Common Entrance Test (CET) is conducted every year by the Karnataka Government for the admission in Engineering and Medical colleges. The first exam was held in 1984.
Update: For the first time seat allocation will be done online for CET 2012.
The CET Cell will conduct the seat selection process for government seats for admissions to first-year Medical, Dental, Engineering, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, Naturopathy and Yoga and Architecture courses.
From CET 2007 every single answer sheet will be uploaded on the CET website for students to verify their answer sheets against the key answers.
As of 2008 CET will be known as KEA - Karnataka Examination Authority. KEA will conduct all exams on behalf of the Education department of Karnataka.
Candidates who have obtained admission to a particular discipline through the CET Cell in the previous years will not be eligible for selection of a seat in the same discipline in 2005. The State government has also decided not to conduct the test for non-Karnataka candidates. Karnataka candidates residing outside the state (Horanadu and Gadinadu Karnataka) can procure the brochure and application form by Speed Post by sending a self-addressed cloth-lined envelope of 25 cm x 30 cm size along with a Demand Draft for Rs 650.
For CET 2011, the govt has decided to make the forms available on the internet.
Government decided in January 2009 to abolish CET for Dental, Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy courses from 2008-09 academic year. Admissions will be based on Class 12 or II PUC marks.
The cost of CET brochure-cum-application form is Rs 550 fro GM, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B category students, and Rs 400 for SC, ST and category-1 students. The DD should be drawn in favour of Executive director Karnataka Examinations Authority, Bangalore, payable at Bangalore. Students have to submit DDs to the schools and colleges concerned.
| CET - An Overview | |||
| Number of Candidates Applied (Appeared) | |||
| Year | Karnataka | Non-Karnataka | Total |
| 2003 | 77,207 (75,240) | 56,191 (34,595) | 133,398 (109,835) |
| 2004 | 81,417 (79,320) | 27,897 (13,613) | 109,314 (92,915) |
| 2005 | 87,053 (85,270) | 87,053 (85,270) | |
| 2006 | 91,217 (88,270) | 91,217 (88,270) | |
| 2007 | 105,135 (102,481) | 105,135 (102,481) | |
Additional Engineering Seats
For the 2007-08 year 1,500 engineering seats have been added. Polytechnic colleges in Bhadravati, Chikmagalur, Kushalnagar and Hassan with 300 seats each are being upgraded to engineering colleges.
In addition to this, a new engineering college at Ramanagaram with 300 seats will add up to the CET matrix this year. "The existing polytechnic students will continue in the college till their course is completed," Shankaramurthy added.
Biometric identification:
CET 2007 had biometric identification for each student at every stage of the test. All candidates had to compulsorily affix their left hand thumb impression in their CET application form and also on the OMR answer sheets of all subjects.
Single test not a priority:
After assuring students of a single CET, the government now seems to be soft-pedalling on the issue. "The single test agenda was not on top of our priority list. We were gunning for a fair seat share and fee structure, which we have achieved. We will continue trying for the single test, but if we fail, I don't mind," the minister said.
Limited medical seats for CET
Just 1,800 students can get into medical colleges via CET 2011. After Maharashtra, Karnataka has the highest number of medical colleges in India.
Karnataka has 10 medical colleges which taken in 1,100 students. ComedK has 11 medical and 25 dental colleges which offer 1,415 and 1,580 seats respectively.
Engineering seats remain vacant
Every year a number of engineering seats in Karnataka are untouched. In 2010 approximately 15,000 engineering seats remained vacant.
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