KCET 2026 Round 2 Option Entry Ends on August 13 at 9 AM

Direct answer: If you are a KCET/UGCET 2026 candidate and want a seat in the next round, log in to the KEA counselling portal, give consent for Round 2, and save your college and course options before 9 AM on Thursday, August 13, 2026. Round 2 allotment is scheduled for after 10 AM on August 19, 2026. (reddit.com)

Last verified: August 12, 2026 Byline: Ananya Rao

## Who is affected?

This update is for students taking part in KEA’s UGCET 2026 counselling, commonly called KCET counselling. It mainly affects students who:

- were not given a seat in Round 1; - received a Round 1 seat but selected a choice that allows them to continue counselling; - want to add, remove or rearrange college and course choices; or - want to add eligible pharmacy, medical or dental options where the portal allows it.

For a Karnataka II PUC student, this is the important difference from Round 1: your old options will not automatically be carried forward for an unallotted candidate. The current schedule information says that students without a Round 1 allotment must log in again, give consent and enter options to be considered for Round 2. (reddit.com)

KEA is handling this counselling. It is not a KSEAB or DPUE process. KSEAB conducts SSLC and PUC board examinations; KEA handles KCET admissions.

## What you should do now

1. Open the official KEA counselling portal: cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea. 2. Log in using the details requested by the portal. 3. Check your verification slip, category details and rank. 4. Review the available seat matrix and fee information before choosing a course. 5. Give consent to take part in Round 2 if the portal asks for it. 6. Add your college and course options in the order you really prefer. 7. Check the list once again and save or submit it before the deadline. 8. Download or print the confirmation page if the portal provides one.

Do not place a college above another one just because its name looks popular. Check the course, location, travel cost, hostel cost and whether your family can manage the fees. KEA’s allotment depends on merit, available seats and the order of your options.

The current update also says that eligible candidates may add new options, delete options or rearrange their list. Some medical, dental and pharmacy choices may be available through the combined counselling process. Check the portal itself before selecting any option because the available courses can depend on your examination, rank and verification status. (reddit.com)

## Important dates

| Process | Date and time | What it means | |---|---:|---| | Round 2 option entry opened | August 7, 2026, from 7 PM | Eligible candidates could begin entering choices | | Last date for Round 2 option entry | August 13, 2026, by 9 AM | Submit consent and save your options before this time | | Round 2 KCET allotment result | August 19, 2026, after 10 AM | Check whether a seat has been allotted | | General option-entry fee | Not confirmed | We could not confirm a separate fee for ordinary option entry from the official portal information checked |

The exact schedule was published through an official KEA schedule PDF. The official KEA counselling portal is the safest place to log in and check your own instructions. A student update on the r/kcet forum also reproduced the same August 7, August 13 and August 19 timings, but forum information should not replace the KEA portal. (reddit.com)

## What happens if you miss the deadline?

If you are not allotted a Round 1 seat and do not log in or give consent for Round 2, the current instructions say you may not be considered for the Round 2 allotment. Your earlier choices should not be assumed to remain active automatically.

If you already hold a seat and want to leave counselling, do not simply stop checking the portal or stay absent from the process. Read the surrender and exit instructions on the KEA portal first. We could not confirm one general surrender penalty from the official page checked, so do not rely on a number shared in a WhatsApp group or by an agent.

After August 19, check the allotment result and read the choice, fee-payment and reporting instructions shown for your candidate login. A seat shown in the result is not the same as completing admission. Missing the next payment or reporting deadline can affect the seat.

Related help: See the Karnataka Board Help Center for Karnataka SSLC, PUC and KCET-linked admission guidance. We are an independent student-help website, not KEA, KSEAB, DPUE or the Government of Karnataka.

Sources - KEA official counselling portal - KEA UGCET/UGNEET 2026 schedule PDF

_Last verified: 2026-08-12._

This is a free, independent help center, not an official Karnataka Board site. Always confirm the latest dates, results and notifications on the official Karnataka Board portal.