KMAT Kerala 2026: Registration, Exam Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus, Preparation, Pattern

No, IIM Khozhikode does not accept KMAT Kerala test scores for admission. If you want to get admission to the IIM, you will have to appear in the CAT exam. With the score of the KMAT Kerala test, you can get admission in about 129 management colleges in Kerala. You can get admission to the following top management colleges such as:

1. Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, Kochi
2. SCMS Cochin School of Business, Kochi
3. Amrita School of Business, Kochi
4. Toc H Institute of Science and Technology, Ernakulam
5. Marthoma College of Management and Technology, Ernakulam

Scope of the KMAT Kerala exam is:

1. KMAT Kerala scores are accepted by a wide range of management institutes and universities in Kerala for admission to their MBA programmes. Candidates who score well in the exam can secure admission to both government and private colleges based on their performance in the KMAT Kerala entrance exam.

2. The KMAT Kerala exam provides an opportunity to pursue MBA specializations such as, Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Operations, International Business, Information Technology, etc. 

3. The KMAT Kerala exam can be advantageous for aspiring entrepreneurs. An MBA degree instills individuals with the business knowledge and leadership skills required. 

4. The KMAT Kerala exam and subsequent MBA programme can significantly contribute to personal and professional growth. 

MBA and MCA course has the similar KMAT syllabus as follows:

1. English Language Usage and Reading Comprehension:

   • Grammar
   • Vocabulary
   • Reading Comprehension
   • Verbal Ability

2. Quantitative Aptitude:

   • Arithmetic
   • Algebra
   • Geometry
   • Trigonometry
   • Statistics
   • Data Interpretation

3. Data Sufficiency and Logical Reasoning:

   • Data Sufficiency
   • Logical Reasoning
   • Analytical Ability

KMAT Kerala application form 2026 is expected to be released in the second week of February 2026. The KMAT Kerala exam is conducted in two sessions. The first session is usually held in February and the second session is usually held in August/September. The complete schedule of the KMAT Kerala exam will be announced online. The KMAT Kerala exam is conducted twice a year in the computer-based test mode across various centres in Kerala.

Since the English Language  Usage and Reading Comprehension section includes reading comprehension passages, it can be considered a lengthy section. The English Language section does not only comprise of Reading Comprehension passages but also has various other topics such as Vocabulary, Grammar, Idioms, Phrases, Para Jumbles, Antonyms and Synonyms, etc. which make the section a lengthy one. However, there is a possibility of any other section to be lengthier.

KMAT Kerala exam 2026 (Session 1) is expected to be conductred in the third week of February 2026. The exam will be conducted in the computer-based test mode across various exam centres in Kerala. The exam conducting authorities will likely conduct the Session 2 exam in the last week of May 2026, also. 

Both sessions of the KMAT Kerala exam 2026 will be conducted in the CBT or the computer-based test mode. 

If you're a General/SEBC candidate, you need at least 72 marks out of 720 (10%) in KMAT Kerala to pass. But if you're from SC/ST/PWD category, you should get 54 marks (7.5%) to qualify. Only the aspirants who score above this criteria will be eligible for admission to the KMAT Kerala partiipating colleges. Candidates who are aspiring admission to top MBA colleges in Kerala must ensure that they meet the qualifying cutoff criteria in order to secure a seat and be eligible for the admission process. The admission completely depends on the total number of seats available in the college. 

The difficulty level of KMAT Kerala syllabus is moderate as compared to other MBA entrance exams. With good preparation and focus on exam pattern, students can score well. The exam has 180 questions which are to be solved within 150 minutes. The syllabus is still moderate as compared to other exams. The most important things to keep in mind are:

1. KMAT Kerala exam mode is online
2. Each question carries four marks
3. There is negative marking of minus one mark for wrong attempts 

There are four sections in the KMAT Kerala exam according to the KMAT Kerala exam pattern:

• Quantitative Aptitude
• Data sufficiency and Logical Reasoning
• English Language
• General Knowledge and Current Affairs

All the sections in the KMAT Kerala exam have multiple choice questions and the duration of the exam is 180 minutes or three hours. Each question in every section will have four choices and the candidates have to select one correct answer according to them. 

KMAT Kerala application form will be available on the official website - cee.kerala.gov.in. KMAT application form for the first session exam will likely be released in the first week of February 2026. Candidates can fill the KMAT Kerala form and pay the application fee online by creating a log ID. Given below is the process of how to fill the KMAT Kerala application form:

Step 1. Go to cee.kerala.gov. in website

Step 2. Click on 'New Registration' 

Step3. Enter name, date of birth, nationality, country, phone number and email ID 

Step 4. Click on submit

Step 5. The KMAT application ID and password will be shared on the registered email ID and the candidates can use it to fill the complete KMAT application form with details such as name, date of birth, gender, academic details, test city, course, etc.

Step 8. Upload recent passport size photo and signature

Step 9. Pay the application fee via debit/credit card, net banking or UPI wallet to complete the form submission process.

The third step in the KMAT Kerala application process is KMAT application fee payment. Candidates who have registered for the KMAT Kerala exam online and filled the KMAT Kerala application form can pay the application fee online using internet banking, credit card or a debit card. The application fee can also be paid through e-Challan. To pay through e-Challan the applicant needs to take printout of eChallan by clicking the link ‘Print e-Challan’. Payment can be made in cash at any of the Head and Sub Post Offices in Kerala. The e-Challan should be handed over to post office counter along with the required cash. The application fee for General and SEBC candidates is INR 1000/- (Rupees Thousand only) and in the case of SC/ST candidates and those eligible for SC/ST benefits is INR 750/- (Rupees Seven Hundred and fifty only). After successfully paying the application fee candidates must take a printout of the fee receipt. If the payment was successful, the ‘Pay Application Fee’ tab in the candidate’s home page turns green. Candidates are advised to login to the website and examine the ‘Pay Application Fee’ tab to make sure that the fee payment status has been updated.

The KMAT Kerala application fee can be paid through two modes:

1. Online Payment
2. e-Challan

Online Payment: Candidates who have an Internet banking account, Credit card or Debit card can pay the KMAT Kerala application fee online. On successful payment, the candidate will be guided back to the home page wherein he/she will find the ‘Pay application Fee’ tab at the top turned green and can proceed to uploading of photograph and signature. If the payment transaction was unsuccessful, a message to that effect will be displayed on the screen and the candidate would be guided back to the homepage. On the other hand, if the candidate fails to receive the final confirmation (success or failure) message and is uncertain about the outcome of the transaction due to communication failure or otherwise, he/she can re-login to the home page and inspect the ‘Pay Application Fee’ tab at the top to see if it’s green or not. If it has not turned green, the payment has not succeeded and the candidate may try front line payment afresh or resort to the e-Challan payment mode. If the candidate’s account is debited for an unsuccessful transaction, the amount will be reverted to his/her account within five working days.

e-Challan Payment (Post Office): If the mode of payment selected is e-Challan, the applicant needs to take printout of eChallan by clicking the link ‘Print e-Challan’. Payment can be made in cash at any of the Head and Sub Post Offices in Kerala. The e-Challan should be handed over to post office counter along with the required cash. The post office’s official will make necessary entries both in their online portal and e-Challan form. The counter foil of the e-Challan must be collected back from the post office official. It must be ensured that the official has recorded the Transaction ID pertaining to the payment on the counter foil of the e-Challan and put the office stamp and his/her initials at the designated places on the counterfoil. If the payment was successful, the ‘Pay Application Fee’ tab in the candidate’s home page turns green. Candidates are advised to login to the website and examine the ‘Pay Application Fee’ tab to make sure that the fee payment status has been updated by the post office official. If the payment tab has not turned green, the candidate should immediately contact the post office
concerned and get the payment status updated.

If you have a good study plan, you can study independently at home for the KMAT Kerala exam. This exam is conducted around two times a year and is relatively easier than other exams. The following is advice from professionals on how to create an KMAT Kerala plan:

• Using the KMAT Kerala syllabus as a guide, make a list of the subjects that the study materials must cover.
• Plan your study time on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis according to the time available.
• Analyze previous KMAT Kerala tests to note important topics.
• You can find a mentor to assist you or join any online study group.
• To enable thorough planning, assign a time limit to each section.
• Start reading newspaper and magazine editorials to gain a command of the English language and GK section.
• For the quantitative section, read the basic concepts and formulas from school textbooks.
• Examine your progress through mock tests on a monthly basis.
• Keep analyzing and improving your score over time until test day.
• Set your score to meet the cutoff for the college to which you want to apply.

KMAT Kerala 2026 application form will likely be released in the last week of January 2026. The KMAT Kerala application fee is INR 1000 for all courses. But, the candidates who belong to SC and ST categories are eligible to avail a fee concession. Candidates belonging to the SC category need to pay an application fee of INR 500. Candidates belonging to the ST category do not have to pay any application fee. The candidates applying for the KMAT Kerala exam can pay the application fee online, through internet banking, credit card, debit card or UPI. They can also pay the KMAT Kerala application fee through e-Challan by clicking on the “Print e-Challan” tab while paying the application fee. Payment can be made in cash at any head or sub-post office in Kerala.

According to the KMAT Kerala eligibility criteria, there is no upper or lower age limit prescribed by the KMAT Kerala exam conducting authority. Candidates of all ages can appear for the KMAT Kerala exam. However, they must fulfil the below-mentioned eligibility criteria:

• Candidates must have completed their graduation (three-year bachelor's degree) from a recognised university in any discipline. 

• Candidates must have obtained the stipulated aggregate of all subjects by respective universities that they wish to apply to in their final year qualifying degree exam.

• Candidates who are in the final year of their graduation are also eligible to apply, however, they must provide their Graduation certificate at the time of admission as proof of qualification.

• Candidates in the final year of their graduation are also eligible to apply. 

KMAT Kerala answer key 2024 will be released online immediately after the exam. The candidates can raise objections in the objection-raising window. The objections raised by the candidates against the KMAT Kerala answer key will be considered and if there are any changes, then a notice will be released mentioning the corrected answers and errors. Students who appeared for the KMAT Kerala exam can download the answer key using their login credentials. 

Once the KMAT Kerala results are announced, candidates who match the cutoff criteria are then called for the further selection process which includes Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). Check out the table below to know the KMAT Kerala Selection Criteria weightage.

If the candidate notices any error or discrepancy on your KMAT Kerala admit card, he/she should immediately contact the exam conducting authority, Commissioner of Entrance Examinations (CEE) or the helpdesk mentioned on the official website. Provide them with the necessary details and request the necessary corrections to be made as soon as possible. The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations will not entertain any request for change of the date of entrance examination once declared. The centre details can also not be changed once the admit card has been issued to the candidates. 

Hence, to avoid any hassle on the exam day, candidates should check their admit cards as soons as they are released. If in case there are any discrepanices, then, they should be immediately reported to the office of CEE. 

The KMAT Kerala admit card is released on the official website of CEE Kerala. Candidates who have successfully filled out the KMAT Kerala application form can download their admit cards online. The following is the process to download the admit card:

1. Visit the official website of CEE Kerala
2. Click on the "KMAT Candidate Login" button
3. Now, fill in the Application Number and Password along with the Access Code
4. Click on admit card link
5. KMAT Kerala admit card will appear on the screen, download it on your desktop
6. Get a print copy of the admit card to carry on the exam day

The admit card can be download on a smartphone, laptop, desktop and tab but it is advised to download the admit card on your laptop or desktop. 

Yes, candidates can get a copy of the KMAT Kerala admit card if they happen to lose the original. They can re login on the candidate portal and download a copy of the KMAT admit card. The admit cards can be downloaded till the exam day. 

If they loose the admit card after the exam, then they will not be issued a duplicate admit card. They can request the authorities but the admit card is stamped on the exam day, hence, authorities may not reissue.

The following documents are required for the KMAT Kerala exam day:

• KMAT Kerala admit card 
• KMAT Kerala application form
• Blue/Black ball point pen
• Photo ID proof issued by the Government of India such as Voter ID, Passport, Aadhar Card, etc. 

Candidates must reach the KMAT Kerala exam centre at least an hour before the exam in order to avoid issues during the exam day. 

The important DON'Ts are:

1. Do not reach late to the exam centre. Ensure that you reach the exam center well before the scheduled reporting time. Arriving late may lead to disqualification or not being allowed to enter the exam hall.

2. Do not forget KMAT admit Card. Make sure to carry a printout of your KMAT Kerala admit card/hall ticket to the exam center. Students without the admit card will not be allowed to enter the centre. 

3. Do not carry prohibited items such as electronics, study material, notes, bags, or any other items that are not allowed as per the exam guidelines.

4. Do not engage in cheating,or malpractice and refrain from any form it. 

5. Do not ignore exam instructions. Listen carefully to the exam invigilator's instructions before starting the exam.

6. Do not leave before reviewing the answers and check the answers

On the KMAT Kerala exam day, candidates have to follow certain guidelines which include reaching on time, cooperating with the exam centre staff, following instructions of the test invigilator and following the test navigation for solving the KMAT Kerala questions. There are some key dos and don'ts that candidates should follow on the KMAT Kerala exam day, which have been listed below:

KMAT Kerala exam day dos:

1. Reach the examination centre at the reporting time mentioned on your KMAT Kerala admit card.
2. Carry two copies of the KMAT Kerala admit card, one photo ID card and passport size photos
3. PwD candidates should carry the relevant certificates and documents as prescribed by the examination authorities. 
4. Carry a blue/black ball point pen for signing the attendance sheet
5. Carry personal drinking water, hand sanitizer, face masks and gloves
6. Cooperate with the test centre staff and follow instructions during entry
7. Candidates must write their name and roll numbers on the rough sheet provided by the invigilator and sign on it

It is important to carry the following necessary documents:

1. KMAT Kerala Admit Card: The most important document to be carried to the exam hall is the KMAT Kerala admit card. Make sure to carry a printout of your KMAT Kerala admit card/hall ticket. The admit card serves as proof of candidature and allows students to enter the examination hall.

2. Photo ID Proof such as Passport, Aadhar Card, Driving License, PAN Card, Voter ID Card, College/University ID Card 

3. Passport size photograph: Carry recent passport-size photographs. These may be required for identification and verification purposes at the exam center.

No, candidates cannot change the exam centre after the KMAT Kerala admit card has been issued. Applicants cannot take the exam at any other centre other than the one mentioned in their admit card, either. So they must make an informed decision at time of selecting their KMAT test city in the KMAT Kerala application form. They should select only those cities where they can make arrangement of stay on the KMAT Kerala exam day. Candidates should choose their home city or city of current residence as the first test city. The examination authorities try to allot the test centre to a candidate as per their first preference. However, sometimes if there are not enough number of applicants for a city, the centre may be cancelled there and candidates are allotted a test centre in the next city of preference. If at a particular exam centre in a city has already been filled with candidates, then the remaining students are allotted a test city in the next city of preference.

The validity of the KMAT Kerala scorecard is for the current session of the year in which the exam was conducted. This means that the scorecard is generally valid for admission in the same year of the exam and the scores of the particular session will be considered for admission in which the students has appeared for. 

That is, if the candidate appears for the KMAT Kerala exam for Session 1 exam, the scorecard he/she receive will be valid for admissions in that same year. 

It's important to note that the KMAT Kerala exam is conducted twice a year, mostly in February and June/July. Therefore, if the cadidate appears for the February session, then the scorecard will be valid for admissions for the Feb session only. 

The exam is conducted in two sessions, hence, the second session result was released on June 5, 2025. The KMAT Kerala result 2025 was released online on the official website of CEE. KMAT Kerala result 2025 for the first session was released on March 7, 2025.

Check below the steps to know how to check the KMAT Kerala result:

1. Go to the CEE website

2. Click on 'MBA KMAT 2025: Candidate Portal'

3. Enter the application number and password

4. Download the KMAT Kerala scorecard and check the ranks

KMAT Kerala score is determined on the basis of correct answers marked by aspirants in the KMAT Kerala exam. For each correct answer, candidates are awarded four marks. For an incorrect answer, one mark is deducted from the candidates' total score. This means that for four incorrect answers, four marks are deducted from the total score. And for four correct answers, 16 marks will be added to the score. The raw score of students is scaled with reference to the total number of students appearing in the exam. Based on the KMAT Kerala score of aspirants they will be offered admission to the management institutions compared to others who have appeared in the test.

Yes, one can refer to CAT books for KMAT Kerala exam preparation. The KMAT Kerala and CAT are both management entrance exams. Both CAT and KMAT Kerala share major parts of the exam sections, such as quantitative aptitude, verbal reasoning, and logical reasoning skills. However, the difficulty level of CAT is higher than KMAT Kerala. Some of the best books for KMAT include:

• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Agarwal
• How to Prepare for Quantitative for the CAT by Arun Sharma
• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
• Logical Reasoning by Arihant
• NCERT Mathematics books for Class 9 and 10
• Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning

KMAT Kerala marking scheme is straightforward. If the candidates can recall their attempts or have the answer key with them then they can calculate their KMAT Kerala raw score by adding and subtracting scores as per correct and incorrect attempts. Check KMAT Kerala marking scheme below:

1. For every correct attempt, 4 marks is awarded and for every incorrect answer, 1 mark is deducted.
2. For every unanswered question, the candidate will be marked zero.

Given below is the process of calculating the KMAT Kerala score with the help of the KMAT Kerala answer key. The first two sections (QA and English Language Usage) of the KMAT Kerala question paper has 50 questions and the last two sections (Data Sufficiency and Logical Reasoning and General Knowledge) have 40 questions each. So suppose in Quantitative Techniques section you got 34 questions right, 2 questions wrong and skipped 4 questions. So, your score will be 134 out of 200. Similarly, calculate the score of other sections. After the add all four to arrive at the overall raw score. For example, you scored 134, 144, 120 and 140 in four sections, then your sum total will be 538/720. 

KMAT Kerala application form is available on the official website - cee.kerala.gov.in. The KMAT application form for the first session exam has released on February 1, 2025. Candidates can fill the KMAT Kerala form and pay the application fee online by creating a log ID. The application process for KMAT Kerala exam 2025will continue for approximately two week. The last date ot register for the exam was February 14, 2025. The KMAT Kerala exam date and registration schedule was also announced online. Given below is the brief description of how to fill the KMAT Kerala application form:

Step 1. Go to cee.kerala.gov. in website

Step 2. Click on 'New Registration' 

Step3. Enter name, date of birth, nationality, country, phone number and email ID 

Step 4. Click on submit

Step 5. Application ID and password will be shared in email which can be used to fill the complete application form with details such as name, date of birth, gender, academic details, test city, course, etc. 

Step 6. Upload recent passport size photo and signature

Step 7. Pay application fee via debit/credit card, net banking or UPI wallet to complete the form submission process.

The KMAT Kerala exam is conducted by the Commissioner of Entrance Exams (CEE) on behalf of the Kerala Government. CEE is responsible for organizing the exam, setting the exam pattern, conducting the test, and releasing the results. They are also involved in coordinating the admission process based on the KMAT Kerala scores for various management programs offered by participating institutes in the state of Kerala. The exam is a gateway for admissions to various management schools across the state of Kerala.

CEE also conducts various other entrance exams also for admission to various universities and institutes in the state of Kerala such as Kerala Engineering Architecture and Medical exam (KEAM) which is conducted for admission to engineering courses at various colleges in Kerela that are approved by the Central and State Regulatory Bodies. CEE also conducts entrance exams for courses such as BTech, BArch, BPharma, MSc, LLB, LLM, MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BSMS, PGA, PGM, etc. 

Candidates who shall have registered successfully for the KMAT Kerala exam will be issued an admit card which the main document of identification for appearing in the test. The KMAT Kerala admit card is released in online mode at the CEE-KMAT Kerala website. Candidates are required to download their respective admit card from the CEE-KMAT Kerala website only. The hardcopy of KMAT Kerala admit card will not be issued to any candidate. Every candidate is supposed to download the soft copy of their KMAT Kerala admit card from the CEE website. To download the admit card, candidates will have to log on to the CEE-KMAT Kerala website, click on the admit card and enter login credentials. The KMAT Kerala admit card download link will be shared by Shiksha also. 

This is how students can prepare for KMAT Kerala exam:

1. Understand the exam pattern, type of questions, difficulty level, and marking scheme in the KMAT Kerala question paper.
2. Candidates must devise a study plan in a way that it allocates sufficient time for each section of the exam. WIth deligence they should follow the timetable and cover the syllabus.
3. Practising previous year's question papers and KMAT mock tests can help the candidates to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This will, also, increase accuracy and speed required for KMAT exam.
4. Dedicating enough time to revision can be very helpful. Review short notes, formulae, and important concepts
5. Lastly, stay calm and stay motivated.

KMAT Kerala result is announced at the CEE-KMAT Kerala website Candidates who appear for the test can download their scorecards from the official website by using their login credentials. The KMAT Kerala result download link is made alive after the exam on the official website in about two to three weeks of the exam. Given below is the process to follow for downloading the KMAT Kerala result.

1. Visit the official website of KMAT Kerala exam
2. Click on the 'Candidate Login-KMAT Kerala' button on the homepage
3. Enter the application number and password
4. Now, feed in the access code 
5. Click on the Login button
6. Click on the 'Download KMAT Kerala Rank Card'
7. Download the KMAT Kerala result PDF

The consolidated KMAT Kerala PDF will be available on the official website too. But, the candidates can download their individual scorecards from the official website by following the steps mentioned above.

KMAT Kerala is held in about 14 cities across Kerala. The candidates should choose the test cities in order of their preference. They should choose the test city carefully as the request to change the test city later may or may not be accepted due to non-availability of seats at the centres in that particular city. Given below are the cities where KMAT Kerala exam is usually held.

1. Thiruvananthapuram
2. Kochi
3. Kozhikode
4. Thrissur
5. Kottayam
6. Kannur
7. Malappuram
8. Alappuzha
9. Palakkad
10. Pathanamthitta
11. Idukki
12. Kasargod
13. Wayanad
14. Ernakulam