KEAM 2025 Eligibility Criteria (Released): Qualification, Age, Reservation and Domicile

KEAM 2025 Detailed Eligibility Criteria

KEAM is a single-tier entrance exam conducted in Kerala for admission to Architecture, Engineering, and Medical courses. The candidates can also seek admission to allied courses like B.Sc. (Hons.), Veterinary and Fishery. Candidates must fill KEAM Application form or required entrance form according to the course they choose to apply for. 

Applicants should have completed 17 years of age as on December 31, 2025. There is no relaxation for minimum age and there is no upper limit for the exam.

Qualification for Medical/Allied Courses

The academic qualification needed for engineering and medical/allied courses are different. The minimum academic qualification required for admission to any course is passing class XII or higher secondary examination with science subjects. Candidates appearing for the exam can also apply for KEAM 2025. The academic qualifications needed for several medical/allied courses will be different. 

MBBS, BDS, BSMS

• Candidates have to pass higher secondary examination of “Board of Higher secondary education, Kerala” with 50% marks in Biology/Biotechnology, Physics and Chemistry put together.
• Candidates need to secure 50% marks in Biology separately.
• In the absence of Biology, Biotechnology will be considered as a relevant subject
• Only NEET qualifiers for the same academic sessions are eligible to apply for the exam. 

BAMS/ BHMS

• Candidates have to pass higher secondary examination of “Board of Higher secondary education, Kerala” with 50% marks in Biology/Biotechnology, Physics and Chemistry put together.
• Candidates need to secure 50% marks in Biology separately.
• In the absence of Biology, Biotechnology will not be considered as a subject.
• Only NEET qualifiers for the same academic sessions are eligible to apply for the exam.

BUMS

• Candidates who are seeking admissions in main Kamil-E-Tib-O-Jarahat (Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery- BUMS) have to pass higher secondary examination of “Board of Higher secondary education, Kerala” with 50% marks in Biology/Biotechnology, Physics and Chemistry put together.
• Also, candidates need to secure 50% marks in Biology separately.
• Candidates should have to pass 10th standard with Urdu or Arabic or Persian language as a subject or should have cleared Urdu entrance examination conducted by Kerala Government.
• Only NEET qualifiers for the same academic sessions are eligible to apply for the exam.

B.Sc. (Hons.)Agri., B.Sc. (Hons.)Forestry, BF Sc. courses

• Candidates have to pass higher secondary examination of “Board of Higher secondary education, Kerala” with 50% marks in Biology/Biotechnology, Physics and Chemistry put together.
• Also, candidates need to secure 50% marks in Biology separately.
• In the absence of Biology, Biotechnology will not be considered as a subject

BVSc. & AH course

• Candidates have to pass higher secondary examination of Board of Higher secondary education, Kerala with 50% marks in Biology, Physics, Chemistry and English put together

B.Sc. Degree Holders

• Candidates have to pass B.Sc. degree (Three-year course) with Physics/ Chemistry/Zoology/Botany or Biotechnology as main, and 2 of the above-given subjects as subsidiaries.
• Candidates need to secure a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in main and subsidiaries together.
• Also, they have to qualify the higher secondary education with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as main subjects.

Qualification for Engineering courses

Candidates who want to get into Engineering courses have to fulfill the criteria given below.

• Candidates have to pass higher secondary examination of Board of Higher secondary education, Kerala with 50% marks in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry put together.
• Also, candidates need to secure 50% marks in Mathematics separately.
• Candidates who have passed the higher secondary examination from the Board of Higher secondary education, Kerala with 45% marks in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry put together are eligible for admissions under management quota.
• In case a candidate has not studied Chemistry, then the marks obtained by the candidate in Computer Science will be considered.
• In case a candidate has not studied Chemistry and Computer Science, then the marks obtained by the candidate in Biotechnology will be considered.
• In case a candidate has not studied Chemistry, Computer Science and Biotechnology, then the marks obtained by the candidate in Biology will be considered.

Qualification for Architectural courses

Candidates who want to get into Architectural courses have to fulfill the criteria given below.

• Candidates have to qualify for the higher secondary examination or any other equivalent examination.
• Also, those candidates who have qualified a 10+3 diploma in any stream with Mathematics as one of the subjects can also apply for KEAM 2025.
• Along with the above-given eligibility criteria, candidates need to qualify NATA 2025 examination with minimum eligibility marks so as to be considered for Architectural courses.

Qualification for Pharmacy Courses

The admissions to Pharmacy Courses are done based on the mark obtained by the candidate in the Physics & Chemistry Paper and the rank list prepared based on that. All candidates who want to join Pharmacy courses based on their rank in KEAM entrance examination have to fulfil the following criteria.

• Candidates should be Indian citizens.
• Candidates have to pass the higher secondary examination with 50% marks in Biology/ Mathematics separately and Biology/ Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry put together.

Relaxation in marks

• Candidates belonging to socially and economically backward classes have a relaxation of 5% marks in the qualifying examination.
• They only need 45% marks in Mathematics/ Biology and 45% marks in Mathematics/ Biology, Physics and Chemistry put together.

KEAM Eligibility on the Basis of Nativity

All the candidates who want to appear for KEAM 2025 should be of Indian nationality. Person of Indian Origin (PIO)/ Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) can also be treated as Indian Citizens. But they can’t be considered for reservations. Candidates who want to take admissions to professional courses will be categorized as Keralite, Non- Keralite Category I (NK I) and Non- Keralite Category II (NK II).

Keralite

• Those candidates who are of a Kerala Origin are considered to be a Keralite.
• Also, the children of all Indian Service (AIS) Officers (Non- Keralite) allotted to the Kerala Cadre are also considered as Kerala Origin. But they won’t be eligible for any kind of reservation.
• In order to show that the candidates are of Kerala Origin, they have to produce a certificate showing their father or mother was born in Kerala.

Eligibility for Non-Keralite I

The candidate who is not of Kerala origin but fulfils the following criteria will be categorized into Non-Keralite category I (NK I ).

• Those candidates who have undergone qualifying course in Kerala and who is a son/daughter of a Non-Keralite person belonging to some government sector or in Defence sector posted in Kerala.
• Those candidates who have undergone qualifying course in Kerala and who is a son/daughter of a Non-Keralite person is serving or served the government of Kerala for a minimum period of 2 years.
• A candidate who is not of Kerala origin but is a resident of the state of Kerala for a duration of 5 years within the period of 12 years of study.
• A candidate who is not of Kerala origin but has undergone his/her studies in Kerala from Standard 8th to 12th.

NOTE: Non-Keralite Category I candidates will not be considered for any kind of reservation or any kind of fees concession.

Eligibility for Non-Keralite II

• Those candidates who didn’t come under the category of Keralite or in Non-Keralite category- I can be considered as Non-Keralite category-II. Such candidates are eligible for taking admission in government or self-financing Engineering colleges in Kerala. They can either take a government seat or management seat for admission.
• But Non-Keralite category-II will only be considered in government seats in government-controlled self-financing colleges only when the candidates of Keralite category and the candidates of Non- Keralite category I are not available for admission.
• “Non- Keralite category II” is not eligible for special or communal reservations and also fee concessions.