KEA PGCET 2026 counselling to be held in November for MBA, other courses

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is scheduled to conduct the PGCET 2026 counselling in two rounds during November 2026. This process supports admissions to MBA, MCA, ME/MTech, and M.Arch courses across approximately 300 participating colleges in Karnataka.

Candidates who appeared for the Karnataka PGCET 2026 examinations, held in May, and whose results were released on August 19, 2026, are eligible to participate. The counselling process involves several stages, including document verification, seat matrix display, option entry, and seat allotment.

Overview of PGCET 2026 Counselling Process

The Karnataka PGCET 2026 counselling will be conducted in two distinct rounds, both scheduled for November 2026. The thorough process requires candidates to complete registration and undergo document verification. Following this, the seat matrix and fee structure will be displayed, enabling candidates to proceed with the option entry phase, where they select their preferred colleges and courses.

The counselling procedure also includes the publishing of mock allotment results, providing an opportunity for candidates to modify their option entries. This is followed by the final seat allotment results for each round, choice exercising by students, fee payment, and at last reporting to the allotted institutes. The official KEA PGCET 2026 portal, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in, will host all necessary updates and schedules.

Eligibility Criteria and Participating Institutes

For full-time MBA programs, general category candidates are required to have a minimum aggregate score of 50% in their bachelor’s degree, while reserved category candidates need a minimum aggregate of 45%. Candidates aspiring for part-time MBA programs must possess a post-qualification work experience of at least three years as of July 31, 2026. The qualifying degree must have a minimum course duration of three years.

Around 300 institutes are expected to participate in the counselling process, offering admission to various postgraduate courses. In the previous admission cycle, more than 45 colleges offered MBA admission to candidates with ranks between 5,000 and 10,000, and over 35 colleges admitted candidates with ranks between 10,000 and 15,000. Candidates with ranks ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 can anticipate several MBA college options in Karnataka. Candidates are advised to review previous-year cutoff trends as a reference, though these may vary for 2026.

Key Dates and Examination Schedule

The Karnataka PGCET 2026 application form was tentatively released in April 2026, with the application and fee payment deadlines tentatively set for May 2026. The examination for ME/M.Tech/M.Arch was held on May 23, 2026, and for MCA/MBA on May 14, 2026. Admit cards were tentatively released in May and June 2026 for different streams. The answer key was tentatively released in June 2026, and the results were officially released on August 19, 2026.

The counselling schedule for both rounds will be conducted in November 2026. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official KEA website for precise dates and further instructions regarding registration, document verification, and option entry.

Further reading

• Karnataka PGCET 2026 counselling dates not yet announced by KEA
• Karnataka PGCET 2026 Counselling Schedule Released; Mock Allotment on Sept 17 at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in
• Karnataka PGCET 2026 Draft Seat Matrix Released: Over 58,000 Seats for PG Admissions via KEA Counselling
• Assam CEE 2026 Spot Round Counselling Dates Out: Check Dates, How to Participate & Other Details
• Karnataka PGCET 2026 Seat Matrix OUT: 58,000+ Seats for MBA, MCA, ME, MTech, MArch via KEA Counselling

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →