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Exam profile

University Assistant

Higher education administration

Job profile

What this role actually involves

University Assistant serves as the administrative backbone of higher education infrastructure within Kerala.

Appointing entities include the University of Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram), Mahatma Gandhi University (Kottayam), Calicut University (Malappuram), Cochin University of Science and Technology (Ernakulam), Kannur University, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (Kalady), and allied technical or agricultural university head offices. Postings concentrate at the main campus or regional centers of the allotted university, without the strict Thiruvananthapuram centralization of the Secretariat.

Responsibilities include tabulating examination data, validating degree eligibility, regulating student registrations, processing certificates and transcripts, auditing college affiliation applications, handling UGC grant distributions, and processing files for the University Senate, Syndicate, and Academic Council.

Scale of pay: ₹39,300 to ₹83,000, aligned with the latest State/University Pay Revision. Gross entry emoluments, including DA and HRA, are approximately ₹53,000 to ₹56,000 per month.

Career ladder

Where this exam actually takes you

No competitor shows aspirants the real promotion path after selection. This is it, straight from entry post to ceiling post.

  1. University Assistant

    Entry, non-gazetted

  2. Senior Grade Assistant

  3. Assistant Section Officer (ASO)

  4. Section Officer (SO)

    Gazetted

    Gazetted status begins here; manages a distinct campus branch

  5. Assistant Registrar (AR)

    Gazetted
  6. Deputy Registrar (DR)

    Gazetted
  7. Joint Registrar (JR)

    Gazetted

    The administrative ceiling for direct state-service recruits

Exam structure

Stage by stage

Stage 1

Stage 1: Common Degree Prelims

Format
OMR-based objective type
Marks
100 (screening only)
Negative marking
0.33 marks deducted for every incorrect option

Screening threshold.

Stage 2

Stage 2: University Assistant Specialized Mains

Marks
100 (single paper, final ranking merit)
Negative marking
0.33 marks deducted for every incorrect option

Final ranking; there is no interview.

Syllabus split

Mark-wise topic distribution

Mains, Cat. No. 486/2022

  • History5 Marks
  • Geography5 Marks
  • Economics5 Marks
  • Indian Constitution5 Marks
  • Kerala: Governance and System of Administration5 Marks
  • Life Science3 Marks
  • Physics3 Marks
  • Chemistry3 Marks
  • Arts, Literature, Culture, Sports5 Marks
  • Basics of Computer3 Marks
  • Important Acts, Education Policy, Acts and Commissions13 Marks
  • Current Affairs15 Marks
  • Simple Arithmetic, Mental Ability and Reasoning10 Marks
  • General English10 Marks
  • Regional Language (Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil)10 Marks
Eligibility

Who can apply

StreamWho can applyAge limit
GeneralBachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognized university.18 to 40 years
OBCSame educational qualification as General.Relaxation up to 39 years
SC/STSame educational qualification as General.Relaxation up to 41 years
Next step

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University Assistant Mains

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