KCET 2026: Result Out, Counselling Begins, Cutoff and Seat Allotment

KCET 2026 (Karnataka Common Entrance Test) is conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for admission to undergraduate engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, nursing, and allied courses in colleges across Karnataka. The KCET 2026 exam was held on April 23 and 24, 2026, and the result was declared on June 6, 2026. More than 3.3 lakh candidates registered for the exam across 745 centers. Counseling has begun, with choice filling (option entry) opening from June 20, 2026 onwards.

• Counselling: KCET 2026 option entry is now open for Engineering, Agriculture, Nursing, Farm Science & B.V.Sc courses.

Source: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in

• Result: KCET 2026 result was declared on June 6, 2026 at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. A total of 2,92,782 candidates qualified out of 3,09,014 who appeared — an overall pass rate of around 94.7%.
• Seat Allotment: KCET counselling will happen in multiple rounds — Round 1, Round 2, and a Mop-Up round. Based on last year, Round 1 seat allotment is expected in August–September 2026 for around 77,000 engineering seats and 31,656 B.Sc Nursing seats.
• Rank Card: Candidates who appeared in KCET 2026 can download their rank card and scorecard from cetonline.karnataka.gov.in using their application number and password. The rank card shows subject-wise scores and final merit rank.

What is KCET 2026?

KCET stands for Karnataka Common Entrance Test. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), under the Government of Karnataka, conducts this exam every year. It is the primary state-level entrance test for admission to undergraduate courses in engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, veterinary science, B.Sc Nursing, and other allied courses in Karnataka’s government and private colleges.

The exam is conducted in offline (pen and paper) mode. It consists of three subject papers — Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics or Biology — based on the 1st and 2nd PUC curriculum. Each paper has 60 questions carrying 60 marks, with a total of 180 marks for the three papers. There is no negative marking.

More than 3.3 lakh candidates registered for KCET 2026, and about 3,09,014 appeared for the exam. KCET offers admission to around 77,000 engineering seats, 31,656 B.Sc Nursing seats, and thousands of seats in pharmacy, agriculture, and allied courses across 217+ colleges in Karnataka.

Source: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA)

KCET 2026 Important Dates

The table below lists the key events in the KCET 2026 exam calendar. Upcoming events are shown first, followed by past events in chronological order.

Note: Counselling dates are tentative and based on previous year patterns. KEA has not released the official schedule as of June 10, 2026. Check cetonline.karnataka.gov.in for official updates.

KCET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

The KCET 2026 eligibility criteria covers age, educational qualifications, domicile, and Karnataka residency clauses. You must satisfy all the criteria before applying.

Age Limit

• There is no upper age limit for KCET 2026
• Minimum age of 17 years is required for B.Pharm and certain medical courses
• For B.E./B.Tech, no minimum age is specified beyond appearing in 2nd PUC

Educational Qualification

• You must have passed or be appearing in 2nd PUC / 12th standard from a recognised board
• Engineering (B.E./B.Tech): Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics are mandatory. Minimum 45% aggregate in PCM (40% for SC/ST/OBC reserved categories). English is mandatory as a subject.
• B.Pharm / Pharma-D / B.Sc Nursing / B.V.Sc: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are required. Minimum 45% aggregate in PCB (40% for reserved categories).
• B.Arch: Minimum 50% in PCM (45% for reserved categories).

Karnataka Domicile and Residency Rules

KCET is primarily for Karnataka domicile candidates. You must satisfy one of KEA’s eligibility clauses (A to O) to be eligible for government quota seats.

Candidates who do not satisfy any of these clauses can still apply for KCET but will be eligible only for seats in private unaided colleges (non-government quota).

Kannada Language Test (Mandatory for Horanadu and Gadinadu Candidates)

• Candidates claiming eligibility under Clauses D and E (Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadigas) must appear for the Kannada Language Test
• Date: April 22, 2026 | Duration: 1 hour | Total Marks: 50 | Minimum Passing: 12 marks
• The test is set at 4th standard level and is conducted at Bengaluru, Belagavi, Vijayapura, and Mangaluru only
• Candidates who studied 10 full years in Kannada medium from 1st to 10th standard (outside Karnataka) are exempted

KCET 2026 Application Fee

The KCET 2026 application fee was collected during the registration process. The last date for fee payment was March 3, 2026 (after extension). Registration is now closed.

The fee covers all three exam papers, registration processing, and admit card generation. The application fee is non-refundable once paid.

KCET 2026 Syllabus

The KCET 2026 syllabus is based entirely on the 1st and 2nd PUC curriculum set by the Department of Pre-University Education, Karnataka. You do not need any additional coaching material beyond your state board textbooks. Around 60–70% of questions come from 2nd PUC, and 30–40% come from 1st PUC.

Physics Syllabus (Key Topics)

• Mechanics (1st PUC): Laws of Motion, Work, Energy and Power, Rotational Motion, Gravitation — contributes about 32% of questions
• Electricity and Magnetism (2nd PUC): Current Electricity, Electrostatics, Moving Charges and Magnetism, Electromagnetic Induction — contributes about 28% of questions
• Optics: Ray Optics and Optical Instruments, Wave Optics — about 10% of questions
• Modern Physics: Dual Nature of Radiation, Atoms, Nuclei, Semiconductor Electronics
• Waves and Oscillations: Oscillations, Waves
• Thermodynamics: Thermal Properties, Laws of Thermodynamics, Kinetic Theory

Chemistry Syllabus (Key Topics)

• Physical Chemistry: Some Basic Concepts (Mole Concept), Chemical Equilibrium, Solutions, Electrochemistry, Chemical Kinetics — contributes about 35% overall
• Organic Chemistry (Highest Weightage): Hydrocarbons, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers, Aldehydes and Ketones, Amines, Biomolecules, Polymers — 30–35% of questions
• Inorganic Chemistry: Periodic Table and Properties, p-block Elements, d and f-block Elements, Coordination Compounds
• Surface Chemistry: Colloids, Adsorption, Catalysis

Mathematics Syllabus (Key Topics)

• Calculus (Highest Weightage — 25–30%): Limits and Derivatives, Continuity and Differentiability, Application of Derivatives, Integrals, Application of Integrals, Differential Equations
• Algebra: Relations and Functions, Matrices, Determinants, Permutations and Combinations, Binomial Theorem, Sequences and Series
• Coordinate Geometry: Straight Lines, Conic Sections, 3D Geometry
• Vectors: Vector Algebra, Vectors and 3D Geometry
• Probability and Statistics: Probability, Statistics
• Trigonometry: Inverse Trigonometric Functions, Trigonometric Identities

Biology Syllabus (Key Topics)

• Botany: Cell Biology, Plant Physiology, Reproduction in Plants, Genetics, Ecology
• Zoology: Structural Organisation in Animals, Animal Physiology, Reproduction, Human Health and Disease, Biotechnology, Evolution
• KCET Biology questions are set at the Karnataka PUC board level — NCERT is closely aligned and is the ideal reference

Note: The complete chapter-wise weightage PDF is available on the KEA official website at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.

KCET 2026 Reservation Policy

KCET follows the Karnataka government’s reservation policy for government quota seats. Reservations apply to seats in government and private aided engineering, pharmacy, nursing, and other courses.

Category-wise Reservation Percentages

Special Regional Reservation — Hyderabad-Karnataka (Kalyana Karnataka)

• 70% of seats in every course in regional universities and educational institutions of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region are reserved for local persons
• 8% of seats in state-wide university courses are reserved for candidates from this region
• This applies to the districts of Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, Ballari, Yadgir, Vijayanagara, and Koppal

Important Points on Reservation

• To claim reservation, you must produce a valid caste/income certificate issued by the competent Tahsildar in Karnataka
• Only Karnataka domicile candidates satisfying the residency clauses (A-O) are generally eligible for reserved category seats in government quota
• Reserved category candidates must score at least 40% in PCM/PCB to be eligible (against 45% for General Merit)
• The PwD minimum disability requirement is 40% as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

Top Colleges Accepting KCET 2026 Score

More than 217 colleges across Karnataka accept KCET scores for admission to engineering, pharmacy, nursing, and other courses. Here are the top engineering colleges.

UVCE is a government college offering highly subsidised fees — it is one of the most sought-after colleges for candidates with a rank between 3,000 and 7,000 in CSE (General Merit).

KCET 2026 Total Seats Available

KCET 2026 offers admission to a large number of seats across multiple streams. Here is an overview of the available seats under KEA counselling.

The engineering seat matrix includes government colleges, government-aided private colleges, and unaided private colleges. Government and aided colleges offer seats at substantially lower fees than private unaided institutions.

KCET 2026 Preparation Tips

With KCET 2026 already over, these tips are for students preparing for KCET 2027 — or for anyone looking to understand what it takes to crack this exam with a top rank.

• Focus on Karnataka PUC textbooks: The KCET syllabus is entirely from 1st and 2nd PUC Karnataka state board books. NCERTs are well-aligned and helpful for concepts, but your state board textbook is the primary reference.
• Prioritise Calculus in Mathematics: Calculus accounts for 25–30% of the Mathematics paper. Continuity, Differentiability, Integration, and Application of Integrals are the most important chapters.
• Organic Chemistry is key: Organic chemistry contributes 30–35% of the Chemistry paper. Focus on reaction mechanisms, named reactions, and functional group conversions.
• Current Electricity and Mechanics in Physics: These two units together contribute nearly 60% of Physics questions. Do not skip any numericals from Current Electricity.
• Solve 10 years of KCET previous papers: Previous year papers are the single best resource. KCET frequently repeats questions and question types. Aim to solve at least one full paper per day in the last two months.
• Board marks matter as much as KCET marks: Since 50% weightage goes to 2nd PUC board marks, scoring above 90% in board PCM/PCB is as important as scoring high in KCET. Do not ignore your board exams.
• Attempt all questions: There is no negative marking in KCET. Always attempt all 60 questions in each paper. Never leave a question blank.
• Manage 80 minutes carefully: Each paper has 60 questions in 80 minutes — that is 80 seconds per question. Practice timed mock tests regularly to develop the right speed.
• Do not skip 1st PUC chapters: About 30–40% of questions come from 1st PUC topics. Common mistakes include ignoring chapters like Kinematics, Laws of Motion (Physics) or Sets, Trigonometry, and Statistics (Mathematics).