Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the provisional answer keys for the Karnataka Post Graduate Common Entrance Test (PGCET) 2026 and Diploma Common Entrance Test (DCET) 2026. Candidates who appeared for the entrance examinations can now download the answer keys in PDF format through the official website (cetonline.karnataka.gov.in).
Along with the release of the provisional answer keys, KEA has also opened the objection submission facility for candidates who wish to challenge any answer. Candidates can raise objections against the Karnataka PGCET and DCET 2026 provisional answer keys until May 27, 2026. To submit objections, applicants will be required to enter details such as their application number, candidate name, and date of birth.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority conducted the DCET 2026 and PGCET 2026 entrance examinations on May 23, 2026, for admissions into various postgraduate and lateral entry professional courses offered by institutions across Karnataka.
According to the official notification issued by KEA, candidates submitting objections must provide complete details, including the name of the examination paper, examination date, version code, question number, and supporting documents in PDF format. The authority clarified that objections submitted without mentioning the correct question number or version code, or those lacking supporting documents, will not be entertained.
KEA further stated that all objections will be reviewed by a subject expert committee. After evaluation, the revised and final answer keys approved by the committee will be considered final and binding for result preparation.
The Karnataka PGCET examination is conducted for admission into postgraduate professional programmes, including MBA, ME, MTech, MArch, and lateral entry courses offered by government and private colleges across the state. Under the PGCET marking scheme, candidates receive one mark for every correct answer, while no marks are deducted for incorrect or unanswered questions.
Meanwhile, the DCET examination is organised for candidates seeking lateral admission into engineering programmes and first-year architecture courses under the lateral entry scheme in day and evening colleges across Karnataka. Similar to PGCET, the DCET examination also follows a no-negative-marking policy, with one mark awarded for each correct answer.
Candidates are advised to carefully review the provisional answer keys and submit objections, if any, within the stipulated deadline, as no further requests will be accepted after the closure of the objection window.
Find the direct links here: DCET 2026 and PGCET 2026