KEAM 2026: CAP Option Registration Open till 4 July, Cutoff and College Predictor

KEAM 2026 Eligibility Criteria

You must meet all of the following conditions to appear for KEAM and participate in the seat allotment process. For the 2026 cycle, applications are closed — but the same criteria apply to future KEAM cycles.

Age Limit

You must be at least 17 years old as of December 31, 2026. There is no upper age limit for KEAM. Candidates who passed Class 12 in earlier years can apply in future cycles, as long as they meet the academic qualification requirements. Year of passing does not affect eligibility.

Educational Qualification

You must have passed Class 12 (or an equivalent examination recognized by CEE Kerala) with the following subjects:

• Physics — mandatory for Engineering (B.Tech) and Pharmacy (B.Pharmacy)
• Mathematics — mandatory for Engineering (B.Tech)
• Chemistry — mandatory for Engineering; Biology is an accepted alternative for Pharmacy

Minimum Class 12 Marks in PCM

Nationality and Domicile

You must be an Indian citizen. OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) and PIO (Person of Indian Origin) cardholders are also eligible. Kerala domicile is not mandatory to appear for KEAM — students from any state can register and write the exam. However, non-Kerala candidates are generally eligible only for Management quota or NRI quota seats in self-financing colleges during the CAP counselling. Government and Government-aided college merit seats are reserved for Kerala students.

Candidates from boards other than Kerala HSE — including CBSE, ICSE, and other state boards — must upload their Class 12 marks on the CEE portal within the mark entry window. Missing this step affects your index score and rank and cannot be corrected after the rank list is published.

KEAM 2026 Application Process

The KEAM 2026 application window closed on February 6, 2026. For candidates preparing for future KEAM cycles, here is how the registration works. The entire process is online at cee.kerala.gov.in.

• Step 1 — Registration: Create a login account using your mobile number and email address. You receive your application number at this step, which is needed for all future steps including admit card and CAP registration.
• Step 2 — Form Filling: Enter personal details, academic information, community and nativity details, and choose your preferred exam city and session.
• Step 3 — eKYC and Photo Verification: Complete Aadhaar-based eKYC verification through the candidate portal. Upload your live photo, signature, and thumb impression as specified.
• Step 4 — Document Upload: Upload Class 10 certificate (date of birth proof), Class 12 marksheet, community/caste certificate if applicable, income certificate for fee concession, and nativity certificate if claiming Kerala residency.
• Step 5 — Fee Payment: Pay the application fee online through net banking, UPI, debit card, or credit card. The application fee is non-refundable. SC candidates pay a reduced fee; ST candidates are exempt.
• Step 6 — Submission: Review all entries and submit. Download and save the confirmation page with your application details as proof of registration.

A one-time form correction window ran from March 14 to March 21, 2026. During this window, candidates could fix errors in date of birth, mobile number, email address, photograph, signature, and ID proof details. No changes are permitted after the correction window closes.

KEAM 2026 Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme

KEAM 2026 was conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode from April 17 to 22, 2026 — the first time KEAM moved from a pen-and-paper OMR format to a fully online CBT exam. The shift ran from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day. All questions are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with a single correct answer. The multi-shift format means CEE Kerala applied score normalization (Percentile Interpolated Average method) across sessions to ensure fairness for all candidates regardless of which shift they appeared in.

KEAM 2026 Exam Pattern — Engineering (B.Tech)

KEAM 2026 Exam Pattern — Pharmacy (B.Pharmacy)

Marking Scheme

Mathematics carries 50% of the KEAM Engineering paper with 75 questions. Strong Mathematics performance is the single biggest differentiator for a high KEAM rank — it boosts both the exam score component and, via the 5:3:2 ratio, the board marks component of your index score.

In previous years, KEAM had two separate papers — Paper 1 (Physics + Chemistry) and Paper 2 (Mathematics) — with the exam held over two sessions. The 2026 CBT format merged all three subjects into a single 3-hour session, reducing the total question count from 240 to 150.

Source: CEE Kerala — KEAM 2026 Information Bulletin

KEAM 2026 Syllabus

The KEAM syllabus is based on the Kerala Higher Secondary Education (HSE) Board curriculum for Classes 11 and 12. The three subjects are Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. The content closely matches NCERT, so candidates from CBSE and other boards can prepare from standard reference books with minimal additional effort for state-specific topics.

Mathematics Syllabus — 75 Questions, 50% Weightage

Mathematics has the highest exam weightage and also carries the most weight within the Class 12 board component via the 5:3:2 ratio. Priority topics:

• Calculus: Limits and continuity, differentiation, applications of derivatives, integration, definite integrals, area under curves, differential equations — consistently the highest-scoring area
• Algebra: Complex numbers, quadratic equations, sequences and series, permutations and combinations, binomial theorem, matrices and determinants
• Coordinate Geometry: Straight lines, circles, conic sections — parabola, ellipse, hyperbola
• Trigonometry: Ratios and identities, inverse trigonometric functions, equations, heights and distances
• Vectors and 3D Geometry: Vector algebra, direction cosines, lines and planes in 3D space
• Probability and Statistics: Classical and conditional probability, random variables, binomial distribution, measures of dispersion

Physics Syllabus — 45 Questions, 30% Weightage

• Mechanics: Kinematics, Newton’s laws, work and energy, rotation, gravitation — carries the highest weight within Physics
• Thermodynamics: Laws of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases, heat transfer
• Electricity and Magnetism: Electrostatics, current electricity, magnetic effects of current, electromagnetic induction, alternating current
• Optics: Ray optics and optical instruments, wave optics — formula-based topics, quick to revise
• Modern Physics: Dual nature of matter, atomic models, nuclear physics, semiconductor devices
• Waves and Oscillations: Simple harmonic motion, wave motion, sound waves

Chemistry Syllabus — 30 Questions, 20% Weightage

• Physical Chemistry: Atomic structure, chemical bonding, states of matter, thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, solutions — numerical practice is key
• Organic Chemistry: Basic organic chemistry, hydrocarbons, haloalkanes, alcohols and ethers, carbonyl compounds, amines, biomolecules, polymers — focus on reaction mechanisms and named reactions
• Inorganic Chemistry: Periodic table and periodicity, s-block and p-block elements, d-block elements, coordination compounds, metallurgy

The complete KEAM 2026 syllabus PDF is available on the official portal at cee.kerala.gov.in. Candidates preparing for KEAM 2027 should download the official syllabus document at the start of their preparation to avoid missing any updated topic.

KEAM 2026 Admit Card

The KEAM 2026 admit card was released on April 9, 2026 — about eight days before the first exam shift. Candidates downloaded their hall tickets by logging in at cee.kerala.gov.in with their application number and password. The admit card listed the exam centre address, session date and time, candidate photograph, application number, and important instructions for exam day conduct.

Before the admit card, CEE Kerala releases a city intimation slip that informs you of your exam city, allowing you to plan travel in advance. In 2026, the city intimation slip was released a few days before the admit card.

You must carry the KEAM admit card to the exam centre along with a valid government-issued photo ID — Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, or voter ID are all accepted. Entry to the exam hall is not permitted without the hall ticket. Photocopies of the admit card or ID are not accepted at the centre.

For future KEAM cycles, CEE Kerala typically releases the admit card 7 to 10 days before the first exam date. Since the exam is usually held in April, candidates should expect the admit card in late March or early April of the respective year.

KEAM 2026 Result and Rank List

The KEAM 2026 rank list was officially released on June 27, 2026, announced by Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M John. CEE Kerala published separate rank lists for Engineering and Pharmacy courses. You can download your KEAM 2026 rank card by logging in at cee.kerala.gov.in with your application number and password. The rank card shows your index score (out of 600), your normalized KEAM exam score, your board marks component, and your overall rank.

The rank list was initially expected on June 20, 2026 but was delayed to June 27 after CBSE released Class 12 revaluation results on June 21. CEE Kerala extended the board marks entry window so that candidates with revised CBSE scores could update their marks before rank computation — ensuring no candidate was disadvantaged by the timing of the board’s revaluation process.

KEAM 2026 Toppers

Rank List Key Facts

• The KEAM 2026 Engineering rank list includes 65,438 candidates — 33,405 female and 32,033 male.
• Separate rank lists are published for Engineering, Pharmacy, and Architecture (processed separately using NATA/JEE Paper 2 scores).
• Having a rank does not guarantee admission — you must register for CAP option registration and participate in allotment rounds to get a seat.

Source: OnManorama — KEAM 2026 results announced, June 27, 2026

KEAM 2026 Preparation Tips

KEAM 2026 has already been conducted. These tips are useful for candidates preparing for KEAM 2027, and also help current KEAM 2026 candidates understand the strategy behind top performance — particularly relevant now that the first-ever CBT format has shown its character.

1. Master Mathematics Before Anything Else

Mathematics has 75 questions — 50% of the KEAM Engineering paper. It also carries the highest weight in the Class 12 board component under the 5:3:2 ratio. This means strong Mathematics performance boosts both halves of your index score simultaneously — no other subject does that. Roshan Raju, who topped KEAM 2026 Engineering with 586.14 out of 600, consistently pointed to Mathematics mastery as the foundation of his preparation. Focus on Calculus and Algebra first, then Coordinate Geometry and Trigonometry.

2. Treat Board Marks as Part of the KEAM Exam

Class 12 PCM marks contribute 50% to your KEAM index score. Many candidates lose rank not because of a weak KEAM performance but because of average board marks. A student scoring 90%+ in PCM boards with a moderate KEAM score often outranks someone with a very high KEAM score paired with 70% board marks. Plan a schedule that balances board revision with entrance exam preparation — treat them as a single combined goal, not two separate things.

3. Use Kerala HSE and NCERT Textbooks

KEAM questions are closely aligned with the Kerala Higher Secondary Board syllabus. Start with NCERT textbooks for conceptual clarity, then use Kerala state board books for question patterns specific to KEAM. Many direct questions in Physics and Chemistry come from NCERT examples and end-of-chapter exercises. Do not skip the theory sections — KEAM tests conceptual understanding, not just problem-solving speed.

4. Recommended Books by Subject

• Mathematics: Mathematics for Class 11 and 12 by R.D. Sharma; Problems in Calculus in One Variable by I.A. Maron; S.L. Loney for Trigonometry and Coordinate Geometry depth
• Physics: Concepts of Physics Vol. I and II by H.C. Verma; Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday and Resnick; Objective Physics by Arihant for MCQ practice
• Chemistry: Physical Chemistry by P. Bahadur for numericals; Organic Chemistry by Morrison and Boyd; NCERT Chemistry textbooks for Classes 11 and 12

5. Solve Previous Year Papers and Mock Tests

Solving at least 5 to 7 years of KEAM previous year question papers is one of the highest-return activities. Previous papers show you the exact question style, topic weightage distribution, and time management benchmarks. CEE Kerala makes official question papers available on its website after each cycle. Since KEAM is now a CBT, also practice with computer-based mock tests to build comfort with the interface and screen-based time management — a skill that did not exist in the pen-and-paper era.

6. Manage Negative Marking Carefully

With −1 per wrong answer, random guessing is expensive. Skip a question if you cannot confidently eliminate at least two or three options. During the exam, attempt Mathematics first when your mind is freshest, then Physics, and Chemistry last — this order matches the subject weightage and maximizes your marks from the heaviest section.