KCET Exam 2026: Answer Key (OUT), Result, Download Link

KCET Exam 2026: The Karnataka Examination Authority released the KCET exam 2026 provisional key on April 27, 2026, on its official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. Students who appeared for the exam can login using their registartion number and download the answer key. The objection window is also open from April 27, 2026 to April 30, 2026. Candidates can raise objections against the answer key within the stipulated time by paying the application fee. Earlier, the Karnataka Examination Authority conducted the KCET 2026 exams from April 22 to April 24, 2026.

KCET exam 2026 admit card was released on April 10, 2026, on its official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. Candidates appearing for the exam were able to visit the official site to download their admit cards using their application number and password. Earlier, the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) extended its last date to register for the KCET 2026 exam to February 21, 2026. Interested candidates had until 11:59 PM on February 27, 2026, to complete the registration. The registration window, which started on January 17, 2026, was extended to February 22, 2026. The authority revised the deadlines, giving all interested candidates a final chance to register for the entrance exam. The last date to pay the registration fees was also extended to March 03, 2026 till 05:30 PM. 

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KCET 2026 notification will tentatively release in January 2026; Check here

Last Updated 7th October 2025

As per the official date extension announcemnet which was released on February 21, 2026, around 3,15,713 candidates had already registered for the exam. The exam will be held on April 23 and 24, 2026 as announced by the authority on its official X portal. However, the Kannada language test is scheduled for April 22, 2026. The KEA KCET Registration 2026 process is now closed for all the students.

The KCET Exam 2026 serves as a gateway for eligible candidates to get admission into various engineering, agriculture, and pharmacy courses offered by top universities and colleges in the state of Karnataka. Along with the application form, the KEA has also published the notification PDF on its official portal- cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. Through this information bulletin, aspirants will be able to check the important details regarding the KCET Exam 2026 such as eligibility criteria, important dates, exam pattern, syllabus, etc. 

KCET Exam 2026: Highlights

Candidates appearing for the KCET exam 2026 can go through the important exam highlights in the table below:

What is KCET Exam 2026? 

The Karnataka Common Entrance Test is a state-level entrance examination conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). Through the KCET exam, eligible candidates are given admission into various engineering, agriculture, and pharmacy courses/colleges in the state of Karnataka.

Candidates preparing for the KCET exam must carefully go through the exam pattern and the latest exam syllabus. They are advised to practise as many previous years’ KCET question papers as possible in order to prepare more effectively for the KCET exam.

KCET Exam 2026 Official Notice

Candidates can click on the direct link provided below to download the Karnataka CET 2026 official notice.

KCET Exam Date 2026

Candidates can check the detailed exam schedule (tentative) for KCET 2026 in the table mentioned below. 

Note - The Kannada Language Test for Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadiga candidates at Bengaluru, Belagavi, Bijapura and Mangalore Districts only will be conducted in April 22, 2026 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM with a total of 50 marks.

How to apply for KCET exam 2026?

Candidates who fulfil the KCET eligibility criteria can fill out the KCET application form through the official KEA website till February 22, 2026. The steps to fill out the KCET application form 2026 are as follows:

• Go to the official KEA website & click on the “UGCET - 2026 Online Application Link”
• Register yourself by entering your required personal details
• You will then receive an application number and user ID at your registered mobile number
• Next, log into the KEA website using your application number and user ID
• Enter the required details in the online KCET application form
• Preview your application form
• Pay the requisite fees via an appropriate payment gateway
• Submit your KCET application form and take its printout 

KCET Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates who wish to appear for the KCET exam must ensure that they fulfil the KCET 2026 Eligibility Criteria. In order to appear for the KCET exam, candidates must have passed the class 12th examination/ 2nd PUC (Pre-University Course) or equivalent examination. It must be noted that the academic eligibility criteria for admission into various professional courses like engineering, pharmacy, etc. will be different. 

As per the KCET age limit criteria, the candidate must have acquired the age of 17 years in order to appear for the exam. However, there is no upper age limit for appearing in the KCET entrance examination. Candidates are advised to carefully read the KCET eligibility criteria for the particular course they seek admission. 

KCET Admit Card 2026

After successful completion of the KCET 2026 registration process, candidates will receive their KCET admit card. The admit cards will be made available on the official KEA website. The steps to download the KCET admit card are as follows:

• Go to the official KEA website 
• Then, click on the “UG CET 2026 Download Admission Ticket” link
• You will then have to enter your registration number and date of birth in the given fields
• Click on the “Submit” button
• Your KCET admit card 2026 will appear on the screen

KCET Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates must familiarise themselves with the latest KCET exam pattern and marking scheme. This will help the candidates to efficiently prepare for the KCET entrance exam. Students will be awarded with 1 mark for every correct answer and there will be no negative marking for wrong answers.

Karnataka CET Syllabus 2026

Along with the latest exam pattern, candidates must also carefully go through the KCET Syllabus 2026. Candidates must note that the questions that will be asked in the KCET exam will be based on the 1st & 2nd PUC syllabi prescribed by the Department of Pre-University Education of Karnataka. Candidates are advised to prepare for the KCET exam in a structured manner. This will help them to improve their performance in the entrance examination.

KCET 2026 Question Papers

Candidates are advised to solve the previous years’ KCET 2026 Question Papers while preparing for the exam. By solving past year papers, candidates can identify the topics and questions that are important and recurring. With the help of such insights, candidates can focus on preparing important topics and avoid wasting their time.

KCET Answer Key 2026

KEA released the provisional KCET answer key of KCET exam 2026 on April 27, 2026, on its official website. Candidates can use the provisional answer key for KCET marks calculation. They can also raise objections against the provisional KCET answer key (if any). The subject expert committee will then review the objections sent in by the candidates and then release the final KCET answer key. It must be noted that no challenges will be accepted against the final answer key. The KCET results will be prepared on the basis of the final KCET answer key.

KEA KCET Result 2026

The KCET result 2026 will be released in the form of the scores obtained by the candidates in the KCET examination. Candidates can check their KCET result with the help of the following steps:

Step 1: Visit the official KEA website and click on the “KCET Result 2026” link

Step 2: Then, enter your KCET registration number and the first four characters of your name in the given fields

Step 3: Next, click on the “Submit” tab

Step 4: The KCET 2026 result will appear on the screen

KCET Counselling 2026

After the declaration of the KCET results, KEA will release separate KCET merit lists/rank lists for admission into various professional courses. Candidates whose names will be included in the KCET rank list will be eligible to participate in the KCET Counselling 2026 process. Through the counselling process, eligible candidates will be given admission into the various professional institutes in the state of Karnataka.

KCET Cut Off 2026

The KCET cutoff will be released after the completion of each round of the KCET counselling process. Candidates who score marks equal to or more than the KCET Cut Off 2026 will be eligible for admission into the various professional colleges in Karnataka. A separate KCET cut-off will be released for different streams like engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, architecture etc.