KCET Exam Full Details Application Process Eligibility Syllabus and Engineering Courses, Colleges Explained

KCET Exam for Engineering and other courses

The application form opens in Mid January and continues till Mid of February every year. The exam conduct on last week of April.

The Karnataka CET exam conducts every year for admission to various courses in the state. The courses include

Naturopathy (BNYS), B.Sc. (Nursing),

Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.),

Farm Science courses i.e.,

i.e., B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture, B.Sc. (Hons) Sericulture,

B.Sc. (Hons) Horticulture,

B.Sc (Hons) Forestry,

B.Tech (BioB.Sc.(Hons) Community Science, B.Tech (Agricultural Engineering), B.Tech (Food Technology),

B.Tech (D. Tech),

B.F.Sc (Fisheries),

B.Sc. (Hons) Agri. Business Management]

B. PharmaPharma-D and

2nd year B-Pharma (Lateral Entry) .

KCET Exams

Common exam is conducted in the last week of April every year in two days and Kannada language test is held one day before the KCET exam.

Medical Course admission offered through NEET UG these are MEDICAL, DENTAL, AYUSH COURSES through NEET UG and there is no separate test for. Candidates will register here for counselling.

Kannada Reservation system

Karnataka offers admission to outside Karnataka students but they should keep in mind that thre is no reservation for non‑Karnataka candidates
Non‑Karnataka candidates cannot claim SC/ST/OBC/2A/2B/3A/3B etc. reservation in Karnataka professional‑course counselling; they are treated only under the General (UR) pool.

Basic NEET‑2026 score requirement

To be eligible for online registration with KEA (for UG‑NEET‑2026‑based courses like MBBS, BDS, Ayush, etc.), a non‑Karnataka candidate must:

Score at least the minimum 50th percentile (or the minimum percentile fixed for General/UR category as per NEET‑UG qualifying criteria).

Reservation criteria apply only to Karnataka SC/ST/OBC

The SC/ST/OBC‑related eligibility conditions (such as domicile, income limits, caste‑certificate rules, etc.) are meant solely for Karnataka‑domicile candidates who are seeking government or reserved‑quota seats in the state.

Practical implications for non‑Karnataka students

• They can compete for Open (OPN) / General seats in private and deemed colleges in Karnataka, strictly on merit (NEET score/rank), without any category reservation benefit.
• They cannot use their home‑state SC/ST/OBC category for reservation in KEA counselling; that category can still use in their home‑state counselling or in MCC AIQ.

We will be discussing the Engineering courses here

First thing is to fill the application form for appearing in the KCET exam which is an entry point for various courses in the state. The some candidates need to print their application form and deposit it at the exam centre. But there is a clause for some.

We have given here various condition about the application form print out?

For whom will the application not print?

Candidate, who claims eligibility clause-a, and claimed reservation for having studied (a) 10 full academic years in Kannada medium from 1st standard to 10th standard; (b) 10 full academic years in rural areas from 1st standard to 10th standard; (c) 10 years from 1st standard to 12th standard for Tulu, Tamil, Telugu, Kodava Linguistic Minority reservation; or (d) Religious Minority (Muslim / Christian) reservation;

Now check out the Eligibility criteria for KCET

Eligibility for BTech/BE courses

Qualifying exam

Candidate must have passed 2nd PUC / Class 12 / equivalent with English as one of the languages.

Compulsory subjects

Must have studied Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects, along with one of:
Chemistry / Bio‑Technology / Biology / Electronics / Computer Science (or equivalent “Computer” subject).

Minimum marks

1. GENERAL / UR candidates:
   At least 45% in aggregate in Physics + Mathematics + one of the optional subjects (Chemistry/Bio‑Tech/Bio/Electronics/Computer).
2. Reserved‑category candidates (SC, ST, Cat‑1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B – Karnataka):
   Minimum 40% in aggregate in the same three‑subject combination.

Engineering Courses

How many courses or branches of engineering are available in the state? We have prepared the list of engineering courses available here

KCET AI/ML and Data Science Courses

Check Karnataka CET AI/ML and Data Science Courses in table below:

Code	Course Name
AD	Artificial Intelligence And Data Science
AI	Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
AM	B TECH IN COMP SCI & ENGG (AI & ML)
BG	B TECH IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLI AND DATA
BH	B TECH IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ML
CB	Computer Science and Business Systems
CD	Computer Science and Design
DC	Data Sciences
DM	COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
DS	Computer Science Engineering-Data
RA	Robotics and Automation
RB	Robotics
RI	Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
RM	Computer Science – Robotic Engineering-AI

KCET Computer Science and IT Courses

Check the KCET Computer Science and IT Courses in table below:

Code	Course Name
BC	BTech Computer Technology
BD	Computer Science Engineering-Big Data
BS	Bachelor of Science (Honours)
CA	Computer Science Engineering-AI
CC	Computer and Communication Engineering
CG	Computer Science and Technology
CI	Computer Science and Information
ZC	COMPUTER SCIENCE
BN	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECH(BIG
BQ	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND
BU	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFO
BV	B TECH IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING
BW	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGG(CYBER
BX	B TECH IN COMP SCIENCE AND ENGG(CYBER
BY	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND
CS	Computers Science And Engineering
CY	Computer Science Engineering-Cyber
CZ	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND
DA	B TECH IN MATHAMATICS AND COMPUTING
DL	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
LD	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (DATA
LE	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (AIML)
LF	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (CLOUD
LG	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (CYBER
LH	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (INFORMATION
LK	B TECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (INTERNET OF
OP	Computer Science Engineering-Dev Ops

KCET Electronics and Communication Courses

Check the Karnataka CET electronics and communication courses in table below:

Code	Course Name
BE	Bio-Electronics Engineering
BM	Bio Medical Engineering
BR	BioMedical and Robotic Engineering
CL	B TECH IN ELECTRONICS & COMPUTER
CN	B TECH IN COMP SCI AND ENGG(IOT AND
BB	B TECH IN ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION
EB	ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION (ADV
EC	Electronics and Communication Engineering
EE	Electrical And Electronics Engineering
EI	Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering
EL	Electronics and Instrumentation Tech.
EP	BTech Technology and Entrepreneurship
ES	Electronics and Computer Engineering
ET	Electronics and Telecommunication
EV	Electronics Engineering(VLSI Design)
IB	Computer Science Engg-IoT including Block
IC	CS-Internet of things
IE	Information Science and Engineering
IG	Information Technology
II	Elec. and Communication- Industrial
IM	Industrial Engineering and Management

KCET Mechanical and Manufacturing Courses

Check the Karnataka CET Mechanical and Manufacturing Courses in table below:

Code	Course Name
AT	Automotive Engineering
AU	Automobile Engineering
MR	Marine Engineering
MS	Manufacturing Science and Engineering
MT	Mechatronics
NT	Nano Technology
PM	Precision Manufacturing
PT	Polymer Science and Technology
TE	Tool Engineering
DB	B TECH IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
DD	B TECH IN MECHATRONICS ENGINEERING
DF	B TECH IN ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
DH	B Tech in ROBOTICS AND ARTIFICIAL
DI	B TECH IN ROBOTIC ENGINEERING
DJ	B TECH IN ROBOTICS
ME	Mechanical Engineering
MK	Mechanical Engineering (Kannada Medium)
MM	Mechanical and Smart Manufacturing

KCET Civil and Construction Courses

Check Karnataka CET Civil and Construction Courses in table below:

Code	Course Name
AR	Architecture
CE	Civil Engineering
CK	Civil Engineering (Kannada Medium)
CM	ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING(VLSI DESIGN &
CP	Civil Engineering and Planning
CT	Construction Technology and Management
CV	Civil Environmental Engineering
UP	Planning
UR	Planning

KCET Chemical and Bio Courses

Check Karnataka CET Chemical and Bio Courses in table below:

Code	Course Name
BT	Bio Technology
CH	Chemical Engineering
CR	Ceramics and Cement Technology
PE	Petrochem Engineering
PL	Petroleum Engineering
CY	Computer Science Engineering-Cyber (wait, duplicate?)
BO	B TECH IN BIO-TECHNOLOGY

Other Specialized Courses

Code	Course Name
AE	Aeronautical Engineering
BA	B.TTECH (Agricultural Engineering)
BF	B TECH (HONS) COMP SCI AND ENGG(DATA
BK	B TECH IN ENERGY ENGINEERING
BL	B TECH IN AERO SPACE ENGINEERING
EA	Agriculture Engineering
EG	Energy Engineering
EN	Environmental Engineering
ER	Electrical and Computer Engineering
SE	Aero Space Engineering
TC	Telecommunication Engineering
TX	Textile Technology
ST	Silk Technology
OT	Industrial IOT
IO	Computer Science Engineering-Internet of
IP	Industrial and Production Engineering
IS	Information Science and Technology
IT	Instrumentation Technology
IY	CS – Information Technology-Cyber Security
LA	B Plan
LC	Computer Science Engineering-Block Chain
LJ	BTECH IN COMPUTER SCIENCE &
MC	Mathematics and Computing
MD	Medical Electronics
MN	Mining Engineering

KCET Test schedule and subjects

The CET is held over two days, in four sessions (one session per subject).

Day 1:

• Session 1: Physics
• Session 2: Chemistry

Day 2:

• Session 3: Mathematics
• Session 4: Biology

Exact dates and timings are as notified in the official bulletin.

Marks and duration

• Each subject paper is for 60 marks and has a duration of 80 minutes.
• All question papers are Multiple‑Choice Questions (MCQs / objective type).

Question‑paper pattern

• Each paper has different versions; students may get the same version code or different codes across sessions.
• The version code is printed boldly on the first page of the question paper.
• Each question has four options and carries 1 mark.

Answering rules and marking scheme

• No choice of questions: candidates must attempt all questions to maximise their score.
• No negative marking: there is no penalty for wrong or incorrect answers.
• Multiple answers not allowed: if a candidate marks more than one option for the same question, no marks will be awarded for that question.

KCET Provisional Answer Key

• After the entrance test, KEA publishes a Provisional Answer Key on its official website:
  http://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/ (with the date and time notified in the bulletin).
• This key allows candidates, parents, and lecturers to check the proposed correct answers and estimate their scores.

Objection‑Raising Process

• Candidates / parents / lecturers can raise objections online against any question/answer in the provisional key.
• Objections must be submitted only through the KEA portal, along with:
  • Supporting documents (e.g., textbook references, images, explanations).
  • Justification for why the answer should be changed.

Expert Committee and Karnataka CET Final Answer Key

• All objections are referred to an Expert Committee whose decision is final.
• The final (approved) answer key prepared by this committee is then used for:
  • Evaluation of OMR sheets / responses.
  • Determination of the merit order (i.e., rank list).

Merit‑list preparation

• Once evaluation is done using the final answer key, KEA prepares and publishes the Merit Lists (category‑wise rank lists).
• These merit lists are used for counselling and seat allocation in government, government‑aided, and private institutions in Karnataka.

Reservation and Income benefit to the Karnataka Students For Karnataka CET

 Internal Reservation for Scheduled Castes

The Government of Karnataka has created internal reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates under:

• Category‑A
• Category‑B
• Category‑C
  (via order SKE 08 SLP 2024, Bangalore, dated 25‑08‑2025).

Karnataka SC candidates must:

• Obtain an SC certificate from the concerned Tahsildar in the prescribed format.
• The certificate must clearly indicate the internal reservation category (A/B/C).
• Mention the RD number of the certificate in the KEA / KCET application form.

Income Certificate and Supernumerary Quota (SNQ)

Who can claim SNQ?

All candidates (including General Merit / GM) are eligible for Supernumerary Quota (SNQ) seats if their annual family income is less than ₹8.00 lakh.

Key rules for Income Certificate

1. Certificate must have RD number – The Income Certificate must carry an RD number and be in the name of the candidate.
2. For SNQ (Engineering seats only) – Candidates who want to claim seats under Supernumerary Quota (SNQ) must obtain an Income Certificate from the Tahsildar.
3. Separate income certificates for SC/ST/Cat‑1 & GM – SC / ST / Cat‑1 and General Merit candidates must get separate Income Certificates (not a single joint family income certificate).
4. Income certificates for 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B – For 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B category candidates, both caste and income certificates will be considered for Supernumerary Quota seats.

What is NOT accepted as Income Certificate?

• EWS certificate will not be treated as an Income Certificate for SNQ.
• Arya Vyshya certificate (Form‑G) will not be treated as an Income Certificate.

The reservation of seats will also apply to the following categories of persons

• NCC
• Sports persons
• Rural Candidates
• Defence person son or daughter
• Kannada Medium candidates
• Reservation for WARD OF JAMMU & KASHMIRI MIGRANTS
• Reservation of seats for ARTICLE 371(J) KALYANA KARNATAKA(HYDERAB AD KARNATAKA)
• Reservation for Scouts and Guide
• Reservation for Anglo Indian
• CAPF

Karnataka State – College fee Exemption to these candidates

Income Slab	Type of College	Fee Exemption Detail
Annual income ≤ ₹2.50 lakh	Government / Aided / Unaided / Private / Deemed University colleges	100% fee exemption on tuition fees as per the Government Order.

G.O. No. ¸ÀPÀE 178 ¥ÀPÀ« 2015 – 30‑06‑2016 (Income ₹2.5 lakh – ₹10 lakh)

Income Slab	Type of College	Fee Exemption Detail
Annual income > ₹2.5 lakh and < ₹10.00 lakh	Government / Aided / Unaided / Private / Deemed University colleges	100% fee exemption on tuition fees as per the revised Government Order.

How to apply for KCET?

Candidates will be able to apply online for Karnataka CET when the application form releases https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/

Karnataka CET FAQs