KCET (Karnataka Common Entrance Test)

KCET 2026 was conducted on April 16–17, 2026 by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) for admission to engineering, pharmacy, B.Sc Nursing, and agriculture programmes at government and private colleges in Karnataka. Karnataka's engineering education cluster in Bengaluru is unique in India — even tier-2 Bengaluru engineering colleges have strong placement outcomes due to the city's IT ecosystem. RV College of Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, MSRIT Bengaluru, and Dayananda Sagar are accessible via KCET.

KCET is state-domicile restricted for government college seats. Private college seats have separate all-India quota, but KCET score is still used for private colleges participating in KEA counselling. COMEDK (separate exam) is the alternative for private Karnataka engineering colleges without domicile restriction.

• Class 12 with Physics and Chemistry plus Mathematics (engineering) or Biology (pharmacy/agriculture/nursing)
• Studied Class 11 and 12 in Karnataka OR holds Karnataka domicile certificate
• Minimum 45% in PCM aggregate for engineering (40% for SC/ST/OBC Karnataka categories)
• Minimum 45% in PCB for pharmacy and agriculture
• Karnataka Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadiga categories have different eligibility — check KEA guidelines

Mode

• Offline (pen-and-paper OMR sheet) — conducted at centres across Karnataka
• Multiple sessions over 2 days

Structure (Engineering)

• Mathematics: 60 questions | 60 marks | Day 1 | 80 minutes
• Physics: 60 questions | 60 marks | Day 2 Session 1 | 80 minutes
• Chemistry: 60 questions | 60 marks | Day 2 Session 2 | 80 minutes
• Biology paper available separately for pharmacy and agriculture streams

Marking Scheme

• Correct: +1 | No negative marking

Syllabus

• Karnataka PUC (Pre-University Course) 1st and 2nd PUC syllabus — not NCERT
• Students from CBSE/ICSE must also prepare specifically for Karnataka PUC topics

Top Colleges via KCET

• RV College of Engineering (Bengaluru): cutoff 98.5+ percentile
• BMS College of Engineering: 97+ percentile
• MSRIT Bengaluru: 95+ percentile
• Government engineering colleges (NIKSHE): accessible at lower percentiles