The KEA UGCET-2026 bulletin sets four separate subject papers: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology. Each paper has 60 objective questions, carries 60 marks and runs for 80 minutes. Candidates use an OMR answer sheet; a correct answer earns one mark, a wrong answer has no negative mark, and marking more than one option for a question earns no mark. These are the 2026 rules for the 2026-27 admission cycle, not a promise that a later bulletin will keep the same format.
Four papers, each with its own time and marks
These are separate papers, not one 240-question paper with a single shared clock. In 2026, KEA scheduled Physics and Chemistry on the first day, then Mathematics and Biology on the next. Candidates take the subject combination applicable to their course; they do not sit all four papers by default. For example, Engineering uses Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, while several biology-oriented courses use Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The 2026 bulletin lists course-wise subject combinations, so check the table for your intended course rather than assuming that one combination applies to every KCET-linked programme.
OMR format and how answers are scored
Each paper is objective and has four options for each question. Each question carries one mark. KEA states that wrong answers are not negatively evaluated, but multiple answers marked for the same question receive no marks. There is no question choice: the bulletin expects candidates to attempt all questions to obtain the maximum possible marks. The practical distinction is between a single selected option, a blank and more than one marked option. A single incorrect response does not reduce the paper score, while double-marking does not earn the point.
Because answers are recorded on OMR, the test involves both solving and transferring responses accurately. KEA’s bulletin specifies filling the appropriate circle completely with a blue or black ink ballpoint pen and provides a specimen OMR sheet. In practice, keep the question number and OMR row aligned as you move through the paper; a correct solution marked against the wrong row will not be recorded as intended. Review the instructions printed on the actual booklet and answer sheet on test day, since those are the controlling directions for handling the form.
Each subject’s 80 minutes for 60 questions works out to an average of 80 seconds per question. That is a calculation from the official duration and count, not an official pacing rule. Use it as a rough checkpoint: if a question is taking much longer than a minute and twenty seconds, decide whether to continue or move on, while keeping enough time to shade answers carefully. Since a single wrong answer has no penalty in the 2026 scheme, leaving a question blank gives up a possible mark; however, marking two options on the OMR sheet is specifically not rewarded. This supports attempting every item while still taking care to select only one option.
Course combinations affect which papers you take
The combination is tied to the course category in the bulletin. For 2026, the listed combinations include PCM for Engineering, PCMB for Farm Science, PCB for Veterinary Science, BNYS and Nursing, and PCM or PCB for B.Pharm. and Pharm-D. The course-wise table is the safer reference if your intended programme is not in these examples. A candidate applying to more than one course category may need to account for more than one subject combination, so compare each course’s requirement before the exam timetable is released.
The Engineering rank calculation also uses more than the KCET paper alone. KEA’s 2026 bulletin says the Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics marks from CET and the qualifying examination are taken in equal proportions for Engineering and Technology ranking. In simple terms, the entrance-paper maximum of 180 across PCM is not by itself the final ranking basis. This matters when you interpret practice marks: a KCET mock score can show subject readiness, but it cannot be treated as a final rank prediction without the qualifying-exam component and the applicable ranking rules.
2026 exam-day schedule and the Kannada test
KEA’s published 2026 timetable placed Physics on 23 April from 10:30 am to 11:50 am and Chemistry the same day from 2:30 pm to 3:50 pm. Mathematics followed on 24 April from 10:30 am to 11:50 am, with Biology from 2:30 pm to 3:50 pm. These are completed 2026 dates, included to explain the two-day, four-session structure; they are not dates for a later KCET cycle.
KEA also scheduled a separate Kannada Language Test for Horanadu and Gadinadu Kannadiga candidates. The 2026 timetable listed it for 22 April, 10:30 am to 11:30 am, carrying 50 marks, at the specified district centres. It is not a fifth paper that all KCET candidates must take. Candidates to whom this test applies should confirm the applicable eligibility and centre instructions in the bulletin.
What to verify before using this pattern
Use KEA’s UGCET information bulletin and the current exam timetable as the authority for your admission year. Confirm the course-wise subject combination, the number of papers you personally need to take, OMR instructions, any special language test requirement, and any published schedule revision. KEA’s 2026 bulletin describes KCET 2026 for the 2026-27 admission cycle; a subsequent year’s pattern, exam days, or scoring details must be taken from that year’s official notice. The official schedule and bulletin are linked from the KEA website.