KEA PGCET Counselling Dates 2026 (Soon): Expected Schedule, Option Entry & Process

Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test 2026 ( Karnataka PGCET )

Abhishek
Abhishek Dhawan
Deputy Manager - MBA & BBA Content
Updated on Aug 26, 2026 17:37 IST
Karnataka Examination Authority releases PGCET counselling dates for all admission rounds separately. KEA PGCET counselling dates are hosted on the official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/pgcet2026. Candidates missing the Karnataka PGCET counselling deadline will be marked inelgible for state level admissions in Karnataka.

KEA will soon release Karnataka PGCET counselling dates 2026. Candidates who got a PGCET rank will be allowed to participate in the PGCET counselling 2026 for MBA, MCA, and MTech admissions. Check PGCET counselling expected schedule, previous trends, option entry, mock allotment, and seat allotment details here.

Karnataka PGCET Counselling Dates 2026

Karnataka PGCET Counselling Dates 2026

PGCET Counselling Dates 2026: Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) will soon release PGCET counselling dates 2026. Karnataka PGCET counselling 2026 is the centralised admission process conducted for admission into MBA, MCA, ME, MTech, and MArch programmes. The Karnataka PGCET 2026 result was declared on August 19, 2026. As of now, KEA has not released the official counselling schedule. All candidates who got a rank can refer to the PGCET expected counselling dates prepared based on previous years' trends to plan ahead. The counselling process includes major stages such as PGCET 2026 claim slip issuance, seat matrix release, option entry, mock allotment, first-round seat allotment, choice filling, fee payment, and reporting to the allotted college. Check complete details on Karnataka PGCET 2026 counselling dates below.

 
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Table of contents
  • Karnataka PGCET Counselling Dates 2026
  • Karnataka PGCET Counselling Dates 2026: Previous Year Trends
  • Karnataka PGCET Counselling 2026 Process
  • What After Karnataka PGCET 2026 Seat Allotment?

Karnataka PGCET Counselling Dates 2026

The table below provides the timeline for all KEA PGCET counselling events:

PGCET Counselling Event Karnataka PGCET Counselling Dates 2026
Result declaration date for Karnataka PGCET 2026 August 19, 2026
Downloading of PGCET 2026 claim slip September 2026
Publication of Karnataka PGCET seat matrix at KEA portal Late August / September 2026
Karnataka PGCET round 1 option entry September 2026
Publication of PGCET mock allotment result Late September / Early October 2026
Provision to edit/modify options Late September / Early October 2026
Karnataka PGCET round 1 provisional seat allotment results October 2026
Release of Karnataka PGCET round 1 final seat allotment October 2026
Exercising choices by candidates selected in first round seat allotment  October 2026
Payment of admission fees by Choice 1 & Choice 2 candidates October 2026
Downloading admission order October 2026
Reporting to allotted college by Choice 1 candidates October 2026
Release of KEA PGCET second round counselling dates To be announced

Karnataka PGCET Counselling Dates 2026: Previous Year Trends

Candidates can analyse previous counselling cycles to understand the typical gap between the result declaration and the seat allotment stages:

Year PGCET Result Date First Round Option Entry Date First Round Seat Allotment Date
2024 September 28, 2024 October 30, 2024 November 12, 2024
2025 August 7, 2025 September 24, 2025 October 3, 2025 (Provisional)

Based on the previous two years, KEA typically commences the first-round option entry process approximately four to seven weeks after the declaration of the exam results. In 2024, option entry started about a month after results, whereas in 2025, option entry began roughly six to seven weeks after PGCET results were declared.

The timeline indicates that the first-round allotment is completed within two to three weeks after option entry begins. However, the actual 2026 dates will depend on KEA's official notification, and candidates should follow the official authority website for exact release dates.

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Karnataka PGCET Counselling 2026 Process

Karnataka PGCET 2026 counselling process is mentioned below:

  1. Issuance of Karnataka PGCET claim slip on the KEA portal.
  2. Publication of Karnataka PGCET seat matrix.
  3. KEA PGCET option entry process to choose college and course preferences.
  4. Publication of PGCET mock allotment result.
  5. Add, delete, reorder, or modify options.
  6. Publication of PGCET seat allotment results (provisional).
  7. Karnataka PGCET choice filling 2026.
  8. Payment of admission fee.
  9. Downloading the Karnataka PGCET admission order.
  10. Reporting to allotted college.

NOTE: Soon after Karnataka PGCET round 1 counselling concludes, KEA will release PGCET second round seat allotment dates.

What After Karnataka PGCET 2026 Seat Allotment?

Once KEA publishes the Karnataka PGCET seat allotment results, candidates must log in to the portal to exercise choices. KEA provides four choices to all candidates who get an allotment. Check details for Karnataka PGCET choice filling below:

Choice 1: Candidates select choice 1 if they are satisfied with the seat they have been allotted and do not wish to participate in the second round of PGCET counselling. These candidates must pay the required fee, download the confirmation slip, and report to the allotted college before the deadline.

Choice 2: Candidates opt for choice-2 if they are satisfied with the allotment; however, they still wish to consider the float option for a better allotment in round 2 counselling. Such candidates have to pay the fee; however, they need not download the confirmation slip and report at the allotted college. In case of a better allotment in round 2 PGCET counselling, seats allotted in the current round will be offered to the next best candidate.

Choice 3: Candidates opt for choice-3 if they are not satisfied with the round 1 allotment and are interested to participate in the second allotment round. Such candidates need not pay the admission fee. In case no college is allotted in round 2 counselling, such candidates will not be allowed to claim the seat from round 1 PGCET seat allotment

Choice 4: Candidates select Choice 4 if they are dissatisfied with their allotted seat and wish to withdraw from the Karnataka PGCET counselling process. Candidates who choose this option will not be eligible for any further rounds of Karnataka PGCET counselling.

Candidates satisfied with their allotment choose Choice 1, pay the tuition fee, download their admission order, and report to the assigned college. Candidates opting for higher preferences in subsequent rounds choose Choice 2 and pay the prescribed fee to retain their current allotment while participating in further rounds.

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About the Author
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Abhishek Dhawan
Deputy Manager - MBA & BBA Content

Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance

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Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered a month ago

Yes, aspirants are allotted seat in MBA based on Karnataka PGCET scores. Such candidates need to participate in KEA Counselling for seat allotment. Students need to provide course and college preference in the counselling form.

N

Nishtha Shukla

Guide-Level 15

Answered 2 months ago

The highest rank acceptable in 2025 was 16737 for the General AI category. So, students who have a rank below 16737 have a better chance of admission in the MBA/PGDM course. Students should know that the cutoff for other categories will vary. 

Note: Cut- off data is an estimate and not official. 

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

To get a seat at NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology for the MBA/PGDM course, students have to first appear for the Karnataka PGCET entrance exam and then for its counselling process to be considered eligible for admission. 

The Karnataka PGCET cutoff is released in the form of open and closing r

...Read more

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

To get a seat at this university for the MBA/PGDM course, students have to appear for the Karnataka PGCET entrance exam, followed by its counselling process. The cutoff is released in the form of ranks for various AI and HS quota categories. 

Candidates who clear the round, year and category-specific

...Read more

N

Neerja Rohatgi

Contributor-Level 10