The Kerala government has extended the deadline for KEAM 2026 candidates to upload their Class 12 mark lists until June 14, leading to a further postponing in the publication of the entrance examination rank list. The decision comes in the wake of ongoing concerns surrounding the CBSE Class 12 evaluation process and the resulting uncertainty faced by many students regarding their marks.
Announcing the development during a press briefing according to media reports, Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M John said that the Office of the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE) had decided to grant additional time to students, particularly those from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), to complete the mark submission process. According to the minister, numerous representations from students and parents prompted the government to reconsider the earlier deadline.
He explained that the KEAM 2026 results cannot be declared until the issues affecting CBSE Class 12 students are resolved and all eligible candidates are able to upload their qualifying examination marks. The extension is intended to ensure that no student is disadvantaged during the preparation of the rank list due to circumstances beyond their control.
The minister, however, clarified that the delay would not continue indefinitely, as it could disrupt admissions to engineering, architecture, and medical programmes offered by government and private institutions across Kerala. He stated that the state is prepared to publish the KEAM results and that the only obstacle at present is the inability of some CBSE students to submit their Class 12 marks.
The development is significant because performance in the Class 12 qualifying examination plays a crucial role in determining the KEAM rank list. For admissions to engineering courses, the final ranking is prepared by assigning equal weightage to two components — the normalised score obtained in the KEAM entrance examination and the marks secured in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry in the qualifying examination. As a result, Class 12 marks account for 50 per cent of a candidate’s final rank, making the timely submission of mark lists essential.
The latest extension comes against the backdrop of concerns raised by CBSE Class 12 students following the declaration of board examination results on May 13. Several students had reportedly alleged discrepancies in the On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluation system, citing issues such as unchecked answers, incorrect awarding of marks, and blurred scanned copies of answer scripts. These complaints led to uncertainty among affected students, many of whom sought clarification and review of their results.
The final rank list and subsequent counselling activities are expected to move forward once the pending submissions are received and the issues affecting CBSE students are addressed.