The Karnataka Examinations Authority has moved to calm anxious candidates after closing the UGCET 2026 Option Entry window on June 30, confirming that anyone who missed the deadline will get another opportunity to submit their preferences. KEA Executive Director H. Prasanna, IAS, addressed the concern directly, telling students there is no need to panic since a fresh entry window will open automatically once mock seat allotment results are declared.
What KEA Has Confirmed
According to an official statement posted by KEA, candidates who have not yet entered their options will get a chance to do so immediately after the first round of mock seat allotment results are announced. This assurance applies to two groups:
- Candidates who had registered but missed the June 30 choice-filling deadline
- New applicants who hadn’t completed option entry at all before the window closed
The authority’s message was aimed squarely at reducing panic among the roughly 3.3 lakh candidates who appeared for KCET this year — the highest number on record — many of whom were racing against the clock as the UGCET 2026 Option Entry deadline approached.
Revised Counselling Timeline
With the option entry phase now closed for those who made it in time, the process moves into its next stage. Based on KEA’s published schedule:
- Mock seat allotment results will be published on July 6, after 11 AM — this is also when the second chance for late entrants opens
- A three-day modification window follows, running from July 6 afternoon until July 9, 10 AM, letting candidates edit, add, or reorder choices
- The first-round real seat allotment result is scheduled for July 15, after 11 AM
Advice for Anxious Candidates
KEA has urged candidates to use the time before mock results are out productively — reviewing previous years’ closing ranks, checking the official seat matrix, and preparing a well-ordered preference list rather than waiting until the last moment once the new window opens. The authority reiterated that all seat allotment remains strictly merit-based, driven by rank, category, and preference order, with no exceptions made outside the official process. Candidates are advised to monitor the official portal, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea, and KEA’s verified social media handles for the exact activation time of the second UGCET 2026 Option Entry window rather than relying on unofficial sources.
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