KCET (Karnataka Common Entrance Test): Conducted by KEA. Once a year (April). Karnataka domicile required. Subjects: PCM + Biology + English. Difficulty: ~60-70% of JEE Main. Marking: +1 correct, 0 incorrect. College Coverage: Karnataka government + aided + private (state quota). KCET seats are state-quota (₹50K-1.5L per year).
JEE Main: Conducted by NTA. Twice a year (Jan + Apr). Open to all India. Subjects: PCM combined. Difficulty: Higher than KCET. Marking: +4 correct, -1 incorrect. College Coverage: NITs, IIITs, IIEST, GFTIs through JoSAA + JEE Advanced eligibility. NIT/IIIT seats ~₹15-17L total 4-year.
COMEDK UGET: Conducted by COMEDK Consortium. Once a year (May). Open to all India. Subjects: PCM combined. Difficulty: Similar to KCET. Marking: +1 correct, 0 incorrect. College Coverage: ~150 Karnataka private + deemed engineering colleges. COMEDK seats at top private ~₹3-6L per year.
Strategy by Profile: Karnataka Domicile Strong PCM — write all three. Karnataka Domicile Moderate PCM — KCET + COMEDK. Non-Karnataka — JEE Main + COMEDK. Targeting IIT/NIT — prioritize JEE Main + JEE Advanced. Budget Constraint — maximize KCET.
Common Mistakes: Skipping KCET if Karnataka domicile; over-investing in JEE Main when KCET is realistic; skipping COMEDK if writing JEE Main.
Calendar: Nov 2025 — JEE Main January application opens. Jan 2026 — JEE Main January exam. Feb 2026 — KCET + COMEDK application opens. Mar 2026 — JEE Main January results. Apr 2026 — KCET + COMEDK exam; JEE Main April. May 2026 — KCET + COMEDK results; JEE Advanced. Jun 2026 — counselling.