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Karnataka Examination Authority has released the KCET 2025 eligibility criteria in the official notification. Applicants for admission to engineering courses are advised to check the KCET eligibility criteria before filling out the application form. The eligibility criteria for KCET 2025 include age limit, educational qualification, permanent residence criteria and other factors. All candidates must comply with the KCET eligibility criteria 2025. If the candidates do not comply with the eligibility criteria, they will be declared ineligible to appear in the KCET exam. KEA released the KCET application form 2025 on January 23. Applicants can fill in the KCET registration 2025 on the website kea.kar.nic.in. The last date to fill in the KCET application form is February 24. Applicants are advised to have all the documents ready as per the KCET eligibility criteria before filling the application form. KCET eligibility criteria 2025 are discussed in detail below; to know all the details, candidates can read the article below.
The table below has recorded all the important information regarding KCET Eligibility Criteria 2025.
| Criteria | Details |
| Nationality | Must be an Indian citizen. |
| Age Limit | No minimum or maximum age limit for most courses like B.Tech and B.Pharma. For B.V.Sc. & A.H., the candidate must be at least 17 years old as of December 31, 2025. |
| Educational Qualification | Must have passed 2nd PUC / 12th standard or equivalent with required subject combinations. |
| Qualifying Subjects | B.Tech/B.E.: Physics, Mathematics, and any one of Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, or Computer Science. B.Pharma: Physics, Chemistry, and either Biology or Mathematics. B.Arch: Mathematics is mandatory. |
| Minimum Marks Required | General category: Minimum 45% aggregate in required subjects. SC/ST/OBC candidates: Minimum 40% aggregate. For B.Arch: 50% for General, 45% for reserved categories. |
| Entrance Test Requirement | For B.Arch: A valid score in either NATA or JEE Main Paper 2 is required. For all other courses, appearing in KCET is mandatory. |
| Domicile/Nativity Criteria | Candidates must meet Karnataka domicile requirements. This includes studying in Karnataka for at least 7 years (from Class 1 to 12) or having a parent who studied or worked in Karnataka for a defined period. |
| Additional Course-Specific Notes | For B.V.Sc. & A.H.: Must appear for a practical test conducted by KEA. For Agriculture, Veterinary, and Fisheries courses: Merit is calculated based on 50 percent KCET score and 50 percent Practical Test score. |
| Attempt Limit | There is no restriction on the number of attempts for KCET. |
| Appearing Candidates | Students appearing in the 2nd PUC/12th in 2025 are also eligible to apply. |
Candidates can refer to the table below to check the course-wise eligibility criteria for participating in KCET 2025:
| Course | Eligibility Norms | Admission Criteria |
| B.E./B.Tech (Engineering) | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects and Chemistry/Bio-Technology/Biology/Computer Science/Electronics as optional subjects. Min 45% marks (40% for SC/ST/OBC). | Based on KCET score and counseling by KEA. |
| B.Arch (Architecture) | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with Mathematics as a compulsory subject and at least 50% aggregate in PCM (45% for reserved). Must have appeared for NATA or JEE Main Paper 2. | Based on NATA/JEE Paper 2 scores and separate architecture counseling. |
| B.Pharm (Pharmacy) | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with PCM or PCB and at least 45% marks (40% for reserved categories). | Based on KCET score and counseling by KEA. |
| Pharma-D (Doctor of Pharmacy) | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with PCM or PCB. Or Diploma in Pharmacy from PCI-approved institution. | Based on KCET score and counseling. |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) in Agriculture / Forestry / Sericulture / Horticulture | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with PCB and/or PCM. For agriculture quota: must take Practical Test conducted by KEA. | Based on KCET score and practical test (if applicable) and counseling. |
| B.Tech (Food Tech / Dairy Tech / Agricultural Engineering) | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with PCM and Biology. | Based on KCET score and counseling. |
| B.F.Sc. (Fisheries Science) | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with PCB or PCMB. | Based on KCET score and counseling. |
| B.V.Sc. & A.H. (Veterinary Science) | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with PCB and English. At least 50% marks (40% for reserved). | Based on KCET score and counseling. |
| Naturopathy & Yoga | Passed 2nd PUC/12th with PCB and English with at least 50% marks (40% for reserved). | Based on KCET score and counseling. |
| B.Sc. Nursing (Only for Karnataka candidates) | Passed 12th with PCB and English at least 45% aggregate (40% for SC/ST/OBC). | Based on KCET score and counseling. |
Apart from the general and academic KCET eligibility criteria prescribed by KEA, there is a domicile eligibility criterion which states that the candidate applying for KCET 2025 must be a resident of India and a permanent resident of Karnataka. KEA has prescribed certain conditions under the permanent resident criteria for KCET. Each condition is specified as a clause and is mentioned separately by a code. Along with this, details of specific documents required for each code are also given. See the table below.
| Clause Code | Eligibility Criteria | Required Documents |
| A | Candidate has studied in Karnataka for a minimum of 7 years from 1st to 12th standard. | Study Certificate from the Head of the Institution(s) for 1st to 12th standard. |
| B | Candidates studied 1st to 10th standard in Kannada medium in Karnataka. | Study Certificate for 1st to 10th standard in Kannada medium. |
| C | Candidate studied 1st to 10th standard in Kannada medium outside Karnataka. | Study Certificate for 1st to 10th standard in Kannada medium. Domicile Certificate of parent issued by the concerned authority. |
| D | Parent has studied in Karnataka for a minimum of 7 years. | Parent's Study Certificate from the Head of the Institution(s). |
| E | Parent is/was an employee of the Karnataka State Government or Government of India and has served in Karnataka for a minimum of one year. | Parent's Employment Certificate from the employer indicating the period of service in Karnataka. |
| F | Parent is/was an employee of the Karnataka State Government or Government of India and is transferable anywhere in India. | Parent's Employment Certificate indicating transferable service. Parent's Study Certificate for having studied for at least 7 years in Karnataka. |
| G | Parent is/was an employee of the Central Government or Government of India and has served in Karnataka for a minimum of one year. | Parent's Employment Certificate from the employer indicating the period of service in Karnataka. |
| H | Parent is/was an employee of the Central Government or Government of India and is transferable anywhere in India. | Parent's Employment Certificate indicating transferable service. Parent's Study Certificate for having studied for at least 7 years in Karnataka. |
| I | Parent is/was an employee of the Defense Services of India and has served in Karnataka for a minimum of one year. | Parent's Employment Certificate from the Defense Services indicating the period of service in Karnataka. |
| J | Parent is/was an employee of the Defense Services of India and is transferable anywhere in India. | Parent's Employment Certificate indicating transferable service. Parent's Study Certificate for having studied for at least 7 years in Karnataka. |
| K | Parent is/was a Member of Parliament elected from Karnataka. | Certificate from the Parliament Secretariat indicating that the parent is/was a Member of Parliament elected from Karnataka. |
| L | Parent is/was an All-India Service Officer allotted to Karnataka cadre. | Certificate from the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), Government of Karnataka, indicating that the parent is/was an All-India Service Officer allotted to Karnataka cadre. |
| M | The candidate is a child of a person who is a migrant from Jammu & Kashmir. | Certificate from the Jurisdictional District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner of any state in India indicating the migrant status. |
| N | Candidate studied 1st to 10th standard in Kannada medium outside Karnataka. | Study Certificate for 1st to 10th standard in Kannada medium.Domicile Certificate of parent issued by the concerned authority. |
| O | Parent is/was an employee of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and has served in Karnataka for a minimum of one year. | Parent's Employment Certificate from the Record Office of the CAPF unit indicating the period of service in Karnataka. |
The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has formulated a comprehensive reservation policy for KCET 2025 to ensure fair access to education. The policy outlines the seat allocation for various categories including SC, ST, OBC, EWS and Special Category. All the details are discussed in detail in the table below.
| Category | Reservation Percentage | Remarks |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 15% | Applicable to candidates with valid SC certificate issued by Karnataka government. |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 3% | Must produce valid ST certificate from Karnataka. |
| Category I (Cat-I) | 4% | Part of OBC category with separate reservation. |
| Category II A (Cat-IIA) | 15% | Applicable to OBC under IIA classification. |
| Category II B (Cat-IIB) | 4% | OBC candidates under IIB group. |
| Category III A (Cat-IIIA) | 4% | OBC candidates under IIIA group. |
| Category III B (Cat-IIIB) | 5% | OBC candidates under IIIB group. |
| Rural Candidates | 15% | For students who studied in rural areas from Class 1 to 10 in Karnataka. |
| Kannada Medium Students | 5% | For candidates who studied in Kannada medium from Class 1 to 10. |
| Hyderabad-Karnataka Region (Article 371J) | 8% | For candidates from Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari-Vijayanagara districts. |
| Physically Disabled (PwD) | 3% | Based on disability criteria of minimum 40% impairment. |
| Children of Defence Personnel (Ex-servicemen) | 10% | For children of serving or retired defense personnel with Karnataka domicile. |
| Jammu & Kashmir Migrants | 1 seat per college | Applicable for migrants from J&K settled in Karnataka. |
| Supernumerary Quota (SNQ) | 5% | For meritorious students with annual family income below 8 lakhs. |
Ans: Yes, you can apply for KCET 2025 even if you are from another state. However, you will not be eligible for reservation benefits and will be considered only under the general merit category.
Ans: Not always. KEA provides different eligibility criteria for students or government employees of Karnataka. So even if you have studied outside the state, you can still qualify under those criteria.
Ans: Of course! All students who are currently appearing for their 12th class (2nd PUC) board exams are eligible to apply. Make sure you meet all the required criteria after the results are declared.
Ans: A valid caste/class certificate issued by a competent authority in Karnataka will be required. For some special categories (such as Rural, Defense, or Kannada medium), additional documents will also be required at the verification stage.
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