KEAM
Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical
About this exam — pattern, marking, syllabus and where it leadsShowHide
KEAM is Kerala's engineering and pharmacy entrance, and it changed shape recently: it is now a single computer-based paper rather than the old two-paper format, and — unusually — each question has five options, not four. Like KCET it is only half an entrance exam: the rank is 50% KEAM and 50% Class 12, with the board marks themselves weighted 5:3:2 across Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
- Duration
- 3 hours, one paper.
- Papers
- One paper: Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
- Mode
- Computer-based test, spread over several days.
Question formats
- Mathematics — 75 questions
- Physics — 45 questions
- Chemistry — 30 questions
- Note on the options — Five options (A–E) per question, not fourGuessing is worth less here than in a four-option paper, and the negative marking is unchanged.
Marking
| Question type | Correct | Partial | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every question | +4 | — | −1. Widely reported and consistent with the 600-mark index — confirm in the current prospectus. |
Physics syllabus
General
- Units, Dimensions & Measurements
- Experimental Physics
Mechanics
- Kinematics
- Laws of Motion & Friction
- Circular Motion
- Work, Energy & Power
- Centre of Mass, Momentum & Collision
- Rotational Motion
- Gravitation
- Property of Solids
- Properties of Fluids
Thermal Physics
- Thermal Properties of Matter
- Thermodynamics
- Kinetic Theory of Gases
Oscillations & Waves
- Simple Harmonic Motion
- Waves
Electrodynamics
- Electrostatics
- Capacitors
- Current Electricity
- Magnetic Effects of Current
- Magnetism
- Electromagnetic Induction
- Alternating Current
- Electromagnetic Waves
Optics
- Ray Optics
- Wave Optics
Modern Physics
- Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation
- Atoms
- Nuclei
- Semiconductors / Electronic Devices
Eligibility and admissions
These change from year to year. Always confirm against the current information brochure before acting on anything here.
- Conducted by:
- The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala.
- Rank formula:
- 50% normalised KEAM score and 50% Class 12 marks, with the board subjects weighted 5:3:2 across Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, giving an index mark out of 600.
- On that formula:
- Kerala moved from an equal 1:1:1 subject ratio to 5:3:2, it was challenged in court, and the change was upheld on appeal in June 2026. It is the operative rule — but it is the kind of thing to re-check each year.
- Eligibility:
- Class 12 with Physics and Mathematics compulsory plus Chemistry (or Computer Science, Biotechnology or Biology as a fallback), about 45% in those together, and age 17 by 31 December. No upper age limit.
- Scope:
- The KEAM exam itself covers B.Tech and B.Pharm only. The same application routes to Architecture through NATA and to the medical courses through NEET.
Where this exam leads
Government colleges
College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET) · Government Engineering College Thrissur · GEC Barton Hill · GEC Palakkad, Idukki, Wayanad and Kannur · Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Kottayam
Aided colleges
TKM College of Engineering, Kollam · Model Engineering College, Ernakulam · Mar Athanasius College of Engineering, Kothamangalam
Self-financing colleges
A large group under APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University; selectivity varies widely.
Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology · KMEA Engineering College · and many more in the KTU affiliation list
Specialist universities in the same counselling
Kerala Agricultural University · Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University · Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies
Grouped by band rather than ranked one by one, because the ordering changes yearly and a branch at one institute is often worth more than a seat at a higher-ranked one. Check NIRF and the official counselling data before setting your preferences.
We do not publish closing ranks for this exam. Its counselling data is not released in a form we can verify institute by institute, and a plausible-looking invented number is worse than none — take the cut-offs from the conducting body's own counselling reports.
Courses offered
- • B.Tech / B.E. — Computer Science and its variants, which take the highest cut-offs almost everywhere
- • B.Tech / B.E. — Electronics, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Chemical
- • Interdisciplinary programmes: Data Science, AI, Mathematics and Computing, Engineering Physics
- • Dual-degree and five-year integrated B.Tech–M.Tech programmes at several institutes
- • B.Pharm