KSET 2026 Notification: Karnataka State requirements Test for Assistant Professors - Dates, qualification , Fee & Subjects

KSET 2026 Overview

KSET 2026 Important Dates

KSET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

applicants who are currently pursuing their postgraduate degree as well as appearing in the final year or final semester examination are as well eligible to submit for KSET-2026. Such applicants are given provisional admission to the exam only. They must obtain the required minimum marks (55% for General, 50% for reserved categories as above) in their qualifying PG examination within two years from the date of the KSET result declaration, as well as must submit proof (mark card) of this to the Karnataka Examinations Authority within that two-year window – failing which their criteria will be cancelled.

test-takers who completed their postgraduate examination on or before 19 September 1991 (irrespective of the date their result was declared) along with who additionally hold a Ph.D degree are given a 5% relaxation in the minimum marks required – i.e., 50% instead of 55%.

aspirants must appear for KSET in the same subject in which they completed their postgraduate studies, subject to the interdisciplinary-subject notes published with the subject list (see Subjects section below). A candidate can appear for KSET-2026 in only one subject, even if they hold more than one postgraduate degree, as well as the chosen subject cannot be changed after the application is submitted.

Reserved Category, PwD & Transgender Candidates

aspirants seeking reservation benefit (SC-A, SC-B, SC-C, ST, Category-I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB) must clearly select the relevant category in the online application in addition to must possess a valid category certificate issued by the competent authority.

The official notification states that, PwD (Special Chetana) aspirants with a minimum of 40% disability, as defined under Government Notification No. SISASI 115 SENANI 2005, must possess a medical certificate with a UDID number issued by the concerned district government hospital.

Transgender aspirants seeking benefit under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, Section 6(1), must submit an identity certificate issued by the concerned district authority, as specified in the notification.

Reservation benefits in addition to category qualification rules under KSET-2026 submit only to test-takers domiciled in Karnataka. aspirants domiciled outside Karnataka do not get reservation benefit in addition to must send in only under the General category or applicable non-reservation category.

Furnishing a false or fraudulent certificate to claim reservation benefit will lead to cancellation of the certificate/candidature along with appropriate legal action.

Foreign Degree Holders

aspirants holding a postgraduate degree/diploma from a foreign university or institution must obtain equivalence certification from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) – website: www.aiu.ac.in – establishing equivalency with a recognised Indian postgraduate degree, before applying for KSET-2026.

Other Eligibility Notes

The department has confirmed that, The Karnataka Examinations Authority does not verify qualification at the time of application; verification is done later, at the stage of appointment, by the concerned appointing authority. test-takers must therefore carefully assess their own requirements before applying.

A candidate cannot send in for the same subject in KSET again if they have already obtained qualification in that subject in an earlier KSET exam; doing hence will result in cancellation of both the old in addition to the new qualification certificates for that subject.

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KSET 2026 Exemption from Taking the Test

The conducting body has announced that, The following categories of applicants are exempt from the requirement of qualifying KSET/NET for qualification as Assistant Professor, as stated in the notification:

test-takers who have been granted exemption under applicable UGC rules as well as guidelines regarding KSET criteria .

applicants who shortlisted UGC-NET/CSIR-NET/JRF examinations before 1989 are exempt from KSET, irrespective of subject.

aspirants who cleared a State-level SET examination before 1 June 2002 are exempt from the KSET qualification requirement as well as are shortlisted for Assistant Professor posts anywhere in India. applicants who cleared a State SET examination on or after 1 June 2002 are eligible for Assistant Professor posts only in universities/first grade colleges within the state that conducted that particular SET examination.

KSET 2026 Exam Pattern

Interested applicants should know that, The KSET exam consists of two papers, both objective (multiple choice) type, conducted in a single sitting on 11 October 2026.

applicants are not permitted entry into the examination centre after 1:00 PM. Paper-I is a general paper testing teaching in addition to research aptitude as well as reasoning ability – it assesses general knowledge, teaching/research aptitude, general awareness, reasoning ability as well as analytical thinking of the candidate, along with consists of 50 compulsory questions worth 2 marks each. Paper-II is the subject paper, based on the subject chosen by the candidate, along with consists of 100 compulsory questions worth 2 marks each, carrying a maximum of 200 marks. Answers for both papers must be marked only in the space provided on the OMR sheet.

Minimum Qualifying Marks

KSET follows the UGC-NET pattern as well as standards as per UGC guidance. Within this overall quota, subject-wise in addition to category-wise merit lists are prepared based on the combined marks scored in Paper-I along with Paper-II, restricted to aspirants who have cleared the minimum qualifying percentage shown above. This entire result-declaration procedure is governed by UGC/KSET guidelines along with the Karnataka Examinations Authority's decision in this regard is final. The subject, reservation category, gender, as well as exam centre once picked at the time of application cannot be changed for any reason. As stated in the UGC-prescribed methodology, only around 6% of the total number of applicants who appear for both papers are meeting criteria to be declared successful for Assistant Professor criteria (Total Slots).

KSET 2026 Subjects List

KSET-2026 will be conducted in 37 subjects. The table below gives the subject name, subject code, along with the language(s) in which the question paper will be available.

It is informed that, Note on subject codes: As stated in the authorized announcement, subject codes 33, 34, 35 as well as 38 do not appear in this list (the listed codes jump from 32 to 36); this is exactly as printed in the source notification along with has been reproduced without alteration.

Interdisciplinary Subject Eligibility

The conducting body has announced that, The notification clarifies which related/interdisciplinary postgraduate qualifications make a candidate meeting criteria to appear for certain subjects:

Economics: aspirants with a postgraduate degree in Economics, Co-operation, as well as other related/interdisciplinary subjects.

Management: applicants with a 2-year postgraduate degree, or an MBA/PGDM or equivalent qualification in a related field.

Folklore: applicants with a postgraduate degree in Folklore, Kannada, Janapada, Kannada Janapada, Janapada Sahitya, as well as related subjects.

Physical Sciences: test-takers with a postgraduate degree (or in the final year) in Physics, Electronics, Nuclear along with Radiation Physics, Classical Dynamics, Condensed Matter Physics, Electromagnetics, Experimental Design, Nuclear/Space/Particle Physics, Quantum Physics, Thermodynamics, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Materials Science, as well as related subjects.

Mathematical Sciences: applicants with a postgraduate degree (or in the final year) in Pure Mathematics, Computational Science, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics as well as Computer Science, in addition to related subjects.

Chemical Sciences: test-takers with a postgraduate degree (or in the final year) in Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, Physical, Medicinal, Nuclear, Environmental, Marine, Pharmaceutical, or Bio-organic Chemistry, along with related subjects.

Life Sciences: aspirants with a postgraduate degree (or in the final year) in Biochemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, Biodiversity as well as Taxonomy, Genetics, Microbiology, Physiology, Animal Science, Fishery Science, Animal Biology, Marine Biology, Applied Genetics, Cell Biology, as well as related subjects.

Earth Sciences: test-takers with a postgraduate degree (or in the final year) in Earth Science, Applied Earth Science, Geophysics, Environmental Science, Ocean Science, Physical Geography, Geology, Petrology, Geochemistry, Geoinformatics, Applied Geochemistry, along with related subjects.

Women Studies: applicants with a 2-year postgraduate degree in Women Studies, Rural Development, Human/Social Sciences, or Language subjects.

aspirants should hold their postgraduate degree from a UGC-recognised, NAAC-accredited (or equivalent) university/institution to be meeting criteria for KSET in the corresponding subject.

KSET 2026 Exam Fee

The official notification states that, The exam fee can be paid only through the online mode indicated on the application portal. No other mode of fee payment (such as Money Order, Demand Draft, or IPO/Office Challan) is accepted. Once the fee is paid, it will not be refunded under any circumstances.

KSET 2026 Age Limit

The official notification states that, There is no upper age limit prescribed for applicants appearing for the KSET-2026 examination.

KSET 2026 Result & Answer Key Process

The provisional answer key for KSET-2026 will be published on the internet after the examination is completed.

The conducting body has announced that, Test-takers who wish to raise objections to the provisional answer key can submit their objections online, along with a fee of Rs. 50/- per question.

According to the latest notice, Objections will be reviewed by subject experts; based on their review, the final answer key will be published online, followed by the declaration of the KSET result.

The official notification states that, No objections or complaints will be entertained after the final answer key is published.

There is no provision for revaluation or rechecking of answer scripts/OMR sheets.

The official notification states that, No physical mark card is issued to aspirants found eligible or not meeting criteria through KSET.

The official notification states that, The decision of the Karnataka Examinations Authority on all subjects/matters relating to the exam is final.

How to Apply for KSET 2026

Applications for KSET-2026 can be submitted only through the online mode on the department website of the Karnataka Examinations Authority: https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/

Steps to Apply Online

According to the latest notice, Go to the authorized KSET-2026 application portal at https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/

Register as well as fill in the online application with accurate personal details, educational qualification details, as well as KSET-2026 exam-related details (subject, category, exam centre, etc.), including details of the postgraduate course completed or currently being pursued.

Ensure the candidate's name as well as father's name entered in the application exactly match the spelling recorded in the SSLC/10th standard marks card, as any mismatch will be scrutinised later.

It is informed that, Upload scanned photograph along with signature in JPEG format only, within the file size specified on the portal; the system will not accept files that do not meet the specified format/size.

The conducting body has announced that, Pay the KSET-2026 exam fee online, in line with the applicable category.

Save in addition to print a copy of the final submitted application for your own records.

As per the official update, Collect the hall ticket (examination permit) from the department website once published; hard copies will not be sent by post. Bring the printed hall ticket, along with a valid photo ID, to the exam centre well before the reporting time.

test-takers are responsible for submitting their online application well ahead of the deadline. The Karnataka Examinations Authority is not responsible for failure to submit an application due to last-minute rush or technical issues.

Important Instructions

Candidates should note that, applicants must obtain their hall ticket from the authorized KEA website, verify all printed details carefully, along with report to the correct examination centre allotted to them.

aspirants must carry the printed hall ticket along with one valid original photo ID – Voter ID, Driving Licence, Passport, or Aadhaar Card – matching the photograph on the hall ticket.

Electronic devices, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, gadgets, calculators, wristwatches, wallets, wireless sets, chits, along with food items are not permitted inside the examination hall. No safekeeping facility for such items is available at exam centres.

aspirants should carry only a transparent water bottle in addition to permitted writing materials, along with report to the centre at the time specified on the KEA website.

The exam centre, once chosen at the time of application, cannot be changed for any reason.

applicants registered for the 19 subjects listed under Part-B (see Exam Centres below) must select Bengaluru as their exam centre; no other centre is available for these subjects.

Use of correction fluid or incorrect marking on the OMR sheet, or any use of unfair means, may lead to disqualification or invalidation of the response sheet.

For subjects where the question paper is printed bilingually (Kannada & English), the English version will be treated as authoritative in case of any doubt or discrepancy.

PwD (Special Chetana) applicants are given 60 minutes of additional time combined across Paper-I as well as Paper-II. test-takers requiring scribe assistance should refer to the guidance published on the KEA website.

The official notification states that, Admission to the exam is provisional along with subject to scrutiny; only aspirants whose printed application is found in order along with who are found meeting criteria will be permitted to appear.

It is informed that, All instructions given by the invigilator during the exam must be strictly followed; non-compliance can lead to disqualification or cancellation of results.

The candidature of an applicant is entirely provisional along with subject to verification by the Authority. If ineligibility, incomplete documentation, or any discrepancy is found at any stage, the candidature will be rejected, as well as legal action may be initiated as per applicable law.

Any dispute relating to the KSET-2026 examination is subject to the jurisdiction of the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka only.

KSET 2026 Exam Centres

applicants in the 18 subjects listed under Part-A below can choose any one of all 11 examination centres in Karnataka. test-takers in the 19 subjects listed under Part-B can appear only at the Bengaluru centre; no other centre option is available for these subjects.

Part-A Subjects (All 11 Centres Available)

Commerce, Kannada, Economics, English, Political Science, History, Sociology, Hindi, Management, Education, Library in addition to Information Science, Social Work, Physical Education, Computer Science along with Applications, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, as well as Life Sciences.

Part-B Subjects (Bengaluru Centre Only)

Geography, Tourism Administration in addition to Management, Mass Communication in addition to Journalism, Psychology, Criminology, Law, Sanskrit, Folklore, Urdu, Public Administration, Environmental Sciences, Home Science, Electronic Science, Earth Sciences, Philosophy, Women Studies, Performing Arts, Music, along with Visual Arts.

Important Links

submit Online: Click the link below

Government circular PDF : Follow this link

Department website: Click the link below

Join Arattai Channel: Click the link below

The department has confirmed that, Join Telegram Channel: Use the link provided

Join WhatsApp Channel : Use the link provided

According to the latest notice, Sarkari Result : Use the link provided

The official notification states that, collect Mobile App: Use the link provided