KSP Armed Police Constable Recruitment 2026: 1,600 Posts, Apply by 22 July
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Karnataka has opened its biggest police recruitment of the year in two halves, and the half most people are sleeping on is still open for three more weeks. KSP Armed Police Constable Recruitment 2026 offers 1,600 posts (1,421 for the residual cadre plus 179 for Kalyana Karnataka), with online applications running from 22 June to 22 July 2026. The sibling Civil Police Constable recruitment (3,991 posts) closes on 3 July, so if you miss that one, this is your open door.
KSP Armed Police Constable Recruitment 2026: The Numbers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Posts | 1,600 total: 1,421 (residual cadre, notification 5A) + 179 (Kalyana Karnataka local cadre, 5B) |
| Biggest unit | Bengaluru City: 949 posts |
| Qualification | 2nd PUC / Class 12 or equivalent, result declared by 22 July 2026 |
| Age (as on 22 July 2026) | 18-33 (General), 18-35 (SC/ST/Cat-1/2A/2B/3A/3B), 18-38 (Budakattu tribal); these already include a one-time 5-year relaxation |
| Fee | ₹750 (GM/2A/2B/3A/3B); ₹500 (SC/ST/Cat-1/Ex-servicemen) |
| Apply window | 22 June to 22 July 2026 (fee till 24 July) |
| Written exam | Sunday, 6 September 2026 (5A morning shift, 5B afternoon shift) |
| Pay scale | ₹37,500 to ₹76,100 |
| Apply at | cetonline.karnataka.gov.in (KEA portal) |
A fee note worth double-checking on the official PDF: some job sites list the fee as ₹500/₹250. The notification’s own fee table says ₹750 and ₹500. Trust the PDF.
One more thing the vacancy tables make clear: every post column in both notifications is listed under the male column only. The notification text we verified contains no separate female vacancy allocation for this recruitment.
Armed vs Civil Constable: Which Form Is Which?
Karnataka is running two constable recruitments side by side, and applicants regularly mix them up:
| Armed Police Constable (this post) | Civil Police Constable | |
|---|---|---|
| Posts | 1,600 (1,421 + 179) | 3,991 (3,395 + 596) |
| Last date | 22 July 2026 | 3 July 2026 |
| Role | City/District Armed Reserve: security, escort, reserve and law-and-order support duties | Beat policing, station duties, investigation support |
These are separate notifications with separate forms on the same KEA system. If you meet the eligibility for both and can act before 3 July, applying to both keeps two doors open; this article covers the Armed recruitment.
Eligibility Check
- Education: 2nd PUC / Class 12 or a recognised equivalent (CBSE/ISC/state boards/NIOS; certain JOC courses and 3-year technical diplomas count under specific Karnataka government orders). Your result must be declared on or before 22 July 2026; awaiting-result candidates are not eligible.
- Kannada: if you didn’t pass Kannada as a first or second language at SSLC level or above, and didn’t study in Kannada medium or clear an earlier official Kannada test, you must pass a compulsory Kannada test (minimum 50 out of 150) whose date comes later. It’s a gate, not a merit component.
- Age: counted on 22 July 2026: General 18-33, reserved categories 18-35, Budakattu tribal candidates from listed forest areas 18-38. Ex-servicemen get their service length plus 3 years. These ceilings already include the special one-time 5-year relaxation Karnataka granted in January 2026, so don’t add another 5 on top when calculating.
- One unit only: you apply to exactly one unit (Bengaluru City, Mysuru City, Shivamogga, KARP Mounted Company and so on). Choose using the unit-wise vacancy PDF, because your competition pool is your unit.
Written Exam First: 6 September, and It Alone Decides Merit
The structure here rewards exam-focused candidates: the written paper is the only merit component. Physical tests that follow are pass/fail gates.
- 100 questions, 100 marks, 90 minutes, offline OMR.
- Syllabus: general knowledge, science, geography, history, Indian Constitution, freedom movement, mental ability, and moral/ethical topics.
- Negative marking of 0.25 per wrong answer. And a rule that catches the unprepared: each question has a fifth bubble meaning “not attempted”. KEA gives 5 extra minutes at the end to shade it for skipped questions; a question with no bubble at all still costs you 0.25.
PST and PET: The Physical Gates, In Plain Numbers
Candidates are called for physicals at 5 times the vacancies per category, by written-exam merit. The tests are qualifying only.
| Test | General male | Ex-servicemen |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 168 cm minimum | 168 cm (relaxable only if full-height candidates fall short) |
| Chest | 86 cm expanded, with 5 cm expansion | Same |
| Run | 1,600 m in 6 min 30 sec | 400 m in 2 min |
| Jump | Long jump 3.80 m OR high jump 1.20 m (3 chances) | Long 2.50 m OR high 0.90 m |
| Shot put | 7.26 kg to 5.60 m (3 chances) | 4 kg to 3.75 m |
Budakattu tribal candidates have a lower height bar (155 cm). For the run: 6:30 over 1,600 m means holding roughly 97 seconds per 400 m lap, a pace you can build to in two months of steady training, which is exactly the time you have between the form and the exam. The medical board later checks eyesight (6/9 and 6/9, or 6/9 and 6/12, with full field of vision), hearing, and disqualifies colour blindness, squint, varicose veins, knock knees, flat foot and bow legs.
Pay Scale ₹37,500 to ₹76,100
The notification prints the state pay scale of ₹37,500 rising to ₹76,100 with NPS applicable, and a probation period of 2 years 6 months. It publishes no allowance breakup or in-hand figure. As a rough estimate, an entry-stage constable’s monthly take-home after NPS typically lands in the low-to-mid ₹40,000s once state DA and HRA are added to the ₹37,500 basic; treat that as our calculation, not a KSP number.
How to Apply on the KEA Portal
- Open the KEA application page via cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/apcrpc (or /kea/apckk for the Kalyana Karnataka notification, if that’s your cadre).
- Register with OTP verification and complete the face-verification step.
- Upload a recent photo (JPEG, 50-200 KB), signature in black ink (50-70 KB) and your left-hand thumb impression.
- Select your one unit carefully; the choice is final and no edits are allowed after submission.
- Pay the fee online by 24 July and keep the challan and application copy until the recruitment ends. KEA helpline: 080-23460460.
Bottom Line
A 12th-pass job with a ₹37,500 starting scale is worth planning for, and here the written exam alone controls merit, with the exam date already on the calendar. The Bengaluru City unit holds 949 of the 1,421 residual posts, so candidates open to serving there have the deepest pool, while smaller units mean smaller local competition. Your two fixed dates: form by 22 July, exam on 6 September.
Two calendar notes before you go: the Civil Constable form (3,991 posts) dies on 3 July, and this Armed form on 22 July. Everything else we track sits under police jobs and the daily jobs feed.
Your Doubts, Answered
What is the last date for KSP Armed Police Constable Recruitment 2026?
22 July 2026 for the online application, with fee payment allowed until 24 July 2026.
How many posts are there in KSP Armed Police Constable 2026?
1,600 in total: 1,421 under notification 5(A) for the residual cadre and 179 under 5(B) for the Kalyana Karnataka local cadre. Bengaluru City alone accounts for 949 posts.
What is the KSP Armed Police Constable exam date?
Sunday, 6 September 2026. Residual-cadre candidates sit the morning shift (10:30 AM to 12 noon) and Kalyana Karnataka candidates the afternoon shift.
Is there an interview or does the physical test carry marks?
Neither. The written exam alone builds the merit list; PST and PET are qualifying gates at a 1:5 calling ratio, and a medical board follows at 1:2.
Can 10th-pass candidates apply?
No. The minimum qualification is 2nd PUC / Class 12 or a recognised equivalent, with the result declared by 22 July 2026.
What is the fee for KSP Armed Police Constable 2026?
₹750 for GM and categories 2A/2B/3A/3B, and ₹500 for SC/ST/Category-1 and ex-servicemen, paid online. (Ignore sites listing ₹500/₹250; the notification says 750/500.)