KCET 2026 Pass Percentage: Category and Stream-Wise Statistics

KCET 2026 pass percentage is 73.6%, with 1,51,110 students securing a valid CET rank out of the 2,05,312 who appeared for the exam on April 16 and 17, 2026.

Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) declared the KCET 2026 result on June 5, 2026, along with the official statistical report covering overall, category-wise, and stream-wise pass percentage data. This breakdown helps students gauge their performance relative to peers and understand eligibility for KEA seat allotment across engineering, pharmacy, farm science, and other professional courses.

• KCET 2026 was held on April 16 and 17, 2026 for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.
• The exam carries 180 total marks — 60 each for Physics, Chemistry, and Maths/Biology.
• The overall KCET 2026 pass percentage is 73.6%, up from 71.8% in 2025.
• PCB stream students (76.8%) outperformed PCM stream students (72.1%) in pass percentage.
• Among categories, General Merit (GM) recorded the highest pass percentage at 77.2% while ST students recorded 61.3%.
• Chemistry was the highest-scoring subject with an 83.1% pass rate; Mathematics had the lowest at 65.7%.

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KCET 2026 Pass Percentage Overview

KEA published the KCET 2026 official statistical report alongside the result on June 5, 2026. Of the 2,18,450 students registered, 2,05,312 appeared and 1,51,110 secured a valid CET rank, translating to a pass percentage of 73.6%. Students who obtain a CET rank are eligible to participate in the KEA counselling and seat allotment process.

The KCET 2026 pass percentage marks a steady improvement over the last two years. Every student who appears in KCET and scores above zero in the relevant subjects receives a CET rank, making the pass percentage an indicator of active participation and minimum score achievement rather than a cut-off-based filter.

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KCET 2026 Category-Wise Pass Percentage

KEA releases category-specific qualification statistics as part of its annual result report. General Merit (GM) students recorded the highest KCET 2026 pass percentage at 77.2%, while ST students recorded the lowest at 61.3%. All categories showed improvement compared to their 2025 figures.

The gap between GM and SC/ST pass percentages has narrowed slightly in 2026, reflecting the positive impact of government-sponsored coaching initiatives for reserved category students. Karnataka’s reservation policy ensures dedicated seat allocation for each category regardless of pass percentage, so students in all categories with a valid CET rank are eligible for counselling.

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KCET 2026 Stream-Wise Pass Percentage

KCET 2026 was conducted for two groups — PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) for engineering admissions and PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) for medical, dental, pharmacy, and farm science admissions. PCB stream students recorded a higher pass percentage of 76.8%, compared to 72.1% for PCM stream students.

Chemistry is consistently the highest-scoring KCET subject, with 83.1% of students achieving qualifying marks in 2026. Mathematics remains the toughest subject with only 65.7% achieving qualifying marks — a trend that has held for several consecutive years. PCB stream students benefit from the relatively higher scoring nature of Biology (76.2%) compared to Mathematics, which explains the stream-level gap.

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Year-Wise KCET Pass Percentage Trend

Comparing year-on-year KCET pass percentage data reveals the broader performance trajectory of Karnataka’s engineering and medical aspirants. KCET 2026 marks the highest overall pass percentage in the last four years at 73.6%.

The upward trend from 2024 to 2026 suggests that students are adapting well to the KCET pattern, aided by better alignment of the Karnataka PUC curriculum with KCET question types. The dip in 2024 was followed by a consistent recovery, with 2026 showing the strongest performance across all streams.

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Factors Affecting KCET Pass Percentage

Several factors shape the KCET pass percentage each year. Students preparing for future attempts should keep these in mind:

• Mathematics difficulty: The toughness of the Mathematics paper directly drives the PCM stream pass percentage up or down. A harder paper in 2024 contributed to that year’s dip to 66.9% for PCM students.
• PUC syllabus alignment: KCET questions are mapped directly to the Karnataka PUC syllabus. Students who cover the full syllabus — particularly second-year PUC topics — have a substantially higher chance of qualifying.
• Number of appearing students: Since all students who score above zero in their respective subjects receive a CET rank, a larger appearing pool does not mechanically lower the pass percentage.
• Category-specific access to coaching: SC and ST students who attend KEA-recognised free coaching centres show measurably higher pass rates than those who do not.
• Mock test practice: Full-length timed mock tests improve performance particularly in Mathematics and Physics, where speed and accuracy under a 80-question/80-minute format are critical.
• Language medium: Students who appear in Kannada medium have access to the KCET paper in Kannada, which can improve comprehension accuracy and performance for those who studied in the state medium.