KCET 2026 Round 3: Final Deadline for Option Entry Set for September 3

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has issued a final reminder to candidates participating in the third round of the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) 2026 counselling. Students seeking admission into engineering and pharmacy programmes must complete their web-based option entry by tomorrow, September 3, 2026. This deadline marks the concluding opportunity for applicants to finalise their college and course preferences for the current admission cycle.

According to the official notification, this phase requires all eligible candidates to submit fresh choices. The KEA has explicitly stated that preferences submitted during the earlier rounds of counselling will not be carried forward to this stage. Failure to log in and lock new choices through the official portal before the deadline will result in the candidate being excluded from the final seat allocation process.

Guidelines for KCET 2026 Round 3 Option Entry

The option entry portal, which became active on August 31, 2026, is accessible via the official KEA website at keaonline.karnataka.gov.in. To participate, candidates are required to navigate to the UGCET 2026 section of the portal and log in using their application number and security credentials. Before finalizing their selections, students are encouraged to review the updated seat vacancy matrix provided by the authority to ensure their choices align with current availability.

The process involves listing college and course combinations in order of preference. The KEA has advised students to carefully evaluate their priority hierarchy before saving and submitting their choices. It is also recommended that candidates generate a physical printout of their submitted options for their personal records. For those who were previously allotted a seat in Round 2 and are seeking an upgrade, the specific entry window remains open from 11:00 AM on September 2 until 6:00 PM on September 3, 2026.

Once the submission window closes tomorrow evening, the KEA is expected to proceed with the seat allotment process. The provisional and final results for the third round will be released following the conclusion of this final option entry phase. Candidates are encouraged to monitor the official KEA portal for further updates regarding the subsequent stages of the counselling schedule.