KEAM and NEET Difference: Know Reservation and Admission Criteria
Kerala Engineering Agricultural Medical Entrance Exam 2026 ( KEAM )
Exam On - 15 Apr '26 - 21 Apr '26
KEAM is the Kerala Engineering, Architecture, and Medical admission process. KEAM does not only encompass entrance exams for UG engineering and UG pharmacy admission but also counselling processes for UG Architecture and Medical courses. Know what is the difference between KEAM and NEET here.
KEAM and NEET Difference: Know Reservation and Admission Criteria
KEAM and NEET Difference: For medical admission in the state of Kerala, only NEET scores are used. KEAM 2024 and NEET 2024 are two very different aspects of medical admission in Kerala. Under KEAM, counselling is held for admission of students to UG Medical courses, Agriculture, Co-operation & Banking, Climate Change & Environmental Science, B.Tech Biotechnology (Under Kerala Agricultural University), Forestry, Veterinary and Fisheries courses based on NEET scores called the KEAM Centralised Allotment Process (CAP). It is conducted by the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations (CEE).
Explore colleges based on KEAM
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
Latest Update: KEAM 2024 CBT Exam: New Pattern, Guide, Instructions and How to Appear
Based on NEET scores, CEE prepares KEAM rank list for counselling and admission. Simply put, admission to UG medical courses in Kerala will be based on NEET and there will be no KEAM entrance exam. The difference is just in the counselling merit list preparation. The merit list will be prepared based on the reservation policy. 85% of the medical seats in Kerala will be under state quota that is only for candidates having a domicile in Kerala state. The rest 15% of seats will be allotted to candidates who come under the All India Quota, irrespective of their Domicile.
Definitely Yes. For medical courses, candidates have to apply for NEET conducted by NTA and qualify the NEET exam. Moreover, he/she must be an applicant for KEAM also. This means medical aspirant have to fill the KEAM application form and enter the NEET scores in the form. Admission in medical courses will be based on NEET scores.
To qualify in the KEAM Engineering Entrance Examination and thereby become eligible to get in the Engineering rank list, a candidate has to score a minimum of 10 marks each in Paper I and Paper II of the Engineering Entrance Examination. The candidates who do not score the minimum stipulated marks will not find a place in the rank list. Exemption: For SC/ST candidates there is no requirement of minimum marks in the Engineering Entrance Examination. However, the candidates who fail to answer at least one question in each paper will be disqualified. Also for the B.Pharma rank list, a candidate has to get a minimum of 10 marks out of the index of 480 calculated. The candidates who do not get the minimum stipulated index mark will not find a place in the rank list. Exemption: For SC/ST candidates there is no requirement of a minimum index mark for ranking for the B.Pharma course. However, the candidates who fail to answer at least one question in Paper-I of the Engineering Entrance Examination will be disqualified.
Note that, counselling and admission to UG medical courses in Kerala will be conducted by the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations (CEE) for both 85% All India quota and 15% state quota. The counselling, merit list and admission will be all based on National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) scores only. CEE is not going to hold any separate entrance exams for medical admissions.
Explore more B.Tech exams with upcoming dates
16 Dec '25
14 Nov '25 - 20 Nov '25
20 Nov '25
22 Nov '25
JEE Main
28 Nov '25
30 Nov '25
30 Nov '25
30 Nov '25
6 Jan '26
- KEAM and NEET Difference at a Glance
- Medical Admission via KEAM CAP 2024: Reservation of Seats for UG Medical Admission in Kerala
- KEAM 2024 Registration: Admission via NEET Scores
- KEAM and NEET Difference FAQs
KEAM and NEET Difference at a Glance
Check the difference between KEAM and NEET below:
| Parameters |
KEAM |
NEET |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? |
State level entrance exam for engineering and pharmacy and counselling for Engineering, Pharmacy, Architecture, Medical, Agriculture, cooperation & Banking, Climate Change & Environmental Science, Biotechnology, Forestry, Veterinary and Fisheries courses |
National level entrance exam for UG medical admission |
| Who conducts |
Commissioner of Entrance Examinations (CEE) |
National Testing Agency (NTA) |
Also Read: KEAM Eligibility Criteria 2024: Qualifying Marks, Subjects, Age Limit, Domicile Needs
Medical Admission via KEAM CAP 2024: Reservation of Seats for UG Medical Admission in Kerala
Via NEET admission will be made to Medical courses, Agriculture, Co-operation & Banking, Climate Change & Environmental Science, B.Tech Biotechnology (Under Kerala Agricultural University), Forestry, Veterinary and Fisheries courses. Out of the total seats available for the various courses, seats will be reserved for different categories as given under:
All India Quota Seats Reservation: All India quota reservation means seats reserved for candidates who do not have Kerala state domicile.
| Reservation |
Percentage of seats reserved |
|---|---|
| All India Quota for MBBS/BDS/BAMS/BHMS Courses in Govt.Medical/Dental/Ayurveda/Homoeo Colleges |
15% |
| All India Quota for MBBS/BAMS/BSMS/BUMS Courses in Self-Financing Medical/Ayurveda/Siddha/Unani colleges |
Mandatory Reservation: Leaving the seats set apart for All India Quota, Government of India Nominees, Special reservations, Persons with Disabilities, all types of supernumerary seats sanctioned and Management Quota, the remaining Government seats for each course in Govt./Aided/KAU/KVASU/KUFOS Colleges will be distributed as per the mandatory reservation, given below:
KEAM is the Kerala Engineering entrance examination for those candidates who wish to pursue UG engineering courses from the prestigious private and government colleges of Kerala. Yes, a student apply for KEAM if they satisfy the eligibility condition:
- The appearing candidates should be an Indian citizen.
- Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) are also eligible to apply but they are not entitled to claim any reservation.
The candidates who are not Kerala origin and even their parents also dont have any residence proof of Kerala, but satisfying the following candidates:
- Passed their qualifying examination from Kerala and Parents are posted in Kerala and employee of defense or central government.
- The candidates whose parents are serving/served Kerala Government for a period of 2 years and appearing/appeared qualifying examination from Kerala will come in this category and eligible for applying.
- In case, if the candidate is not the permanent resident of Kerala but spent 5 years of his/her study in Kerala then he/she is also eligible.
- Those who do not have domicile certificate of Kerala but completed/pursuing their 8th to 12th studies from Kerala are also eligible for KEAM.
Candidates should be at least 17 years of age as of December 31 in the current year of admission. There is no upper age limit to apply for KEAM.
| Reservation |
Percentage of seats reserved |
|---|---|
| State Merit (SM) |
50% |
| Economically Weaker Sections in General Category (EWS) |
10% |
| Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC): 30% |
|
| Ezhava (EZ) |
9% |
| Muslim (MU) |
8% |
| Other Backward Hindu (BH) |
3% |
| Latin Catholic and Anglo Indian (LA) |
3% |
| Dheevara and related communities (DV) |
2% |
| Viswakarma and related communities (VK) |
2% |
| Kusavan and related communities (KN) |
1% |
| Other Backward Christian (BX) |
1% |
| Kudumbi (KU) |
1% |
| Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes: 10% |
|
| Scheduled Castes (SC) |
8% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) |
2% |
KEAM 2024 Registration: Admission via NEET Scores
CEE has started KEAM registration. Those candidates who wish to apply for Medical courses, Agriculture, Co-operation & Banking, Climate Change & Environmental Science, B.Tech Biotechnology (Under Kerala Agricultural University), Forestry, Veterinary and Fisheries courses in the state of Kerala, must register for KEAM before the deadline.
The candidates must register for KEAM and when NEET scores are out, they must submit it to CEE.
How to register for KEAM 2024?
- Visit the CEE Kerala website – cee.kerala.gov.in.
- Select the mandatory checkboxes and click on ‘Proceed for Registration’ tab
- Fill up the mandatory fields
- Upload the requisite documents or certificates
- Pay the application fee
Also Read: Documents Required for KEAM Application Form 2024: Photo Resizer, Specification and More
How to Submit NEET 2024 Result for KEAM CAP Counselling?
As soon as the NEET 2024 result is announced, candidates must submit their NEET scores to CEE using the steps below.
- Visit the CEE Kerala website – cee.kerala.gov.in
- Click the link ‘KEAM 2024-Candidate Portal’ and provide the KEAM-2024 Application Number and Password to enter the Home Page of the candidate.
- Click on ‘NEET Result Submission’ and provide NEET (UG)- 2024 Roll Number, NEET (UG)-2024 Application Number and NEET (UG)- 2024 Date of Birth.
- Verify the details shown on the screen such as Candidate Name, Father’s Name, NEET 2024 Score, Percentile, AIR, etc.
- If the details are correct, click the ‘ Verified and Submit’ button.
- Take the printout of the ‘ NEET Result Submission Report’ and keep it with the candidate for future use.
Read More:
- Last 10 Year KEAM Question Paper PDF: Download Previous Year Papers
- KEAM 2024 Mock Test: Take Free Mock Test Now
- How to Prepare for KEAM 2024: Check Preparation Tips & Best Books
KEAM and NEET Difference FAQs
Q: Can I write NEET without applying KEAM?
A: To take admission to UG Medical courses, Agriculture, Co-operation & Banking, Climate Change & Environmental Science, B.Tech Biotechnology (Under Kerala Agricultural University), Forestry, Veterinary and Fisheries courses, candidates have to write NEET and also register for KEAM. There will be no entrance exam held in KEAM for these courses. However, candidates have to register for KEAM to appear for the counselling and seat allotment process in these courses.
Q: Is KEAM required for admission to medical courses in Kerala?
A: No. Admission to undergraduate (UG) medical courses is done through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Rank holders can apply for medical admission.
Q: What is the purpose of KEAM?
A: KEAM is a state level entrance test. Commissioner of Entrance Examination (CEE) Kerala conducts the KEAM. This exam is conducted for admission to the Engineering, Architecture and Medical courses. Also the test is conducted once a year.
Q: Is there any entrance exam in KEAM for medical admission?
A: No. Admission to undergraduate (UG) medical courses is done through National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Currently: Assistant Manager - Content
Role: News & Feature Writer, Content Editor
Expertise: Engineering Education and Counselling
Mamona Majumder specialises in news and feature writing, content editing, and educa
Read Full BioNews & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Feb '26 | TS EAMCET 2026 notification |
Mar '26 | TS EAMCET 2026 application for... |
Mar '26 | CG PET 2026 application form |
May '26 | CG PET 2026 admit card |
29 Oct '25 - 15 Jan '26 | AEEE 2026 Phase 1 Registration |
10 Jan '26 | AEEE 2026 slot booking for pha... |
Mar '26 | AP EAMCET 2026 Application For... |
May '26 | AP EAMCET 2026 Application for... |
Dec '25 | SITEEE 2026 Application Form |
Apr '26 | SITEEE 2026 Admit Card - Test ... |
Nov '25 | WBJEE JELET 2025 counselling d... |
17 Nov '25 | WBJEE JELET 2025 result date |
Feb '26 | COMEDK application form 2026 |
May '26 | COMEDK exam date 2026 |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month ago
KEAM cutoff is the last rank at which admission was ceased against a given course and institute.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
A few days after the KEAM counselling ends, the KEAM last ranks are uploaded for all courses and institutes on the official website of KEAM - cee.kerala.gov.in.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
CEE will release the complete schedule for KEAM counselling after the KEAM 2026 results are out. The KEAM option registration and allotment will be made available round wise on the official website - cee.kerala.gov.in.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
CEE will announce the KEAM 2026 candidate response sheet release date after the exam ends. Candidates will be able to access their individual candidate response sheet under their respective logins at cee.kerala.gov.in.
N
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The KEAM candidate response sheet is issued to each of the candidates who take the KEAM exam under their respective KEAM candidate login after the exam. The response sheet includes the record of the answers marked by the candidaes on the exam day.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
No. Since KEAM has transitioned to a computer-based test from 2024, hard copies of the question papers are not provided to the candidates. However, the KEAM question paper PDFs are uploaded on the official website of KEAM after the exam is over.
V
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Solving past year papers of KEAM, has the following benefits:
- Candidates get insights into the exam pattern and marking scheme.
- Candidates can check the past years papers to identify the high-weightage topics.
- They help the candidates improve their speed and accuracy.
C
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
For admission into CET Trivandrum BTech courses, students must register and appear for the KEAM exam. It is a state-level entrance exam conducted by CEE Kerala. Students can check below to know the category-wise application fees:
| Category | KEAM Application Fees 2025 |
|---|---|
| General | INR 875 |
| SC | INR 375 |
Note: The above-mentioned application fees is as per official sources.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
KEAM is a state-level entrance examination accepted by many BTech-offering colleges, including CET Trivandrum. As per the KEAM schedule, the exam was held from Apr 22, 2025 to Apr 30, 2025. For the exam session, i.e., 2026, the exam date has not been released yet. However, as per sources collated
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
CET Trivandrum only accepts KEAM for admission to its BTech courses. Once students have taken the exam, they are required to take part in KEAM counselling. In this counselling, students are allocated a BTech seat based on scores obtained by them in the aforementioned exam. The college may conduct a
S
Contributor-Level 10
Yes, you can apply. Only Indian citizens are eligible to apply for KEAM . Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)/Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card Holders shall be treated at par with Indian citizens for the purpose of admission. However, PIO/OCI candidates will not be eligible to claim any relaxation meant for reserved category candidates. Indian citizens will further be classified as Keralites and Non-Keralites. However, candidates with non-Keralite nativity cannot claim any reservation of the state. Candidates have to complete all the steps to complete the KEAM application procedure. However, it is not compulsory to complete all the steps in one go. Candidates can do each step at a different time. But they should use the 'Save' button frequently to save the entered data.