KEA revised the DCET 2026 Round 1 schedule on 18 August 2026. Option entry is scheduled up to 11:00 AM on 21 August. KEA schedules provisional allotment after 2:00 PM on 21 August and final allotment after 11:00 AM on 22 August; check the official KEA portal for actual publication before acting. Fee payment and seat-confirmation-slip download are scheduled for 24–25 August, and Choice-1 college reporting with the slip is due by 5:30 PM on 26 August.
DCET is the Karnataka Examinations Authority's route for diploma holders into the second year (third semester) of B.E. courses, including a separate working-professionals stream. The 2026 edition was notified on 16 March 2026 (No. ED/KEA/DCET/CR-01/2026); every fact below is from KEA's notification, Information Bulletin-1 or the official DCET pages.
DCET 2026 timeline: completed milestones and the revised Round 1 schedule
- 17 Mar 2026 Notification published; online registration opened from 12 noon; Information Bulletin-1 and syllabus hosted (official)
- 10 Apr 2026 Extended last date to register, apply and pay online (11.59 pm), per KEA press note dated 2 April 2026 (official)
- 4 May 2026 Application correction window; notice for SC candidates on internal reservation (Category-A/B/C)
- 16 May 2026 Admit-ticket download links posted (regular and working-professional)
- 23 May 2026 Exam held: one 100-mark paper, 2–5 PM; Kannada language test for Horanadu/Gadinadu candidates 10.30–11.30 AM, Bengaluru only
- 25 May 2026 Provisional key answers and online objection link published
- 2 Jun 2026 Revised (final) key answers published (official)
- 18 Aug 2026 KEA issued the revised Round 1 schedule (official revised schedule)
- 21 Aug 2026 · 11:00 AM Option entry scheduled to close; use the official DCET option-entry portal
- 21 Aug 2026 · after 2:00 PM First-round provisional allotment scheduled
- 22 Aug 2026 · after 11:00 AM First-round final allotment scheduled
- 24–25 Aug 2026 Fee payment and seat-confirmation-slip download scheduled
- 26 Aug 2026 · by 5:30 PM Choice-1 candidates scheduled to report to the allotted college with the seat-confirmation slip
Source: KEA DCET 2026 page and the KEA notification No. ED/KEA/DCET/CR-01/2026 dated 16-03-2026.
Who is eligible — and who is not
Regular lateral entry
You need a pass in any diploma (or equivalent) with minimum 45% aggregate across all final-year (5th + 6th semester) subjects — 40% for Karnataka SC, ST and Backward Classes candidates. Final-semester candidates awaiting results could apply.
Branch choice is open: G.O. ED 88 DTE 2022 dated 14-07-2022 lets eligible diploma holders pick any engineering branch, not just their diploma stream.
Diploma working professionals
Under G.O. ED 137 DTE 2023 dated 12-12-2023, working diploma holders compete against a separate seat matrix. They write the same DCET, meet the same marks rule, and must show minimum two years (one year per the AICTE circular dated 24-08-2023) of full-time experience as on 1 September 2026 in their diploma branch, with workplace or residence within 75 km of the institution (AICTE circular dated 21-03-2024); sponsored BOAT/Government apprenticeship counts.
Who cannot use DCET lateral entry
Diploma-in-Architecture holders are not eligible — their route is 1st-year B.Arch with a NATA-2026 score of at least 70 marks out of 200 (stated by KEA as 40%), with KEA registration but no DCET paper. KSOU (open university) qualifiers are barred from all professional courses via KEA, and Dip NTTF (Tool and Dye Making) and Dip NTTF (Electronics) stand deleted from Schedule-I per notification ED 155 TEC 2022, as cited in the DCET-2026 notification.
Domicile rules for Government seats
Government-quota seats need a clause under Rule 5(1) of the CET-2006 rules — most commonly clause (a): seven academic years of study in Karnataka plus SSLC/10th or the diploma passed in Karnataka; or clause (b): a Karnataka diploma with a parent who studied seven years in Karnataka. Horanadu/Gadinadu Kannadiga candidates must pass KEA's Kannada test with at least 12/50. OCI/PIO candidates get General Category seats only, with no reservation (Supreme Court order, W.P.(C) 891/2021).
How your rank and seat are decided
The lateral-entry rank list blends your DCET performance and your final-year (5th + 6th semester) diploma aggregate percentage in equal proportions — diploma marks matter as much as the entrance test.
KEA government lateral-entry seats are 10% of each course's sanctioned intake, with PH (5%), SPL, HK (Article 371(j) Kalyana-Karnataka) and RK (rest of Karnataka) sub-quotas, notified separately for government, aided and private unaided colleges.
KEA's schedule dated 18 August supersedes the earlier schedule dated 12 August. The dates below are scheduled milestones, not claims that a release has already occurred; confirm actual availability on KEA before paying or reporting.
DCET 2026 Round 1 revised schedule
| Stage | Revised official date and time |
|---|---|
| Option entry | Up to 11:00 AM on 21 Aug 2026 |
| First-round provisional allotment | Scheduled after 2:00 PM on 21 Aug 2026 |
| First-round final allotment | Scheduled after 11:00 AM on 22 Aug 2026 |
| Fee payment and seat-confirmation-slip download | 24–25 Aug 2026 |
| Choice-1 college reporting with the slip | By 5:30 PM on 26 Aug 2026 |
Sources: KEA revised schedule dated 18-08-2026, which supersedes the schedule dated 12-08-2026. Use KEA's official DCET option-entry portal for option entry.
Documents to keep ready for counselling
The application stage was a DigiLocker-based online verification with no physical step — but originals must be produced during seat allotment:
- DCET-2026 application printout and admission ticket — all candidates.
- SSLC/10th marks card — all candidates.
- Diploma marks cards of all years/semesters — a provisional final-semester card needs the polytechnic principal's signature; internet printouts are rejected.
- Seven-year Karnataka study certificate — BEO/DDPI-countersigned, for clause (a) government-seat claims.
- Income certificate in the candidate's own name — for SC/ST/Category-1 fee-exemption claims.
- Caste certificate with RD number — Form-D (SC/ST), Form-E (Cat-1), Form-F (2A/2B/3A/3B); SC candidates also need internal-reservation (Category-A/B/C) details from the Tahsildar per G.O. SKE 08 SLP 2024.
- Kannada-medium / rural study certificates — 10 full years, BEO-countersigned; GM rural claimants also need the NCLC.
- Article 371(j) Annexure-A certificate — from the Assistant Commissioner, for the HK quota.
- BTE equivalency certificate — for diplomas not from the Karnataka Board of Technical Examinations.
Source: KEA DCET 2026 Information Bulletin-1 (17-03-2026), documents chapter.
Use the current official DCET 2026-27 seat matrix
KEA has published the official DCET 2026-27 seat matrix. Use that current document to check the college, course and category rows before option entry. This guide does not reproduce a prior-year branch table because the current KEA matrix—and any later official revision—is the controlling source.
See our GEC Haveri college page, and the college compare tool to weigh options once your rank is out.
Fee exemptions and scholarships (official policy)
Per KEA's bulletin, Karnataka SC/ST candidates with parental annual income below ₹2.5 lakh get 100% fee exemption in government, aided, private and deemed-university seats (G.O. SKE 178 PKV 2015 dated 31-12-2015; a companion order dated 30-06-2016 covers income up to ₹10 lakh). Category-1 candidates below ₹2.5 lakh are exempt in government colleges; in private colleges the government-college fee is deducted and the balance is payable. Claims must be made in the online application, with an income certificate in the candidate's name. KEA will publish the 2026-27 fee structure for diploma candidates on its website.
The bulletin directs candidates to apply online via the Social Welfare / Backward Classes department websites — in practice Karnataka's State Scholarship Portal; see our post-matric SC scholarship guide.
DCET vs KCET vs COMEDK: don't mix the streams
DCET is only for diploma holders entering the second year; PUC students use KCET or COMEDK for first-year admission. COMEDK UGET 2026 counselling is already underway — see our update on COMEDK UGET 2026 round-1 registration. Neither affects your DCET seat.
Sources
- KEA DCET 2026 notification No. ED/KEA/DCET/CR-01/2026 (16-03-2026)
- KEA DCET 2026 Information Bulletin-1 (17-03-2026)
- KEA deadline-extension press note (02-04-2026)
- KEA revised key answers (02-06-2026)
- KEA admission portal and official DCET 2026 option-entry portal
- KEA DCET 2026 Round 1 revised schedule (18-08-2026)
- Superseded KEA DCET 2026 Round 1 schedule (12-08-2026)
- KEA DCET 2026-27 seat matrix (12-08-2026)