When was the DCET 2026 exam held and when will the results come?

KEA held DCET 2026 on Saturday, 23 May 2026 (2–5 PM, one 100-mark paper) and published the revised (final) answer key on 2 June 2026. Results are not yet announced as of 10 June 2026 — in 2025 the results link went live on 24 June, so late June is the realistic window. Watch the official page at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/dcet2026.

What is the minimum diploma percentage for lateral entry through DCET?

Per KEA's Information Bulletin-1, you need a minimum 45% aggregate across all subjects of the final-year (5th and 6th semester) diploma examination — relaxed to 40% for SC, ST and Backward Classes candidates of Karnataka. Candidates who appeared for the final semester and were awaiting results were also allowed to apply.

Can I choose a different engineering branch from my diploma branch?

Yes. Government Order ED 88 DTE 2022 dated 14-07-2022 allows eligible diploma holders to select any engineering branch for 2nd-year/3rd-semester lateral entry. The exception is Diploma-in-Architecture holders, who can only join 1st-year B.Arch via NATA-2026 (minimum 70 marks out of 200, stated by KEA as 40%), not engineering lateral entry.

How is the DCET lateral-entry rank different from a KCET rank?

KEA prepares the lateral-entry rank list from your DCET score and your final-year (5th + 6th semester) diploma aggregate percentage in equal proportions, so diploma marks count as much as the test. The exam is one combined 100-mark paper rather than separate PCM papers, and allotment runs on a separate lateral-entry seat matrix where KEA government seats are 10% of each course's sanctioned intake.

Does Government Engineering College Haveri take DCET lateral-entry students?

Yes. GEC Haveri — a Government of Karnataka college at Devagiri established in 2007, affiliated to VTU Belagavi and AICTE-approved — appears in KEA's official DCET lateral-entry seat matrix. In the latest published matrix (DCET 2025) it had 24 KEA lateral-entry seats across Civil, CSE, ECE and Mechanical on a total intake of 240; the DCET 2026 matrix is yet to be notified.

What is the DCET counselling process after results?

KEA hosts Information Bulletin-2 with seat-allotment details, the Government notifies the seat matrix, and online option entry opens. Allotment runs by rank, option priority and reservation, and after each round you pick one of four choices — accept and exit, accept but try the next round, surrender and try the next round, or quit. In 2025 there were three rounds, from early July to the third week of August.

Is there a separate quota for diploma working professionals?

Yes. Under Government Order ED 137 DTE 2023 dated 12-12-2023, working diploma holders compete against a separate seat matrix. They write the same DCET and must show minimum two years (one year per AICTE's 24-08-2023 circular) of full-time experience as on 1 September 2026 in their diploma branch, with the workplace or residence within 75 km of the institution.

Can lateral-entry students get fee concessions or scholarships?

Yes, at the policy level set out in 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; a companion 2016 order covers income up to ₹10 lakh), and Category-1 candidates below ₹2.5 lakh are exempt in government colleges. The claim must be made in the online application with an income certificate in the candidate's own name, and post-matric scholarship applications go through Karnataka's State Scholarship Portal.

I did my diploma outside Karnataka. Can I get a government-quota seat?

Only if you satisfy a Rule 5(1) eligibility clause — for example seven academic years of study in Karnataka (clause a), a parent who studied seven years in Karnataka with a Karnataka diploma (clause b), or the Horanadu/Gadinadu Kannadiga clauses, which require passing KEA's Kannada test with at least 12/50. A diploma not issued by the Karnataka Board of Technical Examinations also needs a BTE equivalency certificate. Candidates meeting no clause cannot be allotted government-quota seats through KEA.

DCET 2026: Results, Counselling Dates & Lateral Entry Guide

KEA held DCET 2026 on Saturday, 23 May 2026 and published the revised (final) answer key on 2 June 2026 — the result is not yet announced as of 10 June 2026. Going by the 2025 schedule, where the results link went live on 24 June, late June is the realistic window. Counselling for 2nd-year/3rd-semester B.E. lateral-entry seats begins after results, once the Government notifies the seat matrix.

DCET 2026 was held on Saturday, 23 May 2026 (2–5 PM), and KEA published the revised (final) answer key on 2 June 2026. As of 10 June 2026, the result is not yet announced — in 2025 the results link went live on 24 June, so late June is the realistic window. Counselling starts after results, once the Government notifies the lateral-entry seat matrix.

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: what is done, what is awaited

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)
Expected ~late Jun 2026 Results — not yet announced; based on the 2025 schedule (results link came 24 June 2025)
Expected ~end Jun 2026 Lateral-entry seat matrix and Information Bulletin-2 — based on the 2025 schedule (matrix notified 27 June 2025)
Expected ~Jul–Aug 2026 Option entry and three allotment rounds — based on the 2025 schedule (3 July to ~25 August)

Source: KEA DCET 2026 page and the KEA notification No. ED/KEA/DCET/CR-01/2026 dated 16-03-2026.

100marks, single common paper

50:50rank weight: DCET vs final-year diploma marks

10%of course intake = KEA govt lateral-entry seats

45%min diploma aggregate (40% Karnataka SC/ST/OBC)

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.

After results, KEA hosts Information Bulletin-2, the Government issues the seat matrix, and online option entry opens. Allotment follows merit, option priority and reservation; after each round you pick one of four choices — accept and exit, accept but try the next round, surrender, or quit. How 2025 ran:

Stage	2025 date (prior-year pattern)
Results link	24 Jun 2025
Final lateral-entry seat matrix	27 Jun 2025
Round-1 option entry opens	3 Jul 2025
Mock allotment (changes till 9 Jul)	7 Jul 2025
Round-1 final allotment	17 Jul 2025
Round-2 final allotment	29 Jul 2025
Final-round allotment	22 Aug 2025
Fee payment / college joining	to ~25 Aug 2025

Source: dated announcements on the KEA DCET 2025 page. The 2026 schedule is not yet announced; treat these as a pattern only.

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.

GEC Haveri and DCET lateral entry: what the official matrix shows

Government Engineering College, Haveri (Devagiri campus; established 2007 by the Government of Karnataka, affiliated to VTU Belagavi, AICTE-approved; NBA status not stated on official sources) runs four B.E. branches of 60 seats each. The latest published lateral-entry numbers are from the DCET 2025 matrix; the 2026 matrix is awaited:

B.E. course	Total intake	KEA lateral-entry seats	Split
Civil Engineering	60	6	6 RK
Computer Science & Engineering	60	6	1 HK + 5 RK
Electronics & Communication	60	6	1 HK + 5 RK
Mechanical Engineering	60	6	1 PH + 5 RK
Institution total	240	24	1 PH + 2 HK + 21 RK

Source: DCET 2025 final lateral-entry seat matrix (ED 82 DTE 2025, dated 27-06-2025) — prior-year figures; the DCET 2026 matrix is not yet notified.

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.

DCET 2026 Lateral Entry to Engineering in Karnataka: Result Status, Counselling Timeline, Eligibility and Documents