In a significant move to ensure transparency and address the controversy surrounding the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) examination, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released a comprehensive list of the top 5,000 candidates. The document, titled “Comparative Score Analysis of Top 5000 Village Administrative Officer Candidates and Other Similar Examinations,” was published on November 3, 2026.
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This release comes in the wake of social media allegations regarding discrepancies in the marks of a specific candidate who topped the Haveri district list despite scoring low in the KSRP constable exam. KEA aims to provide a clear, data-driven picture to the public and aspirants.

KEA VAO Top 5000 Score List: Key Highlights
The official PDF allows candidates and the public to compare the performance of the top VAO scorers across multiple recruitment exams conducted by KEA. Here are the essential details:
- Document Name: Comparative Score Analysis of Top 5000 Village Administrative Officer Candidates and Other Similar Examinations .
- Total Candidates: 5,000 (Top scorers from the VAO exam) .
- Total Pages: 68 Pages .
- Marks Distribution:
Exams Included in the Comparative Analysis
The KEA list provides a side-by-side comparison of scores for the top 5,000 VAO candidates in the following examinations:
- Village Administrative Officer (VAO): Marks for Paper 1, Paper 2, and Total Score (out of 200).
- Land Surveyor: Marks for Paper 1, Paper 2, and Total Score (out of 200).
- KSRP (Karnataka State Reserve Police): RPC and KK Exam Scores (out of 100).
- CAR & DAR (Civil Police Constable): RPC and KK Exam Scores (out of 100).
- Civil Police Constable: RPC and KK Exam Scores (out of 100) .
Note: A dash (-) in the comparison columns indicates that the candidate did not appear for that specific exam or the details are not available in that entry. Candidates are advised not to assume that every listed VAO candidate appeared for all the other examinations .
Why Was This List Released? (Context & Controversy)
The release of this list is a direct response to the allegations of malpractice in the VAO exam held on October 4, 2026. Questions were raised when a candidate from Haveri, Shankar Bannur, secured Rank 1 in the state with 151.25 marks in VAO, despite having scored only 25 marks in the KSRP constable exam .
Following an investigation and CCTV analysis, it was found that the candidate had allegedly used a mobile phone and the Google Lens application to scan the question paper and find answers inside the examination hall . The Haveri police have since arrested the individual, and KEA has announced stricter security measures for future exams, including deploying two invigilators per hall and conducting secondary frisking inside the examination hall .
KEA Executive Director H. Prasanna stated that the list was published to “reiterate our commitment to ensure transparency” and to counter the spread of misinformation on social media, where marks of candidates with identical names were being wrongly attributed to others .
How to Download the KEA VAO Top 5000 Score List PDF
Candidates and interested parties can download the official 68-page PDF directly from the KEA website. Follow these steps:
- Visit the official KEA portal: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.
- Look for the link titled “Comparative Score Analysis of Top 5000 Village Administrative Officer Candidates” or similar under the “What’s New” or “Recruitment” section.
- Click on the link to open the PDF file.
- Use Ctrl + F to search for your Application Number or Name within the document.
Direct Link: Click Here to Download the KEA VAO Top 5000 Comparative Score PDF (Source: Official KEA Portal).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the KEA VAO Top 5000 List?
It is a transparency document released by KEA showing the marks of the top 5,000 VAO candidates alongside their scores (if available) in KSRP, CAR/DAR, Civil Police, and Land Surveyor exams .
Q2: Does this list guarantee selection?
No. This is a comparative score analysis for transparency purposes. Final selection is subject to the official merit list, document verification, and the outcome of ongoing investigations into exam irregularities.
Q3: What if a candidate’s name is missing from the list?
The list contains only the top 5,000 candidates based on VAO exam scores. Candidates outside this rank will not find their names in this specific document.
Q4: Are the marks for all exams available for every candidate?
No. As per the official disclaimer, if a candidate did not apply for or appear in a specific exam (e.g., Land Surveyor), the corresponding columns will show a dash (-) or be left blank .