KEAM 2026: Rank List Out, CAP Counselling Schedule, Cutoff and Index Score

KEAM 2026 (Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical Entrance Examination) is conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala for admission to B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Pharm courses across more than 200 colleges in Kerala. The KEAM 2026 rank list has been released today, June 20, 2026, on the official website cee.kerala.gov.in — a key milestone for all 1,48,146 candidates who registered this year. With the rank list now out, the next major step is the Centralised Allotment Process (CAP), expected to begin in the last week of June 2026.

• CAP Option Registration: KEAM 2026 CAP option registration is expected to open in the last week of June 2026. In 2025, option entry ran from July 8 to July 16 — expect a similar 8–10 day window this year. Candidates must register and pay the option entry fee online before the deadline.
• Trial Allotment: CEE Kerala publishes a trial allotment before the official Round 1 so you can review your tentative seat and revise your college preferences. In 2025, the trial allotment was published on July 17 — expect it around the second week of July 2026.
• First Round Seat Allotment: CAP Round 1 seat allotment is expected in the third week of July 2026. In 2025, Round 1 results were declared on July 22 — candidates who get a seat must pay the allotment fee and report to their college within 2–3 days or the seat is forfeited.
• KEAM 2026 Cutoff Trends: With 1,48,146 candidates registered in 2026 — up from 1,43,866 in 2025 — competition is slightly higher. In 2025, CET Trivandrum CSE closed at rank 571 for General category in Round 3. Expect cutoffs to tighten marginally in 2026; candidates targeting top government colleges should aim for an index score above 540 out of 600.

What is KEAM 2026?

KEAM stands for Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical Entrance Examination. It is the state-level entrance test conducted every year by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala. KEAM 2026 determines admission to B.Tech, B.Arch, and B.Pharm courses offered by government, government-aided, and private self-financing colleges in Kerala.

The exam is among the most competitive state engineering entrance tests in India. More than 1.48 lakh candidates registered for KEAM 2026, competing for seats across more than 200 engineering colleges in Kerala. This makes it one of the largest state-level engineering entrance exams in south India.

From 2026, KEAM introduced a significant change — the exam moved to Computer Based Test (CBT) mode from the earlier pen-and-paper OMR format. The Engineering paper now consists of 150 questions for 600 marks in a single 3-hour session, compared to the earlier two-paper pattern.

KEAM 2026 Important Dates

The KEAM 2026 exam cycle is now in the post-rank-list phase. Counselling through the Centralised Allotment Process (CAP) is the next major step. Upcoming events are listed first, followed by completed milestones in chronological order.

Counselling dates are based on the 2025 KEAM schedule and are expected to follow a similar pattern in 2026. CEE Kerala will publish the official CAP schedule on cee.kerala.gov.in — monitor the site regularly now that the rank list is out.

KEAM 2026 Eligibility Criteria

You must meet all KEAM 2026 eligibility conditions before you can participate in counselling. CEE Kerala verifies these during document verification at the allotted college — any mismatch can lead to cancellation of your seat.

Eligibility for B.Tech / B.E. Admission

• Nationality: Indian nationals are eligible. OCI and PIO card holders can also apply. Non-Kerala candidates can compete for seats under the All India category or management quota.
• Age: You must be at least 17 years old as of December 31, 2026. There is no upper age limit for KEAM.
• Qualifying Examination: You must have passed Class 12 (or an equivalent exam) from a board recognized by the Kerala government.
• Mandatory Subjects: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry must be part of your Class 12 curriculum.
• Minimum Marks: At least 45% aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics taken together. For SC/ST candidates, the minimum is 40%.
• Appearing Candidates: Students who appeared for their Class 12 exams in 2026 were also eligible to register for KEAM 2026.

Eligibility for B.Pharm Admission

• Pass Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and either Mathematics or Biology
• Minimum 45% aggregate marks in the relevant subjects (40% for SC/ST)
• Age: at least 17 years as of December 31, 2026

Kerala Domicile and Reservation

Kerala domicile candidates get reservation benefits and access to a larger share of seats in government and government-aided colleges. The categories covered include SC, ST, OBC (SEBC), EWS, persons with disabilities, and NRI/PIO under specific quotas. Non-Kerala candidates without domicile can only apply for the All India category or management quota seats.

You must produce a valid nativity certificate during document verification to claim Kerala state reservation benefits. Without it, you will be treated as a non-Kerala candidate for seat allocation — which can significantly affect your college options.

KEAM 2026 Application Process

The KEAM 2026 application was fully online at cee.kerala.gov.in. The registration window ran from January 5 to February 6, 2026. A total of 1,48,146 candidates completed registration — 1,08,409 for Engineering and 39,737 for Pharmacy. This is an increase from 1,43,866 total registrations in 2025, with Pharmacy seeing the bigger jump (+18%).

Steps in the KEAM 2026 Application Process

• Step 1 — Registration: Create an account on the CEE candidate portal using a valid mobile number and email ID. You receive an application number and password for all future steps.
• Step 2 — Fill the Application Form: Enter personal details (name, date of birth, address), academic details (Class 10 and 12 marks, board name), and course preference (Engineering or Pharmacy).
• Step 3 — Upload Documents: Upload a recent passport-size photograph, your signature, and scanned copies of required certificates as specified in the official notification.
• Step 4 — Pay the Application Fee: Pay the fee online through net banking, debit card, or credit card. The fee is non-refundable.
• Step 5 — Submit and Save Confirmation: Submit your application and download the confirmation page — you will need your application number for admit card, result, rank list, and CAP registration.

KEAM 2026 Application Fee

The KEAM 2026 application window has closed. This information serves as a reference for candidates planning for KEAM 2027.

KEAM 2026 Syllabus

The KEAM 2026 syllabus covers Class 11 and Class 12 topics in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. It follows the Kerala Higher Secondary Education Board curriculum, which closely aligns with NCERT guidelines. NCERT textbooks for Classes 11 and 12 are the primary reference material — the KEAM syllabus does not include topics outside this scope.

Mathematics — 75 Questions, 50% Weightage

Mathematics carries the highest weight in KEAM. Calculus, Algebra, and Coordinate Geometry are the most heavily tested areas. Candidates who want a top rank must be strong in Maths.

• Algebra: Quadratic equations, Complex numbers, Matrices and Determinants, Permutations and Combinations, Binomial theorem, Sequences and Series
• Trigonometry: Trigonometric functions and identities, Inverse trigonometric functions, Solution of triangles
• Coordinate Geometry: Straight lines, Circles, Parabola, Ellipse, Hyperbola
• Calculus: Limits and continuity, Derivatives and applications, Definite and indefinite integrals, Differential equations
• Vectors and 3D Geometry: Dot product, Cross product, Lines and planes in three dimensions
• Statistics and Probability: Measures of central tendency and dispersion, Classical probability, Bayes’ theorem, Binomial distribution

Physics — 45 Questions, 30% Weightage

Physics covers 19 units from Classes 11 and 12. Electrostatics, Optics, and Modern Physics typically have the most questions. Clear your concepts from NCERT before attempting numerical problems.

• Mechanics: Units and Measurement, Laws of Motion, Work, Energy and Power, Rotational Motion, Gravitation
• Thermal Physics: Thermodynamics, Kinetic Theory of Gases, Thermal properties of matter
• Waves and Oscillations: Simple Harmonic Motion, Wave properties, Sound and Doppler effect
• Electrostatics and Current Electricity: Coulomb’s law, Electric potential and capacitance, Ohm’s law, Kirchhoff’s rules, Wheatstone bridge
• Magnetism: Magnetic effects of current, Electromagnetic Induction, AC circuits
• Optics: Ray optics, Wave optics, Interference, Diffraction, Polarization
• Modern Physics: Dual nature of radiation and matter, Atomic models, Nuclear physics, Semiconductor devices

Chemistry — 30 Questions, 20% Weightage

Chemistry has the lowest question count but is the most scoring if you are thorough with NCERT. Organic chemistry reactions and mechanisms, and chemical bonding, tend to appear most frequently.

• Physical Chemistry: Structure of Atom, Chemical Bonding, States of Matter, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium, Redox Reactions, Electrochemistry, Chemical Kinetics, Solutions and Colligative Properties
• Inorganic Chemistry: Periodic Table and Periodicity, s-block Elements, p-block Elements, d-block and f-block Elements, Coordination Compounds
• Organic Chemistry: Basic concepts, Hydrocarbons, Haloalkanes and Haloarenes, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers, Aldehydes, Ketones and Carboxylic Acids, Amines, Biomolecules, Polymers, Chemistry in Everyday Life

Candidates preparing for JEE Main will find the KEAM syllabus almost entirely overlapping. The key difference is that KEAM gives Mathematics 50% weight — so proportionally more preparation time should go to Maths than in JEE Main preparation.

Top Colleges Accepting KEAM 2026 Score

More than 200 engineering colleges in Kerala accept KEAM 2026 scores for B.Tech admissions through the CAP process. These range from premium government colleges to government-aided and private self-financing institutions. Here are the most sought-after colleges based on past cutoffs and placement records.

NIT Calicut accepts KEAM ranks for Kerala Home State Quota B.Tech seats. For other NIT seats (All India quota), candidates must also qualify JEE Main. Always check the official CAP seat matrix on cee.kerala.gov.in for the updated list of participating colleges and current seat counts before filling your options.

KEAM 2026 Preparation Tips

The KEAM 2026 exam is over and the rank list is out. These tips are for students planning to appear in KEAM 2027, or for those who want to stay prepared for supplementary exams and future academic work while waiting for the CAP counselling to begin.

Subject-Wise Strategy

• Mathematics (50% of entrance score, highest impact on rank): Calculus and Coordinate Geometry are the highest-scoring areas. Aim to solve at least 30–40 KEAM-level Maths problems daily. Past KEAM papers are the best resource — topic distribution remains consistent year to year.
• Physics (30% of entrance score): Electrostatics, Optics, and Modern Physics tend to have the most questions. Clear NCERT concepts first, then move to numericals. In CBT mode, you need quick recall — timed practice is essential.
• Chemistry (20% of entrance score, easiest to maximize): NCERT is sufficient for most questions. Organic chemistry named reactions and Inorganic chemistry periodic trends are regularly tested. Spending 2–3 focused hours on Chemistry daily is enough; put the saved time into Maths.

General Tips

• Solve the last 10 years of KEAM question papers — question style and topic weightage are predictable and repeat across years.
• KEAM has −1 negative marking. Never guess on questions where you have no idea — skip them to protect your score.
• Your Plus Two board marks carry 50% weight in the rank. Doing well in board exams is just as important as the entrance test — do not sacrifice board preparation for entrance coaching.
• With the switch to CBT mode from 2026, practice online mock tests. Reading questions on a screen, managing on-screen navigation, and time management in CBT are different from pen-and-paper and need separate practice.
• Take full-length timed mock tests at least once a week. After each mock, track which topics you got wrong — revisit those chapters every 10 days.

Recommended Books for KEAM