KEA has put out the provisional answer key for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) Residential School Teacher exam, dated 28 October 2026, with separate keys for the RPC and Kalyana Karnataka (KK) cadres. Still pending: the last date for objections (check the KEA notice that comes with the key), the final answer key, the result and any cut-off. None of these has been published.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is recruiting 140 Residential School Teachers (Vasati Shala Shikshakaru) for Social Welfare Department residential schools. The provisional answer key is now on the KEA recruitment portal, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. This article covers how to download it, how to match the right version code, how to estimate your score and how to object. It also explains what is not yet known, so you don’t act on rumours.
Two things to know before you read on. The key is provisional, so your marks can still change. And the answer key release date and links below come from KEA’s file links as reported by job portals on 28–29 October 2026. Open the PDF on the KEA site yourself and treat that as the final word.
What is confirmed right now
| Item | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional answer key (RPC cadre) | Released 28 October 2026 | KEA portal, as reported by job portals |
| Provisional answer key (KK cadre) | Released, shared with the VAO and Land Surveyor KK key | KEA portal, as reported by job portals |
| KK cadre exam dates | 24 and 25 October 2026 | Same reports |
| Total posts | 140 (RPC 100, KK 40) | KEA notifications dated 20 August 2026 |
| Objection window deadline | Not confirmed in the sources I checked | See KEA notice |
| RPC exam date | Not confirmed in the sources I checked | See KEA notice |
| Final key, result, cut-off | Not released | None |
How to download the answer key
- Go to cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.
- Open the Recruitment section.
- Click “Social Welfare Residential School Teacher Recruitment 2026”.
- Pick the provisional key for your cadre, RPC or KK.
- Download the PDF and save a copy.
The PDF links reported on KEA’s site are in the folder paths (RPC) and (KK). The KK file is a combined key for the VAO, Land Surveyor and SWD teacher exams held on 24 and 25 October, so a KK candidate should check that they are reading the section for the teacher paper and not the VAO one.
Version code: where candidates lose marks
KEA keys are arranged by version code. Your question booklet carries a code, and the key lists a separate answer sequence for each one. If you read answers from the wrong sequence, your estimate can be wildly off even though your memory of the paper is fine.
So before you tick anything, find the code printed on your booklet and on your OMR sheet, and open that sequence. If the codes on the booklet and OMR sheet don’t match, treat that as a problem to raise with KEA now, not later.
The second slip is cadre. An RPC candidate who opens the KK file, or the other way round, will find unfamiliar question numbers and may panic. They are different exams on different days.
Estimate your score
The negative-marking rule reported for this exam is 0.25 marks off for each wrong answer. Blank answers carry no marks. Each paper is worth 100 marks.
Score for one paper = correct answers − (wrong answers × 0.25)
As an unofficial example, 70 correct and 20 wrong in Paper 1 gives 70 − 5 = 65 out of 100. Do the same for Paper 2 and add the two. This is only an estimate. KEA’s final key and its own scoring decide your real marks.
Remember that the aggregate across both papers must reach at least 35% to stay in the race, according to the notification as summarised by job portals. That is a floor, not a selection mark.
How to raise an objection
You can challenge an answer only online, on the KEA objection portal (cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/keaobjections/forms/login.aspx).
- Log in with your application or register number, your name and your date of birth. The portal reportedly uses the first five characters of your name, so type it exactly as you filled it in the application.
- Select your exam from the dropdown. KK candidates choose the combined “Village Administrative Officer, Land Surveyor & Social Welfare Residential School Teacher (KK) – 2026 (24-10-2026 & 25-10-2026)” entry. RPC candidates choose the Residential School Teacher (RPC) option.
- Enter the captcha and log in.
- Choose the paper, version code and question number.
- Enter the answer you believe is correct and your reason.
- Upload proof as a PDF, such as a page from a standard textbook or an official publication.
- Pay any objection fee and save the submission copy.
Objections are accepted only online. Each must name the right question number and version code, and unsupported claims may be rejected. Reported rules say an expert committee reviews them and its decision is final.
On fees: for recent KEA exams such as VAO, an objection reportedly cost ₹25 per question and was non-refundable. That is the figure reported for earlier exams, not confirmed for this one. Read the current notice before you pay.
One practical point. Object only when you can show a printed source. A question you “feel” is wrong, with no page to point to, usually costs you the fee and gets you nothing.
What happens after the provisional key
Nobody outside KEA can say how long this will take, and I won’t give a date. The usual order of events for KEA recruitment is:
- Expert review of all objections.
- A final answer key, with some answers changed, accepted or dropped.
- Scores worked out on the final key.
- A merit list, cadre-wise.
- Document verification for shortlisted candidates.
- Appointment by the Social Welfare Department.
There is something candidates often miss here. When a key is revised, the change applies to everyone who answered that question, not only to the person who objected. A question changed from option B to option C helps the candidates who marked C and hurts those who marked B. So your estimated score can go down after the final key as well as up. Don’t make plans, such as resigning a job, on the basis of a provisional number.
Cut-off 2026 and previous-year cut-off
No cut-off has been released. KEA publishes marks and merit after the final key, so any “expected cut-off” you see online right now is a guess. I have no verified cut-off from an earlier cycle of this specific recruitment, so I’m not giving one. When the result comes, expect cadre-wise lists, since RPC and KK are separate pools. Category-wise vacancy numbers (UR, SC, ST, Category-1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, PwD) were not published in the notices summarised by the portals I checked, and KEA may revise the numbers before the final list.
Recruitment snapshot
The details below are from KEA’s notifications dated 20 August 2026, as summarised by job portals. Check the notification PDFs on the KEA site for the exact wording.
Eligibility. PUC with 50% marks (45% for SC, ST, Category-1 and PwD candidates), plus a 2-year D.El.Ed, a 4-year B.El.Ed or a diploma in special education, plus a pass in Karnataka TET or CTET. Certificates were required by 18 September 2026. Note that this is an elementary-teacher route, not a graduation plus B.Ed route.
Age limit (as on 18 September 2026). General Merit 18 to 40 years. Categories 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B up to 43 years. SC, ST and Category-1 up to 45 years. Further relaxation may apply under Karnataka recruitment rules.
Application fee. ₹750 for General Merit and Categories 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B. ₹500 for SC, ST, Category-1, ex-servicemen and third gender. ₹250 for Special Chetana (PwD) candidates. The application window is now closed (last date was 18 September 2026).
Salary. The pay scale is ₹41,300 to ₹81,800 (2024 revised Karnataka scale). The job comes with a 2-year probation and pension under NPS.
Selection process. Two written papers, a qualifying Kannada language test for those not exempt, and document verification. No interview is mentioned.
Exam pattern.
| Paper | Content | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General knowledge, current affairs, Indian Constitution, history and geography with Karnataka focus, economics, Panchayat Raj, Karnataka schemes | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 | General Kannada, General English, Computer Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
The Kannada language test is for 150 marks, with 50 needed to qualify. Its marks do not count in merit. Candidates who studied Kannada up to SSLC are exempt.
Syllabus note. Paper 1 leans toward Karnataka. Candidates who prepared from all-India general studies books often find the state-specific questions the weak spot.
Documents for verification. Expect to need SSLC and PUC marks cards, your teacher-training certificate, TET certificate, category or cadre certificate where you claimed one, KK local-cadre proof, disability or ex-servicemen papers if relevant, Aadhaar, the application printout and the fee receipt. A mismatch between the category you ticked and the certificate you carry is a classic reason for rejection at this stage.
Job profile. These are teaching posts in Social Welfare Department residential schools. Reports on the post describe classroom work plus campus and hostel duties, often outside big cities. Your employer after selection is the department, not KEA, which only runs the exam.
important links |
|
| Download KEA SWD Residential School Teacher Answer Key 2026 | click here |
| Answer Key Objection Information | click here |
| Official Website (KEA) | click here |
FAQs
My booklet code and OMR code look different. What should I do?
Don’t guess which key to use. Take both codes, your register number and a photo of the pages to KEA through its official contact channels on the website as soon as possible. Until it is cleared, an estimated score from any sequence is unreliable.
Will an objection I file be answered individually?
Based on how KEA has handled earlier recruitments, objections are reviewed together and the outcome shows up in the final key, not as a personal reply. Save your submission copy as your record.
If I am from the KK region, which key do I read?
Read the KK key, which is the combined file with the VAO and Land Surveyor exams. Find the section for the teacher paper. In the objection portal, choose the KK entry dated 24 and 25 October 2026.
Can my score fall after the final key?
Yes. If an answer changes, anyone who marked the old option loses that mark and the negative marking can apply. Treat your estimate as a range until the final key and result are out.