KCET or Karnataka Common Entrance Test is a state-level examination organized for the candidates who aspire to take admission in various UG & PG level courses offered at Karnataka-based private and government colleges. KCET 2020 is a gateway to various types of programmes in vivid streams like architecture, engineering, pharmacy, medical, etc. Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) acts as the regulatory body of KCET and all the related notifications will be published on its official website.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the KCET examination dates have been postponed to July 30, 2020 and July 31, 2020. Moreover, the Kannada Language Test will be conducted on August 1. The authority also extended the deadline of the application correction window to May 31, 2020. Other than this, the schedule of other KCET 2020 events will be notified by the authority soon.
Important Updates
1. Karnataka Exam Authority, the governing body of the KCET 2020, has reopened the application form correction facility for the KCET 2020 from 26th June to 29th June 29th June 2020 (till 6 pm). Also, Aspirants can make changes in their preference of exam centers, through online mode, till the 29th June 2020.
2. Karnataka Exam Authority, the governing body of the KCET 2020, has released the admit cards for the eligible candidates appearing for the KCET 2020. KEA released the admit cards or hall ticket for KCET 2020 on 17th July 2020.
3. Karnataka High Court has stated that the KCET 2020 will be held on 30th and 31st July 2020. Earlier, Some candidates filed a petition on the governing body of the exam, regarding the scheduling of the KCET 2020 amidst the Covid 19 Pandemic. However, the Karnataka High Court announced the decision in favour of the governing body of the exam. Karnataka High Court also ordered the governing body of the exam to provide the candidates with maximum safety measures in view of the Covid 19 Pandemic.
4. Karnataka Exam Authority, has released the official provisional answer key for the KCET 2020. It is crucial to know that candidates can only file objections on the provisional answer key till 8th August 2020 (5 PM).
Get a complete know-how of KCET 2020 including its admission process, application form submission procedure, eligibility requirements, admit card, exam pattern, syllabus, etc. in this article.
KCET – Key Points to Note
- Karnataka Common Entrance Test has been abbreviated as KCET.
- KCET 2020 is a state-level entrance exam, conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority, for admissions in various UG and PG level courses.
- This exam is conducted through offline mode i.e. pen paper-based mode.
- KEA has designated 53 KCET exam centres across the major cities of Karnataka.
- Kannada Language Test will be applicable to Horanadu & Gadinadu Kannadiga candidates only.
- Karnataka Examination Authority’s official website can be visited at kea.kar.nic.in and their helpline number is 080 – 23460460.
- KEA considers the NEET score of the candidates applying for MBBS, Ayush, BAMS, and other medical courses at KCET participating medical institutes.
- Candidates seeking admission in B.Arch at any of the KCET participating institutions need to submit their JEE Main (Paper 2) or NATA scores.
KCET – Important Dates
KEA has announced the dates of the KCET exam. The below-given table contains the declared and tentative dates of KCET 2020 events:
Event Calender of KCET 2020
| Events | Dates |
| Online Registration | February 1, 2020 |
| KCET Application Form Submission Deadline | March 2, 2020 |
| Last Date to Submit Application Fee | March 6, 2020 |
| Reopening of Application Form | May 8 to May 18, 2020 |
| Application Form Correction Window | May 20 to May 31, 2020 |
| KCET Admit Card Release Date | July 17 2020 |
| KCET Exam Dates | July 30 (Mathematics) & July 31 (Physics & Chemistry) |
| Kannada Language Test | August 1, 2020 |
| KCET Result Declaration | To be announced |
| KCET Counselling | To be announced |
KCET – Eligibility Criteria
KEA has prescribed the course-wise eligibility criteria for KCET 2020. Aspirants must ensure that they meet the below given eligibility requirements before applying for KCET:
Eligibility Criteria for Engineering Courses
- Aspirants must have cleared the class 12 exam (or an equivalent exam) from a recognized board
- The other mandatory requirement relates to the minimum marks in class 12. General category candidates must have attained minimum 45% marks while SC and ST applicants need to possess at least 40% score in 12th standard
- Applicants must have studied Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects at 10+2 level along with one other subject from Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Electronics, or Computer Science. Also, English at 10+2 level is a must as a language subject.
Eligibility Criteria for B.Pharma Courses
- Applicants must have passed class 12th (or an equivalent exam) with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/Biology as mandatory subjects and English as a language subject.
- The minimum aggregate marks in 12th standard should be 50% for General category candidates and 40% for SC and ST candidates.
KCET – Application Form
KCET 2020 application form was available on the web portal of KEA. Only the eligible aspirants can fill the application before the specified deadline. The correction window for application was also available till May 31, 2020. Submitting the KCET application form involves the steps like registration, documents uploading, application fee payment, etc. Let’s have a look:
- The online registration is mandatory for the aspirants who are eligible to apply for KCET. For this, they need to go to the official web portal of KEA
- Enter your basic details like name, date of birth, email ID, mobile number for KCET registration. The system will generate application number and password as login credentials
- Enter your login credentials to access the KCET application form
- Fill mandatory details like your name, address, contact number, academic qualification, communication details, etc. in the specified fields
- Uploading scanned images of your signature, passport size photograph and left hand thumb impression is another requirement. The file sizes should be between 5KB to 40 KB and the dimension must be 3.5 cm X 4.5 cm
- After filling the necessary information, submit your application form online and take the print out of the same for further use
KCET Application Fee Details
KCET application fee depends upon the domicile and category of the candidates, as shown in the below given table:
KCET Application Fee
| Category | Amount (In Rupees) |
| General, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B candidates from Karnataka | 500 |
| SC/ST, CAT-1 candidates from Karnataka | 250 |
| Female Applicants candidates from Karnataka | 250 |
| Non-Karnataka domiciles | 750 |
| Overseas candidates | 5000 |
KCET – Admit Card
KEA recently made the KCET 2020 admit card available on its official portal. The admit cards for KCET 2020 were released on 17th July 2020. Candidates can download the hall ticket of KCET only after completing the application and registration process successfully. To download the KCET admit card 2020, the candidates need to enter their login details (application number and password) on the portal of KEA and click on the given link for admit card.
The admit card contains the candidates’ name, date of birth, roll number, exam centre address, exam date and time and some important guidelines. Carrying admit card or hall ticket along with one valid photo ID proof to the exam centre is mandatory and those who violate this rule will not be allowed to sit for the KCET exam.
KCET – Test Centres
KCET 2020 exam will take place in 53 cities across Karnataka state. Candidates can enlist up to three preferences of exam centres during KCET registration. Find below the list of KCET test cities:
| Bagalkot | Jamakhandi | Bangalore | Doddaballapur |
| Belgaum | Athanni | Chikodi | Gokak |
| Bellary | Hospet | Bidar | Basavakalyan |
| Bhalki | Bijapur | Chamarajnagar | Kollegal |
| Chikkaballapur | Chikmagalur | Chitradurga | Davangere |
| Dharwad | Hubli | Gadag | Gulbarga |
| Hassan | Haveridte | Karwar | Dandeli |
| Kumta | Sirsi | Kolar | K G F |
| Koppal | Madikeri | Mandya | Krishnarajpet |
| Mangalore | Moodabidri | Puttur | Ujire |
| Mysore | Raichur | Ramanagara | Channapatna |
| Shimoga | Bhadravathi | Sagar | Tumkur |
| Tiptur | Udipi 1 | Karkala | Kundapura |
| Yadgir |
KCET – Exam Pattern
Before starting their preparation for the entrance test, applicants must know about the KCET 2020 exam pattern which defines the mode of exam, medium of exam, type and number of questions, test duration, marking scheme, etc.
- The mode of exam is offline or pen and paper based
- There will be a total of 60 questions in each of the 4 sections
- All the questions will be multiple choice or objective-type questions
- Test duration is 80 minutes for each section
- 1 mark shall be credited to your KCET score for every right answer
- No negative marking clause shall be applicable in the exam
Section-wise Distribution of Marks and Time in KCET 2020
| Subject/Section | Time Allotted (in minutes) | Number of Questions |
| Physics | 80 | 60 |
| Chemistry | 80 | 60 |
| Mathematics/Biology | 80 | 60 |
| Kannada Language Test (if applicable) | 60 | 50 |
KCET – Syllabus
KCET 2020 syllabus includes various topics from Physics, Mathematics/Biology and Chemistry.
KCET Syllabus for Physics
| Topics from 1st Year Pre-university Course | Topics from 2nd Year Pre-university Course |
| Unit I – Physical World and Measurement Unit II – Kinematics Unit III – Laws of Motion Unit IV – Work, Energy and Power |
Unit I – Electrostatics Unit II – Current Electricity Unit III – Magnetic Effects of Current and Magnetism Unit IV – Electromagnetic induction and Alternating Currents |
KCET Syllabus for Chemistry
| Topics from 1st Year Pre-university Course | Topics from 2nd Year Pre-university Course |
| Unit I – Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry Unit II – Structure of Atom Unit III – Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties Unit IV – Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure |
Unit I – Solid State Unit II – Solutions Unit III – Electrochemistry Unit IV – Chemical Kinetics Unit V – Surface Chemistry |
KCET Syllabus for Mathematics
| Topics from 1st Year Pre-university Course | Topics from 2nd Year Pre-university Course |
| Unit I – Algebra Unit II – Trigonometry Unit III – Analytical Geometry Unit IV – Calculus |
Unit I – Theory Of Indices and Logarithms Unit II – Mathematical Induction Unit III – Progressions Unit IV – Theory Of Equations Unit V – Binomial Theorem Unit VI- Permutations and Combinations Unit VII – Partial Fractions |
KCET Syllabus for Biology
| Topics from 1st Year Pre-university Course | Topics from 2nd Year Pre-university Course |
| Unit I – Body Fluids & Circulations Unit II – Excretory Products & their Elimination Unit III – Locomotion & Movement Unit IV – Natural Control & Coordination Unit V – Plant Growth & Development |
Unit I – Microbes for Human Welfare Unit II – Biotech Principles & Processes Unit III – Biotech – Applications Unit IV – Organism & Population Unit V – Ecosystem |
KCET – Answer Key
KEA will publish the provisional answer key of KCET 2020 on its official portal. Checking the answer key will help the candidates evaluate their tentative KCET score before result declaration.
A few important points related to KCET 2020 answer key are as follows:
- To download the KCET answer key, the applicants must visit the website and enter their login credentials.
- Raising objection(s) against the answer key is also permitted.
- An Expert Committee will handle the objections thoroughly and release the final answer key after proper scrutiny.
- Challenging the answer key requires the candidates to provide their objections in a written application and send the same at keauthority-ka@nic.in before the predefined deadline.
- They should also attach the relevant supporting documents with the application. After considering all the objections, KEA releases the final answer key online along with the result.
KCET – Result
KEA will announce the result of KCET 2020 online but the exact dates are yet to be notified officially. Candidates need to go to the website of KEA and enter their registration number and date of birth to check their KCET score. The authority will release KCET results separately for all the courses like architecture, engineering, pharmacy, etc. Once the result is declared, the authority will prepare the course-wise KCET merit list. The rank of the candidates will depend on their marks in the entrance test.
KCET – Cut Off
KEA will decide the cutoff of KCET on the basis of various parameters like total test-takers, total number of students who applied for exam, seat availability, difficulty level of test, etc. It mentions the minimum rank that the candidates must obtain to get selected for the KCET counselling process. KCET cut off is published separately for various courses and institutes in Karnataka. In case the candidates fail to achieve the rank as per the cut off, they won’t be able to appear for counselling and seat allotment.
Branch-wise KCET Cut Off 2019 of Top Engineering Colleges
| Institutes | CIVIL | CSE | ECE | EE | ME |
| BMS College of Engineering, Basavanagudi, Bangalore | 8193 | – | 1601 | 5143 | 2304 |
| Bangalore Institute of Technology, Bangalore | 16493 | 5555 | 5797 | 8811 | 10846 |
| Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bangalore | 17578 | 5396 | 6799 | 15598 | 11208 |
| Dr. Ambedkar Institute Of Technology, Bangalore | 24047 | 10372 | 14023 | 22837 | 19764 |
| M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore | 10175 | 3042 | 2432 | 5949 | 3639 |
| P E S Institute of Technology, Bangalore | 8866 | 2387 | 2827 | 3227 | 4187 |
| R. V. College of Engineering, Bangalore | 3354 | 573 | 798 | 622 | 584 |
| S K S J T Institute of Engineering, Bangalore | 24140 | 17112 | 19509 | – | – |
| Sir M.Visveswaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore | 19758 | 6230 | 4319 | 19078 | 17092 |
| University Visveswariah College of Engineering, Bangalore | 19343 | 5652 | 5848 | 7216 | 11674 |
KCET – Counselling
KCET 2020 counselling is anticipated to take place in the month of September. However, the actual schedule is yet to be published by KEA. The shortlisted candidates can check the counselling related information like date, time and venue on the official portal of KEA. Only those candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks shall be considered for KCET counselling rounds.
KCET – Seat Allotment
KEA will conduct the KCET 2020 seat allotment procedure through online mode during counselling. All the participants are required to submit their choice of seats while registering for KCET counselling. Moreover, they also have to go through the process of document verification. The mock seat allotment conducted by KEA will help the candidates to make a wise choice of course and colleges.
KCET – Participating Colleges
Some of top-notch engineering institutes that participate in KCET counselling process are:
- BVB College of Engg & Tech, Hubli
- Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur
- RNS Institute of Technology, Bangalore
- National Institute of Engineering, Mysore
- B.M.S College of Engineering, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore
- Shri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore
- MS Ramaiah Institute of Tech, Bangalore
- Bangalore Institute of Technology, Bangalore
- JSS Academy of Technical Education, Bangalore
- P.E.S. Institute of Technology, Bangalore
KCET – FAQs
✔️ How can I apply for KCET 2020?
The eligible candidates can fill and submit the KCET application form through online mode. The application form of KCET 2020 was released on February 1 and closed on March 2. However, in the wake of COVID-19 spread, the authorities re-opened the application form from May 8 to May 18, 2020.
✔️ Can I correct my KCET application form after submission?
Yes, the authority provides a correction window facility to the candidates. KCET 2020 application correction window was open from May 20 to May 31, 2020.
✔️ How can I access the hall ticket of KCET 2020?
Candidates can download the KCET 2020 admit card from the official website of KEA. The regulatory body released the admit cards or hall tickets for KCET 2020 on 17th July 2020.
✔️ Is it mandatory to bring ID proof along with KCET 2020 admit card at the examination centre?
Yes, candidates appearing for KCET exam must bring admit card and one valid photo ID proof at the exam centre. The exam invigilator will restrict the entry of the candidates who fail to present their admit cards or photo ID proof.
✔️ How can I appear for the KCET 2020 counselling process?
KEA will release the counselling-related information on its website and the shortlisted candidates must go through the same to know about counselling date, time, venue and required documents. They must register for the counselling and lock their college & course preferences online on the KEA’s official website. Afterwards, they need to appear for the counselling of KCET in-person at the allotted centre for document verification and seat allotment.
✔️ What is the medium of KCET exam?
KCET exam will be held in English and Kannada languages. If a test-taker answers a question in both the languages, then the answer given in English will be considered during the evaluation of their KCET answer sheets.
✔️ What is the revised schedule for KCET 2020 exam?
KCET exam will take place on July 30 (Mathematics/Biology) and July 31, 2020 (Physics & Chemistry). Kannada Language Test will be held on August 1, 2020.
✔️ Can I choose the course and college of my preference during KCET 2020 counselling?
Yes, the candidates can submit their choice of college and course while registering for KCET 2020 counselling online.
