KEAM Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Check Age limit, Qualifying marks, Nationality

KEAM 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates can check the requirements that constitute the eligibility criteria for KEAM 2026 exam online. Students are advised to check the KEAM 2026 eligibility criteria before filling out the KEAM application form. If candidates are found ineligible, then they will not be allotted any seats in the participating institutes.

Nationality

• Candidates must be of Indian nationality.
• However, Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)/ and overseas citizens of India (OCI) will also be considered eligible for KEAM 2026. These candidates will not be eligible for reservations.

Domicile

Candidates have to belong to one of the following categories - Keralite, Non-Keralite Category I (NK I) or Non-Keralite Category II (NK II). To prove the domicile, the candidates will be required to submit certain documents.

KEAM 2026 Age Limit

• As per KEAM eligibility criteria 2026, the candidates should be a minimum 17 years old as of December 31, 2026.
• No maximum age limit.

Educational Requirements

• Candidates should have passed a 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board/university with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Candidates appearing in the qualifying examination with at least 45% marks are eligible to apply.

KEAM Required Marks

• Engineering: The candidates must have Physics and Mathematics as compulsory subjects and Chemistry/computer science/biology as one of the optional subjects with at least 45% marks put together in the subjects are eligible for admission and also get KEAM qualification marks.
• Architecture: The candidates must have passed the Higher Secondary Examination, Kerala, or any recognized board with at least 50 % aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics or passed 10+3 Diploma Examination with Mathematics as a compulsory subject with at least 50 % marks in aggregate. The candidates who score the minimum eligibility marks as per NATA eligibility 2026 will be considered for admission to B. Arch. Course.

KEAM Eligibility Criteria: Keralite Category 2026

• If the candidates are originally from Kerala, they will be categorized as Keralites.
• Children of All India Service (AIS) officers (Non-Keralites) allotted to Kerala cadre will also be categorized as Keralites but such candidates will not be eligible for Communal/ Special/ Persons with Disabilities reservation or any fee concession.

Read More:

• KEAM College Predictor 2026
• KEAM Syllabus 2026
• How to crack KEAM 2026?
• Best Colleges in Kerala Accepting KEAM

KEAM Eligibility Criteria 2026: Non-Keralite Category I (NK I)

Those candidates who do not fall under the Keralite category but meet the given conditions will be considered for admission under the Non-Keralite Category I (NK I).

• Candidates who do not hail from Kerala but have completed their 8 to 12th standard in Kerala.
• Candidates who have qualified for their qualifying examination in Kerala and their non-Keralite parents, a Government of India/ Defence Service, posted to Kerala.
• Who have completed their qualifying courses from Kerala and their Non- Keralite parents who are serving or served the Government of Kerala for a minimum period of two years.
• Those candidates who do not belong to Kerala but are residents of Kerala and have completed a minimum of 5 years of their study out of 12 years in the state.

KEAM Eligibility Criteria 2026: Non-Keralite Category II (NK II)

• Candidates of this category will be eligible for admission to government and management quota seats in B.Tech programmes offered by government-controlled self-financing colleges and private self-financing engineering.
• However, the students must note that candidates belonging to this category will get admission to the above-given institutions only when the Keralite and Non-Keralite I (NK I) candidates are not available for admission.
• Students must note that Communal/ Special/ Persons with Disabilities reservations or any fee concession will not be given to candidates belonging to this category.

Note: Candidates who belong to any of the three categories given above will be admitted in respect of seats reserved for the nominees of the Government of India, Administration of Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Administration, and Jammu & Kashmir.

List of Documents as Proof of KEAM Eligibility 2026

For Keralite Category

• Original copy of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate of the candidate showing the birthplace in Kerala OR
• Original copy of the Secondary School Leaving Certificate of any of the parents of the candidate denoting their birthplace to be Kerala along with a corroborative certificate that establishes a relationship between the candidate and the parent OR
• Original copy of the Passport of the candidate issued by the Government of India showing birthplace to be Kerala or passport of any of the parents showing their birthplace to be Kerala along with a supporting document establishing the parent’s relationship with the child OR
• Birth certificate from a competent authority (Panchayat/ Municipality/ Corporation) showing the candidate’ birthplace to be Kerala or birth certificate of any of the parents of the candidate along with a supporting document that establishes the candidate’s relationship with the parent OR
• Certificate from Tahsildar/ Village Officer denoting that the candidate or either of the parents was born in Kerala. Students will have to attach the document along with the printed application form in the prescribed format OR
• Certificate from a competent authority stating that the candidate’s parent is an All India Service officer allotted to the Kerala cadre.

For Non-Keralite Category I (NK I) 2026

• Certificate issued by the employer in the prescribed format from the Head of the organization, where the parent of the candidate is serving/ served, along with a Certificate showing School studies in Kerala for Standards XI & XII from the head of the institution where the candidate has studied OR
• Certificate of residence from the Tahsildar/ Village Officer stating that the candidate has lived in Kerala for 5 years within 12 years of the candidate’s studying period OR
• Certificate from the Head(s) of the educational institution(s) in Kerala stating that the candidate has studied in Kerala from Std. VIII to XII. Students must note that the certificate has to be submitted in the prescribed format along with the application form.

For Non-Keralites Category II (NK II) 2026

For the candidates belonging to KEAM non keralite for engineering II, they will have to produce a Certificate of Completion of Qualifying Examination in the prescribed format or their Passport issued by the Government of India to prove their Indian citizenship.

Other Relevant Links

• KEAM 2026 Sample Papers
• KEAM Exam Pattern 2026
• KEAM Cut-off
• KEAM 2026 Mock Test

KEAM Application Form 2026

The KEAM 2026 application form is available from January 5 to February 6, 2026, on the official website. While filling out the KEAM 2026 application form, the candidates need to provide their personal, academic, and contact details. Candidates had to check the KEAM age limit before applying. If the application form was not submitted before the final date, then the candidates were not be allowed to participate in the admission process.