KEA AO AAO Recruitment 2026 Notification Out - Apply Online for 945 Agriculture Officer, Assistant Agriculture Officer Posts

The Karnataka Evaluation Authority (KEA) has released the recruitment notification for 945 Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) posts under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. This all-India recruitment exam is conducted to select qualified candidates with agricultural engineering background for various banking and rural development roles across India. Selected candidates will be deployed in public sector banks, cooperative banks, and agricultural financial institutions to provide technical expertise in agricultural lending, crop insurance, and rural credit assessment. The examination is conducted in multiple stages including prelims, mains, and interview. This is a prestigious opportunity for agriculture graduates and engineers to serve in the banking sector with attractive pay scales and career growth prospects.

Important Dates

Vacancy Breakdown (Typical / Indicative)

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

• Agriculture Officer (AO): Bachelor's degree in Agriculture Engineering / Agricultural Science / Horticulture / Animal Husbandry / Veterinary Science / Dairy Science / Fishery Science / Forestry / Agricultural Statistics from a recognized university with minimum 60% marks (55% for SC/ST/PWD)

• Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO): Bachelor's degree in Agriculture or related fields with minimum 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/PWD)

• Candidates in final year/semester are also eligible to apply

Age Limit

Minimum Age: 18 years

Maximum Age: 35 years (as on 1st January 2026)

Nationality

• Candidate must be a citizen of India
• OCI/PIO cardholders are not eligible for this recruitment

How to Apply Online

1. Visit the official KEA recruitment portal at www.kea.kar.nic.in or the designated banking recruitment website

1. Click on "New Registration" and register using valid email ID and mobile number

1. Complete OTP verification for both email and mobile number

1. Fill the online application form with personal details, educational qualifications, category, and post preference

1. Upload scanned documents:

• Recent passport size photograph (20-50 KB, JPG format)
• Signature (10-20 KB, JPG format)
• Educational certificates (PDF, max 100 KB)
• Category certificate if applicable (PDF, max 100 KB)

1. Pay the application fee through online mode (Debit Card/Credit Card/Net Banking/UPI)

1. Review the filled application form carefully and submit

1. Take printout of the submitted application form and payment receipt for future reference

Application Fees

Selection Stages

1. Preliminary Examination: Computer-based objective type test covering Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, and General Awareness. Candidates scoring above cutoff marks will be shortlisted for Mains examination.

1. Main Examination: Detailed computer-based test with sections on Professional Knowledge (Agriculture), English Language, Reasoning & Computer Aptitude, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. Higher difficulty level and descriptive paper component.

1. Interview/Personal Interview: Shortlisted candidates from Mains will be called for personality test conducted by expert panel. Assessment of technical knowledge, communication skills, and suitability for the post. Carries 100 marks weightage.

1. Document Verification: Original documents verification for educational qualifications, age proof, category certificates, and experience certificates if any. Candidates must produce all original documents at the verification center.

1. Medical Examination: Final selected candidates undergo medical fitness test as per government standards. Medical certificate from authorized medical board required for joining.

1. Final Merit List: Prepared based on combined marks of Mains exam and Interview. Candidates selected as per category-wise merit and vacancy position.

Preliminary Examination Pattern

Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer

Main Examination Pattern

Negative Marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer in objective sections. No negative marking in descriptive paper.

Detailed Syllabus

Agricultural Knowledge / Professional Knowledge

• Agronomy: Crop production, tillage, irrigation methods, seed technology, weed management
• Soil Science: Soil types, soil fertility, nutrient management, soil conservation, soil testing
• Horticulture: Vegetable cultivation, fruit production, floriculture, nursery management
• Plant Pathology: Plant diseases, pest management, IPM techniques, biological control
• Agricultural Economics: Farm management, agricultural marketing, crop insurance, price policy
• Agricultural Extension: Methods of extension, rural development programs, Kisan Credit Card
• Animal Husbandry: Livestock management, dairy farming, poultry, veterinary basics
• Agricultural Engineering: Farm machinery, irrigation engineering, post-harvest technology
• Crop Science: Genetics, plant breeding, seed production, biotechnology basics
• Government Schemes: PM-KISAN, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, soil health card, agricultural credit policies

Reasoning & Computer Aptitude

• Logical reasoning: Puzzles, seating arrangement, syllogism, blood relations
• Verbal reasoning: Coding-decoding, direction sense, series completion
• Non-verbal reasoning: Pattern recognition, figure analogy
• Computer basics: MS Office, Internet, email, computer terminology
• Computer memory, hardware, software, networking fundamentals
• Database management basics, computer security

Quantitative Aptitude

• Number systems, HCF and LCM, percentages, profit and loss
• Simple and compound interest, time and work, time and distance
• Ratio and proportion, averages, mixtures and allegations
• Data interpretation: Tables, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs
• Simplification and approximation
• Quadratic equations, sequence and series

English Language

• Reading comprehension passages
• Grammar: Tenses, articles, prepositions, voice, narration
• Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution
• Sentence correction, error spotting, fill in the blanks
• Para jumbles, cloze test
• Descriptive writing: Essay, letter, précis writing

General Awareness

• Current affairs: National and international events (last 6 months)
• Banking awareness: Banking terms, RBI policies, monetary policy, financial inclusion
• Indian economy: Budget, GDP, inflation, economic surveys
• Indian polity: Constitution, governance, political system
• History, geography, and culture of India
• Science and technology developments
• Sports and awards, books and authors

Salary Structure (Typical / Indicative)

Additional Benefits: Medical facilities, LTC, pension benefits, GPF contribution, performance-linked incentives, loan facilities at concessional rates, children education allowance.

Agriculture Officers start at Level 6-7 and can be promoted to Senior Agriculture Officer (Level 8-9) after 5-7 years of service. Further promotions lead to Chief Agriculture Officer, Regional Manager, and General Manager positions in banking operations. Outstanding performers can reach Deputy General Manager and Chief General Manager levels with 20-25 years of service. Departmental examinations and performance appraisals determine promotion timelines.

Admit cards for preliminary examination will be released approximately 15-20 days before the exam date on the official KEA recruitment portal. Candidates must download the admit card using registration number and password/date of birth. The admit card contains exam center details, reporting time, exam instructions, and candidate photograph. No postal dispatch of admit cards is done; only online download is available.

Preliminary exam results are typically declared 3-4 weeks after the exam date. Mains examination results are announced 6-8 weeks after the mains exam. Results are published on the official website with candidate roll numbers and cut-off marks. Candidates can check their scores and download score cards online. Final selection list after interview is published with merit position and category-wise selections.

Cut-off marks vary by category and exam difficulty level. Typical preliminary exam cutoffs range from 55-70 marks (out of 200) for UR category, 50-65 for OBC, 45-60 for SC, and 40-55 for ST candidates. Mains exam cutoffs are generally 60-75% of total marks for UR category. Final selection cutoff (Mains + Interview combined) typically ranges from 65-80% for general category with lower cutoffs for reserved categories.

Examination Centres

North: Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur, Dehradun, Shimla, Jammu, Amritsar, Patiala

South: Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Mysuru, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Mangaluru

East: Kolkata, Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Raipur, Jamshedpur, Siliguri

West: Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Nagpur, Indore, Bhopal, Nashik, Vadodara

Northeast: Guwahati, Shillong, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl, Itanagar, Dibrugarh

Central: Bhopal, Indore, Raipur, Jabalpur, Bilaspur