KCET, short for Karnataka Common Entrance Test, is one of the main entrance exams for students looking at undergraduate courses in Karnataka. The exam is conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). For engineering aspirants, KCET is mainly used for admission to B.E. and B.Tech courses through the Karnataka admission and counselling process. The exam is also connected with admission to several other professional courses, so students may see different subject combinations depending on the course they are applying for.
For B.E. and B.Tech admission, students appear for Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Each subject has 60 questions, giving a total of 180 questions for the engineering combination. The 2026 examination was conducted in offline OMR mode. Each subject was given 80 minutes, and there was no negative marking for wrong answers. This means a student can attempt a question without losing a mark if the answer turns out to be incorrect.
KCET is not limited to engineering. Depending on the course, candidates may have to appear for PCM, PCB or PCMB. For example, engineering and technology courses require PCM, while several farm science courses use PCMB. B.Pharm and Pharma-D candidates can appear with PCM or PCB. Some courses do not require a separate KCET entrance test and are handled through the KEA admission process using qualifying-exam marks.
After the examination, KEA prepares the merit/rank list and conducts the counselling and seat-allotment process. Students who become eligible for counselling can enter their preferred colleges and courses online. Seat allotment then depends on factors such as merit, eligibility, category, available seats and the choices entered by the candidate. So, preparing for KCET is only one part of the admission journey; keeping your preferred branches and colleges in mind before counselling can also make the process easier.