KCET 2026 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The eligibility criteria of KCET 2026 specify conditions of nationality, academic qualification marks obtained in the Qualifying Exam (QE) as well as a domicile. As per KCET eligibility criteria, candidates must be citizens of India. Candidates who have passed or are appearing for class 12 or any other equivalent examination from an institution recognized by the state government can apply for the entrance test. For complete details on KCET eligibility criteria, 2026 and other relevant information read the article given below on this page.

Detailed Eligibility Criteria

KCET 2026 Eligibility Criteria related to Educational Qualification

• Candidates should have cleared/passed their Class 12 exam or equivalent with Mathematics and Physics as compulsory subjects.
• They must have studied English as one of the languages.
• Candidates should have scored at least 45 percent aggregate marks in the qualifying examination.
• Candidates belonging to Schedule Caste (SC)/Schedule Tribe (ST)/Schedule Caste category Category-I and OBC (2A, 2B, 3A and 3B) category should have secured at least 40 percent aggregate marks to be eligible to take up KCET 2026.
• If a candidate scores fewer marks in Chemistry than the required aggregate, then, in that case, marks scored by the candidate in Biology, Biotechnology, and Computer Science will be taken into consideration.
• Candidates waiting for their results of the qualifying exam are also eligible to take KCET 2026.

Candidates who wish to apply for admission to the architecture course must appear in the JEE paper 2 exams or National Aptitude Test in Architecture which will be conducted by the Council of Architecture

Nationality: Only Indian nationals can appear in KCET 2026.

Domicile: Candidates need to satisfy any of the following clauses of KCET 2026 eligibility criteria defined by KEA for admission to government seats in various institutes through KCET 2026. Each important condition is specified as a clause which is then individually referred to by a code.

Clause (a): Candidates need to have studied in one or more institutions recognized by the government of Karnataka for at least seven years from class 1- 12 as on July 2026.

Clause (b): Candidates must have passed the class 12 examination or equivalent examination from a state government recognized institution. At least one of the candidate’s parents must have studied in an institution of Karnataka for a minimum of seven years.

Clause (c): The mother tongue of the candidate and either of the parents must be Kannada, Kodava or Tulu. Either of the candidate’s parents must be a resident of Karnataka. Candidates having passed the QE and residing outside Karnataka as on May 2024, have to undergo a Kannada Language test.

Clause (d): Candidates having mother tongue as Kannada, Tulu or Kodava should have resided and studied for a period of seven years between class 1- 12 in the disputed Kannada speaking area of South Sholapur/Akkalkot/Jath/GadhinglajTaluks of Maharashtra or Kasargod/HosadurgTaluks of Kerala. These candidates have to undergo the Kannada language test.

Clause (e): Ward of defense personnel having worked continuously for a minimum of one year in Karnataka during the 2 years of H.S. are eligible for KCET 2026. The QE must have been passed from any educational institute recognized by the government of Karnataka.

Clause (f): Ward of defense personnel from Karnataka having declared the hometown to be a place in Karnataka at the time of joining must have passed the QE from a board or university located in India.

Clause (g): This clause refers to a ward of defense personnel having served in Karnataka for at least one year and is posted on duty in the field and whose family is permitted to continue staying in Karnataka by defense authorities. Such students must have appeared and passed the QE from any government or government-aided institution in Karnataka.

Clause (h): Wards of ex-servicemen who declared Karnataka to be their hometown at the time of joining should have passed the QE from an institute located in India.

Clause (i): Ward of an employee of the union government or an employee of the Union or Karnataka State Government Undertaking or Joint Sector Undertaking, liable to be transferred anywhere in India must have passed QE from any government or government recognized institution of Karnataka. The employee must have worked in Karnataka for at least one year during the candidate’s 2-year H.S. course.

Clause (j): Ward of working or retired employee of the union government or employee of Union or Karnataka State Government Undertaking or Joint Sector Undertaking must have passed class 12 from an institute located in India. Such employee must have declared their hometown to be a place in Karnataka at the time of joining. The employee should have studied in any government or government-recognised educational institution in Karnataka for at least seven years, and was or is liable to be transferred anywhere in India as per the terms and conditions of employment.

Clause (k): Wards of members of Parliament elected from Karnataka must have passed H.S from an institution located in India.

Clause (l): This clause refers to the wards of serving or retired employees belonging to All India Service of Karnataka cadre and of the Karnataka State government having served/served outside Karnataka state. The period of service must correspond to the candidate’s study outside the state from class 1 – 12.

Clause (m): Wards of J&K migrants must provide proof of migration obtained from the jurisdictional ‘District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner’ of any Indian State.

Clause (n): Candidates having studied classes 1- 10 in Kannada medium outside Karnataka must have passed QE from any government or government-aided institution.

Clause (o): Wards of working or retired employees in the Central Armed Police Force service having declared their hometown as a place in Karnataka at the time of joining have to produce proof of domicile from the official record of the CAPF unit. Such candidates must have passed H.S from an institute located in India.

KCET 2026 Eligibility Criteria FAQs

Q1. What is the minimum educational qualification required for KCET 2026?

Ans. Candidates must have passed the 2nd PUC (12th standard) exam or equivalent with at least 45% marks in Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry/Biology/Biotechnology/Electronics/Computer Science. For reserved categories, the minimum is 40%.

Q2. Is there an age limit to apply for KCET 2026?

Ans. There is typically a minimum age requirement of 17 years as of December 31, 2026. No upper age limit is generally prescribed.

Q3. Are candidates from outside Karnataka eligible to apply?

Ans. KCET is primarily for candidates domiciled in Karnataka who have studied in recognized Karnataka institutions for at least seven years, typically from 1st to 12th standard.

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