KSET 2026 Notification – Apply Online for Karnataka Assistant Professor Eligibility Test
- Last Date
- 05 Sep 2026 (Expired)
- Total Posts
- Not Applicable (Eligibility Test)
- Apply Mode
- Online
- Job Type
- Eligibility Examination
Job Overview
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), Government of Karnataka, has issued the notification for the Karnataka State Assistant Professor Eligibility Test 2026 (K-SET/KSET-2026). As per Government Order No. ede 57 baraga 2025 dated 19 May 2025 and UGC-NET Bureau letter No. F.7-16/2012(NET/SET) dated 6 September 2023, KSET-2026 will be conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority on 11 October 2026 (Sunday). Eligible candidates can apply online.
KSET is Karnataka’s state-level equivalent of the UGC-NET examination, and clearing it makes a candidate eligible for appointment to Assistant Professor posts in universities and first-grade colleges (Government, Aided and Unaided) across Karnataka. It is conducted in 37 subjects and is not a direct recruitment exercise – it is an eligibility test that opens the door to subsequent Assistant Professor recruitment in the state.
Overview of KSET 2026
Eligibility Criteria
- Candidates must hold a Postgraduate degree with a minimum of 55% marks (General category) from a recognised university/deemed university/higher education institution of the same standard, in the subject in which they wish to appear for KSET.
- For candidates belonging to reserved categories – SC-A, SC-B, SC-C, ST, Category-I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disability), and Third Gender – the minimum qualifying marks required is 50%.
- Candidates in the final year (or awaiting result) of their Postgraduate degree may also apply provisionally, and are permitted to appear in KSET only provisionally. If provisionally selected, such candidates must obtain their Postgraduate degree with the requisite percentage within 2 years from the date of declaration of the KSET result, failing which their KSET eligibility certificate stands cancelled.
- Candidates must take KSET in the subject of their Postgraduate study. If a candidate’s PG subject does not match any of the subjects currently offered under KSET, they may instead appear for UGC-NET or UGC-CSIR-NET in that subject.
- There is no upper age limit to appear for KSET-2026.
Reservation and Category Considerations
Reservation for KSET follows Karnataka Government norms for SC-A, SC-B, SC-C, ST, and Other Backward Class categories, as notified at https://bcwd.karnataka.gov.in/. Candidates from other states can be considered only under the General category for KSET purposes – reservation benefits under SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Transgender categories are available only to candidates who are eligible for reservation specifically within the State of Karnataka. PwBD candidates availing reservation must possess a valid UDID (Unique Disability ID) number, and Third Gender candidates are considered as per the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
Examination Pattern
KSET-2026 will be conducted on 11 October 2026 in a single session, in OMR format, comprising two papers.
| Paper | No. of Questions | Max. Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | 50 (all compulsory) | 100 | 3 hours (10:00 AM to 1:00 PM), single session |
| Paper II | 100 (all compulsory) | 200 |
Paper I is a General Paper intended to test the candidate’s teaching/research aptitude, general awareness, and reasoning and analytical skills – it assesses the candidate’s general knowledge, comprehension, and reasoning ability rather than domain-specific knowledge.
Paper II is based on the specific subject chosen by the candidate at the time of application and tests subject knowledge in depth.
Minimum Qualifying Marks
The total number of Assistant Professor eligibility slots (Total Slots) is equal to 6% of the total number of candidates who appear for both papers, distributed category-wise and subject-wise based on the minimum qualifying marks and merit ranking within each category and subject.
Application Fee
Fees can be paid only through online mode, as intimated on the KEA website. Payment through any offline mode (Money Order, Demand Draft, IPO, Office Challan, etc.) is not accepted, and once paid, the fee is not refunded for any reason.
How to Apply
- Visit the KEA’s official website for online applications: https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/.
- Register and fill in the online application form for KSET-2026 between 10 August 2026 and 5 September 2026.
- Pay the applicable application fee online on or before 6 September 2026.
- Download the Hall Ticket from the same website from 1 October 2026 onwards.
- Appear for the KSET-2026 examination on 11 October 2026 at the allotted exam centre.
Only online applications through the KEA website are accepted for KSET-2026; applications submitted through any other format will not be considered.
Subjects Covered
KSET-2026 covers 37 subjects, including Commerce, Kannada, Economics, English, Political Science, History, Sociology, Geography, Hindi, Management, Tourism Administration and Management, Education, Library and Information Science, Mass Communication and Journalism, Psychology, Social Work, Criminology, Law, Sanskrit, Physical Education, Folk Literature, Urdu, Public Administration, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Home Science, Electronic Science, Earth Sciences, and Philosophy, among others. Candidates should refer to the official notification for the complete list along with each subject’s specific code and the language(s) in which the question paper is set, since some subjects are offered bilingually (Kannada and English) while others are offered only in English, Hindi, Sanskrit or Urdu, depending on the subject.
Important Instructions
- Candidates should carefully review this notification before submitting their online application, since applications, once submitted, cannot be modified or withdrawn.
- Only KSET-eligible candidates found qualified as per the department’s criteria, and appointed to Assistant Professor posts in Karnataka’s universities/first-grade colleges/higher education institutions (Government, Aided and Unaided), will be governed by the relevant recruitment and service rules.
- Candidates who have already qualified UGC-NET or UGC-CSIR-NET in a relevant subject may be eligible to teach without appearing separately for KSET, as per the applicable UGC guidelines – candidates should verify the specific equivalence conditions before applying.
- Any candidate found to have suppressed material facts or furnished false information at any stage will have their candidature/eligibility cancelled.
About KSET and Its Significance
The Karnataka State Assistant Professor Eligibility Test functions alongside the UGC-NET as one of the two principal routes for aspiring academics to become eligible for Assistant Professor positions at Karnataka’s degree colleges and universities. Because KSET is conducted specifically for candidates whose eligibility is tied to the state of Karnataka, and because reservation benefits under this test are available only to candidates eligible for reservation within Karnataka, it draws heavily from postgraduate students and researchers based in or connected to the state. Clearing KSET does not itself guarantee a teaching job – much like UGC-NET, it establishes eligibility, after which candidates must separately apply for and compete in actual recruitment drives conducted by individual universities, colleges, or the Department of Collegiate Education, Government of Karnataka.
Grandfather Clause for Older PG Degree Holders
The notification also carries a provision relevant to a small, specific group of candidates: those who completed their Postgraduate degree by 19 September 1991, with the requisite minimum marks (55% General/50% reserved category), before the SET/NET requirement was introduced for teaching eligibility. Such candidates were treated as directly eligible for Assistant Professor positions without needing to clear SET, based on the UGC’s original 1991 cut-off announcement. However, this exemption effectively applies only to candidates who obtained their Postgraduate degree during that specific historical window; anyone who is currently applying for KSET-2026 to establish fresh eligibility falls under the regular examination process described above, regardless of when their postgraduate studies were completed.
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is KSET 2026?
KSET (Karnataka State Assistant Professor Eligibility Test) 2026 is a state-level eligibility examination conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority, qualifying candidates for Assistant Professor posts in Karnataka’s universities and first-grade colleges.
2. What is the online application period?
Online applications can be submitted from 10 August 2026 to 5 September 2026, with fee payment permitted till 6 September 2026.
3. When is the KSET-2026 exam?
11 October 2026 (Sunday), in a single session from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
4. What is the minimum qualification required to appear for KSET?
A Postgraduate degree with 55% marks (General category) or 50% marks (reserved categories/PwBD/Third Gender) from a recognised university, in the subject the candidate wishes to appear for.
5. Is there an age limit for KSET-2026?
No. There is no upper age limit to appear for KSET-2026.
6. What is the application fee for KSET-2026?
Rs.750 for General/Category IIA/IIB/IIIA/IIIB candidates and candidates from other states; Rs.500 for Category-I, SC-A/SC-B/SC-C, ST, PwBD, and Third Gender candidates.
7. What is the exam pattern for KSET-2026?
Two papers – Paper I (50 questions, 100 marks, general aptitude) and Paper II (100 questions, 200 marks, subject-specific) – conducted together in a single 3-hour session.
8. What are the minimum qualifying marks in KSET?
40% (combined, both papers) for General category candidates, and 35% for SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Transgender category candidates.
9. Can candidates from outside Karnataka apply for KSET-2026?
Yes, but candidates from other states are considered only under the General category and cannot avail SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Transgender reservation benefits meant for Karnataka-eligible candidates.
10. Does clearing KSET guarantee an Assistant Professor job?
No. Clearing KSET only establishes eligibility for Assistant Professor posts; candidates must separately apply for and compete in actual recruitment drives conducted by universities, colleges, or the state’s Department of Collegiate Education.