KEA's Kannada language test
The rule that decides whether a Horanadu or Gadinadu Kannadiga candidate gets a rank at all — pass marks, centres, and the exemption the bulletins bury.
In short
If you claim a government seat as a Horanadu (clause C) or Gadinadu (clause D) Kannadiga and your mother tongue is Kannada, Tulu, Kodava or Beary, KEA requires a Kannada language test — 4th standard level, 50 marks, and you must score at least 12 for a rank to be assigned under that clause. But if you studied ten full years in Kannada medium outside Karnataka, you are exempt entirely.
The exemption, before you book travel
Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadiga candidates — including those claiming clause (n) — who have studied TEN full academic years in Kannada medium, from 1st standard to 10th standard, in places outside the State of Karnataka.
Need not appear for the Kannada language test conducted by KEA.
It sits in the same paragraph block as the pass mark in KEA’s bulletin, which is why it is so easily missed.
The paper
| Level | 4th standard |
|---|---|
| Maximum marks | 50 |
| Pass marks | 12 |
| Duration | 1 hour |
| What it tests | Ability to speak, read and write Kannada |
Exam by exam
KCET (UGCET) 2026
When: 22 April 2026, 10:30–11:30 AM
Centres: Bengaluru, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Mangaluru
Because the test runs only at these four centres, KEA requires candidates claiming these clauses to sit the Common Entrance Test itself at one of the same four centres — a constraint that has to be honoured at application time, not afterwards.
NEET-UG Karnataka (UGNEET) 2026
When: 10 August 2026, 3:30–4:30 PM
Centres: Bengaluru only
Rescheduled twice for late registrants — first from 5 August to 9 August, then to 10 August — with hall tickets from 7 August. Candidates who had already sat the test on 15 April or 23 May 2026 were not permitted to sit it again; those who missed those dates could. The marks list was published on 12 August 2026.
DCET 2026
When: Per the DCET cycle schedule
Centres: Bengaluru only
Which mother tongues each bulletin names
They are not identical, and we print each exam’s own wording rather than merging them — if your mother tongue appears in one list and not another, that difference is the bulletin’s, and it is worth confirming with KEA before you rely on it.
- KCET (UGCET) 2026: Kannada, Tulu, Kodava, Beary
- NEET-UG Karnataka 2026: Kannada, Tulu, Kodava, Beary
- DCET 2026: Kannada, Tulu, Kodava
The two clauses that require it
Clause C — Horanadu Kannadiga — Kannada-speaking family, living outside Karnataka
Candidate and either parent’s mother tongue is Kannada, Tulu, Kodava or Beary; either parent was domiciled in Karnataka; the candidate passed the qualifying examination outside Karnataka and was residing outside the State as on 1 May 2026.
Clause D — Gadinadu Kannadiga — I studied in a Kannada-speaking border taluk
Mother tongue Kannada, Tulu, Kodava or Beary, and resided and studied SEVEN years between 1st and 12th standard in the disputed Kannada-speaking areas: South Sholapur, Akkalkot, Jath or Gadhinglaj (Maharashtra), or Kasargod, Hosadurga or Manjeshwar (Kerala).
Gadinadu areas named in clause D: South Sholapur, Akkalkot, Jath, Gadhinglaj (Maharashtra), and Kasargod, Hosadurga, Manjeshwar (Kerala). The clause wizard works out which clause fits you, and the reservation guide covers what each one is worth.
Questions & Answers
Answered from verified records — official closing ranks, published fees and accreditation. Not written by students. How we verify data.
- Who has to take KEA’s Kannada language test?
- Candidates claiming government seats under the Horanadu Kannadiga (clause C) or Gadinadu Kannadiga (clause D) eligibility clauses, whose mother tongue is Kannada, Tulu, Kodava or Beary. It exists to establish that the candidate can speak, read and write Kannada. No other clause requires it.
- What are the pass marks for the Kannada language test?
- Twelve out of fifty. The UGCET-2026 bulletin states that the minimum passing marks for all Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadiga candidates shall be 12 out of 50 in order to be considered for assignment of ranks and to become eligible for allotment of seats. Falling short does not merely lose the clause — it means no rank is assigned under it.
- Is there any way to skip the Kannada test?
- Yes, and it is the least-known rule in this section. Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadiga candidates — including those claiming clause (n) — who studied TEN full academic years in Kannada medium, from 1st standard to 10th standard, in places outside Karnataka need not appear for the test at all. If that describes you, sitting the test is a wasted journey.
- How hard is the paper?
- It is set at 4th-standard level, for 50 marks, in one hour, and it tests the ability to speak, read and write Kannada. It is a threshold check on language, not a competitive paper — nothing about your score above 12 improves your rank.
- Where is the Kannada test held?
- It depends on the exam. For KCET 2026 it ran at four centres — Bengaluru, Belagavi, Vijayapura and Mangaluru — and KEA required candidates claiming these clauses to sit the Common Entrance Test itself at one of those same four centres, which is a decision made at application time. For NEET-Karnataka and DCET the test is held in Bengaluru only.
- Which places count as Gadinadu for clause D?
- The disputed Kannada-speaking border areas named in the clause: South Sholapur, Akkalkot, Jath and Gadhinglaj in Maharashtra, and Kasargod, Hosadurga and Manjeshwar in Kerala. Clause D also requires that you resided and studied seven years between 1st and 12th standard in those areas.