DCET and PGCET processes to go entirely online from this year

For the first time, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has decided to conduct Diploma Common Entrance Test (DCET) and Postgraduate CET (PGCET) for 2024 entirely online. Not just that document verification and counselling will also be online. This ensures students appearing for these tests need not come all the way to Bengaluru to KEA head office in the city.

The notification for DCET2024, conducted for lateral entry of diploma students into undergraduate engineering courses, will be issued in the next few days, sources said.

Online exam

KEA conducts CET for undergraduate, postgraduate and for lateral entry students to engineering and other professional courses.

All exams were held physically in the offline mode, even as KEA has made document verification and counselling for CET for undergraduate courses online. However, this exam sees over 2.5 lakh students taking it, making it tough to move it online.

But DCET sees around 15,00020,000 students taking it and PGCET about 40,00050,000, prompting KEA to shift these entrance tests online.

“Compared to CET for UG courses, the number of students taking DCET and PGCET is lower. Though nearly 50,000 students apply for PGCET, the number of students applying for PG courses in each subject is far lower. So we have decided to conduct both these tests online,” said S. Ramya, Executive Director, KEA.

“Presently, the seating capacity and the potential of the system for conducting online exams in the State is around 15,000. If we improve this by adding 5,000 more computers, we can hold simultaneous online exams to 20,000 students. Online exam centres will soon be opened in every district. We will soon start an awareness campaign among students about online exams,” she said.

Module

KEA has already prepared an ApplicationcumOnline Verification Module for DCET 2024 and PGCET 2024, on the lines of UGCET.

This will make the entire process of submission of application, examination, document verification, declaration of result, counselling and seat allotment online.

“Candidates need not submit their academic documents to KEA. All academic documents will be collected backend from the department concerned itself.

Candidates seeking seats under specific reservation category should enter the relevant revenue document (RD) number of their caste certificate. So, this time DCET and PGCET candidates need not come to KEA for anything,” Ms. Ramya said.