Kerala APO 2026: Syllabus, Previous Year Papers & Bare Acts

Exam pattern and stages

1. Written test: Detailed syllabus of 100 marks in three parts; the advertisement does not give the test pattern, duration or later stages.

   Paper	Questions	Marks	Duration
   Part I: Degree in Law		80
   Part II: General Knowledge, Current Affairs and Renaissance in Kerala		10
   Part III: General English		10

Syllabus

Paper by paper, as the official syllabus lists it.

Part I: Degree in Law (80 marks)

• Legal Concepts (5 marks)
• Criminology and Penology (5 marks)
• General Principles of Crime (5 marks)
• General Exceptions under IPC (10 marks)
• Offences against Human Body (5 marks)
• Offences against Property and Other Offences (10 marks)
• Criminal Justice Administration (10 marks)
• Criminal Investigation and Trial (10 marks)
• Principles of Evidence (10 marks)
• Constitutional Rights of the Accused and Arrested (10 marks)

Part II: General Knowledge, Current Affairs and Renaissance in Kerala (10 marks)

• Salient features of the Indian Constitution
• Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, Fundamental Duties
• Union and State executive, legislature, judiciary; other constitutional authorities
• Centre-State relations; services under the Union and States
• Emergency and amendment provisions
• Social welfare legislation and programmes
• Current affairs
• Renaissance in Kerala and the freedom movement

Part III: General English (10 marks)

• English Grammar (5 marks)
• Vocabulary (5 marks)

Bare Acts for this exam

14 acts tagged for Kerala APO. Each opens section by section, free to read.

• Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
• Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
• Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
• Constitution of India
• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
• Indian Evidence Act, 1872
• Indian Penal Code, 1860
• Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987
• National Food Security Act, 2013
• Probation of Offenders Act, 1958
• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
• Right to Information Act, 2005
• Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013

Old law → new law tables: IPC → BNS · CrPC → BNSS · Evidence Act → BSA

Previous year papers

No papers for this exam yet. See every exam's papers.

Eligibility

Degree in Law conferred or recognised by the universities in Kerala; member of the Bar with not less than three years of active practice in Criminal Courts as on 1 January 2025. 22 to 36 years; only candidates born between and (both included), with usual relaxation for SC/ST/OBC (per the 2025 advertisement). Experience certificate from a Judicial Officer not below the rank of First Class Judicial Magistrate Bar practice as part of an LLM counts as experience Selection subject to the final orders of the Supreme Court in SLP(C) No. 18268/2025 180 working days of training after appointment Two years' probation within a continuous period of three years Must pass the Account Test (Executive Officers or Lower) within probation if not already passed

Relaxations, attempts and category rules are in each cycle's notification.

Kerala APO: frequently asked questions

What is the pattern of the Kerala APO exam?

Kerala Assistant Public Prosecutor Grade II Examination has 1 stage. Written test: Detailed syllabus of 100 marks in three parts; the advertisement does not give the test pattern, duration or later stages. Papers: Part I: Degree in Law: 80 marks; Part II: General Knowledge, Current Affairs and Renaissance in Kerala: 10 marks; Part III: General English: 10 marks.

Who is eligible for Kerala APO?

Degree in Law conferred or recognised by the universities in Kerala; member of the Bar with not less than three years of active practice in Criminal Courts as on 1 January 2025. 22 to 36 years; only candidates born between and (both included), with usual relaxation for SC/ST/OBC (per the 2025 advertisement). Experience certificate from a Judicial Officer not below the rank of First Class Judicial Magistrate Bar practice as part of an LLM counts as experience Selection subject to the final orders of the Supreme Court in SLP(C) No. 18268/2025 180 working days of training after appointment Two years' probation within a continuous period of three years Must pass the Account Test (Executive Officers or Lower) within probation if not already passed The notification for each cycle has the full conditions and relaxations.

Where is the Kerala APO notification published?

Kerala Public Service Commission publishes the notification, dates and results on its official website, keralapsc.gov.in. Check it for the current cycle.

Which bare acts are in the Kerala APO syllabus?

14 acts are tagged for Kerala APO here, including the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, Constitution of India, Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Indian Evidence Act, 1872, Indian Penal Code, 1860 and more. Each can be read section by section.