KCET 2026 Round 3: New Allottees Get Choice 4 Until September 6
By Kavya S. Last verified: September 5, 2026
## Can a fresh KCET Round 3 allottee leave counselling?
Yes. If KEA has given you a seat for the first time in KCET 2026 Round 3, you may be allowed to select Choice 4 and leave the counselling process. This is a new and important option. Do not choose it casually: once you exit, you will not be considered in the next allotment process.
The KEA UGCET 2026 portal is the official place to check your allotment and available choices.
## Who is affected?
This update is for Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET/UGCET) 2026 candidates taking part in Round 3 for courses such as:
- Engineering - Architecture - Yoga and Naturopathy - Veterinary Science - Agriculture and other farm-science courses - B.Sc Nursing - B.Pharm and Pharma-D - BPT, BPO and allied health courses
The important difference is between fresh Round 3 allottees and students who already joined a college after Round 2.
| Student situation | Can the student use Choice 4? | |---|---| | A seat was allotted for the first time in Round 3 | Yes, according to the reported KEA update | | Joined the Round 2 college and entered Round 3 for upgradation | No | | Was already allotted a seat earlier but did not complete the required admission steps | Check the individual status shown on the KEA portal |
Careers360 reported on September 4, 2026, that Choice 4 is available to fresh Round 3 allottees until September 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. A separate report by The Bengaluru Live, also dated September 4, said the window would close on September 5 at 5:00 p.m. Because these reports show different closing times, students should not wait until the last hour. Open the official KEA portal now and follow the time displayed inside your login.
## What should you do now?
### 1. Check the provisional allotment
Log in using the details requested by KEA, such as your CET number and date of birth. Download the provisional allotment result and check:
- College name - Course or branch - Category and fee details - Whether the allotment is marked as fresh or upgraded - Which choices are shown on your screen
Take a screenshot and save the allotment document. Parents should also keep a copy.
### 2. Decide what Choice 4 means for you
Select Choice 4 only if you do not want the newly allotted seat and do not want to continue in the KCET counselling process.
Before selecting it, compare the seat with your other realistic admission options. If you exit, you may lose this government-quota counselling opportunity. Choice 4 is not the same as asking KEA to give you a better college later.
### 3. Do not use Choice 4 if you are waiting for an upgrade from your Round 2 seat
Students who already reported to their Round 2 college and participated in Round 3 for an upgrade are not covered by the fresh-allottee exit option, according to the reports. Such students must follow the admission instructions connected to the seat finally allotted to them.
KEA is expected to add seats surrendered through Choice 4 back into the available seat pool. The Round 3 allotment may then be run again using the options already entered. Reports say students will not be allowed to edit their options at this stage.
## Important dates and actions
| Action | Date or deadline | What to do | |---|---:|---| | Provisional Round 3 allotment released | September 4, 2026 | Check the KEA portal and download the result | | Choice 4 window for eligible fresh allottees | Reported as September 4 to September 6, 2026 | Use the portal option only if you want to exit | | Conflicting closing time in reports | September 5 at 5:00 p.m. or September 6 at 10:00 a.m. | Act before September 5 evening and verify the portal notice | | Final Round 3 allotment | Not confirmed in the sources checked | Wait for KEA’s final allotment notice |
We could not confirm a separate Choice 4 fee from an official KEA notice available through the sources checked. Do not rely on a fee number posted in social-media groups.
## What happens if you do nothing?
If you are a fresh Round 3 allottee and do not select Choice 4, your seat may continue into the final Round 3 allotment process. If you are satisfied with the seat, follow KEA’s fee-payment, admission-order and college-reporting instructions when the final result is published.
The Bengaluru Live reported that after the final allotment, a candidate who refuses to join may face the prescribed fee and a penalty equal to five times that fee. We could not confirm the exact penalty amount from an official KEA document, so students should check the final KEA instructions before making any payment or cancellation decision.
This is a fresh KCET counselling development and does not change KSEAB SSLC or PUC examination rules. It also does not affect marks or the best-of-two rule used for KCET merit. For official action, use only the KEA UGCET 2026 portal, not lookalike websites.
Sources checked: Careers360 report dated September 4, 2026; The Bengaluru Live report dated September 4, 2026.
Sources - KEA UGCET 2026 official portal - The Bengaluru Live: KCET 2026 Third-Round Provisional Seat Allotment Results Out
_Last verified: 2026-09-05._
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.