The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Syllabus 2026 for candidates applying for Nursing Officer and Pharmacy Officer posts. Separate professional-subject syllabus documents for General Nursing and Midwifery and Diploma in Pharmacy were published on August 7, 2026.
The written competitive examination will consist of two papers carrying 100 marks each. Paper 1 will test General Knowledge, while Paper 2 will be based on the professional syllabus relevant to the post. Each paper will contain 100 questions and will be conducted for two hours. KEA has also confirmed 0.25 negative marking for every incorrect answer.
Candidates preparing for Nursing Officer or Pharmacy Officer recruitment should therefore now shift their focus from unofficial syllabus estimates to the subject areas specified by KEA.
Table of Contents
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Syllabus 2026 Overview
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Authority | Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) |
| Recruitment | Nursing Officer and Pharmacy Officer Recruitment 2026 |
| Paper 1 | General Knowledge |
| Paper 2 | Post-specific professional subject |
| Questions per Paper | 100 |
| Marks per Paper | 100 |
| Duration per Paper | 2 Hours |
| Total Questions | 200 |
| Total Marks | 200 |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 mark for each wrong answer |
| Exam Mode | CBT or Offline OMR |
| Nursing Syllabus | General Nursing and Midwifery curriculum |
| Pharmacy Syllabus | Diploma in Pharmacy curriculum |
| Syllabus Release Date | August 7, 2026 |
| Exam Date | Yet to be announced |
KEA states that the competitive examination can be conducted either as an online Computer-Based Test (CBT) or an offline OMR-based examination. The examination mode and detailed schedule will be communicated separately.
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Exam Pattern 2026
The selection examination is divided into two papers.
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General Knowledge | 100 | 100 | 2 Hours |
| Paper 2 | Professional Subject | 100 | 100 | 2 Hours |
| Total | — | 200 | 200 | 4 Hours |
Candidates receive one mark for each correct answer. For every incorrect answer, 0.25 mark will be deducted. If a candidate marks more than one option for a question, it will also attract the applicable negative-marking rule.
KEA has also prescribed a minimum qualifying requirement of 35 marks in the competitive examination.
KEA Paper 1 General Knowledge Syllabus
Paper 1 is common to Nursing Officer and Pharmacy Officer candidates. The official notification identifies several broad General Knowledge areas from which questions may be asked.
Important areas include:
- Current affairs and events of public importance
- General Science
- Geography
- Social Science
- Indian history
- Karnataka history
- Indian Constitution and public administration
- Karnataka-related social and cultural developments
- Rural development
- Panchayat Raj institutions
- Rural cooperative institutions
- Karnataka economy and development-related topics
- Environment and ecology-related issues
Since Paper 1 carries the same 100 marks as the professional paper, candidates should avoid treating General Knowledge as a secondary section.
KEA Nursing Officer Syllabus 2026
KEA has released a separate syllabus document based on the General Nursing and Midwifery course curriculum for Nursing Officer recruitment. The official recruitment page lists the GNM syllabus document dated August 7, 2026.
Candidates should prepare the full professional curriculum rather than relying only on a few high-profile nursing subjects.
Major preparation areas broadly include:
Anatomy and Physiology
Candidates should revise the structure and functioning of major human body systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine, reproductive and nervous systems.
Fundamentals of Nursing
Important areas include basic nursing principles, patient care, nursing procedures, vital signs, hygiene, safety, infection prevention, records and reporting.
Medical-Surgical Nursing
This is likely to be one of the most important preparation areas because it covers the nursing management of diseases affecting different body systems.
Candidates should revise:
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Respiratory disorders
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Renal disorders
- Neurological conditions
- Endocrine disorders
- Orthopaedic conditions
- Emergency and critical-care concepts
Pharmacology
Nursing candidates should be familiar with major drug groups, administration routes, dosage principles, adverse effects and safe medication practices.
Community Health Nursing
Topics may include:
- Primary healthcare
- National health programmes
- Community assessment
- Maternal and child health
- Epidemiology
- Communicable diseases
- Environmental hygiene
- Health education
Midwifery and Obstetrical Nursing
Candidates should cover:
- Pregnancy and antenatal care
- Labour and delivery
- Postnatal care
- Newborn care
- Obstetric emergencies
- Family planning
- Reproductive health
Child Health Nursing
Important areas include normal growth and development, nutritional needs, childhood illnesses, immunisation and paediatric nursing care.
Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing
Candidates should revise common psychiatric disorders, therapeutic communication, mental-health nursing principles and patient management.
Nutrition
Basic and therapeutic nutrition, balanced diets, nutritional deficiencies and diet planning should also form part of preparation.
Microbiology and Infection Control
Important topics include microorganisms, disease transmission, sterilisation, disinfection and prevention of hospital-acquired infection.
Candidates should treat the Nursing Officer Paper 2 as a complete GNM-level professional paper, rather than limiting preparation to anatomy or basic nursing.
KEA Pharmacy Officer Syllabus 2026
KEA has separately published the Diploma in Pharmacy syllabus for Pharmacy Officer recruitment. The official Pharmacy syllabus document extends to multiple parts of the D.Pharm curriculum and includes modern Education Regulations coursework.
Important professional subjects include the following.
Pharmaceutics
Candidates should study dosage forms, pharmaceutical preparations, prescriptions, dispensing, formulations, storage and pharmaceutical calculations.
Pharmaceutical Chemistry
This section includes the chemical properties, identification, preparation and pharmaceutical uses of important medicinal compounds.
Pharmacognosy
Candidates should prepare crude drugs, natural medicinal products, plant sources, identification and therapeutic applications.
Human Anatomy and Physiology
The official pharmacy curriculum covers major body systems such as the endocrine and reproductive systems, along with their structures and physiological functions.
Pharmacology
Candidates should study the mechanism, therapeutic uses and adverse effects of major drug categories, including drugs acting on:
- Cardiovascular system
- Central nervous system
- Gastrointestinal system
- Endocrine system
- Respiratory system
- Renal system
Anti-infective agents, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs and other commonly used medicines should receive special attention.
Community Pharmacy
Important concepts include dispensing practice, patient counselling, rational use of medicines and responsibilities of pharmacists in community healthcare.
Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy
Candidates should prepare areas such as:
- Hospital pharmacy organisation
- Drug distribution
- Interpretation of prescriptions
- Patient medication records
- Adverse drug reactions
- Drug information services
- Drug interactions
- Clinical pharmacy services
Pharmacotherapeutics
This section connects disease conditions with their appropriate drug therapy. Candidates should revise treatment principles for common clinical disorders.
Social Pharmacy
The official syllabus specifically covers public health, epidemiology, preventive healthcare, health education and the role of pharmacists in national health programmes.
Important Social Pharmacy areas include:
- Public health
- Preventive healthcare
- Nutrition
- National health programmes
- Environmental health
- Communicable diseases
- Epidemiology
- Health promotion
- Pharmacists’ role in public health
Pharmacy Law and Ethics
Candidates should revise pharmaceutical legislation, professional responsibilities and legal requirements relating to pharmacy practice.
Is There a Kannada Language Test?
Yes. Certain candidates may also have to qualify the Kannada Language Test, depending on the applicability of the recruitment rules and prescribed exemptions.
The Kannada language examination carries 150 marks, and candidates to whom the test applies are required to obtain at least 50 marks.
This should not be confused with Paper 1 of the competitive examination. The main merit examination consists of General Knowledge and the professional subject.
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Exam Mode
KEA has retained the option to conduct the examination in either:
- Computer-Based Test (CBT), or
- Offline OMR mode.
The final mode will be specified through KEA’s subsequent examination notice.
Therefore, candidates should currently prepare for the syllabus and objective-question format rather than assume that the exam will necessarily be conducted online.
How to Prepare for KEA Nursing Officer Exam
Nursing candidates should divide preparation into three broad blocks.
First, strengthen high-volume professional subjects such as Medical-Surgical Nursing, Fundamentals of Nursing, Community Health Nursing and Midwifery.
Second, revise smaller but scoring subjects such as Nutrition, Microbiology, Psychology, Sociology, Child Health and Mental Health Nursing.
Third, allocate regular time to Paper 1 because General Knowledge carries 100 marks and can significantly affect the final score.
Because negative marking applies, accuracy should receive more importance than attempting every question.
How to Prepare for KEA Pharmacy Officer Exam
Pharmacy candidates should begin with core D.Pharm subjects including Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy.
After building the core, candidates should revise Human Anatomy and Physiology, Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy, Community Pharmacy, Pharmacotherapeutics, Social Pharmacy and Pharmacy Law.
Modern curriculum areas should not be ignored. The official Pharmacy syllabus includes subjects such as Social Pharmacy and contemporary public-health applications, so relying only on older Pharmacy Officer question banks may leave syllabus gaps.
Preparation Strategy for Negative Marking
The 0.25 negative-marking provision makes random guessing risky.
Candidates can follow a three-stage approach during mocks:
- Attempt questions they can answer confidently.
- Revisit questions where two options can be narrowed down logically.
- Avoid blind guesses where the concept is completely unfamiliar.
Regular full-length practice of 100 questions in two hours will also help candidates become comfortable with the expected pace of the actual papers.
KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Exam Date 2026
KEA has released the detailed recruitment notification and the professional syllabi, but the examination date has not yet been announced on the recruitment page as of August 17, 2026. The official portal currently lists the application link, syllabus documents, post classification and detailed notification.
Candidates should therefore use the present period to complete the first syllabus cycle before KEA announces the examination timetable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the KEA Nursing & Pharmacy exam pattern for 2026?
The competitive examination consists of two papers. Paper 1 is General Knowledge and Paper 2 is the relevant professional subject. Each paper contains 100 questions for 100 marks and has a duration of two hours.
Is there negative marking in the KEA Nursing & Pharmacy Exam 2026?
Yes. KEA will deduct 0.25 mark for every incorrect answer.
What is the KEA Nursing Officer syllabus?
Paper 2 for Nursing Officer is based on the General Nursing and Midwifery professional curriculum released by KEA.
What is the KEA Pharmacy Officer syllabus?
The Pharmacy Officer professional paper is based on the Diploma in Pharmacy curriculum published by KEA.
Will the KEA Nursing & Pharmacy exam be conducted online?
KEA may conduct the examination through CBT or offline OMR mode. The final mode will be announced separately.
Has KEA announced the Nursing & Pharmacy exam date?
No confirmed examination date is listed on the recruitment page as of August 17, 2026.
