KEAM and NEET Difference: Know Reservation and Admission Criteria
Kerala Engineering Agricultural Medical Entrance Exam 2026 ( KEAM )
Admit Card - 1 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).
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.
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.
- 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
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.
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:
| 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% |
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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).
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Securing good marks in the KEAM examination is considered moderately challenging rather than extremely hard, with success heavily reliant on speed, accuracy, and thorough knowledge of NCERT textbooks.
Y
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
No, candidates appearing for KEAM for engineering admission, can not skip the Math section.
C
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
To secure a high score, start your KEAM preparation at least 8 months before the exam, ideally at the beginning of Class 12, focusing on mastering Class 11 & 12 NCERT concepts, followed by intensive mock tests and previous year question practice.
V
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
Yes, the KEAM exam is completely MCQ type.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
To download KEAM syllabus PDF, go to official website (cee.kerala.gov.in) and click on the syllabus link to download the PDF.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, to achieve a high rank and secure top college admission, it is recommended to cover the entire KEAM syllabus based on Class 11 & 12 Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Based on CEE Kerala guidelines and previous trends, the KEAM entrance exam is designed around the Plus One and Plus Two (Class 11 and 12) syllabus.
M
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
No, the KEAM syllabus does not change every year. It generally remains consistent, based on the Kerala Higher Secondary (Class 11 and 12) curriculum.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, the KEAM (Kerala Engineering, Architecture, and Medical) exam is primarily based on the higher secondary syllabus (Class 11 and Class 12 both).
V
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
The KEAM exam is generally considered to be of moderate difficulty, making it easier than JEE Main. Chemistry is easy, Physics and Mathematics are moderate to tough.
M
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.