KCET exam pattern, marking scheme and how to prepare
Karnataka Common Entrance Test
KCET has 60 multiple-choice questions per subject, 80 minutes each, and 1 mark per question with no negative marking, so each subject is out of 60 and the total is 180. Engineering takes Physics, Chemistry and Maths. The rank gives 50% weight to KCET and 50% to Class 12 (2nd PUC) marks.
At a glance
- Conducted by
- Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA)
- Mode
- Offline, OMR-based, over two days
- Questions
- 60 per subject
- Marking
- +1 correct, no negative marking
- Duration
- 80 minutes per subject
- Medium
- English and Kannada
Section-wise pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 60 | 60 |
| Chemistry | 60 | 60 |
| Mathematics or Biology | 60 | 60 |
Total 180 marks. Engineering takes Mathematics; Biology is for the other streams. The syllabus follows the 1st and 2nd PUC (Class 11 and 12) textbooks, largely aligned with NCERT.
How your rank is decided
Published summaries say the final rank gives 50% weight to your KCET score and 50% to your 2nd PUC marks. A strong Class 12 result is therefore half of your rank before you even sit KCET.
What the pattern means for you
- No negative marking: attempt all 180 questions.
- Every subject has equal weight (60 marks), so a weak subject costs as much as a strong one gains.
- Chemistry is reported to draw about 20% of questions from Class 11 and 80% from Class 12, so revise both years.
- 2nd PUC marks are half of your rank, so board preparation and KCET preparation are the same job.
Concepts to revise first
Each is a one-minute animated lesson, in English and Hindi, with the exam-style answer written out. They cover the Class 11 and 12 ideas this route tests; CogniGuru does not have KCET-specific question banks.
Physics
- Projectile Motion — why 30° and 60° land at the same spot
- Work, Energy, Power — why pushing a wall does zero work
- Why is the work done by centripetal force zero? — Class 11
- Torque vs Force — why pulling at an angle feels weaker
- Moment of Inertia — why a ring is harder to spin than a disc
- Simple Harmonic Motion vs Periodic Motion — why 'it repeats' isn't the test
- Electric Field vs Electric Potential — the vector and the scalar
- Why can electric field lines never cross? — Class 12
Chemistry
- Mole vs Molar Mass vs Avogadro's Number — Class 9
- Orbit vs Orbital — Class 11
- How to find sp, sp² or sp³ hybridisation — Class 11
- Electronegativity vs Electron Affinity — Class 11
- Le Chatelier's Principle Explained — Class 11
- Galvanic vs Electrolytic Cell — Class 12
- Molarity vs Molality vs Normality — does heating a solution change its concentration?
- Periodic Trends — why potassium is BIGGER than sodium despite more protons
Mathematics
- Function vs Relation — Class 11
- One-one vs Onto Functions — Class 12
- Domain vs Range — why one value can quietly break a function
- Definite vs Indefinite Integral — Class 12
- Differentiation vs Integration — two questions about the same curve
- Dot Product vs Cross Product — Class 12
- What is conditional probability? P(A|B) explained — Class 12
- Permutations vs Combinations — the one question that decides which formula to use
Biology
- Transcription vs Translation — Class 12
- Genotype vs Phenotype — can you tell someone's genotype just by looking at their phenotype?
- DNA vs RNA — the master copy never leaves the building
- Mitosis vs Meiosis — why your body runs two completely different kinds of division
- Photosynthesis vs Respiration — do plants really stop breathing in daylight?
- Codominance vs Incomplete Dominance — does a 'mixed' phenotype always mean the same thing?
- Why does the F2 generation show a 3 : 1 ratio? — Class 10
- Dominant vs Recessive Traits — does dominant mean more common, or recessive mean it vanishes?
Get my AI tutor for KCET concepts
An AI tutor that explains any Class 11 or 12 doubt one minute at a time, in English or Hindi. Join the waitlist.
Common questions
- Is there negative marking in KCET?
- No. For the 2026 cycle each correct answer gave 1 mark and wrong answers were not penalised.
- How many marks is KCET out of?
- 180: 60 questions each in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (or Biology), at 1 mark each.
- Do 2nd PUC marks count in KCET rank?
- Yes. Published summaries give 50% weight to the KCET score and 50% to 2nd PUC marks. Confirm in the KEA notification for your year.
- Will CogniGuru give me KCET mock papers?
- Not yet. CogniGuru explains the Class 11 and 12 concepts that KCET tests, one minute at a time, with the exam-style answer written out. It does not have KCET question banks or mock tests, so use the official previous papers for practice.
Check the official source
This describes the 2026 cycle as published. The brochure for your year decides everything, so confirm on the official site before you plan around any number. Official site: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.