The latest published allotment cycle and cutoff evidence
KEA’s official UGCET-2026 portal lists a third-round provisional cutoff link dated 4 September 2026, followed by a third-round final seat-allotment result dated 7 September and a notice on seats remaining after the third round dated 8 September. The portal therefore provides a concrete 2026-27 cycle trail: cutoff rows are tied to an allotment stage, and a provisional cutoff list is not the same document as the final allotment result. As of 27 October 2026, these links describe a completed 2026 engineering allotment cycle, not an open counselling window.
KEA’s portal identifies the cutoff documents as programme-specific files; its third-round provisional area includes separate engineering and special-category links. The linked official PDF could not be retrieved in this research session, so this page does not republish numeric 2026 closing ranks or imply that a provisional row was final. This is a limitation on the exact table values, not a claim that KEA failed to publish them. Candidates making a historical comparison should open the relevant official KEA PDF directly and check its heading, generated date, round, seat type and language before relying on a row. The source portal is KEA’s UGCET-2026 page.
A cutoff is a closing rank for one exact seat and round
For engineering counselling, the useful value is the closing rank for a particular college, course, seat type or category, geographic pool and allotment round. It is not a KCET examination mark, a universal qualifying score or a guarantee for the next year. A rank row can differ by course code, college code, reservation category, rural or Kannada-medium seat type, Kalyana-Karnataka eligibility and round. The number is only comparable after those labels match. A missing dash is not a zero rank, and a rank printed with a decimal should not be rounded away. Preserve the original row labels when quoting a result.
KEA may publish provisional cutoffs before a final allotment outcome and may publish different documents for special categories or seat pools. Read the title and status printed on the file, not just the filename or a search-result headline. A provisional table can help a candidate understand the current stage, but it should not be described as the final cutoff unless KEA calls it final. The 2026 portal’s distinction between the 4 September third-round provisional cutoff link and the 7 September final seat-allotment result makes this difference visible. The final allotment result tells an individual candidate their seat; the public cutoff table helps compare the last ranks associated with seat outcomes.
Engineering merit and cutoff rank are separate questions
KEA’s 2026 information bulletin describes the engineering and technology merit calculation using performance in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from both the CET and the qualifying examination in equal proportions, subject to the bulletin’s detailed rules and tie-break sequence. The official rank is therefore the number to use in an allotment table; estimating a rank from KCET marks alone omits the board component and the authority’s calculation. This formula is cited as the 2026 rule. Applicants should use the next bulletin for the next cycle, since subjects, weights, eligibility clauses or tie-break details can be changed by the authority.
Admission eligibility and competitive cutoff are also distinct. A candidate may meet minimum academic and document requirements but not receive a particular course at a past closing rank. A candidate whose rank appears competitive may still lack a valid seat-category claim or programme eligibility. Check the current bulletin, category certificates, eligibility clauses and counselling instructions separately. Cutoff tables do not explain every eligibility decision and do not replace a candidate’s KEA result or allotment letter. For courses outside engineering and technology, do not assume the same rank calculation: architecture, medical and other professional programmes may use a different qualifying test or merit process.
How to use the 2026 rows without turning them into a forecast
To compare a 2026 row, first identify the candidate’s official KEA rank and eligibility. Then select the exact college code, course code and category or seat type in the relevant cutoff file. Confirm whether the list is Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, provisional or final, and whether its geographic scope is Rest of Karnataka or another pool. Compare only like-labelled rows. If you are comparing two rounds, keep the same college, programme and seat type; a change between rounds is an allotment outcome shaped by the seats and candidate choices in that round, not proof that the course itself changed quality.
Historical cutoffs are best used to organize a preference list, not as odds. A later closing rank in one year does not promise that the same rank will be admitted in another year. The number of seats, candidate preferences, eligibility verification, category documents, surrendered seats and round-specific rules can all affect the result. List courses you would genuinely accept and use the current choice-entry rules to order them. Do not exclude an acceptable choice solely because one historical round was tighter, and do not select a course based only on a favourable old number.
KEA’s 8 September notice states that seats remaining after the 2026 third round were identified separately. That status is different from an additional online round; use the authority’s notice to learn whether a particular seat returned to a college or remains under KEA allotment. Do not assume that every empty seat in a third-round list is available through the same channel or at the same fee.
Limits of the 2026 table and the next cycle
This edition establishes the status of the 2026 engineering cutoff releases but does not reproduce numerical 2026 rows: the official cutoff PDF linked from KEA could not be retrieved for direct inspection during this run. The result and file links establish that documents were posted; they do not let this page verify the numeric contents. That is a retrieval limitation, not a claim that KEA did not publish ranks. Before relying on a particular figure, open the exact cutoff PDF from the official portal and verify the round, status, course code, college code, category and seat scope. The previous 2025-26 historical section is preserved separately on this route; it remains dated history and should not be silently carried into 2026 or 2027.
The official portal shows the 2026 third-round sequence and post-round seat notice. It does not establish a future 2027 bulletin, option-entry schedule or cutoff table as of 27 October 2026. When the next cycle is announced, compare those new official rows as a separate public edition. Do not project 2026 values or 2025 movements into future ranks. A student planning the next cycle should wait for KEA’s bulletin and seat matrix, then use the official result rank and current rules to build the list.