KSET 2026 Notification OUT, Karnataka SET Exam on 11th Oct, Apply Online

KSET 2026: The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has officially released the notification for the Karnataka State Eligibility Test for Assistant Professors (KSET) – 2026. As per Government Order No. ID 57 TISHI 2025 dated 19.05.2025 and UGC-NET Bureau letter No. F.7-16/2012(NET/SET) dated 06.09.2023, KEA will conduct the Karnataka State Eligibility Test 2026 (KSET-2026) on 11.10.2026 (Sunday). Eligible candidates can submit their applications online only, starting from 10.08.2026.

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KSET is conducted for determining eligibility for Assistant Professor posts in universities, first-grade colleges, and higher education institutions (Government, aided, and unaided) in the state of Karnataka. Candidates seeking eligibility for teaching positions should carefully verify all eligibility conditions, subject codes, exam centres, and document requirements before submitting their application form online.

KSET 2026 Overview

Important Dates

Application Fees

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Eligibility Conditions

1. Candidates who hold or are pursuing a Post-Graduate degree with at least 55% marks (aggregate, without rounding off) from a recognised university/institution are eligible for General category candidates. Reserved category candidates (SC-A/SC-B/SC-C, ST, Other Backward Classes, PwD, and Third Gender) require a minimum of 50% marks.
2. Candidates who have completed or are appearing in their final year Post-Graduate examination (final or previous year) may also apply for KSET, but their admission will be provisional; such candidates must produce their PG marks card within two years from the date of KSET result declaration, failing which their eligibility will be cancelled.
3. Candidates must take the KSET exam only in the subject of their Post-Graduate study. As per the current KSET-2026 notification, candidates may choose from subjects not studied at PG level only in exceptional listed cases (UGC, NET, or UPSC-CSS exam-equivalent subjects).
4. As per the practice since September 1991, candidates possessing a Ph.D. degree (with completion/notification prior to the declared date) are eligible for a 5% relaxation in aggregate marks (i.e., 50% instead of 55%).
5. General category candidates availing reservation benefits must submit valid caste and income certificates from a competent authority, issued within the caste and income certificate validity period notified by the government.
6. Persons with Disability (PwD) candidates with 40% or more disability, as per Government norms, must submit a UDID certificate.
7. Transgender candidates must submit the requisite certificate as per Section 6(1) of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, issued by the concerned District Magistrate.
8. Domicile-of-Karnataka candidates with less than 55% marks are NOT eligible for any relaxation. Candidates seeking admission under the reserved category can avail relaxed marks only if their entry falls under that reserved category.

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Age Limit

There is NO upper age limit prescribed for candidates applying for the Karnataka State Eligibility Test for Assistant Professors – 2026.

Domicile Requirements

Candidates must fulfil one of the following domicile conditions to be eligible for KSET:

a) Candidates who studied under the 10+2+3 pattern and completed their qualifying UGC-mandated education in Karnataka are eligible for domicile-based relaxation.

b) Candidates domiciled in Karnataka before 1989 and who have qualified in the UGC-NET/CSIR-NET/GATE examinations are also eligible for domicile-based relaxation.

c) Candidates who appeared for the State Eligibility Test (SET) conducted before 1 June 2002 are eligible for domicile-based relaxation, regardless of where they qualified in India. However, from 1 June 2002 onward, candidates are eligible for Assistant Professor posts only in universities/first-grade colleges of the state where they qualified.

KSET 2026 Exam Pattern

KSET consists of two papers, both objective type with multiple-choice questions, conducted in a single session of 3 hours (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM) on 11.10.2026 in OMR format.

Note: Candidates will not be permitted entry to the exam centre after 10:00 AM.

• Paper-I: Tests teaching/research aptitude of candidates. Includes general knowledge, teaching/research-related questions, general awareness, and reasoning ability. Consists of 50 compulsory questions, each carrying 02 marks.
• Paper-II: Consists of 100 questions based entirely on the subject chosen by the candidate, each carrying 02 marks, for a total of 200 marks.

Minimum Qualifying Marks

Slot-1 (Total Slots) for KSET eligibility is fixed at 6% of the total number of candidates appearing in both papers. Following this, subject-wise and category-wise merit lists are prepared for those meeting the minimum qualifying marks.

KSET 2026 Exam Centres

The exam will be conducted at 11 centres across Karnataka: Bengaluru, Belagavi, Ballari, Vijayapura, Davanagere, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, and Mangaluru. Candidates may choose only ONE exam centre while applying. Note that the 19 subjects listed under Part-B are available for examination only at the Bengaluru centre.

How to Apply for KSET 2026

Follow these steps to apply for KSET 2026:

1. Visit the official KEA website at https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/.
2. Register and fill in the online application form with personal, educational, and category details.
3. Choose the subject and exam centre carefully, as changes are not permitted after final submission.
4. Upload the required scanned photograph and documents in JPEG format as per specifications.
5. Pay the applicable examination fee online through the prescribed payment gateway.
6. Take a printout of the submitted application form and retain it for future reference.
7. Download and print the Hall Ticket from the official website once released on 01.10.2026 — hall tickets will NOT be sent by post or courier.

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