Karnataka: CET 2026 fee payment deadline extended to March 7; 3.47 lakh candidates registered this year

KEA allows candidates who completed registration but have not paid the application fee to complete payment through the official portal before the revised deadline.

The Karnataka Education Authority (KEA) has extended the deadline to pay the application fee for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) 2026 to March 7. Candidates who have already submitted their application forms but are yet to pay the fee can complete the payment through the official portal, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.

According to the latest update, the extension is applicable only to candidates who completed the registration process before the application window closed on February 27. No fresh applications will be accepted. Candidates who do not pay the application fee by the revised deadline will not be permitted to appear for the entrance examination.

As per an update by the KEA, a total of 3.47 lakh candidates have registered this year, of which 3.36 lakh have paid the prescribed fee. Another 9,000 candidates are yet to pay the fee, and the date has been extended for their convenience.

The correction window for application forms will remain open till March 20 and the candidates will not be able make any changes in their application forms beyond this deadline. 

The KCET is conducted for candidates seeking admission to undergraduate professional courses such as engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, and veterinary sciences in colleges across Karnataka. 

In 2025, 3.30 lakh candidates had registered for KCET, while 3.11 lakh appeared for the exam, and 2.75 lakh have qualified for admission to professional courses across the state.

This year, the examination will be conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode at various centres across Karnataka. The entrance test is scheduled to be held on April 23 and April 24, 2026. Admit cards are expected to be released by the second week of April.

Candidates are advised to keep checking the official website of KEA for any further updates.