Karnataka PGCET
Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test
Conducted by: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA)
About Karnataka PGCET
State entrance test for MBA, MCA and M.Tech admissions in Karnataka.
Important Dates
Karnataka PGCET dates from this site’s exam calendar, oldest first: every one still ahead, and up to three of the most recent that have passed, each cited to the official notice or portal it was read from. “(passed)” marks a date already past on 23 September 2026, when this page was generated; the KEA and COMEDK counselling portals this site watches were last re-read on 20 September 2026.
- 19 September 2026 (passed) — Round-1 MOCK seat allotment result PUBLISHED — two days lateSource: KEA No. ED/KEA/PGCET/2026, 19-09-2026 (read 20-09-2026) · Published at about 2:42 PM, two days and three hours after the "after 6:00 PM on 17 September" KEA’s own round schedule printed, with a result link on the PGCET portal labelled 19-09-2026 and no notice explaining the delay. ⚠️ A MOCK IS NOT AN ALLOTMENT — KEA calls it only indicative; the seat it shows may or may not survive the real round, because every other candidate is revising options after seeing theirs, and no college can admit anybody on it. Its purpose is to let candidates revise before the real allotment, and KEA reopened option entry to 11:00 AM on 22 September in the same notice. ⚠️ Six MOCK cut-off rank tables were published with it (MBA, MCA and M.Tech, general and Hyderabad-Karnataka pools). No rank from them is reproduced on this site: they are mock figures, not this year’s real closing ranks.
- 21 September 2026 (passed) — Round-1 real seat allotment FINAL result — due in the afternoonSource: KEA No. ED/KEA/ADMN/PGCET/2026, 10-09-2026 (served 16-09-2026) · Row 5: "21-09-2026 – after 4.00 pm".
- 22 September 2026 (passed) — Round-1 option entry closes — reopened after the mock resultSource: KEA No. ED/KEA/PGCET/2026, 19-09-2026 (read 20-09-2026) · ⏰ The printed close is 11:00 AM on the 22nd; this row is dated by the day, so treat the morning as the deadline, not the day. KEA’s mock-result notice states in red that candidates may enter options for the first-round seat allotment "up to 11.00 AM on 22-09-2026". It REPLACES the 17–19 September change window, which expired with nothing to verify against. ⚠️ Candidates who have entered NO options may enter them in this window too. ⚠️ Enter them as if it were the only time: KEA warns that the options entered in priority order for Round 1 are the same ones considered in every later round, with no opportunity to enter options afresh; after each round, deleting an option or changing its order depends on the CHOICE opted at that round. Options are entered against the Government’s FINAL seat matrix of 17 September.
- 24 September 2026 — Round-1 exercising of choices by allotted candidates ends (22–24 Sep)Source: KEA No. ED/KEA/ADMN/PGCET/2026, 10-09-2026 (served 16-09-2026) · Row 6: "22-09-2026 – 24-09-2026 (up to 5.30 pm)" — choices exercised by the seat-allotted candidates in consultation with their parents. ⚠️ The printed close is 5:30 PM on the 24th; this row is dated by the day.
- 25 September 2026 — Round-1 fee payment (Choice-1 and Choice-2) and confirmation-slip download end (22–25 Sep)Source: KEA No. ED/KEA/ADMN/PGCET/2026, 10-09-2026 (served 16-09-2026) · Row 7: "22-09-2026 – 25-09-2026 (Banking Working Days / Hours)" — payment of fees by Choice-1 and Choice-2 candidates, and downloading of the confirmation slip by Choice-1 candidates. KEA prints no hour; bank hours, not midnight, are the practical close.
- 26 September 2026 — Round-1 last date for Choice-1 candidates to report at the allotted collegeSource: KEA No. ED/KEA/ADMN/PGCET/2026, 10-09-2026 (served 16-09-2026) · Row 8: "26-09-2026 – before 5.30 pm" — Choice-1 candidates only, with all the originals listed on the confirmation slip. ⚠️ The printed close is 5:30 PM; this row is dated by the day.
The whole calendar, and each counselling round as it runs:
- Karnataka exam calendar — official dates for 8 exams, each cited to the notice or portal it was read from.
- Counselling tracker — round by round, with the official notification behind each stage.
Waiting on announcements
- Karnataka PGCET 2026 counselling — KEA dated Round 1 in No. ED/KEA/ADMN/PGCET/2026, served 16 September 2026: option entry closed at 9:00 AM on 17 September 2026, and the final allotment result is due after 4:00 PM on 21 September 2026. The Government’s FINAL seat matrix and anything after Round 1 were still undated when this site read KEA’s PGCET portal on 17 September 2026. (official portal)
Always confirm dates on the official website before acting on them.
Eligibility
Bachelor degree in a relevant discipline with minimum 50% marks (45% for reserved categories).
Syllabus
MBA/MCA: proficiency in English, quantitative ability, logical reasoning and general awareness. M.Tech: discipline-specific engineering subjects.
Karnataka PGCET — Frequently Asked Questions
Is there negative marking in Karnataka PGCET?
No. KEA's PGCET-2026 Information Bulletin states there is no negative marking for wrong answers — but no marks are awarded where more than one answer is marked against a question on the OMR sheet. All questions are compulsory, so attempting everything is the correct strategy.
Do my degree marks count towards the PGCET merit list?
No. The bulletin is explicit that the merit list is prepared separately for MBA, MCA and M.E./M.Tech/M.Arch solely on entrance-test marks; qualifying-examination marks are checked only for eligibility. That eligibility bar is an aggregate of 50% across all years of the degree (45% for SCA, SCB, SCC, ST and Category-I candidates of Karnataka), and the bulletin adds that rounding off the aggregate percentage is not permitted — 49.6% does not qualify.
What is the PGCET paper pattern?
Each stream has its own paper of 100 objective multiple-choice questions for 100 marks, one mark per question, answered on an OMR sheet in blue or black ballpoint pen. On duration, the 2026 bulletin contradicts itself — one clause says 150 minutes while the OMR instructions and bell schedule describe two hours — so go by the timing printed on your admit ticket rather than either figure.
How are ties in PGCET merit broken?
In a fixed order set out in the bulletin: first the total aggregate marks in the qualifying examination, then age with the elder candidate placed above the younger, and if still equal, by draw of lots.
What are the extra conditions for part-time MBA?
Two beyond the usual eligibility: at least three years of work experience after the degree (as on 31 July 2026 for that cycle), and current employment within a radial distance of 40 km of the institution where admission is sought. No part-time MCA is offered at all.
Should I trust the dates printed in the PGCET information bulletin?
Treat them as provisional. In the 2026 cycle the bulletin timetabled the MBA/MCA papers for 24 May, KEA then published a revised schedule on 14 May, and the papers were actually held on 14 June. Work from the current notifications on the official KEA PGCET page, not from the bulletin's calendar.
Karnataka PGCET — common questions
Answered from verified records — official closing ranks, published fees and accreditation. Not written by students. How we verify data.
- Who conducts Karnataka PGCET?
- Karnataka PGCET (Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test) is conducted by Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), as a state-level examination held online.
- Who is eligible for Karnataka PGCET?
- Bachelor degree in a relevant discipline with minimum 50% marks (45% for reserved categories).
- How many Karnataka colleges accept Karnataka PGCET?
- We hold 4,086 verified closing ranks across 174 colleges for Karnataka PGCET, transcribed from the official 2025 publications.
- What is a good Karnataka PGCET rank?
- It depends entirely on the branch and category you are looking at. In our verified data the tightest General Merit seat closed at rank 14 for Computer Science & Engineering, while other seats stayed open well beyond 31,200. Check the band your own rank falls in rather than a single headline number.
- Are Karnataka PGCET cut-offs different for reserved categories?
- Yes. Karnataka PGCET publishes separate closing ranks for 16 categories, and the difference between them is often tens of thousands of ranks. Compare a category column against your category rank, which is a different number from your overall rank.
- Where do I apply for Karnataka PGCET?
- Applications are made on the official site, https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. Always confirm dates and fees there rather than on any portal, including this one.
Cut-offs on file for Karnataka PGCET
Every closing rank below was transcribed from the official publication and checked against it. Nothing here is estimated, and nothing is behind a sign-up.
| Year | Round | Colleges | Closing ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Round 1 | 174 | 2,283 |
| 2025 | Round 2 | 168 | 1,803 |
Cut-off records last updated 6 Sept 2026
What your rank gets — from verified allotments
Counts computed from closing ranks transcribed from the official publications — not score-band guesses. Pick your band for the full college-by-college table.
| Karnataka PGCET rank | Colleges |
|---|---|
| 1 – 5,000 | 28 |
| 5,000 – 10,000 | 56 |
| 20,000 – 35,000 | 4 |