KEA Principal Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 247 Government Pre-University College Posts

KEA Principal Recruitment 2026 Notification PDF has been officially released by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Bengaluru, on behalf of the Department of School Education (Pre-University Education), for 247 Principal posts in Government Pre-University Colleges. Serving Lecturers looking for Karnataka Government Jobs 2026 or departmental promotion opportunities can apply online from 07 September 2026 to 04 October 2026. Detailed eligibility criteria, pay scale, exam pattern, and direct apply links are provided below.

About Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA)

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Bengaluru, is the nodal agency responsible for conducting entrance examinations and recruitment drives on behalf of various Government of Karnataka departments. For this recruitment, KEA has released two notifications dated 03.09.2026 on behalf of the Department of School Education (Pre-University Education), to promote serving Lecturers to the post of Principal in Government Pre-University Colleges. This is a strong departmental promotion opportunity for experienced Lecturers within the Karnataka school education system.

KEA Principal Recruitment 2026 – Quick Overview

Important Dates

KEA Principal Vacancy Details 2026

A total of 247 Principal posts are being filled through this recruitment, split across two cadres — Kalyana-Karnataka (KK) Local Cadre and Residual Parent Cadre (RPC). Category-wise vacancy breakups are given below; horizontal reservation also applies for women, rural candidates, ex-servicemen, Kannada-medium candidates, persons with disabilities, and transgender candidates as per the official notification's roster tables.

KEA Principal Eligibility Criteria 2026

Note: This recruitment is not open to the general public or fresh candidates. Only serving Lecturers in Government Pre-University Colleges under the School Education Department are eligible.

Educational & Service Qualification

• The applicant must be a serving Lecturer in the Lecturer cadre of Government Pre-University Colleges under the School Education Department.
• The applicant must have completed a minimum of 10 years of service in the Lecturer cadre.
• The applicant must have satisfactorily completed the probation period in the Lecturer post.
• The prescribed qualification must be held as on the last date fixed for submission of applications.

Age Limit

• No upper age limit is prescribed, since this recruitment fills the Principal post from among serving Lecturers who have already completed 10 years of departmental service.

KEA Principal Salary Details & Pay Scale 2026

Selected candidates will be placed in the revised 2024 Karnataka state pay scale of ₹90,200 – ₹1,59,200 (90200-2300-99400-2700-115600-3100-134200-3500-155200-4000-159200). Pension benefits for officers appointed as Principal will continue to be governed by the pension rules applicable to their original appointment as Lecturer.

Selection Process & Exam Pattern

Selection is through a competitive examination conducted by KEA (Online CBT or Offline OMR mode), consisting of three papers:

• Minimum 50 marks in Paper 1 (Kannada) required to qualify — not counted in the merit list
• Only Papers 2 & 3 scores are used to prepare the final merit list
• Negative marking of 0.25 marks per wrong answer in Papers 2 & 3 (bilingual Kannada/English)
• Shortlisting for document verification is done at 1:2 ratio against vacancies, category-wise

Application Fee

The fee must be paid online only, and once paid, is non-refundable under any circumstances.

Required Documents for Online Application

• Aadhaar Card
• SSLC Certificate or equivalent proof of date of birth
• Service Certificate confirming Lecturer appointment, probation completion, and years of service
• Caste Certificate (SC/ST/Cat-1/2A/2B/3A/3B) bearing an RD number, where applicable
• Income & Caste (Creamy-Layer) Certificate for Category 2A/2B/3A/3B, where applicable
• Rural Candidate Certificate (Form-2), where applicable
• Kannada-Medium Study Certificate, where applicable
• Kalyana-Karnataka Local Candidate Certificate under Article 371(J) (Annexure-A), for KK-cadre posts only
• Recent Passport-size Photograph (JPEG, 50KB–200KB) and Signature (JPEG, 50KB–70KB)

How to Apply Online for KEA Principal Recruitment 2026

1. Visit the official KEA website: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea
2. Click on the online application link for the relevant Principal Recruitment notification (KK or RPC, as applicable).
3. Register and fill in personal, educational, and service details carefully.
4. Upload the photograph and signature as per the specified format and size.
5. Upload the required certificates and supporting documents.
6. Pay the prescribed application fee online.
7. Verify all entered details before final submission — no correction is allowed after submission.
8. Download and retain a copy of the submitted application and fee payment receipt.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Important Links & Direct Apply Links