KEAM 2026 Exam Details: Date, Pattern, Merit List, Old Question Pages, and Answer Keys

KEAM continues to be a well-established choice among Kerala students. This exam is the gateway to engineering, pharmacy and allied courses in Kerala. Architecture and Medical admissions through KEAM require NATA or NEET scores. You must have eligibility documents and minimum marks. Students should note that early preparation, syllabus familiarity and mock practice are the keys to scoring well in KEAM exam 2026.

Here we will provide a detailed decomposition of KAEM exam 2026 Kerala details..

What is KEAM Exam

KEAM is a state-level entrance exam. The conducting body is the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala. It helps students get admission into:

• Engineering (B.Tech/B.E.)
• Pharmacy (B.Pharm)
• Architecture: NATA scores
• Medical and Allied Courses: via NEET-UG scores

KEAM is conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode for engineering and paper-based for some medical streams. Subjects include Physics, Chemistry, Biology for medical students and Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics for engineering folks.

Duration and marking are standard like other exams. You will get 90 minutes per paper, +4 for correct answers, -1 for wrong answers.

KEAM 2025: Details and Trends

• Candidates appeared: 86,549 for engineering exam.
• Qualified: 76,230 (88% of appeared candidates)
• Included in rank list: 67,505 (78% of qualifiers; 63% of appeared candidates).
• Past trends (2022-2024): Registrations exceeded 1.1 lakh yearly. Attendance ranged 75-83%.
• Process flow:

Registration 

Exam appearance 

Qualification (cutoff) 

Inclusion in rank list 

Admission eligibility.

• Admission rate estimate: Only 60-65% of appeared candidates get place in KEAM rank list.
• Variability: Actual admissions depend on seat availability, college choices, and candidates accepting other offers.

KEAM 2026 exam for engineering admission has a single paper with questions from Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. The exam follows a defined marking scheme. The KEAM exam questions are multiple-choice based on Class 12 topics from the Kerala State Board or any equivalent syllabus:

When is KEAM 2026?

KEAM exam dates for 2026 are not out yet. KEAM counselling 2025 is going on and it is in its third phase. Here we have listed all the important events with their expected timeline for KEAM exam 2026:

KEAM Key Insights: Recent Trends

• CET Trivandrum: Most competitive. CSE closes below rank 400.
• TKM College and Government Engineering College, Thrissur: CSE closes between 500-1,200. Other branches require higher ranks.
• Mar Athanasius College and MEC Kochi: High-demand branches admit students with ranks 1,200-3,000. Core branches need high ranks.
• Lower-priority branches (Mechanical/Civil): Closing ranks goes up to 10,000 in some colleges.

The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala provides past-year KEAM question papers and solutions. These are available for years 2014-2020 including both Paper I and Paper II. These pacers help students get familiar with KEAM exam pattern and type of questions asked. 

After the exam CEE Kerala releases KEAM answer key to help students estimate their scores. For checking the answer key students must visit official website and compare there answers. It allows them to calculate their tentative score and predict the results.

• Check it on the official CEE Kerala portal.
• Compare answers and calculate tentative scores.

Steps to Check KEAM Results:

1. Visit the official KEAM portal.
2. Log in using application number and password.
3. Click KEAM Result to view your scorecard.
4. Download and save for KEAM counselling.

KEAM Counselling and Seat Allotment

After KEAM results, passed candidates register for KEAM counselling. KEAM seat allocation is done through the Centralised Allotment Process (CAP).

• 3 online rounds + 1 mop-up round for vacant seats.
• Seats allotted based on rank, category and preference order.
• Government, aided, and self-financing colleges participate in CAP.
• Vacancy differs for private colleges vs government or aided colleges.

How to Prepare for KEAM in 6 Months?

Consistency matters the most if you are eyeing KEAM exam 2026. Exam frequency is once a year so you get enough time to prepare. Education gurus advise that you start earlier if you wanna get higher scores (which is kind of must to get into first-ranked colleges in Kerala). But if you are working or got somehow delayed then you can also start before 6 months. But it demands dedication and due diligence. Here are some tips:

• Focus on NCERT textbooks for Chemistry and Physics.
• Practice multi-step Math problems 
• Improve your speed in solving Math problems.
• Attempt previous year papers 
• Understand question trends and difficulty level.
• Time management is crucial.
• Physics and Math are usually lengthier so do not get stuck up.

KEAM Exam Details: Final Words

If you are KEAM exam-taker, then remember, your KEAM rank opens doors but consistent effort and smart preparation is going to define your success. Start preparing early, stay disciplined and aim for high scores because top colleges witness cutthroat competition in most sought-after branches like CSE. Kerala’s best academic environment is waiting for the brightest minds like you.