Kerala PSC Exam Guide

Kerala PSC LGS (Last Grade Servant) Exam 2026: The Complete Guide

The Last Grade Servant exam has the lowest qualification bar in Kerala PSC — a 7th-standard pass — which makes it the most competitive of all. Here is the exact pattern, the full syllabus (including the Public Health emphasis that surprises most candidates), topic weightage, salary, and a plan to clear it.

What LGS is

The Last Grade Servant (LGS, അവസാന ഗ്രേഡ് സേവകൻ) is an entry-level Group-D government post — office attender / peon-grade duties, permanent and pensionable, with a real promotion path into the clerical cadre over time. There are two streams: Government LGS (state departments) and Company/Corporation/Board LGS (state PSUs and boards). Because the qualification is only a 7th-standard pass, it attracts enormous numbers, so accuracy and speed decide everything.

Eligibility, age and the cycling requirement

Qualification: a pass in Standard VII (7th). For Government LGS the classic rule bars candidates holding a degree or higher; the Company Board LGS 2025 stream appears to allow graduates — verify the exact bar in your notification.

Age (new 2026 regime): General 18–40, OBC up to 43, SC/ST up to 45 for future notifications; older cycles used 18–36. No application fee.

Medium of the exam

Like LDC, the LGS paper is bilingual (Malayalam + English) — each question in both languages, with trilingual variants for Tamil/Kannada-knowing posts. The Regional Language section (10 marks) specifically tests Malayalam. It is not a Malayalam-only paper.

Exam pattern & mark distribution

Single-stage offline OMR, 100 questions / 100 marks / 75 minutes, with 1/3 negative marking. Difficulty is 7th–SSLC standard — slightly easier than LDC, but the syllabus and pattern are very similar.

Section	Marks
General Knowledge (incl. General Science & Public Health)	40
Current Affairs	20
Simple Arithmetic & Mental Ability	20
General English	10
Regional Language (Malayalam / Tamil / Kannada)	10

The full syllabus

General Knowledge, Science & Public Health (~40 marks)

Kerala and Indian history, Kerala Renaissance and reformers, geography of Kerala and India, Constitution and polity basics, economics and schemes, arts/culture/sports, General Science, and — the LGS-specific emphasis — Public Health: diseases, sanitation, nutrition, vaccination, first aid, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and health schemes. Post-pandemic, health and hygiene questions recur strongly.

Current Affairs (~20 marks)

National and international events, awards, appointments, sports, science and technology, and government schemes from roughly the last 6–12 months, with Kerala-specific developments.

Simple Arithmetic & Mental Ability (~20 marks)

Numbers, fractions, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, profit and loss, interest, time and work, time and distance, mensuration; reasoning — series, analogy, coding-decoding, odd-one-out, blood relations, direction, clock and calendar, ranking.

General English (~10) & Regional Language (~10)

English grammar, vocabulary, error correction and comprehension; Malayalam grammar, synonyms/antonyms, one-word, idioms and proverbs, error correction, punctuation, translation, and basic literature.

Topic-wise weightage from previous papers

Area	Approx. questions
General Science + Public Health	12–18
Current Affairs	12–18
Kerala history & Renaissance	6–10
Polity, Geography, Economics	10–14 combined
Maths / Simple Arithmetic	8–10
Mental Ability / Reasoning	8–10
General English	8–10
Malayalam / Regional Language	8–10

Takeaway: Current Affairs plus Science and Public Health together dominate (~30–35 marks); the language sections are easy marks that decide rank in a low-cut-off, high-competition list.

How the pattern has shifted

The clearest trend is a rising Public Health and everyday-science weight — communicable diseases, vaccination, sanitation, nutrition and first aid — reflecting a post-pandemic emphasis. GK is more current-linked (schemes, appointments, Kerala projects) and reasoning has more arrangement, calendar/clock and multi-step arithmetic. Statement-based and match-the-following items now appear, a mild shift from pure recall toward light analytical verification. The exam remains fundamentally a 7th/SSLC-standard recognition test.

Salary and benefits

Pay scale: approximately ₹23,000 – 50,200 (varies slightly by department/PSU). Gross starting salary is around ₹27,000–28,000 a month including allowances. Benefits: DA, HRA, TA, medical, pension/PF and standard government service benefits.

The selection process

OTR and online application (district or unit preference), the 100-mark OMR exam, provisional key → objections → final key, then a ranked list (district-wise for Government LGS, unit-wise for Company Board LGS). Generally no interview; certificate verification and a cycling check where required, then advice for appointment.

Study plan and common mistakes

Treat LGS like a slightly easier LDC and use the same previous-paper-driven approach, but give extra time to General Science, Public Health and Current Affairs — the biggest blocks. Secure the easy English and Malayalam marks, drill maths and reasoning for speed, and practise completing all 100 questions inside 75 minutes.

Common mistakes: underestimating the exam because the qualification is only 7th; ignoring Public Health GK; guessing despite negative marking; skipping the language sections; and never practising OMR timing.

Sample questions (with answers)

Model questions in the real exam pattern. Tap to reveal the answer.

1. Which vaccine protects against tuberculosis? — (a) DPT (b) BCG (c) OPV (d) MMR

(b) BCG.

2. The SNDP Yogam was founded under the inspiration of — (a) Ayyankali (b) Sree Narayana Guru (c) Chattampi Swamikal (d) K. Kelappan

(b) Sree Narayana Guru (1903).

3. 15% of 200 = ? — (a) 25 (b) 30 (c) 35 (d) 20

(b) 30.

4. Deficiency of Vitamin C causes — (a) Rickets (b) Scurvy (c) Beri-beri (d) Night blindness

(b) Scurvy.

5. Odd one out — (a) Rose (b) Lotus (c) Jasmine (d) Mango

(d) Mango (the only non-flower).

6. Complete the series: 5, 10, 20, 40, __ — (a) 60 (b) 80 (c) 50 (d) 100

(b) 80 (×2 each).

7. Correctly spelt word — (a) Recieve (b) Receive (c) Receeve (d) Receve

(b) Receive.

8. The first fully literate district in India is — (a) Kottayam (b) Ernakulam (c) Thrissur (d) Wayanad

(b) Ernakulam (1990).

9. "വെള്ളം" എന്ന വാക്കിന്റെ പര്യായം? — (a) ജലം (b) അഗ്നി (c) വായു (d) ഭൂമി

(a) ജലം.

10. The health scheme for cashless treatment of poor families is — (a) Ayushman Bharat (b) MGNREGA (c) PM-KISAN (d) Ujjwala

(a) Ayushman Bharat.

Frequently asked questions

What is the qualification for Kerala PSC LGS?

A pass in Standard VII (7th). Government LGS historically bars degree holders; the Company Board LGS stream may allow them — verify in the specific notification.

Is the LGS exam in Malayalam?

No — it is bilingual (Malayalam + English), with a 10-mark Regional Language section that specifically tests Malayalam.

How many questions come from Public Health in LGS?

Public Health and General Science together typically account for 12 to 18 questions — a notably higher weight than in LDC, so it must not be skipped.

Is there negative marking in LGS?

Yes, one-third of a mark per wrong answer. Confirm the exact rule in the current notification.

What is the LGS salary?

The pay scale is approximately Rs 23,000 to 50,200, with a gross starting salary around Rs 27,000 to 28,000 a month including allowances.

Do I need to know cycling for LGS?

Yes, knowledge of cycling is a requirement for LGS. Women and differently-abled candidates are exempt.

More Kerala PSC exam guides

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• Kerala Police SI
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• Renaissance in Kerala (PSC notes)