KCET important dates
Last checked against the official KEA site: September 2026
KCET 2026 centralized admissions have officially concluded across Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3. The table below is the actual, verified timeline KEA followed this year. The 2027 notification is expected in January 2027.
2027 KCET dates have not yet been announced by KEA as of our latest check (September 2026). Use the 2026 dates below as the authoritative reference for the general shape of the annual cycle, and test your targets in our KCET 2027 Target Score Planner.
KCET 2026: the actual cycle, stage by stage
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Official notification released | January 17, 2026 |
| Registration opens | January 16, 2026 |
| Registration closes | February 27–28, 2026 |
| Application fee payment deadline (extended) | March 7, 2026 |
| Admit card released | April 11, 2026 |
| Kannada language test (Horanadu/Gadinadu candidates) | April 22, 2026 |
| Exam day 1: Physics & Chemistry | April 23, 2026 |
| Exam day 2: Mathematics & Biology | April 24, 2026 |
| Provisional answer key released | April 27, 2026 |
| Objection window closes | April 30, 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Result / rank list declared | June 6, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 1 option entry closes | June 30, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 1 mock allotment | July 6, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 1 option modification window | July 6–9, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 1 final seat allotment | July 15, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 2 option entry & modification | July 28 – August 18, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 2 final seat allotment | August 25, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 2 college reporting deadline | August 28, 2026 (5:30 PM) |
| Counselling: Round 3 (Final Phase) seat allotment | September 7, 2026 |
| Counselling: Round 3 college reporting deadline | September 11, 2026 |
| First-year B.E. / B.Tech academic session starts | September 15–18, 2026 (VTU & Autonomous) |
Roughly 3.09 lakh candidates appeared for the 2026 exam across 745 centres statewide; 2,92,782 of them received a valid rank, competing for more than 86,000 KCET-quota seats across streams. All three centralized counselling rounds for 2026 have officially concluded. Students aiming for the upcoming cycle can plan their target score and 48-chapter blueprint using the KCET 2027 Target Score Planner.
Typical yearly rhythm
Comparing the 2026 dates above against prior cycles, the shape has stayed fairly consistent. Expect 2027 to follow roughly this rhythm, even though the exact dates aren't set yet:
- Notification and registration open: mid-to-late January
- Application window closes: late February, sometimes extended into early March
- Admit card released: early-to-mid April, about two weeks before the exam
- Exam conducted: mid-to-late April, over two days
- Provisional answer key: within about a week of the exam
- Result and rank list: early June
- Counselling (multiple rounds): late June through August, sometimes into September if extended or special rounds are needed