Kerala PSC Assistant Engineer (AE) Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2025 PDF

The Kerala PSC AE 2025 notification is out, and candidates are eagerly awaiting the official syllabus and exam pattern. While these are yet to be released, aspirants can begin their preparation using the previous year’s syllabus, which covers topics like engineering concepts, general knowledge, and reasoning—scroll down or download to access the syllabus!

Kerala PSC Assistant Engineer Recruitment 2025 Highlights

KERALA PSC TECHNICAL EXAM COACHING

Kerala PSC AE Study Notes 2025 – Free PDF 

Kerala PSC AE Syllabus 2025 PDF – Expected

The Kerala PSC AE 2025 notification is released, and the official syllabus is awaited. Meanwhile, candidates can start preparing using the previous year’s syllabus, covering engineering concepts, general knowledge, and reasoning. Click below to download the syllabus PDF and begin your preparation!

Kerala PSC AE Exam Pattern 2025 – Expected

The Kerala PSC Assistant Engineer Exam Pattern provides a clear understanding of the structure of the exam, including the number of questions, marks distribution, and duration. This helps candidates strategize their preparation effectively to achieve a score higher than the cut-off marks.

The written exam comprises multiple-choice questions (MCQs), with the following structure:

• Total Number of Questions: 100
• Total Marks: 100
• Marks per Question: 1
• Negative Marking: 0.33 marks deducted for each incorrect answer
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Medium of Examination: English

The questions are evenly distributed across key engineering and general topics, as outlined below:

Kerala PSC Assistant Engineer Detailled Syllabus 2025 – Expected

According to the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) guidelines, candidates appearing for the Assistant Engineer (Civil) exam will need to clear a written exam. The syllabus remains consistent across departments for the Assistant Engineer posts. Below are the primary subjects included in the Kerala PSC Assistant Engineer Syllabus 2025:

Part I: Civil Engineering (25 Marks)

1. Mechanics of Solids and Structural Analysis (4 Marks)

This portion covers stress, strain, and elastic constants, along with strain energy concepts. Important topics include bending moment and shear force in beams, stresses in beams of uniform strength, and torsion of shafts. Candidates must also be familiar with Mohr’s circle, principal stresses, thin and thick cylinders, springs, and beam deflection. Structural analysis topics include truss analysis, indeterminate structures, slope deflection, moment distribution, energy methods, influence lines, arches, and Clapeyron’s theorem.

2. Fluid Mechanics and Water Resources Engineering (4 Marks)

Key topics include fluid properties, pressure, buoyancy, kinematics, and dynamics of flow. Students must study pipe flow, boundary layers, drag and lift, hydraulic turbines, pumps, and open channel flow phenomena such as hydraulic jumps and gradually varied flow. In water resources, emphasis is on the hydrologic cycle, precipitation, runoff, hydrographs, irrigation methods, crop water requirements, reservoir sedimentation, river training, and groundwater aquifer properties with well hydraulics.

3. Surveying, Levelling, Quantity Surveying, and Valuation (4 Marks)

Surveying fundamentals include levelling, contouring, area/volume computation, theodolite, triangulation, total station, GPS, and GIS applications. Students must also learn error theory, remote sensing, and modern survey techniques. The quantity surveying section focuses on estimation, rate analysis, bar bending schedules, detailed specifications, and valuation methods including depreciation and rent fixation.

4. Building Materials, Construction Technology, and Construction Management (3 Marks)

This section focuses on construction materials such as timber, mortar, steel, and modern materials. Concrete properties, admixtures, and mix proportioning are important along with construction techniques like masonry, floors, roofs, lintels, arches, and prefabrication. Candidates should also study tall buildings, vertical transportation (stairs, elevators, escalators), building failures and retrofitting. In management, key topics include planning and scheduling, safety, dispute resolution, ethics, quality management, and materials management.

5. Design of Structures (4 Marks)

Covers both RCC and steel design principles. Important areas include limit state method, design of beams, slabs, columns, staircases, torsion, bond, development length, and footings. Prestressed concrete fundamentals, losses of pre-stress, and systems of prestressing are included. In steel structures, bolted and welded connections, tension and compression members, beams, roof trusses, and purlins are part of the syllabus. Timber structure basics like columns and composite beams are also expected.

6. Geotechnical Engineering (4 Marks)

Includes soil properties, permeability, effective stress, seepage, compaction, consolidation, and shear strength. Candidates must study lateral earth pressure theories, bearing capacity of soils, foundation settlement, and pile foundations (static and dynamic equations, uplift capacity, under-reamed piles). Geotechnical investigations such as site reconnaissance, drilling, sampling, SPT, vane shear test, plate load test, and pile load test are also emphasized.

7. Transportation Engineering and Urban Planning (2 Marks)

Key topics include classification, alignment, and geometric design of highways. Pavement design (CBR method), materials testing, flexible and rigid pavements, causes of failures, and highway drainage are covered. Urban planning concepts such as goals, objectives, zoning, regional planning, migration, and urbanization impacts are also part of this section. Candidates should understand theories of urbanization, town planning acts, metro region concepts, and regional problems with their solutions.

Part II: Mechanical Engineering (25 Marks)

Module I: Engineering Mechanics (3 Marks)

Focuses on statics and equilibrium of rigid bodies. Includes fundamental mechanics laws, rigid body principles, transmissibility of forces, coplanar force systems, moments, and equilibrium conditions. Free body diagrams, two-force and three-force members are also important.

Module II: Materials and Mechanics of Solids (4 Marks)

Covers material science and solid mechanics. Topics include crystal structures, metals, alloys, composites, phase diagrams, and TTT curves. Students should understand stress-strain behavior, Hooke’s law, elastic constants, bulk modulus, Poisson’s ratio, biaxial and triaxial deformations, and stress/strain tensors.

Module III: Mechanics and Dynamics of Machinery (6 Marks)

Covers gears and vibrations. Includes spur gear terminology, law of gearing, contact ratio, backlash, gear failures, bevel, helical, and worm gears. Also focuses on vibrations: free and forced, damping types, energy method, transmissibility, and response of systems under harmonic excitation.

Module IV: Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer (6 Marks)

Deals with fluid properties, Newtonian vs. non-Newtonian fluids, continuity and energy equations, pipe flows, friction losses, and hydraulic machines like turbines and pumps. In heat transfer, emphasis is on conduction (Fourier’s law), steady-state conduction in walls, cylinders, and spheres, critical radius of insulation, conduction with/without heat generation, and shape factors.

Module V: Industrial and Production Engineering (6 Marks)

Combines industrial management and production processes. Topics include HR management, ethics in organizations, leadership, budgeting, and organizational structures. In production, emphasis is on casting processes (sand casting, die casting, centrifugal casting, etc.), defects in castings, and core materials. Also covers machining (turning, milling, grinding, shaping, drilling, welding), TIG/MIG welding, machine tool properties, indexing, and CNC machining basics.

Part III: Chemical Engineering (25 Marks)

Module I: Particle Technology (5 Marks)

Covers filtration (filters, centrifuges, operation), size reduction (laws of crushing, crushers, grinders), size separation (screens, air separation, cyclones, filters, electrostatic precipitators), fluidization, sedimentation, froth flotation, agitation & mixing (equipment, flow patterns, draft tubes, baffles), and storage/transport of solids, liquids, and gases (hoppers, conveyors, storage tanks, gas holders).

Module II: Stoichiometry (3 Marks)

Focus on units, dimensions, gas laws, gas mixtures, mole concept, concentration measures, vapor pressure. Includes material balances (with & without chemical reactions), complete vs. incomplete reactions, and stoichiometric proportions.

Module III: Instrumentation (3 Marks)

Principles of measurement for temperature (thermocouples, resistance thermometers), pressure (manometers, diaphragm gauges, strain gauges), flow and level instruments. Covers humidity measurement methods, moisture content analysis, and instrumental methods like chromatography, flame photometry, and spectrophotometry.

Module IV: Process Control (3 Marks)

Introduces process control systems: open/closed loop, transducers, recorders, timers. Focuses on control valves, PID controllers, transfer functions, and computerized process control in equipment like heat exchangers and distillation plants.

Module V: Mass Transfer (6 Marks)

Explains diffusion, absorption, adsorption, humidification, drying (mechanism & rate), distillation (simple, steam, azeotropic, extractive, fractional), and leaching (batch & continuous). Key principles include Fick’s law, Raoult’s law, and relative volatility.

Module VI: Polymer Technology (5 Marks)

Covers basics of polymers, thermoplastics/thermosets, rubbers, fibers, adhesives, coatings. Details polymerization types (addition, step, chain, ionic, condensation), copolymer types (random, block, graft), and their applications. Also includes manufacturing processes of common polymers (ethylene, propylene, styrene, vinyl chloride) and man-made fibers (nylon, rayon, polyester).

Part IV: Job Related Topics (25 Marks)

1. Water Supply Engineering (15 Marks)

• Sources of Water Supply: Natural sources, surface water, groundwater, water demand estimation, population forecasting, demand fluctuations, intakes, pumps, pumping stations.
• Water Quality & Treatment: Standards for drinking water, physical/chemical/biological analysis, sedimentation (theory, Stoke’s law, types, tank design), coagulation, mixing, flocculation, filtration (slow/rapid sand filters), clariflocculators.
• Distribution Systems: Layouts, methods (Hardy Cross, Equivalent Pipe), appurtenances, O&M, unaccounted-for water, metering systems.
• Transmission of Water: Canals, open channels, pipes, transmission mains, pressure filters, roughing filters, algal control, disinfection (chlorination, bleaching powder, electrochlorinators).
• Pumping Machinery O&M: Pump components, starting/stopping procedures, operation under normal and failure conditions.
• Instrumentation, Telemetry & SCADA: Water meters (types, calibration, maintenance, tamper prevention), flow meters, level & pressure measurement, automation systems.
• Water Audit & Leakage Control: Objectives, methods, leakage detection/assessment, repair techniques, benefits of water audits.

2. Wastewater Engineering (10 Marks)

• Treatment Plant Layout & Processes: Site selection, screening, aeration, sedimentation, coagulation, filtration, disinfection (methods & limitations).
• Wastewater Treatment: Primary (equalization, sedimentation), secondary (aerobic & anaerobic biological processes), activated sludge process (design of ASP), trickling filters, anaerobic treatment (UASB reactors).
• Chemical Unit Processes: Precipitation, adsorption, chlorine-based methods, ozone, UV disinfection.
• Natural Treatment Systems: Oxidation ponds, lagoons, wetlands, root-zone systems.
• Onsite & Low-Cost Sanitation: Septic tanks, soak pits, small community wastewater management, onsite & package plants.
• Sludge Management: Thickening, digestion, dewatering, drying, composting.
• Wastewater Reuse & Reclamation: Applications, technologies, effluent disposal, water quality criteria, planning considerations.

How to Download Kerala PSC AE Syllabus 2025 PDF

To download the Kerala PSC AE syllabus, follow these steps:

1. Visit the Kerala PSC official website.
2. Go to the Recruitment tab on the homepage.
3. From the dropdown menu, select Post-wise Syllabus.
4. Choose Assistant Engineer (AE) Syllabus from the available options.
5. Click the Download tab to save the syllabus PDF.