Karnataka PGCET 2026: Syllabus, Pattern, Exam Dates, Eligibility, Question Paper, Preparation
Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test 2025 ( Karnataka PGCET )
Counselling - 29 Sep '25 - 3 Oct '25
KEA is expected to release Karnataka PGCET 2026 exam dates by January. Candidates aspiring for MBA, and MCA admissions in Karnataka can find complete details on Karnataka PGCET 2026 here.
All About Karnataka PGCET 2026
Karnataka PGCET 2026: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is expected to release PGCET exam dates around January 2026. KEA conducts Karnataka PGCET exam every year for admission to MBA, MCA and MTech courses. Aspirants will have to apply for Karnataka PGCET 2026 online on its official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. With the release of the exam notification, KEA will release the Karnataka PGCET syllabus PDF and information bulletin. Candidates find a total of 100 MCQs in the Karnataka PGCET exam. Candidates have to answer all questions within 120 minutes. Scroll down for insights on the Karnataka PGCET 2026 exam, including result date, time, counselling process, top colleges, cutoff and more.
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- Karnataka PGCET 2026 Highlights
- Karnataka PGCET 2026 Dates
- Karnataka PGCET 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- Karnataka PGCET Registration 2026
- Karnataka PGCET Hall Ticket 2026
- Karnataka PGCET Exam Pattern 2026
- Karnataka PGCET Syllabus 2026
- Karnataka PGCET Preparation Tips 2026
- Karnataka PGCET 2026 Exam Centres
- Karnataka PGCET Answer Keys 2026
- Karnataka PGCET Results 2026
- Karnataka PGCET Counselling 2026
- Karnataka PGCET Participating Institutes 2026
Karnataka PGCET 2026 Highlights
The following table provides an overview of the Karnataka PGCET 2026 exam:
| Features |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam name |
Karnataka PGCET |
| Karnataka PGCET fullform |
Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test |
| Conducting body |
Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) |
| Exam level |
State-level |
| Courses offered through PGCET exam |
- MBA - MCA - ME - MTech |
| Karnataka PGCET exam dates 2026 |
MBA/MCA exam expected in June 2026 |
| Exam purpose |
Admission into PG courses offered by more than 170 institutes in Karnataka |
| Total applications received in 2025 |
52020 (MBA and MCA) - 18,738 (MCA) - 33,282 (MBA) |
| Exam mode |
Offline (OMR based exam) |
| Exam duration |
120 minutes |
| Exam medium |
English |
| Official website |
cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea |
Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), the conducting body of Karnataka PGCET exam, has designed the exam with multiple choice questions. Each question in the Karnataka PGCET exam has four answer options. Candidates have to choose one correct option. The most appropriate option will have to be selected and candidates have to mark the bubble corresponding to the most appropriate answer. For example if the answer to question 2 is C, then the bubble C has to be darkened.
No. KEA has not defined any of the sections in Karnataka PGCET based on the time duration. Candidates do not need to follow any sectional time limit to solve questions from different sections of the Karnataka PGCET question paper. The total time to complete the exam is 120 minutes. Candidates need to answer all the 100 objective type questions within the time duration of 2 hours.
Karnataka PGCET 2026 Dates
The following table outlines the Karnataka PGCET 2026 dates, including the timeline for the PGCET application process, admit card issuance, exam date, results declaration, counselling, among other events.
| Karnataka PGCET 2026 Events |
Karnataka PGCET Dates |
|---|---|
| Karnataka PGCET registration start date | Last week of April 2026 |
| Last date to fill Karnataka PGCET 2026 application form |
Third week of May 2026 |
| Issuance of Karnataka PGCET 2026 hall ticket |
Third week of June 2026 |
| Karnataka PGCET 2026 exam dates |
Third week of June 2026 |
| Release of Karnataka PGCET provisional answer key |
Last week of June 2026 |
| Karnataka PGCET answer key objection window |
Last week of June 2026 |
| Declaration of Karnataka PGCET 2026 result |
First week of August 2026 |
| Centralised counselling process begins |
to be notified |
Karnataka PGCET 2026 Eligibility Criteria
Karnataka PGCET exam is held for MBA admissions into full-time and part-time courses among other PG professional courses. The space below mentions the Karnataka PGCET eligibility criteria 2026 for MBA courses:
Karnataka PGCET Eligibility Criteria for Full-Time MBA
- Academic Qualification: Minimum three-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognised institute.
- Minimum Score in Qualifying Exam: Minimum aggregate of 50 per cent must be obtained by all UR category candidates. Reserved category candidates must obtain a minimum aggregate score of 45 per cent.
Karnataka PGCET Eligibility Criteria for Part-Time MBA
- Academic Qualification: Minimum three-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognised institute.
- Minimum Score in Qualifying Exam: Minimum aggregate of 50 per cent must be obtained by all UR category candidates. Reserved category candidates must obtain a minimum aggregate score of 45 per cent.
- Work Experience Details:
- Only employed aspirants are eligible for part-time MBA through PGCET 2026
- A minimum of three years work experience in relevant field must be obtained on or before July 31 of the admission session.
- The current employer must be located within a 40-kilometre radial distance from the desired MBA college.
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Karnataka PGCET Registration 2026
KEA facilitates the Karnataka PGCET registration online on its official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. Candidates can fill the Karnataka PGCET 2026 application form within a specified window. Candidates filling the online application form will have to pay an application fee to submit the form. The information bulletin hosts an exhaustive guide to filling the PGCET registration, including the steps to fill the application form, documents required, image upload specifications, and more.
Also Read: Karnataka PGCET Login for Registration
Karnataka PGCET Hall Ticket 2026
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) issues the Karnataka PGCET admit card for all candidates who completes the registration process before the deadline. It is mandatory to carry a printed copy of the admit card on the day of the exam. Applicants can download their Karnataka PGCET 2026 hall ticket by following the steps below:
- Visit the official exam website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea
- Navigate to the ‘Admissions’ tab from the main menu, followed by clicking on PGCET-2026 from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the Karnataka PGCET admit card 2026 download link
- Enter the login credentials, such as date of birth, PGCET number, etc.
- Click on the ‘Sign-in’ button.
- Check all details in the Karnataka PGCET 2026 hall ticket and download the same
In case of any discrepancy in the PGCET admit card, candidates must contact KEA for quick redressal. Candidates may have to face difficulties on the exam day if their admit card has errors.
Candidates need to devote a minimum of two hours to practice the Karnataka PGCET exam paper daily without a any miss. This will help them in increasing the accuracy level to answer questions in less time with proficiency. The actual exam duration of the Karnataka PGCET exam is 150 minutes. However, candidates will have to answer all questions within 120 minutes. The remaining 30 minutes are required for frisking and mentioning the details on the answer booklet.
Karnataka PGCET has a total of 100 questions. There are four sections in the exam and each section has 25 MCQs. Each MCQ carry 1 marks. The sections are Proficiency in English Language, General Knowledge, Reasoning and General Intelligence, and Quantitative Analysis. The total time to complete the exam is 120 minutes. 100 MCQs are to be completed in 2 hours.
Karnataka PGCET exam has a total of 100 questions to be answered within a time duration of 120 minutes. In case a candidates leaves any question unanswered, no marks will be added or deducted. Also, no marks are awarded or deducted for any question, where the candidate has selected multiple answer choices. Infact, there is no negative marking in the exam. For each correct response marked by the candidate in the OMR sheet, KEA will award one mark in Karnataka PGCET 2023 exam while for the wrong answers, no marks will be deducted.
Karnataka PGCET Exam Pattern 2026
The table below mentions the Karnataka PGCET 2026 exam pattern for MBA:
| Karnataka PGCET Test Pattern Features |
Karnataka PGCET Test Structure |
|---|---|
| Exam mode |
Offline using OMR marking system |
| Exam medium |
English |
| Exam duration |
120 minutes |
| Total questions |
100 |
| Total marks |
100 |
| Type of questions |
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) |
| Marking scheme |
One mark for every correct answer; No negative mark for incorrect responses |
| Number of sections in the question paper |
Five |
Also Read: Karnataka PGCET MCA Exam Pattern 2026
Karnataka PGCET Syllabus 2026
KEA releases the Karnataka PGCET syllabus for all courses separately on the official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. Candidates can find the MBA, MCA, and MTech syllabus PDF files for download. The table below mentions the sections as per the Karnataka PGCET 2026 syllabus for MBA exam:
| Karnataka PGCET MBA Sections |
Number of Questions and Marks |
|---|---|
| Computer Awareness |
20 |
| 20 |
|
| Quantitative Analysis | 20 |
| 20 |
|
| General Knowledge |
20 |
| Total |
100 |
Karnataka PGCET Preparation Tips 2026
Candidates preparing for Karnataka PGCET 2026 can follow the preparation plan mentioned below. This would help candidates secure a good score in the PG entrance exam:
-
Understand the exam: Candidates must obtain the knowledge regarding the Karnataka PGCET exam pattern and syllabus before they start preparing. This would help them build a better prep plan.
-
Create a study schedule: Based on the strengths as well as weaknesses from Karnataka PGCET syllabus, candidates must create a study schedule. Including both strong and weak topics in the preparation plan is qually important.
- Complete the syllabus: After creating a plan, candidates must complete the entire syllabus as soon as possible to dedicate the remaining time for practice and revision.
-
Practice regularly: Candidates must use previous year question papers, and mock tests to analyse where they stand. Analysing the weak areas will help candidates plan the studies accordingly.
- Focus on important topics: Practising past question papers will help candidates conclude the important topics in Karnataka PGCET syllabus which have been repeating every year. Candidates must focus on these topics to get a notch above the competition.
Also Read: Karnataka PGCET 2026 Preparation
| Karnataka PGCET 2026 Preparation in Specified Timeline |
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| How to Prepare for Karnataka PGCET in Three Months? | How to Prepare for Karnataka PGCET in One Month? | Karnataka PGCET Last Week Preparation Tips |
Karnataka PGCET 2026 Exam Centres
KEA conducts the Karnataka PGCET across multiple test centres in the state. The space below mentions the list of Karnataka PGCET exam cities as per the previous year’s information bulletin:
- Bagalkot
- Belgaum
- Bangalore
- Bidar
- Bijapur
- Bellary
- Chikkaballapur
- Chamarajnagar
- Chikmagalur
- Chitradurga
- Dharwad
- Davangere
- Gadag
- Hassan
- Haveri
- Gulbarga
- Kodagu
- Kolar
- Mandya
- Mangalore
- Koppal
- Mysore
- Shimoga
- Ramanagara
- Tumkur
- Raichur
- Udupi
- Uttara Kannada
- Yadgir
Also Read: Karnataka PGCET Exam Day Guidelines
Karnataka PGCET Answer Keys 2026
The Karnataka Exaimations Authority releases the PGCET 2026 answer keys in two phases. First, the test takers will find the provisional answer key, also known as Karnataka PGCET preliminary answer key. Candidates get an opportunity to submit objections to this provisional answer key. Taking into account the objections raised, KEA prepares a final answer key that facilitates the calculation of scores. Additionally, KEA publishes the Karnataka PGCET final answer key alongside the results on its official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea.
Karnataka PGCET question paper and answer keys help candidates prepare for the upcoming entrance exam.
Also Read: Karnataka PGCET Marks vs Rank
Karnataka PGCET Results 2026
KEA releases the Karnataka PGCET 2026 results on the official exam website (cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea). All test takers can access the Karnataka PGCET login to check results as soon as it is released online. KEA releases the result in the form of Karnataka PGCET scorecard. Candidates have to use the Karnataka PGCET 2026 scorecard for the document verification process and MBA admissions in Karnataka. Karnataka PGCET document verification is the first stage of the admission process.
Also Read: What After Karnataka PGCET 2026 Results?
Karnataka PGCET Counselling 2026
Soon after the PGCET results are declared, KEA administers a centralised counselling process for admissions through Karnataka PGCET scores. Candidates having a valid score in Karnataka PGCET 2026 are eligible to participate in the Karnataka PGCET counselling process. The Karnataka PGCET 2026 counselling process includes the following stages:
- Document verification
- Release of claim slip
- Display of provisional seat matrix on website
- PGCET option entry
- Declaration of Karnataka PGCET allotment results (mock)
- Declaration of provisional seat allotment results
- Exercising choices (accepting/rejecting allotment)
- Payment of admission fees & reporting to the allotted college
Along with the allotment results, KEA releases the Karnataka PGCET cutoff list. The PGCET cutoff lists mentions the PGCET last ranks for admissions.
Karnataka PGCET Participating Institutes 2026
More than 250 colleges accept Karnataka PGCET scores for MBA admissions. All the colleges accepting PGCET scores are categorised under the following three types:
- Unaided courses in private universities/deemed universities
- Courses in private unaided colleges and unaided courses in aided colleges
- Courses offered by engineering colleges/ public universities/ VTU constituent colleges
KEA releases the complete list of Karnataka PGCET colleges along with the seat matrix published during the counselling process.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 weeks ago
The Harsha Institutions MBA cutoff in the Karnataka PGCET MBA 2024 entrance exam was 36,291. When compared with the cutoff ranks in Karnataka PGCET entrance exams of the previous year, we notice a dramatic increase in competition. The Harsha Institutions MBA cutoff in the Karnataka PGCET MBA 2023 wa
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 weeks ago
The registrations for the Karnataka PGCET entrance exams will open on 25th April 2025. Candidates can register themselves for the Karnataka PGCET entrance exam till 19th May 2025. Candidates who are ble to register within this period will be able to receive the admit card for the Karnataka PGCET ent
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
With a PGCET MBA rank of around 5000 under the OBC-NCL category, plus having the NCC quota, you stand a good chance of getting admission into reputed colleges. Based on previous year cutoffs, colleges like Acharya Institute of Technology, Dayananda Sagar University, RNS Institute of Technology, NMAM
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a month ago
Before the first round of counselling starts, KEA conducts a mock allotment round to familiarise candidates with the Karnataka PGCET counselling process, including the release of mock allotment results, and mock round cutoffs.
Candidates will not get admission into Karnataka PGCET participating colle
J
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
Karnataka PGCET draft seat matrix is released soon after the result declaration. The draft seat matrix indicates the total seats available at Karnataka PGCET participating colleges. These seats are submitted by the PGCET participating institutes to KEA to provide an idea before the counselling proce
V
Beginner-Level 5
Answered a month ago
Karnataka PGCET verification slip is downloadable from the official exam website. Candidates have to login to download the PGCET verification slip. PGCET verification slip is required during the counselling process. Candidates who have the Karnataka PGCET verification slip will be allowed to partici
D
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 months ago
Dayananda Sagar University accepts admission for the MBA programme based on KMAT, CAT, MAT, and PGCET. If you have taken the above mentioned entrance exam and received an above average score, then you have a good chance of getting a seat. They also consider the merit of the qualifying exams, so if y
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The results for the Karnataka PGCET exam 2025 are scheduled to be released in the month of July. After that, the counseling process for PGCET is scheduled between August and October. Candidates who have appeared for the Karnataka PGCET exam are advised to check the official website during July to re
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The syllabus for the Karnataka PGCET exam is comprised of 4 subjects including, Computer Awareness, Analytical Ability & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Analysis, English Language and General Knowledge. Candidates are advised to get the latest study material for the General Knowledge part of the syl
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
According to the available cutoff data for MBA courses at JSS Science and Technology University, the MBA in Retail Management course has the lowest cutoff for admissions. However, there is a drastic increase in the cutoff for the MBA in Retail Management between 2023 and 2024. The increase in cutof
S
Contributor-Level 10
Karnataka PGCET Notifications
Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) will release the Karnataka PGCET question papers. With the release of the information brochure and notification for the exam, KEA releases Karnataka PGCET previous year's question papers. Candidates can use the previous year question papers for Karnataka PGCET preparation. These question papers comprise all the questions that appeared in the previous examination sessions. With the help of Karnataka PGCET sample papers, aspirants can prepare according to the pattern, difficulty standards, important topics and more.