KEAM 2026 Exam Begins- Check Live Updates

KEAM 2026 April 20 Shift 2 Engineering exam is over now @5:00 PM, the exam followed a similar pattern as previous shifts.

Based on initial reports from the KEAM 2026 April 17 session, that day's exam was considered moderate to tough, with mathematics being particularly time-consuming. Physics was reported as moderate to tough (conceptual/graph-based), while Chemistry was considered the easiest, mostly sourced from NCERT. 
Key Findings on Difficulty (So Far):

• Toughest Section: Mathematics, featuring heavy calculations in Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, and Vectors.
• Most Balanced Section: Chemistry, allowing students to score, with many direct questions.
• Overall Trend: The exam is trending toward moderate, with a strong emphasis on speed due to lengthy Math questions. 

As per the Brilliant Pala and the KEAM 2025 Rank list:

• Rank 1: John Shinoj (Muvattupuzha, KE School Mannanam, State Syllabus, 588.57/600)
• Rank 2: Harikrishnan Baiju (Irinjalakuda, CBSE Syllabus)
• Rank 3: Akshay Biju (KE School Mannanam, State Syllabus)
• Rank 4: Adil Sayan
• Rank 6: Emil Life Sakriya
• Rank 7: Ahir Ali
• Rank 8: Danis B
• Rank 9 (Female Category Rank 1): Diya Rubi (Kollam)
• Rank 11: Achuth Vinod
• Rank 12: Abhinav H
• Rank 13: Manu Raghu
• Rank 18: Aaron Aju S
• Rank 19: Mahadev S
• Rank 33: Jaswin Kuriakose
• Rank 35: Rohan Sachin
• Rank 36: Antony Francis
• B.Pharm Rank 1: Anakha Anil (290/300)
• ST Category Rank 1: Shabarinaath KS

As per the KEAM 2026 Expected Rank vs Marks (Engineering), 300 marks is expected to provide you a rank ranging between 5000-8000.

Check: KEAM Marks vs Rank 2026: How to calculate, Opening and closing ranks & Good Score
 

The KEAM 2026 April 20 Shift 1 Pharmacy Question Paper with Solution PDF is available to download. Collegedunia creates the Question paper by collecting memory-based questions from the candidates.

Check: KEAM 2026 Pharmacy April 20 Question Paper: Download Answer Key with Solutions PDF
 

KEAM 2026 April 20 Shift 2 Engineering exam has started from 2:00 PM till 5:00 PM, the exam is expected to be moderate in difficulty level.

The GATE 2026 April 20 shift 2 Engineering exam is about to start @2:00 PM, the gates of the exam center are closed now.

A KEAM rank of 20,000 is considered moderate to good, positioning you in the middle-to-top segment of engineering aspirants.

Government / Aided Colleges (Moderate Chances)

• TKM College of Engineering
• College of Engineering Perumon
• Government College of Engineering, Kannur
• NSS College of Engineering, Palakkad

Good Private Colleges 

• KMEA Engineering College
• MEA Engineering College
• KMCT College of Engineering
• Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology
• Federal Institute of Science and Technology
• Saintgits College of Engineering 

Today was the last shift of the KEAM 2026 Pharmacy from 10:00 AM -11:30 AM. The exam showed a consistent moderate difficulty across all days, with Physics remaining application/numerical-based.

The shift 1 exam for pharmacy candidates has ended. The shift 2 for engineering candidates will begin at 2 pm.

• Engineering (B.Tech / B.E.): Total Marks: 600
• Pharmacy (B.Pharm): Total Marks: 300

KEAM 2026 April 20 Shift 1 Pharmacy has started @10:00 AM, it is expected that the exam will be of moderate difficulty 

Good Attempts (general benchmark from similar shifts): 90–110+ correct attempts (out of 150) are considered decent for a strong score, keeping negative marking in mind (+4 / -1).

Check upcoming exam dates for the KEAM exam:

The KEAM 2026 April 18 (Shift 2) Engineering Question Paper with solution PDF is available here.

Check: KEAM 2026 Engineering April 18 Question Paper: Download Answer Key with Solutions PDF

The KEAM 2026 April 18 (Engineering) exam was of moderate difficulty. Time management was highlighted as the biggest challenge (especially in Mathematics).

The KEAM 2026 April 18 Shift 2 Pharmacy exam is now over @5:00PM. The exam followed similar pattern as previous years.

The KEAM rank list is prepared separately for all courses, and the ranking criteria for each course are provided on the official website and below on this page. Based on the KEAM 2026 rank list, CEE will allocate seats to the candidates via the KEAM Centralised Allotment Process (CAP).

KEAM answer keys are made available separately for all shifts of engineering and pharmacy exams. KEAM answer keys are released in PDF format, and candidates do not need any login details to access the provisional answer key.

Just click on the answer key PDF link for the KEAM answer key for your exam date and shift. The PDF file will open, and you can save it to calculate scores.

The KEAM 2026 April 18 Shift 1 pharmacy Question Paper with Solution PDF is available to download. Collegedunia created the question paper after reviewing all the candidates’ feedback and collecting memory-based questions.

Check: KEAM 2026 Pharmacy April 18 Question Paper: Download Answer Key with Solutions PDF : Available Here

The KEAM 2026 April 18 shift 2 (Engineering) exam has started now @2:00 PM. The exam will follow a similar pattern to the previous years. 

The gates of the exam centers of the KEAM 2026 April 18 Shift 2 Engineering exam have been closed at around 1:30 PM, as the exam is about to start at 2:00 PM.

It is mandatory for all students appearing for the KEAM 2026 examination today to report to their venues as scheduled on their admit cards. Admission to the hall requires both a hard copy of the admit card and an original photo identification document (e.g., Aadhaar, Driving License, or Voter ID).

The exam centre gates of the KEAM 2026 April 18 (Shift 2) exam are now open. The exam will commence sharply at 2 pm.

Overall, the paper is expected to be lengthy rather than very tough, as per the last shift of engineering.

• Mathematics likely to be time-consuming and lengthy
• Physics expected to include concept + numerical mix
• Chemistry remains most scoring section
   

The CEE will publish the 2026 KEAM results on their official website, cee.kerala.gov.in, no later than May 10.

The KEAM 2026 April 18 (Day 2) pharmacy exam is now @11:30 AM. The exam followed a similar pattern of previous years and maintained a balanced difficulty.

• The candidates who fail to answer at least one question in the examination will be disqualified and will not find a place in the Engineering Rank list.
• To qualify in the Engineering Entrance Examination and thereby become eligible to figure in the Engineering rank list, a candidate must secure a minimum normalised score of 10 in the Engineering Entrance Examination. The candidates who do not secure the minimum stipulated score will not find a place in the rank list.
• Exemption: For SC/ST candidates, there is no requirement for a minimum score in the Engineering Entrance Examination. However, the candidates who fail to answer at least one question will be disqualified.

The KEAM 2026 April 18 Pharmacy exam has started from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM 

The KEAM 2026 Pharmacy exam is expected to be moderate and will follow the similar pattern as previous years

Mandatory Documents

The gates of the KEAM exam center of the pharmacy exam are open @8:00AM, as the exam will start from 10:00 AM. 

The KEAM 2026 April 18 Pharmacy exam will start from 10:00 AM. So it is advised that the candidates arrive at their exam center at least 1 or 1.5 hours early to avoid any issues.

The KEAM 2026 Admit Card link is still active. Candidates have a chance to download their KEAM admit card to avoid disqualification.

Check here – KEAM Admit Card 2026: Release Date, Direct Link at cee.kerala.gov.in, Steps to Download & Guidelines
  

KEAM 2026 Pharmacy: Sectional Distribution 

Chemistry: Last-Minute Important Topics

Physics: Last-Minute Important Topics

The CEE has released some mandatory exam day guidelines for the KEAM Exam.

Check upcoming exam dates for the KEAM exam:

In the KEAM 2026 exam today, there were fewer direct questions. Most of the questions were tricky as per the initial reaction from some students.

The KEAM 2026 chemistry paper today was moderate to easy in overall difficulty.

Maths was moderate and calculus-heavy. This section was lengthy, which made time management difficult for students.

As per the initial reaction of the candidates, the KEAM 2026 exam today was overall moderate. However, a few students reported difficulty with time management

The KEAM 2026 April 17 (Day 1) Question Paper with Solution PDF is available to download. Collegedunia created the question paper by taking feedback and memory-based questions from the students.

Check Here: KEAM 2026 Question Paper (Available): Download Question Paper With Solutions PDF

The KEAM 2026 April 17 (Day 1) Engineering exam is over at 5:00 PM. The exam followed a similar pattern as previous years, with 150 MCQs maintaining a moderate difficulty level.

Yes, a score of 450 in KEAM is considered a good score; it will place you around 5,000-20,000 rank, but it’s not a top-tier score.

Based on past trends and early expectations, Physics and Mathematics are likely to be the toughest sections in today’s exam.

• Physics: Moderate to difficult, more numerical and concept-based
• Mathematics: Moderate to difficult and lengthy (time-consuming)
• Chemistry: Easy to moderate, mostly NCERT-based, and scoring

Overall, the paper is expected to be moderate in difficulty, with students finding Maths lengthy and Physics tricky.

No, the KEAM Exam is not only for Kerala Students. The KEAM is also open to candidates from all over India.

However, there are some important eligibility and admission nuances you should know.

• Students from any state in India can apply for KEAM
• You must meet the academic eligibility criteria (Physics, Chemistry, Maths in Class 12)

As per the previous years' trends, KEAM 2023 was considered the toughest exam; many students reported time management was the main issue.  

Where maths was lengthy and calculation-heavy, physics had tricky, concept-based questions.

• Lengthy Papers: 2022 and 2023 were notable for being extremely lengthy, causing significant time management issues for students.
• Recent Trend (2024-2025): The exam is shifting towards a moderate level with a focus on NCERT concepts and application-based questions, though with increasing conceptual depth.

The total marks for the KEAM 2026 Engineering exam are: 600 marks

Marks Distribution (Subject-wise)

• Mathematics: 300 marks (75 questions)
• Physics: 180 marks (45 questions)
• Chemistry: 120 marks (30 questions)

Marking Scheme: +4 Marks will be given for each correct answer, -1 mark of each incorrect answer. 

The CEE has started the KEAM 2026 on April 17, the Engineering exam from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The exam will be moderate in difficulty, by maintaining a balanced mix of questions.

The KEAM 2026 April 17 Exam is about to start at 2:00 PM. The gates of the KEAM exam centers will close by 1:30 PM. 

The exam centre gates of the KEAM 2026 exam are now open. The exam will commence sharply at 2 pm.

CEE has mentioned that a colour printout of the KEAM hall ticket is preferable for proper identification of the candidates.

Yes, in KEAM, for each wrong answer, 1 marks will be deducted.

As per historical trends and analysis of the KEAM exam, the topics that might carry high weightage in KEAM 2026 are:

• Physics: Electrostatics, Optics, Thermodynamics, Mechanics, Magnetism, Modern Physics
• Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Equilibrium, Bonding & Coordination, Organic reactions
• Maths: Coordinate Geometry, Calculus, Algebra, Probability, Derivatives/Integrals

• Physics: Physics can be moderate to tough, as per previous year trends. 
• Chemistry: Chemistry can be expected to be the easiest of all three. The questions can be directly from NCERT, and hence, candidates are recommended to go through the NCERT chemistry books thoroughly.
• Maths: Maths can be challenging and the most time-consuming.

Check Here: KEAM 2026 Exam Analysis: Expected Paper Trends Based on Previous Year Analysis

Candidates can use the KEAM 2026 answer keys and calculate their expected scores. To do so, there is a fixed method and formula to be applied. The same has been given below.

• Use the KEAM 2026 memory-based answer key provided here and compare your response with it.
• Note down the number of correct and incorrect answers.

Once you have the numbers, put them in the following formula:
4*(Number of Correct Answers) - 1*(Number of Wrong Answers) = Candidate’s Scores

The output becomes the expected scores in the KEAM 2026 exam.

• Reporting Time: Report to the centre by 12:00 PM to avoid a last-minute rush.
• Late Entry: No candidate will be allowed into the exam hall after the start of the exam.
• Exam Timing: The exam is held from 02:00 PM to 05:00 PM.

Students are required to report to the examination centre today, with the KEAM 2026 admit card at the time mentioned on it. Also, students appearing for the examination today must bring a photo ID (any one of the following: Aadhaar card/Voter ID/Driving license/PAN card, passport, etc.).

The KEAM 2026 exam for pharmacy candidates will be held on April 18, 19, and 20 from 10 am to 11:30 am.

CEE will conduct day 1 of the KEAM 2026 exam. The exam today is scheduled for engineering aspirants only from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Yes, KEAM is easier than JEE. KEAM has more direct and formula-based questions, while JEE (especially Advanced) is more difficult and concept-based. Also, KEAM has state-level competition, whereas JEE is at the national level, making it tougher.

A 7000 rank in KEAM 2026 is generally considered a good (but not top-tier) rank, placing you in a competitive position for many engineering colleges. A score of 450+ in KEAM can get this rank

What You Can Get:

• Good private and aided engineering colleges
• Some government colleges (lower branches or later rounds)
• Branches like: Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, and Lower-demand CSE/ECE in some colleges

Chemistry is the easiest section with high accuracy

• Organic Chemistry (Reactions & Named Reactions)
• Chemical Bonding
• Thermodynamics
• Coordination Compounds
• p-Block Elements
• Mole Concept

Tip: Revise NCERT-based facts & reactions

Physics is often considered moderate, but Scoring

• Mechanics (Laws of Motion, Work, Energy)
• Current Electricity
• Electrostatics
• Optics (Ray + Wave)
• Modern Physics
• Thermodynamics

Tip: Focus on formula-based numericals

Maths has the highest weightage of around 50%. So it is suggested to focus on scoring along with the frequently asked topics:

• Calculus (Limits, Continuity, Differentiation, Integration)
• Matrices & Determinants
• Probability & Statistics
• Vectors & 3D Geometry
• Trigonometry (identities & equations)
• Complex Numbers

Tip: Prioritize formulas + previous year questions (PYQs)

The KEAM 2026 Admit Card is available on the official website – cee.kerala.gov.in. Candidates can still download their KEAM Admit Card 2026 by using their application number and password.

• The KEAM 2026 Pharmacy exam will be conducted in CBT mode and will consist of 75 MCQs from Physics and Chemistry.
• The total duration of the exam is 1.5 hours (90 minutes), carrying a maximum of 300 marks.

Section-wise Distribution of Questions

• The KEAM 2026 Engineering exam will be conducted in CBT mode and will consist of 150 MCQs from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
• The total duration of the exam is 3 hours (180 minutes), carrying a maximum of 600 marks.

Section-wise Question Distribution

The KEAM 2026 reporting time is a crucial part of the exam-day process, as candidates must complete multiple formalities before the exam begins.

The Official Marking Scheme for the KEAM is given below: 

The exam day instructions for the CBT exam have been released by the Commissioner of Entrance Exams, Kerala, on its official website, cee.kerala.gov.in. The official instructions are given below: 

Important Instructions for Candidates:

• Candidates must report to the exam centre at the time mentioned in the admit card downloaded from the official website.
• After the reporting time ends, a Mock Test will be conducted to familiarize candidates with the computer-based test system. The actual exam will follow.
• Candidates must bring a valid photo ID proof (Aadhaar Card / Voter ID / Driving License / PAN Card / Passport, etc.).
• Electronic devices such as calculators, mobile phones, smartwatches, etc. are strictly prohibited. Once inside the exam hall, candidates cannot leave before the exam ends.
• Parents/guardians are not allowed inside the examination building.
• Candidates must bring the necessary stationery (pen, pencil, etc.). Sharing of items in the exam hall is not allowed.
• Candidates must sit only in the seat allotted to them.
• Instructions given by invigilators must be strictly followed.
• Candidates must reach the exam centre at the reporting time mentioned in the admit card.

Source: KEAM Official Public Notice  

The KEAM 2026 marks vs Rank of Pharmacy, shows that 255+ marks can get you a top rank within 2,500.

The KEAM 2026 marks vs rank for engineering shows that scoring 550+ marks can get you a top 5,000 rank, while 500+ marks is very good for top colleges.