of 119. The Greater Bengaluru Authority has the most Junior Engineer (Civil) posts, with 50 in total.

When is the KEA JE exam 2026?

The Kannada language test is reported for 8 January 2027 and the written examination for January 2027, but both dates are provisional until KEA publishes its official schedule.

Can I apply under both the RPC and Kalyana Karnataka notifications?

The summaries reviewed do not state whether one candidate can apply under both notifications. Check the official notification before paying any fee.

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