Kerala PSC Exam Guide

Kerala PSC VEO (Village Extension Officer) Exam 2026: The Complete Guide

The Village Extension Officer is a coveted 10th-level field post in the Rural Development Department. This guide covers the exact pattern, the full syllabus, how VEO differs from VFA (a costly confusion), salary, and a plan to rank.

LevelSSLC with 40%

Questions100 · 100 marks

Duration75 minutes

Negative marking1/3 per wrong answer

MediumMalayalam + English

Pay scale₹20,000 – 45,800

On this page1. VEO — and how it differs from VFA 2. Eligibility and age 3. Medium of the exam 4. Exam pattern & mark distribution 5. The full syllabus 6. Topic-wise weightage (from the 50-mark GK block)7. How the pattern has shifted 8. Salary and benefits 9. The selection process 10. Study plan and common mistakes Sample questions FAQ

VEO — and how it differs from VFA

The Village Extension Officer (VEO Gr II) works in the Rural Development Department, running block-level development schemes and fieldwork, with a promotion path toward Block Development Officer. Recruitment is district-wise, with a separate ranked list per district.

VEO is not VFA. The Village Field Assistant (VFA) is a Revenue Department post (land survey, revenue fieldwork) needing only an SSLC pass. VEO is Rural Development and needs SSLC with 40%. They share a similar pattern but differ in department, duties and age — do not prepare from the wrong syllabus.

Eligibility and age

Qualification: a pass in SSLC (10th) with a minimum 40% aggregate. VEO is a 10th-level post, not degree-level; higher qualifications are allowed but 10th is the floor. Age: generally 19–36 (General), with standard SC/ST/OBC relaxations of 3–5 years, subject to the notification's cap. Kerala nativity and district-specific application apply.

Medium of the exam

The VEO paper is bilingual (Malayalam + English). In practice VEO leans Malayalam-medium — coaching sources describe the questions as matriculation-level with Malayalam as the working language except the English section — but English-medium candidates can still attempt it, and the General English section is in English.

Exam pattern & mark distribution

VEO sits under Kerala PSC's 10th-level framework: a Common Preliminary (screening only, marks not counted) followed by the VEO Main Exam, which is the ranking test. Both are OMR, 100 marks / 75 minutes, with 1/3 negative marking. The VEO Main pattern:

Part	Subject	Marks
I	Mental Ability & Simple Arithmetic	20
II	Current Affairs & General Knowledge	50
III	General English	20
IV	Regional Language (Malayalam / Tamil / Kannada)	10

Whether a given cycle runs as a standalone main or through the 10th-level common prelims depends on the notification — the 4-part 100-mark main pattern above is the stable VEO structure.

The full syllabus

Part I — Mental Ability & Simple Arithmetic (20)

Number series, coding-decoding, analogy, odd-one-out, blood relations, direction, calendar/clock, ranking; percentage, ratio-proportion, profit & loss, interest, averages, time-work, time-speed-distance, mensuration, LCM/HCF, simple algebra.

Part II — Current Affairs & General Knowledge (50)

Kerala history and the Renaissance (reform movements, Vaikom and Guruvayur Satyagraha, Temple Entry Proclamation, formation of Kerala); Indian history and freedom struggle; polity and Constitution; geography of Kerala and India; economy; general science; static GK (arts, sports, literature, awards, firsts); and current affairs — the heaviest and most dynamic block.

Part III — General English (20) & Part IV — Regional Language (10)

English grammar, correction, vocabulary, idioms, comprehension; Malayalam grammar and usage, synonyms/antonyms, proverbs, translation, correction.

Topic-wise weightage (from the 50-mark GK block)

Area	Approx. questions
Current Affairs	10–14
General Science	6–8
Kerala + Indian history	9–13 (Renaissance 4–6)
Geography	3–5
Polity / Constitution	3–5
Economics / schemes	2–4
Static GK (arts/sports/awards/firsts)	4–6

Plus Mental Ability & Arithmetic 20, English 20, Regional Language 10. These are indicative approximations from VEO/10th-level papers, not an official quota.

How the pattern has shifted

Rising current-affairs weight and deeper Renaissance questions (named events, dates, publications and associates rather than just "who founded SNDP"). Arithmetic is moving to 2-step problems, and science to phenomenon-based items. Newer formats include chronological sequencing, multi-column matching (reformer → organisation → publication) and 2-step word problems.

Salary and benefits

Pay scale: ₹20,000 – 45,800 (documented VEO band; confirm against the current notification). Gross starting is roughly ₹30,000–38,000 a month with DA, HRA and allowances. Benefits include DA, HRA, medical, travel/conveyance and statutory pension.

The selection process

Online application (OTR) → 10th-Level Common Preliminary (screening) → VEO Main Exam (ranking) → certificate verification → district-wise ranked list → advice for appointment.

Study plan and common mistakes

Master Kerala Renaissance and Kerala GK (highest return), keep a daily current-affairs capsule, drill mental ability and arithmetic for speed, and secure the 20-mark English and 10-mark regional-language blocks. Solve previous VEO/LGS/10th-level papers under timed OMR conditions.

Common mistakes: over-guessing against negative marking; neglecting the regional-language section; only reading (not practising) arithmetic; leaving current affairs to the last minute; and preparing from the VFA syllabus by mistake.

Practise this exam properly. Take a full-length mock test in the real pattern — timed, with negative marking and a worked solution for every question. Start a free mock test → · Get the question banks on Kindle →

Sample questions (with answers)

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

1. The SNDP Yogam was founded (1903) under the inspiration of —

Sree Narayana Guru; Kumaran Asan was its first secretary.

2. The Temple Entry Proclamation was issued in —

1936, by Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma.

3. If 15 workers build a wall in 8 days, how many finish it in 5 days?

24. 15×8 = 120 worker-days; 120/5 = 24.

4. Synonym of "AUGMENT" —

Increase.

5. The Vaikom Satyagraha (1924) was primarily against —

caste-based restriction on road access near the Vaikom temple.

6. Series: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ? —

38. Differences 3, 5, 7, 9, 11.

7. Kerala state was formed on —

1 November 1956.

8. Ayyankali founded which organisation in 1907? —

Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham.

9. Which gas is most responsible for global warming? —

Carbon dioxide (CO2).

10. The "boat conference" (Kayal Sammelanam, 1913) was organised by —

Pandit Karuppan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between VEO and VFA?

VEO (Village Extension Officer) is a Rural Development post needing SSLC with 40%; VFA (Village Field Assistant) is a Revenue post needing only an SSLC pass. Duties, department and age differ, though the exam pattern is similar.

What qualification is needed for VEO?

A pass in SSLC (10th) with a minimum 40% aggregate. It is a 10th-level post, not degree-level.

What is the VEO exam pattern?

100 questions / 100 marks / 75 minutes OMR with 1/3 negative marking: Mental Ability and Arithmetic 20, Current Affairs and GK 50, General English 20, Regional Language 10.

What is the VEO salary in Kerala?

The pay scale is approximately Rs 20,000 to 45,800, with gross starting pay around Rs 30,000 to 38,000 a month including allowances.

Is the VEO exam in Malayalam?

It is bilingual, but leans Malayalam-medium in practice; the General English section is in English. English-medium candidates can still attempt it.

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