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

Candidates who are currently pursuing their postgraduate degree and appearing in the final year or final semester examination are also eligible to apply for KSET-2026. Such candidates 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, and must submit proof (mark card) of this to the Karnataka Examinations Authority within that two-year window – failing which their eligibility will be cancelled. Candidates who completed their postgraduate examination on or before 19 September 1991 (irrespective of the date their result was declared) and who additionally hold a Ph.D degree are given a 5% relaxation in the minimum marks required – i.e., 50% instead of 55%. Candidates must appear for KSET in the sa

The following categories of candidates are exempt from the requirement of qualifying KSET/NET for eligibility as Assistant Professor, as per the notification: Candidates who have been granted exemption under applicable UGC rules and guidelines regarding KSET eligibility. Candidates who qualified UGC-NET/CSIR-NET/JRF examinations before 1989 are exempt from KSET, irrespective of subject. Candidates who cleared a State-level SET examination before 1 June 2002 are exempt from the KSET eligibility requirement and are eligible for Assistant Professor posts anywhere in India. Candidates 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.

The KSET exam consists of two papers, both objective (multiple choice) type, conducted in a single sitting on 11 October 2026. Candidates are not permitted entry into the examination centre after 1:00 PM. Paper-I is a general paper testing teaching and research aptitude and reasoning ability – it assesses general knowledge, teaching/research aptitude, general awareness, reasoning ability and analytical thinking of the candidate, and consists of 50 compulsory questions worth 2 marks each. Paper-II is the subject paper, based on the subject chosen by the candidate, and 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. KSET follows the UGC-NET pattern and standards as per UGC guidance. As per the UGC-prescribed methodology, only around 6% of the total number of candida

Minimum Qualifying Marks

KSET-2026 will be conducted in 37 subjects. The table below gives the subject name, subject code, and the language(s) in which the question paper will be available. Note on subject codes: As per the official notification, subject codes 33, 34, 35 and 38 do not appear in this list (the listed codes jump from 32 to 36); this is exactly as printed in the source notification and has been reproduced without alteration. The notification clarifies which related/interdisciplinary postgraduate qualifications make a candidate eligible to appear for certain subjects: Economics: Candidates with a postgraduate degree in Economics, Co-operation, and other related/interdisciplinary subjects. Management: Candidates with a 2-year postgraduate degree, or an MBA/PGDM or equivalent qualification in a related field. Folklore: Candidates with a postgraduate degree in Folklore, Kannada, Janapada, Kannada Janap

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.

There is no upper age limit prescribed for candidates appearing for the KSET-2026 examination.

The provisional answer key for KSET-2026 will be published on the internet after the examination is completed. Candidates who wish to raise objections to the provisional answer key can submit their objections online, along with a fee of Rs. 50/- per question. 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. 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. No physical mark card is issued to candidates found eligible or not eligible through KSET. The decision of the Karnataka Examinations Authority on all subjects/matters relating to the exam is final.

Candidates must download their hall ticket from the official KEA website, verify all printed details carefully, and report to the correct examination centre allotted to them. Candidates 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, and food items are not permitted inside the examination hall. No safekeeping facility for such items is available at exam centres. Candidates should carry only a transparent water bottle and permitted writing materials, and report to the centre at the time specified on the KEA website. The exam centre, once selected at the time of application, cannot be changed for any reason. Candidates registered for the 19 subje

Candidates in the 18 subjects listed under Part-A below can choose any one of all 11 examination centres in Karnataka. Candidates in the 19 subjects listed under Part-B can appear only at the Bengaluru centre; no other centre option is available for these subjects. Commerce, Kannada, Economics, English, Political Science, History, Sociology, Hindi, Management, Education, Library and Information Science, Social Work, Physical Education, Computer Science and Applications, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Life Sciences. Geography, Tourism Administration and Management, Mass Communication and Journalism, Psychology, Criminology, Law, Sanskrit, Folklore, Urdu, Public Administration, Environmental Sciences, Home Science, Electronic Science, Earth Sciences, Philosophy, Women Studies, Performing Arts, Music, and Visual Arts.