CET 2026 dates announced: Karnataka entrance exam in April

Higher Education and Medical Education Ministers release CET 2026 information bulletin, announce exam dates, application timeline, language test schedule, and a full calendar of entrance exams conducted by KEA.

The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) on Friday released the official information bulletin for the Common Entrance Test (CET) 2026, providing clarity to lakhs of students preparing for professional course admissions. The CET direction booklet was released at around 12.30 pm at the KEA office by Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar and Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil.

Following the release, Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar announced major updates related to CET 2026. He confirmed that the Common Entrance Test will be conducted in April, spread over two days- April 23 and April 24. On April 23, candidates will appear for Physics and Chemistry, while Mathematics and Biology exams are scheduled for April 24. Each subject will carry 60 marks.

The minister announced that the online application process for CET 2026 will begin on January 17. He said the newly released direction booklet will guide students through the entire application and counselling process, helping them avoid mistakes during admissions.

Dr Sudhakar said the booklet is a strong step towards clearing confusion among students, especially those from rural areas. Despite awareness efforts through social media and chat-based platforms, many students were making errors at various stages of counselling.

To address this, KEA has printed 3.75 lakh copies of the CET direction booklet, which will be distributed to students who need them.
He also said that the KEA office modernisation and inauguration of new conference halls are being carried out, calling it a new and necessary initiative to improve the functioning of the authority.

For students from outside Karnataka and border areas, a Kannada language test will be conducted on April 22, a day before the CET begins.

Along with CET, the minister also announced the schedule for other entrance examinations conducted by KEA. The KRIES Class 6 entrance exam will be held on March 1. PGCET for MBA and MCA courses is scheduled for May 14. PGCET for M.E and M.Tech, along with DCET for lateral entry engineering courses, will be conducted on May 23. Entrance exams for MSc Nursing, MPT and MSc Allied Health Sciences will take place on July 18. The Karnataka State Eligibility Test (KSET) is scheduled for October 11, while M-Pharma and M-Pharma D exams will be held on November 21.